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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a balance of cost and performance, making it a good choice if you prefer to save money while still getting a solid gaming machine. It includes a high-performance CPU and GPU combination, but with a smaller screen size compared to the Gigabyte Aero 17. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 17 is positioned at a higher price point and offers a larger, higher resolution display, which may be better for creative professionals who require more screen real estate and detail for tasks like video editing or 3D modeling. Additionally, the Gigabyte Aero 17 has a longer battery life, making it better suited for those needing to work on the go for extended periods. If portability and battery life are paramount and you're okay with a higher cost, the Gigabyte might be better, but if you are looking to save money and still get a high-performance gaming laptop, the Alienware could be the way to go. 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
- The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte Aero 17.
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.1
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Gigabyte Aero 17 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 are well-suited for engineering and design due to their powerful CPUs and dedicated GPUs, capable of handling demanding software used in these fields. The Alienware m15 R7's AMD processor is complemented by a high-refresh-rate screen, making it ideal for fast-paced design tasks, while the Aero 17's larger, high-resolution Mini LED display offers exceptional color accuracy and screen quality that's beneficial for detail-oriented engineering graphics.
Content Creation
7.5
8.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
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
7.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for software development, though the Gigabyte Aero 17 is somewhat better.
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
8.2
9.2
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a satisfying visual experience with its bright, high-resolution display, making text and images sharp and vivid. The Gigabyte Aero 17 excels in engineering and design due to its superior color accuracy, covering a wide range of the color spectrum that ensures that professionals see true-to-life colors. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both models fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and reduced responsiveness during fast-paced action.
Cost
$2,200
$2,071
$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 Aero 17 costs $2,071.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.8
7.9
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 both feature powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPUs, with the Alienware boasting a high refresh rate for smoother gaming and 3D experiences, while the Aero 17 offers a Mini LED display for better screen quality despite a lower refresh rate. The Alienware is designed for high-paced action with its refresh rate, whereas the Aero caters to users prioritizing screen detail and vibrant visuals.
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 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
5.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Gigabyte Aero 17 both have very 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 Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | Gigabyte Aero 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $2,071 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 15.6'' x 9.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 15.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 9.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 368 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 6.7/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Aero 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | May 2021
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the Gigabyte Aero 17
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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