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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
Considering your needs is crucial when selecting between the Acer Swift Edge 16 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5. If portability and a high-resolution OLED display are priorities, the Acer Swift Edge 16 weighs less and boasts a sharper screen, suited for movie watching and general use. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a more powerful graphics card and higher refresh rate screen, making it better for gaming and demanding engineering software. However, this comes at the cost of portability due to its heavier weight and larger size. The Acer has longer battery life, which is advantageous for travel or long work sessions away from power outlets, while the Alienware, despite less battery life, offers higher performance for resource-intensive tasks. Both have the same RAM and storage, making them equally capable in multitasking and data storage capacity. 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 Edge 16
- Very good for content creation
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7
7.7
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 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.
Software Development
7.9
7.4
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift Edge 16 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
8.8
8.1
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
383.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 likely has a display with high resolution and brightness, delivering crisp and vivid visuals suitable for general tasks and detailed engineering work, but the lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for gaming where smoother motion is key. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 would have an adequately bright and sharp screen, but perhaps doesn't match the Acer in color range, which is why it's just good for engineering and design where precise color representation is crucial. For gaming and 3D applications, both laptops suffer from lower refresh rates which can hinder the experience as they don't support the fast-paced, fluid visuals gamers typically seek.
Battery
7.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 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
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift Edge 16 both have good build quality, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$820
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a price of $820 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.8
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
383.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift Edge 16, with its high-resolution OLED screen, lightweight design, and commendable battery life, is suited for users prioritizing portability and screen quality for general use. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers powerful performance and superior speaker and keyboard quality but at the expense of heavier weight and shorter battery life, catering to users who need robust performance and are less concerned about portability.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.1
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift Edge 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 provides a sleeker, more portable design with an impressive OLED screen, making it suitable for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 packs a more powerful CPU and GPU combo, better suited for demanding engineering tasks and design work where high performance is crucial. However, the Acer's portability and premium screen may appeal to professionals who value mobility and high-quality visuals, but the Dell's superior processing power and gaming-grade graphics make it a great choice for heavy-duty engineering applications despite being less portable.
Content Creation
8.1
7.8
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift Edge 16 to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift Edge 16 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$820 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.51'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.73 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.08" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.68" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3200 x 2000 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 383 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 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 Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift Edge 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | October 2023
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
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 Edge 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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About the laptop team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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