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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for a laptop mainly for gaming or high-performance tasks and are willing to invest a bit more, the MSI Raider GE78 generally offers superior graphics and processing capabilities, which might justify its higher price. However, the Dell Alienware m15 R7, while less powerful, could serve you well if you prioritize saving money and still want a machine capable of handling most modern games and applications. Keep in mind, though, that both laptops are likely to be heavy and have shorter battery life given their focus on performance, which compromises their portability compared to ultrabooks and other less powerful laptops. If you travel often or work on the go, you may want to consider lighter options. 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 Raider GE78.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.7
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7, with a good balance of CPU, RAM, screen quality, and portability, is suitable for general use, while the MSI Raider GE78 excels with higher RAM, a more powerful CPU, and superior screen quality, but it is less portable and has a marginal increase in battery life. The Raider GE78 outperforms the m15 R7, especially in tasks requiring more computing power, though it comes at the cost of higher weight and lower portability.
Gaming and AI
7.8
9.5
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
The MSI Raider GE78 is preferred for gaming and 3D because it features a more powerful NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU compared to the Dell Alienware m15 R7's NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti, ensuring superior graphical performance, although both laptops have the same screen refresh rate which is crucial for smooth visuals. The MSI Raider also has a larger and slightly higher resolution screen which can provide a better visual experience, while the CPU quality and screen quality are also factors that slightly favor the MSI Raider over the Dell Alienware.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a strong AMD processor and a capable Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, making it very good for engineering and design tasks, and its 16GB of RAM and high-quality IPS display support professional applications. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 offers superior performance with a top-tier Intel processor and Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card, double the RAM, and a display with higher pixel density and color coverage, thus excelling in engineering and design use but at the expense of being less portable due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
7.5
8.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
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
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When selecting a laptop, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the MSI Raider GE78 both offer screens with high resolution and brightness, making them suitable for general use where clarity and visibility are essential. For engineering and design tasks, which demand accurate color representation, these laptops have screens that cover a wide range of the color spectrum, but they might not match the top-tier displays specialized for professional color work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, where the fluidity of motion is key, both models fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can make fast-paced visuals appear less smooth compared to laptops with higher refresh rates.
Portability
Fair
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,200
$4,386
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a price of $2,200 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 has 6 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
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and MSI Raider GE78 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 5.6/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
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 Raider GE78
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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