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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a larger screen, more storage, greater RAM, and a beefy battery, making it well-suited for gaming and demanding tasks, but it also means the laptop is heavier and less portable. The Alienware tends to be costlier; if budget is a concern, the GF63 Thin is more affordable. Consider what's more important: performance and screen size or portability and price. 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 MSI GF63 Thin
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8
6.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.2 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for general use with a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, higher battery capacity, and improved screen quality compared to the MSI GF63 Thin; however, it is heavier and bulkier, making it less portable. In contrast, the MSI GF63 Thin is only rated fair for general use due to its less robust CPU, half the RAM, shorter battery life, and inferior screen colors, but it compensates with better portability due to its lighter weight and smaller dimensions.
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.0
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a higher screen refresh rate and a more powerful GPU, suited for rigorous gaming and rendering 3D graphics efficiently, while the MSI GF63 Thin, with a modest GPU and standard refresh rate, provides fair performance ideal for less demanding gaming and 3D tasks. Since screen quality and CPU also play roles in overall gaming experience, the Dell's superior specs contribute to its higher capabilities, but its heavier weight compared to the MSI may affect portability for users on the go.
Engineering and Design
8.1
6.0
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 stands out for engineering and design use due to its superior AMD Ryzen 7 processor, ample RAM, and a robust Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, along with a high-quality screen. Conversely, the MSI GF63 Thin, while more portable and lightweight, offers modest performance with its Intel i5 processor and Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU, paired with a less vibrant screen and less RAM, making it less ideal for demanding engineering tasks.
Content Creation
7.8
6.0
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for content creation, while the MSI GF63 Thin 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
6.0
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for software development, while the MSI GF63 Thin 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
6.1
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers vibrant colors and crisp visuals suited for general activities and engineering applications, where its resolution, panel type, and color accuracy are essential. For engineering and design tasks, accurate representation of colors within broader color gamuts ensures the work presented is precise and true to design intentions. However, for gaming and 3D, the Alienware's lower refresh rate makes it less ideal as it could affect the smoothness of motion, whereas higher refresh rates are favored for these tasks even if other aspects such as resolution are also important.
Portability
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF63 Thin 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
6.5
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has good build quality, while the MSI GF63 Thin 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
$599
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the MSI GF63 Thin costs $599.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.2 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI GF63 Thin has 4.3 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI GF63 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI GF63 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $599 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2019 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i5-10300H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 4.25 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 249 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 720p | |
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 | 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."
MSI GF63 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2020
"If you leave aside the meagre port selection (no card reader, no DisplayPort, no Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1 Gen2), the fan control that could be improved (idle mode!) and the relatively dark and slow display, the MSI GF63 Thin 9SC does not have any major weaknesses. The 15-inch gamer is compact, has a low weight and offers a good price-to-performance ratio, which should please gamers that are looking for both a portable and an affordable gaming notebook. Input devices, battery life, case quality and performance are all appropriate for this purchase price."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI GF63 Thin
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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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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