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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is more expensive and best suited for gaming with a high refresh rate display and powerful components, but it is heavier and slightly bulkier. The MSI Creator Z16P, on the other hand, is less expensive with a larger, high-resolution touchscreen, better portability due to lower weight, and higher endurance battery, making it more suitable for creators and general use. Both have comparable performance with a strong processor and graphics card, but the Creator's display is better for creative work with higher color accuracy, and it offers additional features like a fingerprint reader and facial recognition, which the Alienware lacks. 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 MSI Creator Z16P.
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2
8.3
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the MSI Creator Z16P for gaming and AI, while the MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and MSI Creator Z16P both offer high-resolution displays with robust brightness and panel technology, making them great for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming. For engineering and design, these laptops' screens excel by covering a wide range of colors, essential for accurate visual work. However, their screens fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to lower refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and responsiveness in fast-paced visual environments.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator Z16P has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,200
$1,300
$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 MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.8
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a powerful AMD processor and RAM suitable for demanding tasks, with good screen quality, but at the cost of portability and moderate battery life. In contrast, the MSI Creator Z16P has an Intel processor, double the storage capacity along with a touchscreen and higher screen resolution, making it excellent for creative work, but it also faces portability challenges and has similar battery longevity.
Gaming and AI
7.8
7.6
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and MSI Creator Z16P are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is equipped with a high refresh rate screen which is paramount for smooth gaming experiences, while both the Alienware and the MSI Creator Z16P house powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPUs that excel in gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is equipped with a capable AMD Ryzen CPU and a high-quality Nvidia GPU, making it well-suited for engineering and design tasks, but it's heavier and slightly bulkier compared to the MSI Creator Z16P, which offers a high-performance Intel CPU and the same powerful Nvidia GPU, complemented by a larger, higher-resolution touchscreen and a more portable form factor. While both feature high-quality screens and are stellar for computational tasks, the MSI has a double storage capacity and higher screen resolution, whereas the Alienware prioritizes gaming with hardware like ray tracing, which is also beneficial for certain engineering visualizations.
Content Creation
7.5
7.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
7.6
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
5.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and MSI Creator Z16P 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 MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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."
MSI Creator Z16P
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the MSI Creator Z16P
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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