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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
For general use, the Acer Swift X 16 is often less expensive, more portable with a longer battery life, making it a good fit for everyday tasks and light gaming. However, if your focus is on intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, or high-end gaming, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers superior performance with a more powerful processor and graphics card, although it is typically more expensive, heavier, and has shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use. The Alienware also features better speakers and a larger screen, which might be important for multimedia experiences. 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 16
- Very good for software development
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
- 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
7.0
8.9
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Unknown
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 16 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 delivers a very good gaming and 3D experience thanks to its higher-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a screen with an extremely high refresh rate, allowing for smoother visuals. On the other hand, the Acer Swift X 16 is good for gaming and 3D tasks with its capable Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card and decent screen refresh rate, but it might not match the Alienware's performance in visually demanding scenarios.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
4.9/10
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 16 is very good.
The Acer Swift X 16 offers solid performance for engineering and design with its AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, complemented by a high-resolution screen ideal for detailed work, yet remains lighter and more portable than many competitors. In contrast, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 brings top-tier power with its Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU, along with a larger screen, but its heavier build and gaming-focused design mean reduced portability and arguably less subtlety in professional settings.
Screen Quality
8.2
8.5
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for software development, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
When considering laptops for general use, both the Acer Swift X 16 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 feature vibrant displays with sharp resolutions and bright panels, ensuring comfortable viewing of documents, websites, and multimedia content. In terms of engineering and design, these laptops provide wide color gamuts, delivering accurate color representation that is essential for detailed design work and color-critical tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on both models may result in less smooth visuals, which can be a setback for fast-paced games and dynamic 3D simulations where fluid motion and quick screen updates are crucial.
Battery
8.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift X 16 has 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 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,250
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift X 16 offers a balanced combination of a potent AMD CPU and Nvidia graphics, ample RAM, a high-resolution screen, with admirable battery life and portability for everyday tasks, making it well-suited for general use. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware X17 R2, while having an even more powerful Intel CPU and top-of-the-line Nvidia graphics, double the RAM, and excellent build and speaker quality, sacrifices significant battery life and portability, leaning towards users with high-end gaming or intensive computational needs rather than just general use.
Content Creation
8.3
8.3
9.1/10
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 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
8.0
7.8
9.1/10
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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 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 X 16 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | 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 | 8 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 87 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 402 nits | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 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 | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2023
"Acer’s Swift X 16 is an excellent choice for shoppers who want a 16-inch laptop and care more for performance than attractive design or long battery life. The Swift X 16’s gorgeous OLED display, spacious keyboard, and big touchpad make it pleasant to use in basic day-to-day tasks. It also has an AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, which combine to deliver good performance in a wide variety of productivity applications and games. A few minor mistakes, like poorly-placed USB-C ports that lack DisplayPort, will turn off some shoppers, but those who can accept its shortcomings will find the Swift X 16 a versatile daily driver."
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 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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