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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If budget is a concern and you're looking for a more affordable laptop that's easier to carry around, the Acer Swift X is a solid choice, especially for general use; however, it has less power for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming compared to the Dell. The Dell Alienware X17 R2, while more expensive and heavier, offers superior performance for demanding tasks, such as gaming and engineering, and has a larger screen. The Acer has a noticeably longer battery life, making it better suited for on-the-go use, while the Dell's battery life is shorter and may require more 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 portability
- Very 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
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
8.9
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
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 X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2023) 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
8.0
9.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
5.1/10
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 X (2023) is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 caters exceptionally to engineering and design due to its more powerful main processor, higher RAM capacity, and superior GPU, which all contribute to a smoother experience with demanding tasks, however, this also results in less portability and shorter battery life compared to the Acer Swift X. The Acer Swift X, while offering ample power for many tasks with a respectable main processor, sufficient RAM, and a capable GPU, also affords better mobility and a longer battery life.
Screen Quality
8.0
8.5
14.5in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for gaming and AI, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Swift X's vibrant display offers pleasing visuals for browsing and media with its resolution and brightness, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 provides a similarly sharp and bright image, ensuring comfortable viewing. In engineering and design, both laptops likely cover a wide color spectrum, including DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, allowing for precise color work. However, their lower refresh rates are less ideal for 3D gaming, where smoother motion is key, making them less suitable for gamers seeking fluid gameplay.
Battery
10.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 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
14.5in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift X (2023) 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
7.6
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 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
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift X (2023) has a price of $1,100 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.2/10
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 X (2023) is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is more capable for general use than the Acer Swift X (2023) due to its substantially higher performance hardware, such as a more powerful CPU and double the RAM, along with superior screen quality as it covers a large spectrum of color spaces well, indicating rich and accurate color representation.
Content Creation
8.0
8.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Acer Swift X (2023) 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
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) 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 X (2023) and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2023) | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500H | 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 | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 87 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 | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 4 | 4 | |
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 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 X (2023) 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.
By the numbers
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Recommendations made
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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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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.
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