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Updated January 10, 2024·
The decision between the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx should be based on the primary use case and priorities in terms of power, battery life, and portability. The Alienware tends to have a robust build and is well-suited for gaming and intensive tasks but is generally heavier and may have less battery life, making it less ideal for travel. The MSI Raider, on the other hand, might offer similar performance, sometimes with better heat management or battery efficiency, which could be significant for longer gaming sessions or heavy workloads. However, it could also come with a price premium. If budget is a concern, consider which specs align best with your needs; higher-end GPUs and CPUs drive up costs, but are necessary for demanding games and software. If portability and battery life are more critical, compromises in performance or budget may be necessary. Always check for specific model reviews to understand the performance and build quality differences in the context of your particular requirements. 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 Raider GE77Hx
- Very good for general use
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
8.7
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The MSI Raider GE77Hx offers a superior gaming and 3D experience with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics and higher resolution screen, which enhances detail, though with a lower refresh rate than the Dell Alienware m17 R5's Nvidia RTX 3060 and extremely high refresh rate screen, which may be smoother for fast-paced gaming. Both have quality screens and capable CPU’s, but the Raider's slightly better screen quality and higher GPU tier give it an edge for visual fidelity in games and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.8
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE77Hx and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design, though the MSI Raider GE77Hx is somewhat better.
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.
Software Development
7.4
7.9
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for software development, though the MSI Raider GE77Hx is somewhat better.
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
8.4
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE77Hx has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers pleasing resolution and brightness, making it easy on the eyes for everyday tasks, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx provides similar benefits with a slight edge in sharpness and illumination. Both laptops deliver a broad array of colors, which is especially useful for engineering and design tasks that demand accurate color representation; however, the MSI might display colors slightly more vibrantly. In contrast, when it comes to Gaming and 3D, where smooth motion is key, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can result in less fluid visuals during fast-paced action.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The MSI Raider GE77Hx 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
$1,999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx costs $1,999.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Raider GE77Hx to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.8
8.2
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Raider GE77Hx to be 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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE77Hx has 5.5 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
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The MSI Raider GE77Hx and Dell Alienware m17 R5 both have poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI Raider GE77Hx |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 15.6'' x 11.2'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 11.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-12800HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
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 | 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 Raider GE77Hx
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NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | July 2022
"The MSI Raider GE77 offers a lot of power for a lot of money. The main components consist of a Core i9-12900HX CPU, a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP, 16 GB VRAM), and 64 GB of RAM, which makes for a high overall performance level. The GeForce GPU in particular scores some of the highest scores we have seen from this chip. Both the CPU and the GPU are able to run at continuously high clock speeds. The relatively high heat and noise emissions match our expectations for this device class. With approximately 5.5 to 6.5 hours, the battery life is good for a powerful 4K laptop."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI Raider GE77Hx
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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