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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is a high-performance laptop with an AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, making it an excellent choice for intensive engineering tasks, 3D work, machine learning, and gaming. However, this comes at a premium price and the device is heavier, which may affect portability. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17 offers solid performance for general use and gaming with an Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card. It is more affordable, has a larger screen, double the storage, and more RAM, but its battery capacity is lower compared to the Dell. Consider the MSI Katana 17 if you're looking for a cost-effective option with a bigger display and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 if you need top-tier performance for demanding applications. 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 overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware m15 R7.
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness, making it great for everyday tasks and professional engineering and design work where clarity and color accuracy are key. However, its lower refresh rate can be a disadvantage for gaming or 3D applications where smoother motion is crucial. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17, while still providing decent resolution and color for general use, may not satisfy professionals in engineering and design as much due to less accurate color reproduction, and like the m15 R7, its gaming and 3D performance suffers from a lower refresh rate.
Battery
5.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 3 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
7.2
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the MSI Katana 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,200
$1,367
$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 Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.9
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for general use.
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.
Gaming and AI
7.8
7.9
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and a high refresh rate screen, making it perform well in gaming and 3D applications; however, the MSI Katana 17, with its Nvidia RTX 4060, also delivers a very good gaming experience though it has a lower screen refresh rate. The Alienware's higher refresh rate screen is typically more sought after for fast-paced gaming, while the MSI's different GPU may offer other performance benefits depending on the specific games or 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is engineered with a high-end AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU, ample RAM, and a high-resolution screen, making it ideal for demanding engineering tasks, although it is less portable and has a relatively loud operating noise. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17 also offers powerful CPU and GPU capabilities with even more RAM and a larger screen, enhancing multitasking and design work, but it lags slightly in screen resolution and quality, and also sacrifices battery life for its larger display.
Content Creation
7.5
7.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 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
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and MSI Katana 17 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 MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 53.5 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 | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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."
MSI Katana 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"The MSI Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the MSI Katana 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 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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