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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 is a budget-friendly option that is less expensive and lighter than the Dell Alienware m17 R5, making it more portable and well-suited for general use with good battery life. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5, while more costly, offers a larger screen, more storage, and higher performance, particularly for gaming, 3D rendering, and intensive engineering tasks; however, it is heavier with lower battery life, impacting portability. 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 m17 R5
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.7
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
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 m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 3, with an integrated Intel GPU and a 60 Hz screen refresh rate, provides adequate performance for casual gaming and 3D applications, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5's high-end Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and 480 Hz refresh rate screen make it suitable for intensive gaming and smoother 3D experiences.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.1
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Swift 3, with its adequate RAM, CPU, and integrated GPU, offers balanced performance for engineering and design, but the Dell Alienware m17 R5's more powerful CPU and dedicated GPU, alongside double the storage and a higher-quality screen, make it much better suited for demanding engineering tasks and intricate design work. However, the lightweight, compact design of the Acer Swift 3 provides better portability compared to the larger and heavier Alienware m17 R5, which also has better keyboard and speaker quality but falls behind in portability due to its size and weight.
Screen Quality
6.8
8.1
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for software development, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3 offers a balance of resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and sufficient color accuracy for most engineering and design work, but lacks the high refresh rates critical for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 provides a similar quality with good resolution and brightness for daily activities, and respectable color ranges that cater to the demands of engineering and design professionals, yet falls short for gaming and 3D due to a refresh rate that isn't optimal for those needs. Both laptops have strengths in general use and professional creative tasks but do not prioritize the high refresh rates necessary for the fluid motion and fast response times that dedicated gaming and 3D rendering require.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 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.
Portability
Very Good
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$500
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift 3 is praised for its balance of portability with a lightweight design and a battery life that supports extended general usage, offering solid CPU and RAM performance for everyday tasks on a quality screen. Conversely, the Dell Alienware m17 R5, though less portable due to its larger size and heavier weight, provides high CPU and RAM capabilities better suited for demanding applications and gaming, with a larger screen but shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.6
7.8
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift 3 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
7.4
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift 3 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift 3 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 5.5/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
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 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 Swift 3 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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