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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 provides a solid gaming experience at a midrange price and is less expensive compared to the MSI Stealth GS77. It offers impressive battery capacity and satisfactory overall performance for mainstream gaming and productivity tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS77, while pricier, packs more power with its advanced graphics card and higher-resolution display, making it better suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or high-end content creation. It also offers a lighter and thinner design, which adds to its portability. Keep in mind that you are trading off some battery life and paying a premium for the superior performance and higher resolution display of the MSI. However, if budget concerns are paramount and portability is not a high priority, the Alienware might suit your needs. 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 GS77.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS77
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is 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.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.7
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design, though the MSI Stealth GS77 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is equipped with a solid CPU, a decent amount of RAM, and a capable GPU, making it well-suited for engineering and design tasks; its larger screen and higher refresh rate benefit fast-paced applications and some color-sensitive work with its good sRGB coverage, yet it's heavier and thicker, affecting portability.
Content Creation
7.8
8.3
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS77 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 and MSI Stealth GS77 offer screens with sufficient resolution and brightness, making text clear and images vivid, which is ideal for everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing. Engineers and designers will benefit from the color accuracy provided by these laptops, as their screens cover a wide range of color gamuts ensuring that designs and projects appear as intended. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates of these laptops' screens may not provide as smooth an experience as models with higher refresh rates, which are crucial for fast-paced and visually demanding tasks.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
$2,499
$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 GS77 costs $2,499.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.9
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The MSI Stealth GS77 offers superior graphics with a Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and a high-resolution screen, making it very good for gaming and 3D tasks, despite a lower screen refresh rate compared to the Dell Alienware m17 R5, which has a Nvidia RTX 3060 and an exceptionally high refresh rate that's good for fast-paced games but with a standard resolution display.
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS77 has 6 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 GS77 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 GS77 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI Stealth GS77 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $2,499 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-12700H | |
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 | 6 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 | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 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 | 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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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 GS77
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | April 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS77 is better than the GS76... mostly. The GS77 is a few steps forward and a few steps back from the GS76. Improvements are numerous including the stronger and more rigid skeleton, higher resolution webcam, larger clickpad, easier serviceability, relatively similar battery runtimes, newer display options, and higher performance at about the same TDP and TGP levels as before. CPU performance is better than expected even when compared to other laptops with Core i7 or Core i9 processors. The newer model feels more substantial than the outgoing one for higher quality impressions as well."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI Stealth GS77
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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