When choosing between the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the HP Omen 16, consider the following: The Alienware m17 R5 has a larger screen size which may be beneficial for an immersive gaming experience, but it could be less portable due to its size. It uses an AMD processor and a mid-range Nvidia GPU, which provides solid performance for gaming and general tasks. The HP Omen 16, on the other hand, is equipped with a newer Intel CPU and a more powerful Nvidia GPU, offering enhanced performance for gaming and demanding applications. It has a smaller, more portable form factor but still maintains a high refresh rate for smooth visuals. The Omen's newer specifications may result in a laptop more suited to future-proofing but the Alienware's larger screen and potential cost savings might be preferable for some. Consider the importance of portability, screen size, and performance for your specific use case when making a selection. 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 overall display quality
Advantages of the HP Omen 16
Very good for gaming and AI
Good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1/10
7.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.1in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
338.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the HP Omen 16 for general use, and gaming and AI, while the HP Omen 16 has a better screen for content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and HP Omen 16 offer displays with high resolution and brightness, making text, images, and videos appear sharp and vivid even in well-lit environments. For engineering and design, these laptops have displays that cover a wide range of colors, essential for professionals who require accurate color representation for projects. However, their screens fall short for gaming and 3D applications as they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and a responsive experience during fast-paced action.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
16.1in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP Omen 16 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
$1,259
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the HP Omen 16 costs $1,259.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and HP Omen 16 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers ample processing power with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a large 17.3-inch screen with high brightness, making it great for general use, but it is heavier and has shorter battery life, reducing its portability. On the other hand, the HP Omen 16 has a high-performance Intel i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM with a slightly smaller screen, making it equally capable for various tasks, and it is more portable due to its lighter weight and longer battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
8.0/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Omen 16 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5, with a high screen refresh rate, excels in fast-paced gaming but has a lower-tier GPU compared to the HP Omen 16, which could mean slightly less graphical detail for complex 3D games. However, the HP Omen 16, equipped with a more powerful GPU and a very respectable screen refresh rate, offers enhanced visual fidelity for gaming and 3D experiences, but its lower refresh rate might not be as smooth in rapid motion scenarios.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
8.4/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Omen 16 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 with an AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics provides robust performance for demanding engineering and design tasks on its large 17.3-inch screen with high brightness, although it's heavier and less portable. The HP Omen 16, on the other hand, uses an Intel i7 processor with a newer Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, offering strong computational power and better portability with a slightly smaller but also bright 16.1-inch screen, complemented by higher quality speakers and keyboard. Both machines have ample RAM and quality IPS panels to display detailed visuals for intricate work.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.8/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and HP Omen 16 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
7.4/10
7.6/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The HP Omen 16 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 HP Omen 16 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
7.8/10
7.4/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and HP Omen 16 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 HP Omen 16 compare to other laptops
"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 Omen 16 has proven to be a fairly good mid-range gaming laptop with all-around improvements compared to the Omen 15. The high overall performance level across all use cases, the long battery life, and the good FHD display constitute the main advantages of this HP laptop. The main drawbacks are the faulty touchpad (one-off?) and the high latencies that can be observed even after just opening the browser. Furthermore, the useless, preinstalled 30-day trial versions of various software also fall under the category "unnecessary"."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the HP Omen 16
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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