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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2021) is a more budget-friendly option, generally suitable for everyday use, light to medium creative tasks, and has the advantage of being lightweight and portable, offering good battery life for on-the-go usage. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is built for high-performance activities such as gaming, intensive engineering software, and demanding creative work. It typically sacrifices portability and battery life for stronger performance and higher-quality graphics due to its gaming-oriented design. If high-end tasks are a priority and cost is less of a concern, the Alienware may be the right choice; however, for everyday tasks with a need for mobility and longer battery life, the Acer Swift X will be more practical and cost-efficient. 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 (2021)
- 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
6.3
7.7
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
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 (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a capable but lower-end GPU in the Nvidia RTX 3050 and a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is adequate for casual gaming and some 3D work, but may not handle more demanding games and rendering tasks as smoothly. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 comes with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a very high screen refresh rate of 480Hz, offering a superior gaming and 3D experience especially for fast-paced games and detailed graphics work.
Engineering and Design
7.0
8.1
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 boasts a more powerful CPU and double the RAM of the Acer Swift X, providing enhanced performance for engineering and design tasks that demand significant computational resources. While both laptops feature a quality IPS display and solid GPUs, the Alienware's larger display and greater storage capacity make it better suited for demanding tasks, although it is less portable and heavier than the sleeker Acer Swift X.
Screen Quality
6.9
8.1
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
When considering laptops for general use, both Acer Swift X (2021) and Dell Alienware m17 R5 offer displays that are sharp, bright, and vivid to cater to everyday tasks like browsing, watching videos, and document editing. For engineering and design, both laptops have a color range that accurately represents a wide spectrum of colors, essential for tasks that require color precision such as graphic design and photo editing. However, for gaming and 3D modeling where fast motion is displayed, the limited refresh rate on both these laptops means they may not provide the smoothness or responsiveness desired by gamers or professionals in animation and 3D rendering.
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 (2021) has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$580
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 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 Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is considered suitable for general use due to its blend of a capable CPU, decent RAM, good screen quality, and excellent portability backed by a solid battery life; it strikes a balance between performance and the convenience of mobility. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 caters to those prioritizing higher performance with its superior CPU and double the RAM, larger storage capacity, and better screen quality for visual tasks, but at the cost of portability and a shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.5
7.8
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift X (2021) 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
7.3
7.4
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Swift X (2021) 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 (2021) 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 (2021) and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 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 | 59 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 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 | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X (2021)
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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 (2021) 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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