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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is generally less costly and offers a larger 17.3-inch display for a more immersive experience, better suited for staying in one place. It's powered by an AMD processor, which can be a factor for specific software compatibilities. In contrast, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is pricier but more portable due to its smaller 14-inch screen and lighter weight, making it ideal for on-the-go gaming or productivity. The x14 R1 comes with an Intel processor which can offer different performance benefits, and higher display refresh rates, optimal for fast-paced gaming. However, keep in mind the x14 R1 has less storage capacity out-of-the-box and a smaller battery, which could mean more frequent charges depending on usage. 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 m17 R5
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Alienware x14 R1
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1
7.9
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen for content creation.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and x14 R1 have screens that offer high resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks and providing clear visibility, which is essential for general use. Their displays cover a wide range of colors in the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB spectrums, which is crucial for professionals in engineering and design who need accurate color representation for their work. However, both laptops have lower refresh rates, which are less ideal for gaming and 3D applications that require smoother motion and rapid image updates to enhance the visual experience.
Battery
5.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 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
Poor
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$1,201
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 costs $1,201.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 boasts a larger screen and a more capacious battery, aspects that improve visual experience and unplugged longevity but compromise portability due to its greater weight and size. In contrast, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers more portability with a lighter and thinner design and a higher battery life in typical usage, but it compromises on screen size which might affect multitaskers or those who prefer larger displays for their general use.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.6
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a high screen refresh rate suitable for fluid gaming and 3D performance, albeit with a large screen that lessens portability, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 prioritizes a balance of high-quality display and portability with a more moderate refresh rate, and both feature powerful GPUs essential for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.2
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Alienware m17 R5 and x14 R1 are both very good for engineering and design due to their high-quality CPUs and GPUs, which excel in computation and visual tasks, and they come with substantial RAM for multitasking and advanced applications. While the m17 R5 offers a larger screen and better screen quality, which is beneficial for detailed engineering work, the x14 R1 is more portable with a higher portability score, making it a better option for users who need to move around frequently.
Content Creation
7.8
7.9
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
7.4
7.7
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Dell Alienware x14 R1 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,201 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 4.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 12.66" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 10.34" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 411 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 8.1/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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Dig into reviews and images
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."
Dell Alienware x14 R1
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NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The Alienware X14 series is thinner, but also slower than the competition. With the X series, you get plenty of modern technology: Intel Alder Lake CPUs, GeForce RTX 3000 GPUs, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, G-Sync, and Advanced Optimus. However, the slim design has some drawbacks, just like its larger siblings. The shifted hinge position results in a very deep device with a large footprint compared to the competition."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Dell Alienware x14 R1
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.
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