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Updated January 16, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is suited for gaming and intensive tasks with its robust performance hardware, whereas the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is geared towards productivity with a focus on portability and a professional aesthetic. Opt for the Alienware if gaming or high-end graphics work is a priority, accepting the heavier build and shorter battery life. Choose the Inspiron if you prefer a lighter laptop with longer battery life for everyday professional use, accepting less graphical power. Keep in mind the Alienware's higher price is for its gaming capabilities, while the Inspiron offers a balance of performance and portability at a lower cost. 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 keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 16 5630
- Very good for general use
- Very good for content creation
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.5
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
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
10.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is equipped with a robust Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and an exceptionally high screen refresh rate of 480 Hz, making it an excellent choice for demanding gaming and 3D tasks. In comparison, the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 utilizes Intel's integrated Iris Xe graphics and a standard 60 Hz screen refresh rate, making it only moderately suitable for gaming and 3D applications.
Screen Quality
8.1
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell Inspiron 16 5630 both offer screens with high resolution and brightness, making them suitable for general use where clarity and visibility are key. Their capabilities in accurately displaying a wide range of colors cater to the precision needed for engineering and design tasks. However, their lower refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion in fast-paced gaming and 3D applications, mean they aren't ideal for those specific scenarios where fluid imagery is essential.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
7.0
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell Inspiron 16 5630 both have good build quality, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$849
$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 Inspiron 16 5630 costs $849.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 16 5630 to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 offers a better balance for general use, providing a higher resolution, lighter weight, and longer battery life, making it more portable and suitable for a variety of tasks compared to the larger, more power-intensive, and shorter-battery-life Dell Alienware m17 R5, which offers more gaming-oriented features that can be overkill for typical uses. Additionally, the Inspiron's quieter operation and efficient heat management contribute to a more comfortable experience for everyday activities.
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.7
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m17 R5 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is good.
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 and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.8
8.1
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 16 5630 to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
7.4
7.9
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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 Inspiron 16 5630 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Dell Inspiron 16 5630 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $849 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 4.28 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 9.91" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-1360P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Dell Inspiron 16 5630
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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