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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers solid performance and gaming capabilities, is less expensive, has good battery life, and comes with a high refresh rate display suitable for gaming. It's great for general use, 3D rendering, and engineering, but it's heavier and less portable. The MSI Stealth 17, while more expensive, comes with a larger screen, more storage, higher RAM, and a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it well-suited for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering. However, its larger size and slightly heavier build make it less portable than the Alienware. Both have backlit keyboards and are optimized for gaming, with good build quality and heat management. Consider the Dell for cost-effective performance and portability or the MSI if you need top-tier power and are less concerned about cost and 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 overall build quality
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.7
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7, with its robust CPU and ample RAM, offers reliable performance for everyday tasks, yet its heavier build and shorter battery life make it less convenient for on-the-go use compared to the MSI Stealth 17, which provides a balance of high-performance hardware, superior screen quality, and better portability with longer battery life, making it more versatile for a range of general use applications. While both have considerable storage and decent keyboards, the MSI edges ahead for those prioritizing a smoother experience with its quieter operation and more effective heat management.
Gaming and AI
7.8
9.1
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7, with an AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, is very good for engineering and design due to its solid performance and high-quality display. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 17 offers a higher level of excellence for the same uses with a more powerful Intel i9 CPU, substantial 64GB of RAM, top-tier Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, and a larger storage capacity, making it better suited for the most demanding tasks.
Content Creation
7.5
8.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 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
8.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 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 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the MSI Stealth 17 have displays with high resolution and brightness, providing crisp and vibrant visuals for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, professionals will appreciate the wide color gamuts of these laptops, ensuring that colors are reproduced accurately for tasks such as photo editing or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on these laptops' screens can lead to less smooth visuals, which isn't ideal for fast-paced games or high frame-rate 3D rendering.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the MSI Stealth 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
$3,899
$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 Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 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
6.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and MSI Stealth 17 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the MSI Stealth 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | MSI Stealth 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $3,899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 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 | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 2560 x 1440 | |
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 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
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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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 Stealth 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | April 2023
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the MSI Stealth 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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