The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is a high-performing laptop suited for intensive tasks like gaming, 3D modeling, or machine learning, offering a powerful CPU, beefy graphics, and a high-resolution, large screen, making it heavy and less portable, with less impressive battery life. In contrast, the HP 250 G10 is budget-friendly, lighter, and more portable, with modest performance suitable for general use such as web browsing and office applications, and has longer battery life, but it lacks the power and display quality needed for more demanding tasks. Choose the Dell for high-end performance and the HP for cost-effective basic use 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
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 HP 250 G10
Good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
6.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for general use, while the HP 250 G10 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a high-powered AMD Ryzen processor paired with a robust Nvidia graphics card, more storage, and a larger, better-quality screen, albeit being heavier and less portable with shorter battery life, which makes it good for general use with the added ability to handle more demanding tasks. In contrast, the HP 250 G10, while being lighter and having longer battery life, sports a less powerful Intel processor and basic integrated graphics, a smaller, lower-resolution screen, and significantly less storage, making it fair for general use and more suited for basic tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
5.7/10
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
8.7/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP 250 G10 is poor.
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.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
5.8/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP 250 G10 is poor.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is superior for engineering and design because it has a higher-performance CPU and GPU, more RAM, and better screen quality, which are crucial for demanding tasks and visual clarity. In contrast, the HP 250 G10 offers lower performance in these areas and a lower quality display, making it less suitable for intensive engineering and design work, even though it is more portable and operates more quietly.
Content Creation
7.8/10
6.2/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for content creation, while the HP 250 G10 is only fair.
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
7.4/10
6.4/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for software development, while the HP 250 G10 is only fair.
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
8.1/10
5.3/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the HP 250 G10 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a high-resolution display with bright, vibrant colors suitable for various applications, making it a solid choice for general use and tasks like engineering and design, where color accuracy is critical. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate may not deliver as smooth an experience as some specialized gaming laptops, which can hinder fast-paced visuals. The HP 250 G10, with its lower resolution and brightness, doesn't provide the clarity and vibrance needed for any of the three use cases, resulting in a less satisfying visual experience across the board.
Portability
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP 250 G10 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has good build quality, while the HP 250 G10 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$330
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the HP 250 G10 costs $330.
"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."
"The HP 250 G10 is a decent budget device that surprises us with its high CPU frequencies under load. Still, our configuration has a Core i5-1335U which doesn’t require significant cooling, if choose a 28W P-series processor, maybe the situation with the clocks could be different. If you want to play some casual game after work, a memory in dual-channel is a must because it increases greatly the iGPU performance."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the HP 250 G10
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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