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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI Prestige 16 involves tradeoffs including price, performance, battery life, portability, and suitability for different uses. The Dell has a gaming look and larger screen, making it suitable for intensive gaming and engineering tasks with high performance but less portable due to its size and weight. The MSI, while more expensive, offers a lighter build, longer battery life, and higher screen resolution, ideal for general use, business applications, and with its powerful processor, can handle demanding tasks though not specialized for gaming. 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 gaming and AI
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The MSI Prestige 16 stands out for general use due to its high-resolution display and lightweight design, making it very portable while also offering superior battery life over the Dell Alienware m17 R5, which while having a strong CPU and good screen quality for general tasks, tends to be less portable due to its larger size and heavier weight.
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.7
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 is only fair.
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.
Content Creation
7.8
8.3
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 16 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
8.1
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 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
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 16 for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 provides a balance of clear visuals and reasonable brightness, making it pleasant to use for daily tasks, whereas the MSI Prestige 16 offers an even sharper image and better brightness, enabling a more comfortable viewing experience. When it comes to engineering and design, the MSI Prestige 16 excels with its superior color range, rendering it ideal for work that demands color accuracy like photo editing or graphic design, although the Dell Alienware m17 R5 also holds up well in this aspect. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid movement is key, the lower refresh rate of both the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Prestige 16 screens may not deliver the smoothest visuals compared to laptops designed specifically for gaming with higher refresh rates.
Battery
5.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 has 7.5 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
4.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 16 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$1,611
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the MSI Prestige 16 costs $1,611.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.2
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 features a high-performance CPU and a dedicated GPU, making it ideal for computational and graphics-intensive tasks, while its larger screen and higher weight affect portability but offer an immersive experience for engineering and design work.
Build Quality
7.8
7.4
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Prestige 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI Prestige 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI Prestige 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,611 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 4.2 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 82 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 | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Prestige 16
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Make Use Of
Paul Antill | June 2023
"The MSI Prestige 16 Evo: 2023's best value 16” thin & light laptop with i7-13700H. One of the top choices for professionals and students seeking a high-performance, portable computing solution in 2023. While the MSI Prestige 16 Evo A13M may not boast the most striking design compared to some other 16" options, its relatively "safe" styling lends itself well to professional and educational environments. Significantly, it doesn't compromise on essential features like port selection or cooling performance, ensuring seamless connectivity and efficient thermal management. The 16 Evo A13M offers an excellent combination of performance, portability, and functionality, making it a compelling choice for professionals and students alike."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI Prestige 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 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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