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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is more affordable and offers a higher resolution OLED screen which is great for vivid colors, it's also lighter and thinner, making it more portable, with a longer battery life suited for general use. The Dell Alienware X17 R2, on the other hand, is more expensive but comes with a more powerful processor and graphics card, higher RAM, and is better for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks, although it is heavier and has a lower battery life, making it less portable. Choose the Acer for everyday tasks and portability, and the Dell for high-performance computing and gaming. 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 portability
- Good battery life
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 overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7
8.9
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
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 X17 R2 is very 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.
Engineering and Design
8.1
9.1
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
4.0/10
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 Swift Edge 16 is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for engineering and design use due to its higher RAM capacity, more powerful Nvidia GPU, and larger battery, but it is less portable and has a higher operating noise compared to the Acer Swift Edge 16 which offers a striking OLED screen with higher resolution, making it good for design tasks and more portable, but with less overall power from its AMD CPU and GPU for intensive engineering applications. Both laptops provide quality keyboards and adequate speakers, with the Alienware model having the edge in performance, which can be essential for demanding tasks, while the Swift Edge prioritizes portability and display quality.
Screen Quality
8.8
8.5
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
383.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the Acer Swift Edge 16 offers a crisp image and bright display, making it easy to read text and view content comfortably. In engineering and design, its wide color coverage ensures that professionals see accurate colors for their work. However, for gaming and 3D tasks where fluid motion is key, the lower refresh rate of both laptops makes them less suitable compared to options specifically designed for those activities, which typically feature higher refresh rates for a smoother visual experience.
Battery
7.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 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
Very Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$820
$2,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a price of $820 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.2
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
383.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use because it boasts a more powerful CPU and double the RAM of the Acer Swift Edge 16, thus offering improved multitasking and processing performance. However, the Acer is lighter and boasts a higher resolution OLED screen, which offers better color accuracy and contrast, making it good for general use but more portable and better suited for visual tasks.
Content Creation
8.1
8.3
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Acer Swift Edge 16 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
7.9
7.8
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 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 Edge 16 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$820 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.51'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.73 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.08" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.68" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 87 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 | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 6.1/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 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 | N/A | 4 | |
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 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 Swift Edge 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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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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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
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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