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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is a high-end laptop with a strong processor and advanced graphics card, making it suitable for demanding games and engineering programs, but it's expensive and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Gigabyte A7 is more budget-friendly, offers good performance for general use and gaming, and has a larger screen, but it isn't as powerful for intensive tasks and it's also quite heavy, reducing its portability. 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 Dell Alienware m15 R7
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte A7
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.8
7.3
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Gigabyte A7 are both good for gaming and AI, though the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 240Hz, which are crucial for high-frame-rate gaming and smooth 3D rendering. In contrast, while the Gigabyte A7 also offers solid gaming performance with the Nvidia RTX 3060 and a decent 144Hz screen refresh rate, it does not match the Alienware's GPU horsepower or fluidity of motion on the screen.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.6
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is preferred for engineering and design due to its higher-end CPU and GPU, delivering better performance for intensive tasks, and its excellent screen quality that features higher resolution and color coverage, crucial for detailed work. While the Gigabyte A7 offers similar RAM and ample screen size, its less powerful CPU and GPU, as well as lower resolution and color accuracy, make it less ideal for demanding engineering tasks, even though it offers slightly better portability due to being lighter and having a larger screen without significantly increasing overall dimensions.
Screen Quality
8.2
7.3
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A7 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness that appeals to everyday users and professionals who value detail and clarity for tasks like document editing or web browsing. For engineering and design, its broad color range covers professional color spaces well, ensuring accurate color reproduction crucial for detailed design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, despite its high resolution and color accuracy, the laptop's lower refresh rate detracts from the smooth visuals gamers often prioritize.
Build Quality
8.5
7.2
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte A7 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,200
$940
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a price of $2,200 and the Gigabyte A7 costs $940.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.3
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Gigabyte A7 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers robust performance with a strong CPU and advanced GPU, making it excellent for general use and intensive tasks; its downsides are less portability due to weight and a lower battery life. In contrast, the Gigabyte A7 provides comparable general use capability, with a large screen and good heat management, but suffers from lower battery capacity and reduced portability due to its larger size.
Content Creation
7.5
7.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Gigabyte A7 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
7.0
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Gigabyte A7 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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A7 has 4.5 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
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Gigabyte A7 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the Gigabyte A7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | Gigabyte A7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $940 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 15.6'' x 10.3'' x 1.19'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 5.58 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 15.59" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 10.31" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 49 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 318 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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."
Gigabyte A7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | October 2021
"In terms of looks, the Gigabyte A7 X1 is certainly not a trendy, slim, and ultra-mobile gaming laptop. But it does what it's supposed to do, namely bringing games smoothly onto the screen, very well. Both the processor and the GeForce RTX 3070 are able to unleash their performance without restrictions thanks to the well-ventilated case. The Gigabyte A7 X1 brings modern games smoothly onto the screen and offers excellent maintenance options."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the Gigabyte A7
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.
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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