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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers high performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to its powerful processor and GPU, but it comes at a higher price and with less portability due to its larger size and weight. The Lenovo Flex 5 16, on the other hand, is more affordable and portable with better battery life, suitable for general use with its touchscreen and higher resolution display, yet it's not as capable for intensive gaming or heavy computational tasks due to less powerful hardware. Consider the Alienware if performance is a primary concern and the Flex if you value portability and battery life for everyday 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 for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.2
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers superior performance for gaming and 3D applications due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate, making it well-suited for fast-paced visual content. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 16, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a lower refresh rate, provides a fair experience that's adequate for less demanding gaming and 3D tasks, but less immersive and potentially less smooth than the Alienware's offerings.
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.2
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.1
7.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, gaming and AI, and content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 offer screens with suitable resolution and brightness, making them pleasant for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, users benefit from accurate colors, and both laptops provide screens with good color gamuts, aiding in precise visual work like photo editing or CAD. However, gamers and 3D professionals may find the lower refresh rates on these laptops' screens less optimal, leading to less fluid visuals in fast-paced games or 3D simulations.
Battery
5.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 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
16.0in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.0
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 both have good build quality, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$779
$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 Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $779.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.4/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is designed with a powerful CPU and high-performance graphics which, along with substantial RAM and storage, make it suitable for demanding tasks and it has a large screen with good color coverage, but its heavier weight and larger size reduce its portability and its battery life is relatively short.
Content Creation
7.8
7.6
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo Flex 5 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
7.5
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 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.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Lenovo Flex 5 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $779 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 52.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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."
Lenovo Flex 5 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Lenovo Flex 5 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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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