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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 tends to be less expensive with good battery life and a large 17.3-inch screen, making it suitable for gaming and general tasks, but it is heavier which affects portability. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 15, while generally more expensive, offers better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software, thanks to its higher-tier graphics card. It has a higher resolution and more vibrant screen, which is smaller at 15.6 inches, and is significantly lighter, making it more portable. Choose the Alienware if you prioritize screen size and value, or the Aorus for performance 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
- The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte Aorus 15.
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 15
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1
8.0
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
316.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 15 for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering general use, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a decent balance of resolution and brightness, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 stands out with a brighter and sharper display. For engineering and design tasks, both laptops have screens that can display a wide range of colors, but the Gigabyte Aorus 15 may have a slight edge if it covers more of the professional color gamuts, enhancing visual accuracy for detailed work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-paced visuals are key, both laptops fall short due to a lower refresh rate, which could lead to less fluid motion compared to screens with higher refresh rates.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
$1,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the Gigabyte Aorus 15 costs $1,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
316.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a larger screen and solid screen quality for comfortable viewing, but its heavier weight and shorter battery life make it less portable than the Gigabyte Aorus 15, which has a higher resolution screen for sharper images, relatively longer battery life, and is lighter, making it easier to carry around. Both have capable CPUs and sufficient RAM for smooth operation in general use, along with ample storage, quality keyboards, and good heat management, though the Alienware may be noisier and warmer during heavy use.
Gaming and AI
7.7
8.0
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 15 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is touted as very good for gaming and 3D due to its superior Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics and a high-quality screen with a solid refresh rate, whereas the Dell Alienware m17 R5, while good for such uses, has a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU but compensates with an extremely high screen refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.4
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 Aorus 15 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
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
8.0
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
7.6
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has 6 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
7.4
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Gigabyte Aorus 15 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 Aorus 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Gigabyte Aorus 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.2'' x 9.6'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 5.29 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.2" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 9.6" | |
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 | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 316 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
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 Aorus 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | December 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a power-hungry gaming beast. The Aorus 15 is designed to run games at QHD and high to max settings. But it also cuts a good figure in other demanding applications such as video editing and rendering. This is made possible by the Core i7 12700H and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop inside the machine. A lightning-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 TB) allows for short loading times."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Gigabyte Aorus 15
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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