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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2023) is often significantly less expensive than the Dell Alienware m15 R7, with both offering 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. The Swift X has a decent battery life, a lighter weight for higher portability, and a good performance for general use. Conversely, the Alienware m15 R7, while heavier and costlier, features a more powerful processor and graphics card suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. It has a higher refresh rate display but shorter battery life. If budget constraints and the need for portability are paramount, the Swift X is a suitable option, but if you require high performance for demanding tasks and gaming at the expense of portability and higher cost, the Alienware is a more suitable choice. 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 X (2023)
- Very good for content creation
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m15 R7
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
7.8
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2023) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is suited for gaming and 3D with its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a 120Hz refresh rate screen, which is good for smooth visuals, but may not handle top-end games at high settings like the more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a 240Hz refresh rate screen of the Dell Alienware m15 R7 would.
Software Development
7.9
7.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift X (2023) 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
8.0
8.2
14.5in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 for software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, both the Acer Swift X and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 offer screens with high resolution and brightness, making text and images sharp and easy to see. Their screens also cover a wide range of colors, crucial for engineering and design work where precise color representation is key. However, for gaming and 3D applications, they fall short because they lack high refresh rates, leading to less fluid motion and potential gameplay disadvantages.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 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
14.5in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift X (2023) 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
7.6
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift X (2023) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$2,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Swift X (2023) has a price of $1,100 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 costs $2,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2023) with its longer battery life and lighter build is well-suited for general use, especially for those who need portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7, although heavier and with a shorter battery life, offers a higher-performing CPU and GPU combo that can handle more demanding tasks, making it also suitable for general purposes but with added capability for gaming or intensive workloads.
Engineering and Design
8.0
8.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Acer Swift X (2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.0
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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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How the Acer Swift X (2023) and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2023) | Dell Alienware m15 R7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 5.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 10.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500H | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 390 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 X (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | March 2022
"The Swift X is an Acer for entry-level gaming. With the entry-level graphics chip, our Acer not only beats every single current AMD and Intel iGPU, but also Intel's dGPU Iris Xe Max. However, despite being a GDDR6 version, the GTX does not match the expectations set by its own counterparts from our database. This may be a result of the single fan, which only produces moderate noise levels under load. The performance level of the thin and light 1.4 kg (~3.09 lbs) 14-inch laptop is impressive nonetheless."
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 X (2023) 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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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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