The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is less expensive and ideal for general gaming, with decent performance and a solid build. Conversely, the MSI Stealth 17 is pricier but offers superior performance for high-end gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, with higher storage and RAM. Its lighter build increases portability, albeit both laptops have similar battery life. The MSI model has a higher resolution display which is better for engineering applications, but may impact battery life during intensive tasks. If budget is a concern, Alienware meets general needs adequately; if top-notch performance and a high-quality screen are priorities and cost is less of a concern, the MSI is the superior choice. 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
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has no clear advantages over the MSI Stealth 17.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The MSI Stealth 17 outperforms the Dell Alienware m17 R5 in general use because it has a significantly higher amount of RAM, a more advanced CPU, and an overall superior screen quality, featuring a higher resolution and better color accuracy. However, the MSI's advantages come with a tradeoff of being slightly less portable and having similar battery life, making the Alienware potentially more suited for those prioritizing ease of transport over peak performance.
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
9.1/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
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
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 comes with an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a high refresh rate screen, making it good for gaming and 3D tasks, while the MSI Stealth 17 is equipped with a superior Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and an even higher quality screen with a competitive refresh rate, which explains its excellence in the same areas. Additionally, although the Alienware has a capable CPU and screen quality, the Stealth has a more advanced CPU and higher screen resolution, which further contributes to its performance edge in demanding applications.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
9.4/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good.
The MSI Stealth 17 excels in engineering and design due to its superior processing power with an Intel i9 chip, a substantial amount of RAM, and a powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, alongside a higher resolution screen which offers better detail and color accuracy essential for design work.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.8/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 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
7.4/10
8.5/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 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
8.1/10
8.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI Stealth 17 both have displays with resolutions and panel types that provide clarity and detail, as well as sufficient brightness for everyday tasks, making them good for general use. Their screens cover a wide range of colors, essential for accuracy in engineering and design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where the smoothness of movement is crucial, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid visuals during rapid motion.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$3,899
$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 Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
"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."
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI Stealth 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.
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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