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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, or games, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers better graphics capabilities. However, it is heavier and bulkier, which may affect its portability. The Acer Swift X (2023) is more portable, with a more manageable size and weight, and it has good performance for general use and engineering; it's more affordable than the Alienware but less capable for intensive gaming and demanding graphics tasks. Battery life is also a consideration; the Swift X has longer battery life for typical usage, making it suitable for on-the-go use without frequent charging. 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
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
7.7
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
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 X (2023) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is suitable for gaming and 3D work with its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a decent screen refresh rate of 120Hz, providing smooth visuals, whereas the Dell Alienware m17 R5, with its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and an impressive 480Hz screen refresh rate, delivers higher-end gaming performance, especially for fast-paced games that benefit from the increased fluidity.
Software Development
7.9
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
8.1
14.5in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 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 X boasts superior display resolution and brightness, making it more appealing for your eyes during daily tasks and media consumption. Its broad color gamut ensures that engineers and designers can see true-to-life colors; however, its lower refresh rate can disappoint gamers accustomed to smoother visuals on screens designed specifically for gaming. Conversely, the Dell Alienware m17 R5, while offering good display traits for everyday and professional tasks, similarly fails to cater to the needs of 3D enthusiasts due to its less than optimal refresh rate.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 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
14.5in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Swift X (2023) has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2023) offers a blend of portability and decent battery life along with good screen quality, making it an excellent choice for general use, especially for those who prioritize a lighter laptop with impressive heat management.
Engineering and Design
8.0
8.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift X (2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X (2023) provides solid performance for engineering and design with its competent CPU and high-quality screen, balanced by portability with its lighter weight and longer battery life, whereas the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers superior performance due to its powerful CPU, higher-end GPU, and ample RAM, which better handles resource-intensive tasks at the expense of being less portable and having a shorter battery life. The screen quality of the Swift X stands out with better color coverage, essential for design work, but the larger screen and high refresh rate of the Alienware make it optimal for detailed engineering simulations despite its lower portability and higher operating noise.
Content Creation
8.0
7.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
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 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift X (2023) both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Swift X (2023) has a price of $1,100 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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How the Acer Swift X (2023) and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2023) | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500H | 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 | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 390 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 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 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 X (2023) 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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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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