Alienware M17 R1 vs. 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware M17 R1 and 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware M17 R1 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M17 R1 is better than 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in.

About 35% lighter

Alienware M17 R1 weighed 5.79 pounds, 35% lighter than the 8.82 pounds 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in.

WeightAlienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Pound
5.79 lbs.
8.82 lbs.
Kilogram
2.63 kg
4.00 kg

2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in Pros

Reasons that 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in is better than Alienware M17 R1.

Significantly faster CPU performance

AMD Ryzen 7 2700 inside 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in has a 25% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-9750H inside Alienware M17 R1.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in - AMD Ryzen 7 2700
6,142
Alienware M17 R1 - Intel Core i7-9750H
4,880
Alienware M17 R1 - Intel Core i9-8950HK
4,806
2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in - Intel Core i9-8950HK
4,806
Alienware M17 R1 - Intel Core i7-8750H
4,470
2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in - Intel Core i7-8750H
4,470
Alienware M17 R1 - Intel Core i5-8300H
3,269
Supports larger memory

The 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware M17 R1. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware M17 R1.

Max system memory size
2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
64 GB
Alienware M17 R1
32 GB

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware M17 R1 and 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in.

Uses the same memory type and speed

Both laptops supports the same 2666MHz DDR4 RAM.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M17 R1 - DDR4
2,666 MHz
2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in - DDR4
2,666 MHz
Upgradable memory

Both laptops come with available RAM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed.

MemoryAlienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Slots
x2
x4
TypeDDR4DDR4

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Alienware M17 R1 Price
AC adapter 240 Watt Original FWCRC for Alienware Area-51 M17x / M17-R1 / M17X / M17X-R3; Asus G70 / G70S / G70SG; Dell Precision M6400, M6500, M6600
AC adapter 240 Watt Original FWCRC for Alienware Area-51 M17x / M17-R1 / M17X / M17X-R3; Asus G70 / G70S / G70SG; Dell Precision M6400, M6500, M6600
By Dell
$27.98
$33.97 18% OFF
Alienware 17-inch Horizon Sleeve - Galaxy Weave Black
Alienware 17-inch Horizon Sleeve - Galaxy Weave Black
By Alienware
$18.99
$19.99 5% OFF
Alienware M18 Gaming Laptop QHD+ Display, Intel Core i7-13700HX, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 1 TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8 GB GDDR6, Windows 11 Home, 1 Year Premium Support, Dark Metallic Moon.
Alienware M18 Gaming Laptop QHD+ Display, Intel Core i7-13700HX, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 1 TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8 GB GDDR6, Windows 11 Home, 1 Year Premium Support, Dark Metallic Moon.
By Alienware
$2,329.95
2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in Price
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-54-760S Gaming Laptop | Intel i7-11800H | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU | 15.6" FHD 144Hz 3ms IPS Display | 16GB DDR4 | 512GB SSD | Killer WiFi 6 | RGB Keyboard
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-54-760S Gaming Laptop | Intel i7-11800H | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU | 15.6" FHD 144Hz 3ms IPS Display | 16GB DDR4 | 512GB SSD | Killer WiFi 6 | RGB Keyboard
By acer
$1,089.00
$1,299.99 16% OFF
acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop | 15.6" QHD IPS 165Hz | 12th Gen Intel 14-Core i7-12700H | 16GB DDR5 1TB SSD | GeForce RTX 3070 8GB | RGB Backlit Thunderbolt4 Win11Pro Black + HDMI Cable
acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop | 15.6" QHD IPS 165Hz | 12th Gen Intel 14-Core i7-12700H | 16GB DDR5 1TB SSD | GeForce RTX 3070 8GB | RGB Backlit Thunderbolt4 Win11Pro Black + HDMI Cable
By acer
$1,099.00
acer 2024 Predator Helios Neo Gaming Laptop, 16" WQXGA 16Hz Display, Intel Core i7 13700HX(16 cores), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 32GB DDR5, 1TB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 11 Home with Laptop Stand
acer 2024 Predator Helios Neo Gaming Laptop, 16" WQXGA 16Hz Display, Intel Core i7 13700HX(16 cores), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 32GB DDR5, 1TB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 11 Home with Laptop Stand
By acer
$1,329.99

Availability

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Released20192018
Release Date
  • Announced at CES 2019
  • Available on January 29, 2019
-
PricingStarting at $1,649.99-
Generations-

Exterior

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Dimensions16.1 x 11.52 x 0.727 - 0.91 in (362 x 292.5 x 18.5 - 23 mm)
  • Width: 16.1 in. (362 mm)
  • Depth: 11.52 in. (292.5 mm)
  • Height: 0.727 - 0.91 in. (18.5 - 23 mm)
16.9” x 11.7” x 1.5” (429.26 x 297.18 x 38.1 mm)
WeightStarting at 5.79 Lbs (2.63 Kg)8.82 lbs (4.0 kg)
Colors
  • Epic Silver
  • Nebula Red
Shale Black
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware AlienFX mSeries keyboard with anti-ghosting technology
    • 1.4mm key travel, programmable macro keys, alphanumeric keys
  • Touchpad
    • 4.13 x 2.56 in (105 mm x 65 mm) All-points addressable (APA) trackpad.
  • Full-size backlit keyboard with full Numpad.
  • Four zones RGB keyboards.
  • Anti-ghosting keystrokes.
  • Large trackpad with Windows precision drivers.

Display

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Size17.3 Inches17.3 Inches
InfoFull HD with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 127 PPI, 35ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% color gamut, 500:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare, 8W max power consumption.
Ultra HD with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 3180 x 2160, 255 PPI, 400 nits, 16:9, 800:1 contrast ratio, 100% sRGB color gamut, Anti-glare, 14W max power consumption
All options
  • Wide Viewing Angles on all displays with 85 degrees viewing from all directions
  • 17.3" FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, 144Hz, NVIDIA G-SYNC™.
  • 17.3" FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, 144Hz, AMD Radeon FreeSync™.

Ports

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Alienware M17 R1 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Jack
  • 1 x RJ-45 Killer Networks e2500 Gigabit Ethernet Port
  • 2 x Type-A SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Port
  • 1 x Type-A SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Port with PowerShare technology
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 Port (USB Type-C™ with support for SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps, 40Gbps Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort)
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0 Output
  • 1 x Mini-Display Port 1.3 (certified) Output
  • 1 x Audio Out 1/8" Ports (Compatible with inline mic headset)
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately)
  • 1 x USB Type-A 3.1 Gen 2
  • 2 x USB Type-A 3.1 Gen 1
  • 1 x RJ45
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0
  • 1 x DisplayPort 1.4
  • 1 x Mic-in
  • 1 x Headphone-out
  • 1 x DC-in
Intel Models
  • 2 x Thunderbolt™ 3
    Supports up to 40 Gbps, DisplayPort, docking, and PD charging
AMD Models
  • 2 x USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 2

Internal Specs

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Processor
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.30 → 4.00 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.20 → 4.10 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  4. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.50 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.20 → 4.10 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 7 2700
    4 cores, 16 threads, 3.20 → 4.10 GHz, 16MB L3 Cache, 65W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1000 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  4. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 7 2700
    Not Available
Memory
  • 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
    2666 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
    2 x SODIMM Slots.
  • DDR4-2666 Memory
  • 4 Slots Number of SO-DIMM Slot
  • Max 64GB Max Capacity
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1050 Ti (4GB GDDR5)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 (6GB GDDR6) OC Ready
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 (8GB GDDR6) with Max-Q Design
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2080 (8GB GDDR6) with Max-Q Design
  • Nvidia® GeForce® 1070
    Video memory: 8GB GDDR5 VRAM.
  • AMD Radeon™ RX Vega 56
    Video memory: 8GB HBM2 VRAM.
StorageSingle Storage Configurations
  • 256 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512 GB Intel Optane M.2 SSD
  • 1 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Dual Storage Configurations
  • 128GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
  • 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
  • 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 2 x M.2 SSD Combo slot (NVMe PCIe Gen 3 / SATA) supports RAID 0.
  • 1 x 2.5” SATA HDD

Connectivity

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Wi-Fi
  • Qualcomm QCA61x4A (DW1820)
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 867 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.
  • Rivet Killer 1550
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 1733 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.
  • Rivet Killer WiFi 6 AX1650
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 2400 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth
  • Qualcomm QCA61x4A (DW1820) › Bluetooth 4.2
  • Rivet Killer 1550 › Bluetooth 5.0
  • Rivet Killer AX1650 › Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth 5.0
Ethernet
  • Killer E2500 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Gigabit LAN
Speed: 10/100/1000 Mbps.

Battery

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Size
  • 4-cell smart lithium-ion (60 Wh)
  • 6-cell smart lithium-ion (90Wh)
4810 mAh (4-cell Lithium-Ion battery)
Battery Life-
  • Up to 3.5 hours of battery life
    Intel models
  • Up to 1.5 hours of battery life
    AMD models
Power Supply
  • 130W (19.50 VDC/6.70A)
  • 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
* Support Hybrid Power
  • 230W power supply
    Intel models
  • 330W power supply
    AMD modesl

Software

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Windows 10 Home
Built-in Apps
  • Alienware Command Center
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)
Acer Predator Sense

Camera & Audio

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
Front-facing camera
720p (1280 x 720 HD) top mounted camera.
Audio
  • Audio
    • Realtek ALC3281-CG controller
    • 2.0 Speaker configuration
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center and Audio Recon software
  • Microphone
    • Dual-array microphones in the camera assembly
  • 2.1 Stereo Speakers
  • 2 x speakers
  • 1 x subwoofer.
  • Waves MaxxAudio®.
  • Built-in microphone

Misc

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
Security
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • Kensington lock slot
In the box-
  • Predator Helios 500
  • Lithium-Ion Battery
  • AC Adapter
Warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis-
MoreCHASIS
  • Exterior Chassis Materials
    • Magnesium Alloy
  • Thermal
    • Cryo-Tech v2.0 Cooling Technology
    • Dual-Intake, Dual-Exhaust Airflow Design
    • High-Voltage Driving Fans
    • Load-balancing Heat Pipes
    • Copper Fin Stacks
    • Thermal Controls
    • Whisper-quiet operation
-

Key Features

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in
At Glance
Released in Early
2019
16:9 4K UHD
17.3”
2160p 60Hz
Weight
5.79 lb
2.63 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-9750H
6C/12T, 2.60 → 4.50 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,044
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,880
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
2666 MHz DDR4
Alienware M17 R1 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080
8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q
Released in
2018
16:9 FHD
17.3”
1080p 144Hz
Weight
8.82 lb
4.00 kg
Up to
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
4C/16T, 3.20 → 4.10 GHz
Geekbench 5
930
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,142
Multi-Core
With integrated
Not Available
Upgradable up to
64GB
2666 MHz DDR4
Nvidia GeForce
GTX 1070
8GB GDDR5

Comparison Summary

Alienware M17 R1 vs. 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in

Dell has released the Alienware M17 R1, a 17.3-inch machine, in early-2019. It is powered by up to a hexa-core Intel Core i7-9750H with a boost clock speed up to 4.50 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 with 8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q.

On the other hand, we have the 17.3-inch Predator Helios 500 17in was introduced by Acer about a year earlier in 2018. It comes with up to a quad-core AMD Ryzen 7 2700 with a boost clock speed up to 4.10 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 with 8GB GDDR5.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware M17 R11
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H93587.71%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H97591.46%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK1,066100.00%
4
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H1,04497.94%
2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in1
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H97591.46%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK1,066100.00%
3
AMD Ryzen™ 7 270093087.24%
01,066

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware M17 R11
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H3,26953.22%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H4,47072.78%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK4,80678.25%
4
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H4,88079.45%
2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in1
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H4,47072.78%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK4,80678.25%
3
AMD Ryzen™ 7 27006,142100.00%
06,142

Both Alienware M17 R1 and 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in have the same 17.3-inch display size. In addition, The Alienware M17 R1 weighs 5.79 lbs. about 52% lighter than the 8.82 lbs. 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in. Moreover, measured at 16.1” x 11.52” x 0.91”, the Alienware M17 R1 is much more portable than the 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in at 16.9” x 11.7” x 1.5”.

Alienware M17 R12018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware M17 R1 supports up to 32GB 2666 MHz DDR4 memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also comes with two M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device. On top of that, it also has a single SATA slot that users can use to install a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, SSHD, or a hard disk drive to add even more storage.

For 2018 Acer Predator Helios 500 17in, it supports up to 64GB 2666 MHz DDR4 memory that you can upgrade with four memory module slots on the motherboard. It also has two M.2 slots that users can easily swap or add an extra SSD to get extra space when needed. Besides that, it also comes with a SATA slot where you can install an additional 2.5-inch SATA-based SSD, SSHD, or a hard disk drive.

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