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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is less expensive and designed with a gaming laptop appearance, with strong general and 3D/machine learning performance. It has a high refresh rate screen, but standard resolution. The Gigabyte Aero 17 is pricier, with a focus on professional use featuring a high-resolution Mini LED screen that excels in color accuracy and brightness. It's slightly more portable but has a lower screen refresh rate. The Aero 17 has a better portability score and screen performance for engineering and color tasks, whereas the Alienware has a slight edge in performance for general use and gaming. Choose the Alienware if cost and gaming are priorities, or the Aero for premium screen quality and portability. 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 speakers
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.8
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Gigabyte Aero 17 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 are well-suited for engineering and design because they have powerful CPUs and GPUs, ample RAM, and high-quality screens; the Alienware with a standard IPS panel and the Aero with a high-resolution Mini LED display. While the Aero offers a higher GPU model and a superior screen quality, which is beneficial for detail-oriented work, the Alienware provides a robust counterpart but with less portability due to its heavier weight.
Content Creation
7.8
8.4
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is 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
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for software development, though the Gigabyte Aero 17 is somewhat better.
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
9.2
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a decent balance of resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday activities, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 provides sharper visuals and better brightness for a more vibrant display. When it comes to engineering and design, the Aero 17 excels with wider color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color representation which is critical for professional design work, as opposed to the Alienware m17 R5, which may not offer as wide color coverage. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to lower refresh rates, which means less fluid motion and slower screen updates, an area where gaming and 3D users generally seek higher performance.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gigabyte Aero 17 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
$2,071
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.1
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 17 to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
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.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.9
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 stands out for gaming and 3D tasks due to its high screen refresh rate, which provides smoother visuals in fast-paced games, although its GPU is less powerful than that of the Gigabyte Aero 17. Conversely, the Gigabyte Aero 17 is regarded very good for these tasks, not only due to a superior GPU which delivers better graphical processing, but also because of its Mini LED display with higher pixel density, resulting in sharper and more detailed images, albeit with a lower refresh rate.
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 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
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 17 to have 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.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Gigabyte Aero 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $2,071 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 15.6'' x 9.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 15.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 9.5" | |
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 | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 368 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
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."
Gigabyte Aero 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | May 2021
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Gigabyte Aero 17
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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