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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 excels in affordability, portability, with a battery life suitable for an entire day's work, and a touch screen; it's a good fit if you prioritize these features and general usage. However, the Dell Alienware m15 R7, while pricier and heavier, provides much more power for gaming, 3D rendering, and other intensive tasks due to its superior processor and graphics card. Additionally, it has a higher resolution screen and better color accuracy, which is beneficial for detailed visual work but the tradeoff is a much shorter battery life. The best choice depends on whether your need is general productivity on the go or high-performance computing at a fixed location. 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 3
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m15 R7
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.8
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 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
7.1
8.2
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Swift 3 offers portability and a quieter experience with its lighter frame and excellent fan noise management, but its lower-powered CPU and integrated graphics may limit performance for demanding engineering tasks compared to the Dell Alienware m15 R7, which asserts dominance in processing and graphical capabilities with a high-end CPU and dedicated GPU, albeit at the expense of portability and increased operating noise.
Screen Quality
6.8
8.2
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 for software development, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3's screen delivers clarity and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and detail-oriented engineering work, thanks to its resolution and panel technology, but its lower refresh rate limits its appeal for gaming and 3D applications. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a high-quality display with excellent resolution and color range that satisfies both general users and professionals in engineering and design, yet for 3D usage, the similarly subpar refresh rate won't provide the smooth visuals that fast-paced gaming demands. Both laptops, while excelling in screen quality for general and professional use, aren't ideal for 3D environments where fluid motion is key, due to their lower refresh rates.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m15 R7 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.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$2,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 costs $2,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift 3 is praised for general use due to its balance of a solid CPU and RAM, high-quality touchscreen IPS display with good color coverage, and great portability with its lightweight design and long battery life, making it a versatile daily driver. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m15 R7, while also having a strong CPU and ample RAM, boasts a superior screen quality with a higher resolution and refresh rate, and is equipped with a powerful GPU suitable for intensive tasks like gaming; however, it is less portable due to its heavier weight and shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.6
7.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
7.6
7.3
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 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.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Dell Alienware m15 R7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 5.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 10.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
Dell Alienware m15 R7
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | October 2022
"The Alienware M15 offers solid gaming and leading endurance. It makes the most of its CPU and GPU while delivering stellar battery life for a gaming laptop. Opening the lid presents a full-size keyboard with honeycomb cutouts above it on the deck. An oblong RBG lightning element surrounds the entire rear panel and can be color-synced with the other lights on the laptop. There’s not a lot to dislike about the M15 Its productivity performance lagged in some areas, particularly in the storage benchmark, and it’s a bit heavy. Alienware has a clear winner here with the M15 based on its strong overall performance and endurance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Dell Alienware m15 R7
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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