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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Gigabyte Aorus 7 involves considering key differences. The Alienware has more storage and a slightly better battery life, while the Aorus 7 boasts a more powerful graphics card and is lighter, enhancing portability. Both have a large screen size and similar build qualities, but the Alienware's higher refresh rate may appeal to gamers seeking smoother visuals. If you prioritize storage and battery, the Alienware may suit you; however, if you prefer greater graphics performance and a lighter laptop for easier transportation, the Aorus 7 could be preferable. Both options seem to perform well for gaming and engineering tasks. 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 Aorus 7
- Good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a balance of resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and detail-oriented engineering work, but its lower refresh rate detracts from the immersive gaming experience where smooth motion is key. Alternatively, the Gigabyte Aorus 7 shines in general use due to its high-quality panel with vivid resolution and ample brightness, ensuring sharp and clear visuals, though its refresh rate limitations mean gaming and 3D applications may not appear as fluid. Both laptops may not fully satisfy designers seeking wide color gamuts for color-critical tasks, which can be crucial in professional engineering and design work.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 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
$1,190
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the Gigabyte Aorus 7 costs $1,190.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Gigabyte Aorus 7 are both good for general use.
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
7.8
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5, with its Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and high screen refresh rate of up to 480Hz, is well-suited for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from smooth motion and fast refresh, but the Gigabyte Aorus 7, featuring a more recent Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and refresh rate of 360Hz, offers better graphical performance while still providing a very fluid display experience.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.1
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Gigabyte Aorus 7 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5, with its AMD Ryzen processor, is well-suited for engineering and design tasks requiring significant computing power, complemented by a capable Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a high-quality IPS display, albeit with limited portability due to its size and weight. Meanwhile, the Gigabyte Aorus 7, although slightly more portable, also brings strong performance to engineering and design work through an Intel processor and an even more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, along with a similarly high-grade IPS screen.
Content Creation
7.8
7.6
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Gigabyte Aorus 7 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
7.4
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Gigabyte Aorus 7 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 7 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 7 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 7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Gigabyte Aorus 7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,190 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 15.7'' x 10'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i5-12500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 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" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 351 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 6.2/10 | |
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 | 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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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."
Gigabyte Aorus 7
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Dig into reviews and images
TechRadar
Matt Hanson | July 2020
"The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is a gaming laptop that is pitched at perhaps the hardest market to get right: the mid-range. So, unlike high-end gaming laptops that can throw the latest and greatest components together in a bid to attract gamers with plenty of money to spend, or budget gaming laptops that can make wise cuts that are justified as long as the price is low enough, mid-rangers like the Gigabyte Aorus 7 have to balance the two."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Gigabyte Aorus 7
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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