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Updated January 10, 2024·
For better performance in general use and especially in intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering or machine learning, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 would be a superior choice, but it comes at a higher cost and with lesser portability than the Acer Aspire 1. The Alienware also offers a higher quality display and more features such as hardware ray tracing and DLSS for gaming. In contrast, the Acer Aspire 1 is more budget-friendly and offers silent operation, but it has lower performance capabilities and a less impressive screen, making it suitable for basic tasks and not recommended for gaming or engineering. 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 Aspire 1
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m15 R7
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a lower-end CPU and less RAM, which makes it slow for many tasks, and its screen quality is poorer due to the TN panel and low brightness, impacting the overall experience negatively. Contrarily, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a powerful CPU and ample RAM which ensure smooth performance for various applications, complemented by a superior IPS display with high brightness, making it a good choice for general use despite being less portable and having a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.7
7.9
2.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 provides an excellent gaming and 3D experience owing to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU which far surpasses the basic integrated graphics on the Acer Aspire 1, and its high screen refresh rate of 240Hz offers smoother visuals than the 60Hz display of the Aspire 1. Additionally, the superior CPU and screen quality of the Alienware contribute to its capability, whereas the Aspire's lower-tier hardware make it inadequate for demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.5
8.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 is not suited for engineering and design tasks due to its basic Intel Celeron processor, minimal RAM, integrated graphics, and a lower-quality TN screen. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 excels with a powerful AMD Ryzen processor, ample RAM, high-end Nvidia graphics, and a superior IPS screen, though it is heavier and may have more noticeable operating noise.
Content Creation
5.9
7.6
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
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
6.1
7.3
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 1 is only fair.
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
5.2
8.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a high-resolution display with great brightness and image clarity, making it superior to the Acer Aspire 1, which has a duller screen with lower resolution. In engineering and design, the Alienware's wider color gamuts provide accurate color representation crucial for detail-oriented tasks, while the Aspire 1's limitations in color accuracy become a significant hindrance. However, while gaming and running 3D applications, the high refresh rate of a display is critical for a smooth experience, a feature where the Alienware falls short, making it less ideal compared to laptops with screens designed for high-refresh-rate gaming.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 1 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 1 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$215
$2,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $215 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 costs $2,200.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m15 R7 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Dell Alienware m15 R7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$215 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 5.93 lbs | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | |
Graphics | |||
Graphics | UHD Graphics | RTX 3070 Ti (140 W) | |
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus | |||
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus | No | Yes | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Keyboard Lighting Color | |||
Keyboard Lighting Color | N/A | RGB | |
Warranty Period | |||
Warranty Period | 1 year | 1 year | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 1
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | May 2020
"There are no surprises and nothing's extraordinary here but this laptop's price. For those in need of an inexpensive Windows laptop for undemanding tasks, though, the Acer Aspire 1 offers just enough to get the basics done and a larger screen to do them on."
Dell Alienware m15 R7
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | October 2022
"The Alienware M15 offers solid gaming and leading endurance. It makes the most of its CPU and GPU while delivering stellar battery life for a gaming laptop. Opening the lid presents a full-size keyboard with honeycomb cutouts above it on the deck. An oblong RBG lightning element surrounds the entire rear panel and can be color-synced with the other lights on the laptop. There’s not a lot to dislike about the M15 Its productivity performance lagged in some areas, particularly in the storage benchmark, and it’s a bit heavy. Alienware has a clear winner here with the M15 based on its strong overall performance and endurance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Dell Alienware m15 R7
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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About the laptop team
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