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Updated January 10, 2024·
For intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 provides solid performance at a better value, though it's heavier and not as portable. The MSI Stealth GS66, while more expensive, offers increased portability, higher build quality, and better general use and engineering performance due to its more powerful GPU and CPU, making it suitable for a variety of demanding tasks. Its portability, combined with better heat management, makes it ideal for users needing to balance power and mobility. However, if budget is a concern and you primarily need performance for gaming or 3D tasks, the Dell is a more cost-efficient 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 GS66.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1
8.1
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI Stealth GS66 have similar screen quality.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Stealth GS66 offer screens well-suited for general use due to their high resolution and brightness, enhancing readability and viewing comfort. For engineering and design, both laptops' displays cover a wide color gamut, ensuring accurate color reproduction crucial for detail-oriented tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates of these laptops' screens might not deliver the smooth visuals preferred by gamers and professionals working with fast-moving graphics.
Portability
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$1,799
$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 Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Stealth GS66 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is equipped with a high-performance CPU and ample RAM, which alongside its high-quality screen, make it a strong choice for general use despite its bulkiness and average battery life. Conversely, the MSI Stealth GS66, while also providing a robust CPU and sufficient memory, offers better portability with a lighter design and longer battery life, but trades off on the slightly less screen quality making it well-suited for general tasks on-the-go.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.8
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is well-suited for gaming and 3D applications due to its high screen refresh rate, enhancing smooth visual performance, while the MSI Stealth GS66 offers a strong GPU that delivers high-quality graphics rendering. Despite the MSI's lower refresh rate compared to the Alienware, its more powerful GPU may compensate, making both laptops viable for demanding tasks, though the Alienware might edge out in fast-paced games where refresh rate is crucial.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.2
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers strong performance for engineering and design due to a capable CPU, a sufficient amount of RAM, and a robust GPU, all essential for demanding applications; it has a larger display with high brightness, which is beneficial for detailed work, but it's heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
7.8
7.7
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Stealth GS66 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
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 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.
Build Quality
7.8
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS66 to have 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.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 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" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Stealth GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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