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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Alienware m17 R5 will better suit gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks due to its more powerful graphics card and processor, as well as a larger screen, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life, which may limit its portability. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 13 is smaller, much lighter, and has a longer battery life, making it more portable and better for general use. However, it's less suited for intensive tasks due to its less powerful graphics and processor. The Alienware is typically more expensive, whereas the XPS 13 offers cost savings. Choose based on whether portability or performance is your priority. 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
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.2
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
8.7/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is superior for gaming and 3D due to its more powerful GPU and higher screen refresh rate, which are critical for rendering graphics smoothly and providing a more immersive experience. In contrast, the Dell XPS 13 falls short in gaming performance with a less capable integrated GPU and a standard refresh rate screen, although it offers great portability and is well-suited for general use.
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.2
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
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 XPS 13 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is equipped with a more powerful CPU and dedicated graphics card, making it better suited for intensive engineering and design tasks that require advanced processing and GPU support, though it is heavier and less portable.
Screen Quality
8.1
7.2
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Dell XPS 13 offer screens with solid resolution, brightness, and panel quality to ensure clear, vibrant images and comfortable viewing. In terms of engineering and design, these laptops are equipped with displays capable of covering a wide range of colors within the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB spectrums, allowing for precise color work crucial for professional design tasks. However, the screens' lower refresh rates make them less suitable for gaming and 3D applications, which benefit from higher refresh rates to render fast-moving visuals more smoothly.
Battery
5.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 has 10 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
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.5 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Dell XPS 13 has excellent 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 XPS 13 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
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the Dell XPS 13 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell XPS 13 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5, with its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and ample RAM, offers strong performance for general use, alongside a large, quality screen but falls short in portability and has a shorter battery life. Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 13, although having lesser storage, provides a balance of good CPU performance, high-quality keyboard, and longer battery life in a more compact and portable design, suitable for general use as well.
Content Creation
7.8
7.7
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
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 XPS 13 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
6.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 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 XPS 13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Dell XPS 13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 2.59 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 11.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 7.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-1250U | |
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 | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 13.4" | |
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 | 442 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
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."
Dell XPS 13
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chen | April 2023
"In the past, the XPS 13 was a hands-down contender for the best laptop on the market. But the Apple-silicon MacBook has since barrelled onto the scene, and it wipes the floor with most of the ultraportable Windows laptops that cross my desk on a daily basis. This XPS is no exception. Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, battery life is worse."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Dell XPS 13
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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