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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Gigabyte Aero 5 are both mid-range laptops and share several traits like similar storage capacity and RAM. The Alienware is a bit heavier which might make it less convenient if you need to travel with your laptop frequently, but it compensates with slightly better performance for gaming and engineering tasks due to its high refresh rate display. The Aero 5, on the other hand, shines with its superior OLED display with a high resolution and color accuracy, making it ideal for tasks requiring visual precision like photo editing. It also offers longer battery life and is lighter than the Alienware, which enhances its portability. If intense gaming or performance for engineering applications is your primary need, the Alienware could suit you better, while the Aero 5 is more fitting for creative professionals or if premium display quality and portability are your top concerns. 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 5
- Very good for content creation
- Good battery life
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.7
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
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.
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 5 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for software development, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 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
8.6
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
446.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 5 for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, a laptop with a high-resolution, bright display, like the Gigabyte Aero 5, provides clear and vivid images, making it excellent for browsing and multimedia, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 with a similarly good display also offers comfortable viewing. In the realm of engineering and design, color accuracy is key, and the Aero 5 shines with its wide color gamuts, ensuring that designers see true-to-life colors. However, for gaming and 3D applications, a high refresh rate is crucial for smooth motion, and both laptops underperform in this aspect with lower refresh rates, leading to less fluid visual experiences in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
5.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gigabyte Aero 5 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
$1,250
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the Gigabyte Aero 5 costs $1,250.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
446.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers solid performance and a large, vivid screen which makes it versatile for both work and entertainment, though it is less portable and has shorter battery life compared to some other laptops. The Gigabyte Aero 5 stands out with a high-resolution OLED screen and higher portability due to its lighter weight and better battery life, but it might be louder and warmer under load due to its powerful internals.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.9
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
7.8
8.2
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
OLED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 5 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.
Build Quality
7.8
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Gigabyte Aero 5 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 Gigabyte Aero 5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Gigabyte Aero 5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,250 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 5.07 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 446 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
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 5
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Dig into reviews and images
The Tech Revolutionist
Zhi Cheng | May 2022
"It is unfortunate that the Gigabyte AERO notebook series have seem to lost its charm, as it’s not exactly any much different from the AORUS series now. Regardless, content creators and designers will certainly still appreciate the features on the AERO 5 XE4, which are fundamental to their work. This largely revolved around the notebook’s display, which is colour calibrated and validated, high resolution (4K) and with great AMOLED colour representation. Now that the AERO 5 XE4 has improved its performance with the latest CPU and GPU, the professionals can also appreciate the improved productivity from the notebook."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Gigabyte Aero 5
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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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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