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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers solid performance at a midrange price and is suitable for intensive gaming, with a large screen and significant storage and RAM. However, the MSI GE66 Raider, while more expensive, packs higher-end specs including more RAM and a stronger GPU, which translates to better performance in 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. The Raider's higher resolution display also makes it ideal for tasks requiring fine detail. The Alienware provides better value and is sufficient for most gaming needs, but for the most demanding applications or the best possible gaming experience, the GE66 Raider is the superior choice, albeit at a higher cost and with slightly less portability due to its larger weight. 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 MSI GE66 Raider
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers a higher quality display, more RAM, and a more powerful CPU, with greater portability due to its lighter weight and slightly better battery life compared to the Dell Alienware m17 R5, making it very good for general use. However, the Alienware's larger screen can be a plus for those preferring a bigger viewing area, and despite its heavier weight and poorer portability, it still has good qualities such as adequate RAM, a capable CPU, and a decent quality screen for general use purposes.
Gaming and AI
7.7
8.6
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
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
9.1
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers superior CPU and GPU performance with its Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti compared to the Dell Alienware m17 R5's AMD Ryzen 7 and Nvidia RTX 3060, which makes it excellent for demanding engineering and design tasks. Additionally, the MSI has double the RAM and a higher resolution screen for crisper visuals, yet it's lighter and somewhat more portable than the Dell, although both have less than ideal battery life and portability for on-the-go use.
Content Creation
7.8
8.4
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
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
8.4
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
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
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the MSI GE66 Raider for gaming and AI, while the MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers vibrant colors and high resolution, making it pleasant for everyday tasks and detailed enough for engineering applications, yet its lower refresh rate can hinder the smoothness needed in fast-paced 3D environments. The MSI GE66 Raider, with similar strong color representation and clarity, excels in both general use and professional design work, but like the Alienware, may fall short for gaming due to its less than optimal refresh rate for 3D applications. Both laptops, although high in resolution and color quality, which is great for general and design use, don't cater well to gaming enthusiasts looking for fluid motion graphics.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$3,199
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 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" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
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."
MSI GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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