If you prioritize portability and battery life, the Acer Swift 14 is a more suitable choice for you as it's lighter and offers longer battery usage on a single charge. However, if you require top-notch performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the Dell Alienware X17 R2, with its more powerful processor and graphics card, would be the better option despite being heavier and having a shorter battery life. Keep in mind, the Alienware is typically more expensive than the Acer Swift and may not be as easy to carry around due to its larger size and weight. 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 Swift 14
Very good for software development
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
8.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 14 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.9/10
9.1/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.8/10
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 Swift 14 is good.
The Acer Swift 14 offers a solid processor for engineering tasks but has less RAM and a less powerful integrated GPU compared to the Dell Alienware X17 R2, which boasts a more robust processor, double the RAM, and a high-end dedicated GPU, making the latter very suitable for more demanding engineering and design applications that require significant computational power and graphics performance. While both have quality screens, the significantly larger screen of the Alienware may benefit detailed design work; however, the Swift 14's lighter weight and smaller size provide better portability for users who need to move around a lot.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
458.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Acer Swift 14 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for software development, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen for general use, and gaming and AI.
For general use, the Acer Swift 14 offers a balance of resolution and brightness that suits everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing, while the Dell Alienware’s high-resolution display ensures sharp images and vibrant colors. In engineering and design, both laptops provide extensive color gamuts, allowing for precise color work, although their screen qualities do not meet the high refresh rates needed for smooth 3D modeling and gaming experiences. Gamers and 3D artists may find the refresh rates on these screens lacking, as they prioritize color accuracy and resolution over the higher refresh rates that are essential for fluid motion and fast-paced visuals.
Battery
9.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 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.
Portability
Excellent
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift 14 has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift 14 has a price of $1,400 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
The Acer Swift 14 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift 14 stands out for general use with its lightweight design and solid battery life, which accentuate its portability and suit users who prioritize mobility, while also offering a quality display and ample RAM for everyday tasks.
Content Creation
8.2/10
8.3/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Acer Swift 14 are both very 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
8.2/10
7.8/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift 14 to be very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is good.
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.
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How the Acer Swift 14 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Acer Swift 14 is good for school use. Its compact design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts easily through a typical school day. You can configure the laptop with an FHD+ or QHD+ display; both look sharp and get bright enough to combat glare. The keyboard feels tactile but can be a little tiring to type on over an extended period, and while the touchpad is small, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can handle nearly every type of workload; however, its integrated graphics perform poorly, so it isn't ideal for students in technical fields like 3D graphics."
"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 Swift 14 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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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