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Updated January 10, 2024·
In choosing between the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Dell G15 5520, consider that the Alienware offers a larger screen and significantly longer battery life but is heavier and generally costs more. The G15 is lighter, making it more portable, and is usually less expensive, but comes with a smaller screen and shorter battery life. The Alienware might better suit gaming and intensive tasks due to a higher-refresh-rate display and better heat management, while the G15 can handle general use and gaming well with a balance between performance and cost. Both have similar storage and memory, and both can perform hardware ray tracing and DLSS for improved gaming visuals. 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
Advantages of the Dell G15 5520
- Good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1
7.1
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
251.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Dell G15 5520 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell G15 5520 have displays that provide clear images and bright colors, suitable for everyday tasks like browsing the web or working with documents, which is why they are good for general use. They also cover a wider range of colors, making them suitable for tasks that require color accuracy, such as engineering and design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where the smoothness of motion is crucial, their screens may not refresh quickly enough to provide the seamless visual experience preferred by enthusiasts and professionals in these fields.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell G15 5520 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$1,000
$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 G15 5520 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
251.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Dell G15 5520 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5's larger screen and higher brightness make it suitable for general use, though its weight and poorer battery life reduce its portability compared to the Dell G15 5520, which offers a balance of performance with better portability and battery life but has a slightly dimmer display. Both laptops have the same CPU and RAM, which are important for general use, and come with quality keyboards and enough storage, although the Alienware has a more vibrant screen and the G15 manages heat better.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.7
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell G15 5520 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is exceptional for gaming and 3D applications as it boasts a high screen refresh rate suited for fast-paced visuals, along with a robust GPU that handles graphic-intensive tasks smoothly. In contrast, the Dell G15 5520 also offers good gaming and 3D performance with the same class of GPU but has a lower screen refresh rate, which might not be as fluid for high-speed gaming scenarios.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.2
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell G15 5520 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5's AMD Ryzen CPU and RTX 3060 GPU combination, paired with a larger screen and higher brightness, make it well-suited for demanding engineering and design tasks that require powerful processing and vivid display clarity. On the other hand, the Dell G15 5520, with its Intel i7 CPU and the same RTX 3060 GPU, offers high performance too, but with better portability and lower weight, however it has a smaller screen size and lower screen brightness which may impact multitasking and detailed work.
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 G15 5520 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
7.5
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
8.5/10
The Dell G15 5520 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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell G15 5520 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
7.8
7.4
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell G15 5520 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Dell G15 5520 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Dell G15 5520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 5.55 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.06" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 10.74" | |
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 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 251 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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 G15 5520
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Dell G15 (2022) is a 15.6-inch budget gaming laptop, and is great for gaming. You can configure the laptop with powerful Intel 12th Gen. CPUs and various NVIDIA dedicated GPUs, all of which deliver a smooth gaming experience at 1080p. There's also a QHD 240Hz display option if you want better visuals, though you'll have to pair it with the top-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti to get good frame rates. It doesn't get overly hot or loud under load, and there's no noticeable throttling on the CPU or GPU. Unfortunately, the 120Hz panel has a slow response time, causing noticeable ghosting, and it doesn't support variable refresh rate."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Dell G15 5520
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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