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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X offers a balance between performance and portability, ideal for general use and some intensive tasks like light engineering or casual gaming. It is lightweight, has a higher resolution display with more color accuracy, and provides longer battery life, which is great for on-the-go use. Alternatively, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is tailored for high-performance needs such as gaming, 3D rendering, and demanding engineering software, thanks to its more powerful processor and graphics card. It has a larger screen but is significantly heavier and has less battery life, making it more suitable as a desktop replacement than for frequent travel. Choose the Acer if portability and battery life are priorities or the Dell if you need high-end performance and don't mind carrying a heavier laptop with a shorter battery life. 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 (2022)
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.6
7.7
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
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 (2022) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X's gaming and 3D performance is limited by its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, which is less powerful than the Alienware m17 R5's Nvidia RTX 3060, and the Swift X's screen refresh rate is standard at 60Hz, while the Alienware model boasts a very high refresh rate, maximising the gaming experience and fluidity in 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2022) is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.0
8.1
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
330.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for software development, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Acer Swift X and Dell Alienware m17 R5 offer ample resolution and brightness, ensuring a clear and vibrant display suitable for everyday tasks. Engineers and designers will appreciate the wide color gamut coverage of both laptops, which translates to more accurate color representation for professional-grade applications. However, for gaming and 3D work, the lower refresh rates on these laptops may not provide the fluid visuals preferred in high-speed gaming or intense graphic simulations, despite their adequate resolution and panel types.
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
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Swift X (2022) has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,313
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X (2022) has a price of $1,313 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.8
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
330.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2022) and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2022) offers a balance with its lightweight design and solid battery life, making it highly portable and suitable for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5's larger screen and more powerful graphics lend it to heavier work and entertainment, but at the expense of portability and shorter battery life. Both laptops have sufficient CPU and RAM for most tasks, high-quality keyboards and screens, but the Acer is more likely to be carried around, and the Dell, with its larger storage and advanced heat management, is a better desktop replacement that can handle more intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.8
7.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift X (2022) are both 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
7.7
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2022) and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift X (2022) both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Swift X (2022) and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2022) | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,313 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.3" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1260P | 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 | 58.7 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 330 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 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 | 720p | 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 (2022)
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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 (2022) 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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