If you prioritize gaming or other intensive tasks and don't mind a bulkier laptop with a shorter battery life, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is a better fit due to its superior graphics performance. However, if you prefer a more portable laptop for general use or engineering with longer battery life and a touch-enabled, higher resolution screen, the Dell Inspiron 14 7435 may be more suitable despite its less powerful graphics capability. The Inspiron also tends to be more cost-effective, while the Alienware's higher cost is attributed to its gaming-oriented hardware. 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 for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435
Very good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
6.3/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 outperforms the Dell Inspiron 14 7435 in gaming and 3D tasks mainly because it has a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 480 Hz, which makes it well-suited for fast-paced and graphically intensive applications.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
7.1/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 excels in engineering and design tasks due to its more capable CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU, providing strong performance for demanding applications, along with a large, high-refresh-rate screen, but it trades off portability with its heavier weight.
Screen Quality
8.1/10
6.1/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
216.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a high-resolution display and excellent color accuracy, making it ideal for engineering and design tasks where fine details and color representation are crucial. However, its lower refresh rate might not be as appealing to gamers who prioritize smooth motion in fast-paced games. Meanwhile, the Dell Inspiron 14 7435 provides adequate resolution and color coverage for everyday tasks and non-specialized engineering work, but its lower screen quality doesn't satisfy the demands of gaming or high-end design work.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 has 8 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
3.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$779
$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 Inpsiron 14 7435 costs $779.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 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
7.4/10
7.4/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 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.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.4/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 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 Inpsiron 14 7435 compare to other laptops
"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."
"We see no shame in an economy laptop missing the four-star mark. Frankly, we considered giving the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 three-and-a-half stars for its low price, competitive performance, and long battery life. Unfortunately, working with a screen that can't deliver at least 300 nits of brightness is simply no fun to the point of detrimental. Still, if you're looking for a convertible laptop on a tight budget, it's worth keeping an eye on Dell's sales and discounts. That Lavender Blue model is fairly tempting."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435
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.
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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