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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you need high performance for tasks like gaming, 3D modeling, or machine learning, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is a strong choice, though it costs more and is less portable. On the other hand, if your priority is basic tasks like web browsing, document editing, and portability, along with saving money, the Gateway 11.6" will suit your needs. Keep in mind that the Gateway may not handle intensive tasks well and could have a shorter battery life. Choose the Dell if performance outweighs cost and portability concerns, or the Gateway if portability, basic use, and cost are key factors. 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
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 11.6"
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.8
5.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is better for general use as it provides a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a high-quality screen, offering robust performance for a range of tasks and clear visuals, but it is less portable due to its size and lower battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.7
5.4
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a screen capable of a high refresh rate, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the Gateway 11.6" has a much less capable Intel UHD Graphics 600 and a standard refresh rate screen, rendering it unsuitable for demanding graphics tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.1
5.4
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.7
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for content creation, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.7
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for software development, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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.
Screen Quality
8.1
5.7
17.3in
SIZE
11.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 likely offers a high-resolution display and bright panel, making it suitable for general use and detailed engineering work, but its poor screen quality for gaming could be due to a lower refresh rate, which is less optimal for fast-paced visuals. The Gateway 11.6" may have a lower resolution and dimmer screen, which is not ideal for any use case, especially for tasks requiring visual precision. For engineering and design, the Dell's superior color gamut coverage ensures accurate color representation, a feature the Gateway likely lacks, affecting the quality and fidelity necessary for professional work.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Gateway 11.6" 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
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
11.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 11.6" 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
5.1
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has good build quality, while the Gateway 11.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$89
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the Gateway 11.6" costs $89.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Gateway 11.6" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Gateway 11.6" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $89 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 2.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 7.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 11.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 200 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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 Gateway 11.6"
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.
About Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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