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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5, being more budget-friendly compared to the MSI Katana 17, offers solid performance with an AMD processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics, making it well-suited for gaming and demanding applications, but it's heavier, which reduces portability. Its battery capacity is also larger than the MSI's, indicative of potentially longer battery life. The MSI Katana 17, on the other hand, costs more and comes with an Intel processor and a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, suggesting better performance especially in graphics-intensive tasks, and offers double the memory, which helps in multitasking and more demanding processing tasks. It's also lighter and thinner, enhancing its portability but has a considerably smaller battery capacity, which could mean shorter run times away from a power source. Choose the Dell for a balance of cost and performance with better battery life, and the MSI if top-tier graphics performance and a more portable design are your priorities. 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
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware m17 R5.
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1
6.9
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Katana 17 offer displays that provide crisp images and brightness, making them pleasant for daily tasks like browsing and video streaming. When it comes to engineering and design, the Dell shines with superior color accuracy, which is critical for work that relies on precise color representation. For gaming and 3D applications, however, both fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which lead to less smooth visuals in fast-paced games and animations.
Battery
5.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 17 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
7.2
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Katana 17 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
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 17 is regarded very good for general use as it boasts twice the amount of RAM for multitasking and a lighter build for ease of carrying, despite a shorter battery life compared to the Dell Alienware m17 R5 which has a longer battery life and a solid screen and keyboard quality, making it good for general use.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.9
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The MSI Katana 17 is fitted with a more advanced Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and has a standard refresh rate, which contributes to its very good gaming and 3D performance, whereas the Dell Alienware m17 R5, while still providing good performance with an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, has a superior refresh rate which enhances smoothness in fast-paced games. Both laptops have similar CPUs and screen quality, with the Alienware's higher refresh rate being a significant benefit for fast-action visuals, and the MSI's newer GPU offering more raw power for rendering detailed graphics.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.4
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Katana 17 are both strong contenders for engineering and design use due to their high-quality screens, powerful CPUs, and GPUs which are crucial for software performance; the Alienware pairs the AMD Ryzen 7 with an RTX 3060 and the Katana 17 comes with an Intel i7 and RTX 4060. Both laptops have ample RAM for multitasking and complex tasks, but the MSI Katana 17 has an edge with double the RAM of the Alienware, enhancing its suitability for more RAM-intensive engineering applications, although it has a lower battery capacity and portability score.
Content Creation
7.8
7.8
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 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 MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-13620H | |
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 | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
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 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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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 Katana 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"The MSI Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI Katana 17
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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Why trust us
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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