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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
Let's consider your options. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is usually less costly than the Dell Alienware m17 R5, providing a more budget-friendly option. If you prioritize gaming or graphics-intensive tasks, the Alienware, while pricier, might offer superior performance and cooling, which can be crucial for long gaming sessions or heavy workloads. On the other hand, if you seek balance between cost and performance for a mix of everyday tasks and occasional gaming, the Acer might suffice and save you money. Consider the weight and size as well; gaming laptops like these may be less portable than ultrabooks, which could influence your decision if you often carry your laptop. Battery life is often shorter on gaming laptops, so think about your need for mobility versus being plugged in. Choose the Acer for value or the Alienware for higher-end gaming capabilities, but weigh the potential tradeoffs in portability and battery life. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
- The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware m17 R5.
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
8.1
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 for gaming and AI.
When considering general use, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 both offer high resolution and brightness levels on their displays, contributing to a clear and vibrant viewing experience. For engineering and design tasks, these laptops provide screens with wide color gamuts, delivering accurate color reproduction that professionals require. However, for gaming and 3D purposes, their lower refresh rates limit the smoothness of motion, making them less ideal for fast-paced visuals that benefit from quicker screen updates.
Portability
Fair
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$799
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.8
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are both good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, with its Intel processor and high screen resolution, is suitable for general use, and its weight and acceptable battery life make it fairly portable, although it offers less storage compared to the Dell Alienware m17 R5.
Gaming and AI
7.5
7.7
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, offering solid gaming and 3D performance with a balance between graphics power and smooth visual display. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 boasts a superior Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and an outstanding screen refresh rate of 480 Hz, providing enhanced graphical fidelity and an extremely fluid gaming experience, which may edge it ahead for the most demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.3
8.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is equipped with a high-performing Intel i5 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, along with a high refresh rate IPS display that offers good color accuracy, making it suitable for engineering and design tasks that require both computational power and visual precision. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 comes with a more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, combined with a larger screen and a significantly higher contrast ratio, enhancing the experience for design work that benefits from more screen real estate and deeper blacks.
Content Creation
7.7
7.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.5
7.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
7.4
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sacrifices portability and a truly budget price in the name of additional power. While remaining relatively budget-friendly, this gaming laptop packs serious processing chops, and Acer optimizes its internals to deliver respectable 1080p (or 1200p) gameplay from an RTX 4050. Its keyboard and chassis design won't win it any awards, but its display is a cut above for the price."
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | January 2023
"Overall, the all-AMD system in the Alienware m17 R5 is impressive, especially the graphics performance. However, various driver issues and unnecessary inconsistencies prevent us from truly enjoying such a potent gaming machine. In addition to strong 3D performance, we particularly like the build quality, the fairly bright UHD display with high color space coverage, and the fact that the gamer is often quiet when not under load and also rather quieter than some competitors under load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Dell Alienware m17 R5
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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