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Updated January 12, 2024·
To help you decide between the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2, consider how you'll use the laptop. The Acer is less expensive, so if budget is a concern and you need a machine for everyday tasks and moderate gaming, it's a good choice. However, if you're looking for top-of-the-line performance for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering simulations, the Alienware offers higher specs and is likely more powerful. Remember, with the Alienware, you're also paying for a premium brand and design. Keep in mind that both models are gaming laptops, so they won't excel in portability or battery life compared to ultrabooks or business laptops tailored for mobility. Choose the Acer for a balance between cost and performance, or the Alienware for peak performance at a higher price. 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 X17 R2.
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.2
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is equipped with sufficient RAM and an adequate processor for general tasks, plus a good IPS screen with a reasonable resolution, making it a suitable choice for everyday activities, but its lower battery life and lesser portability compared to some rivals are drawbacks. The Dell Alienware X17 R2, on the other hand, boasts a more powerful processor, double the RAM, and high-quality speakers, offering smoother performance for more demanding applications, but with its larger screen and added weight, it's less convenient to carry around.
Gaming and AI
7.5
8.9
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
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 X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2, with its higher-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a significantly higher screen refresh rate, provides a superior gaming and 3D experience compared to the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, which features a mid-range Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a lower refresh rate, making the Alienware more suitable for the most demanding games and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.3
9.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both suited for engineering and design because they feature powerful CPUs, high-quality GPUs, and ample RAM, ensuring smooth handling of demanding applications. The Helios Neo has a higher screen refresh rate, beneficial for fluid visuals, while the Alienware X17 R2 offers a larger screen and higher RAM, advantageous for complex multitasks and detailed work, with both providing high-quality displays.
Content Creation
7.7
8.3
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.5
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 both offer vivid colors and sharp images due to their high-resolution displays and quality panel types, providing a pleasant viewing experience for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. When it comes to engineering and design, professionals favor displays with a wide color gamut, and both laptops excel here by covering a broad range of colors, ensuring that designers see accurate and vibrant hues. However, for gaming and 3D applications where the action is fast-paced, a high refresh rate is critical for smooth motion, and both laptops fall short in this aspect, resulting in less fluid visuals during gameplay and when working with 3D content.
Battery
5.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 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
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$2,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.5
7.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 87 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 | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 6.1/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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 X17 R2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2022
"The Alienware x17 R2 recognizes targets a significantly higher TGP of 175 W for a roughly 30 percent performance boost over laptops running on the ~100 W GeForce RTX 3080 Ti like the Razer Blade 15 or Gigabyte Aero YE5. Similar results can be found through the CPU as well. This single aspect of the Alienware is perhaps the biggest differentiating factor between it and other ultrathin gaming laptops. Of course, the "performance at all cost" approach comes with drawbacks. Power consumption in particular is through the roof and battery life suffers because of it even when on the lowest performance settings."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Dell Alienware X17 R2
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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