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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming, 3D tasks, or high-performance engineering work, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is a superior choice due to its powerful AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia graphics; however, it's heavier, less portable, and significantly more expensive. On the other hand, the HP Pavilion 15 is more budget-friendly, lightweight, and offers adequate performance for general use and light productivity tasks, making it a cost-effective option for casual users. Consider the importance of portability and budget constraints against the need for advanced graphics and processing power when making your decision. 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 for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the HP Pavilion 15
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.2/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and HP Pavilion 15 are both good for general use, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a powerful CPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality screen that enhances general use, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the more compact HP Pavilion 15, which also handles general tasks well due to sufficient RAM and CPU, though its screen quality is lesser. Both laptops have enough storage, but the Alienware m17 R5 provides better keyboard and speaker quality, while the HP Pavilion has a quieter operating noise and better heat management, making it a more comfortable choice for extended use.
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.0
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Pavilion 15 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is favored for gaming and 3D applications largely because it boasts a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a high screen refresh rate, which are crucial for smooth and visually detailed gaming experiences. In contrast, the HP Pavilion 15 falls short in these areas with its less capable integrated Intel UHD Xe G4 GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, which may result in less fluid graphics and overall performance during gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.1
6.2
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Pavilion 15 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 stands out for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, alongside a high-quality IPS screen with better color coverage and brightness, providing strong performance and visual fidelity necessary for such tasks.
Content Creation
7.8
7.1
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and HP Pavilion 15 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is somewhat better.
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
6.6
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.2/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for software development, while the HP Pavilion 15 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
5.3
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the HP Pavilion 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5's screen offers rich colors and sharp images due to its high resolution and bright display, which makes it suitable for general use and engineering tasks that require precise color reproduction. However, its lower refresh rate compared to specialized gaming laptops compromises the smoothness of visuals in fast-paced 3D games. On the other hand, the HP Pavilion 15's screen, with lower brightness and resolution, fails to meet the high standards needed across all use cases, resulting in a less vibrant and crisp viewing experience for general activities, engineering work, and gaming.
Battery
5.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The HP Pavilion 15 has 3 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Pavilion 15 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
6.2
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has good build quality, while the HP Pavilion 15 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
$500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the HP Pavilion 15 costs $500.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the HP Pavilion 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | HP Pavilion 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | August 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 9.5'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 9.53" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i3-1115G4 | |
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 | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
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 | 1 | |
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."
HP Pavilion 15
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Dig into reviews and images
TechRadar
Alex Cox | August 2022
"The HP Pavilion 15 carries a fair amount of power and a sharp display in its handsome slimline shell. It's not perfect, but it's a hard worker. This is wonderfully designed and totes a heck of a lot of desktop power, with the added benefit of a decent webcam and a full-sized keyboard. If you're getting down to business on a budget, it's a great fit."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the HP Pavilion 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 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.
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