Dell Alienware m17 R5
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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GENERAL USE: Good—7.8/10
GAMING/AI: Good—7.7/10
ENG/DESIGN: Very Good—8.1/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Good—7.4/10
CONTENT CREATION: Good—7.8/10
PORTABILITY: Poor—5.5/10
BATTERY: Fair—6.5/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Good—7.8/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Very Good—8.2/10
SIZE: 17.3"
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is positioned at a midrange price with a large 17.3-inch display and a resolution friendly to mainstream gaming and work. It's equipped with a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card, making it great for high-performance gaming or intensive tasks such as 3D rendering and machine learning. However, the laptop is heavy and has a modest battery life, which affects portability. It has multiple USB and HDMI ports for connectivity but lacks Thunderbolt support. The laptop features a full keyboard with a number pad and is suitable for intensive gaming, with robust built quality and heat management. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Evaluation
Pros
- High refresh rate display
- Powerful main processor
- High-quality speakers
- Backlit keyboard with number pad
- Good heat management
Cons
- Average battery life
- Low portability score
- No Thunderbolt ports
- Low screen resolution for size
Ratings by Category
Engineering & Design:4.5
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design, CAD and 3D work.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
General Use Screen Quality:4.4
The general use screen score is based on the screen technology, contrast ratio, resolution, brightness, color gamut and color accuracy. This score does not take into account specialized display features for specific use cases, such as high refresh rate for gaming.
Keyboard Quality:4.4
The Keyboard Quality score is based on the PerfectRec experts’ assessment of tactile feedback, typing comfort, keyboard reliability and typing noise.
General Use:4.3
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a high-quality CPU and ample RAM which provide strong performance for general use applications, and its screen offers a large size, good brightness, and full sRGB color coverage which is beneficial for tasks that require accurate color representation.
Gaming & AI:4.3
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 excels in gaming and 3D due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU which enhances graphics rendering performance, and its high screen refresh rate of up to 480Hz, which provides exceptionally smooth visuals during fast-paced action.
Content Creation:4.3
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, and video editing work.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Build Quality:4.3
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, chassis rigidity, and overall reliability.
Our assessment of build quality includes many details that are difficult to quantify.
Our laptop experts use their best judgment to produce the final score.
Software Development:4.2
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software development.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Operating Noise:4.0
PerfectRec’s Operating Noise Score is based on fan noise measurements. Laptops with a fanless design, such as Macbooks, receive the maximum score.
Battery Life:3.5
PerfectRec’s Battery Life rating is based on hours of battery life in typical usage scenarios.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | ||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | ||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | ||
Width | 15.64" | ||
Depth | 11.76" | ||
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | ||
RAM | 16 GB | ||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | ||
RAM Slots | 2 | ||
Storage | 1024 GB | ||
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | 5 Hours | ||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | ||
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | ||
Display Technology | IPS | ||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | ||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | ||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | ||
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score  | 7.8/10 | ||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | ||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | ||
Premium Business Laptop | No | ||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | ||
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | ||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | ||
Webcam | 720p | ||
Fingerprint Reader | No | ||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | ||
Number Pad | No | ||
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | 3 | ||
USB-C ports | 1 | ||
USB-C Charging | Yes | ||
Display Outputs | 2 | ||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | ||
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | January 2023
"Overall, the all-AMD system in the Alienware m17 R5 is impressive, especially the graphics performance. However, various driver issues and unnecessary inconsistencies prevent us from truly enjoying such a potent gaming machine. In addition to strong 3D performance, we particularly like the build quality, the fairly bright UHD display with high color space coverage, and the fact that the gamer is often quiet when not under load and also rather quieter than some competitors under load."
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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