The Acer Swift Go 14 is more affordable, lighter, and has a longer battery life, making it well-suited for general use and portability. Its performance is adequate for everyday tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and media consumption. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 is more expensive and heavier, with a shorter battery life, but it offers top-notch performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive engineering tasks. Its robust graphics capabilities also make it suitable for gaming. So, if high performance and gaming are priorities and budget is not a concern, the Alienware is a better pick; for everyday use and ease of carrying around, the Acer is more appropriate. 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 Go 14
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m18 R1
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift Go 14 is only fair.
The Acer Swift Go 14's integrated graphics are less suited for high-end gaming and 3D applications, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1's powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU along with a higher screen refresh rate make it ideal for such tasks. The Alienware also benefits from a superior CPU and overall better screen quality, further enhancing its suitability for demanding visual experiences that gamers and 3D designers require.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
9.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift Go 14 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 outshines the Acer Swift Go 14 in engineering and design due to its superior CPU (Intel i9 vs. Intel i7), double the RAM, and a more powerful GPU (Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. integrated Iris Xe), along with a higher resolution and refresh rate screen.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.4/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Swift Go 14 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.
Screen Quality
6.8/10
7.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Acer Swift Go 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering screen quality for general use, both the Acer Swift Go 14 and Dell Alienware m18 R1 offer crisp visuals and bright displays due to their resolution and panel types, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design work, where accurate color representation is crucial, these laptops may fall short as they do not cover the wider color gamuts that professionals might need for precise color work. However, for Gaming and 3D where the smoothness of motion is key, both laptops may not be ideal as their screens do not offer the high refresh rates necessary for an optimal gaming experience or for working with fast-moving 3D visuals.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Go 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 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
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Swift Go 14 has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift Go 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$794
$2,600
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a price of $794 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Swift Go 14 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Software Development
7.6/10
8.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Acer Swift Go 14 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 Go 14 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 compare to other laptops
"The Acer Swift Go 14 is a surprising machine. Its performance, display, and battery life leave little to be desired from a device at this price. You might think it’d be cheaper given the “Go” in the name, or thinner given its close competition with thin-and-light laptops, but it manages to strike a decent enough balance between its capabilities and hardware to really stand out as an exceptional value."
"Dell's Alienware m18 delivers on its promises: This is a large, powerful gaming laptop with the premium flair and feel you expect from an expensive purchase. The drawbacks are really the price and battery life, which in context are reasonable. (We'd also like to see more ports on the laptop's sides.) This price tier exists for deep-pocketed enthusiasts, and if you’re considering anything in this range, the m18 isn’t an outlier. For the majority of shoppers, of course, all of these mighty 18-inch systems are likely too expensive."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Go 14 or the Dell Alienware m18 R1
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.