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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing the Dell Alienware m17 R5 will give you a gaming-focused machine with robust performance for 3D rendering, engineering, and gaming, at a relatively lower cost compared to the MSI. However, it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which makes it less portable. In contrast, the MSI Summit E16 Flip offers a touchscreen with higher resolution and is considerably lighter, enhancing its portability and battery life. It also comes with a premium business appearance and higher screen color accuracy, which may be beneficial for creative professionals who prioritize display quality. However, its cost is higher and its performance in intensive tasks like gaming and engineering is slightly inferior to the Dell. 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 for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Summit E16 Flip
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.8
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
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 Summit E16 Flip 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.
Screen Quality
8.1
8.0
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the MSI Summit E16 Flip for gaming and AI, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip have high-resolution displays with good brightness and color accuracy, ensuring a crisp and vibrant viewing experience suitable for everyday tasks. For engineering and design, their screens cover a broad range of colors with excellent fidelity vital to professionals who require precise color representation for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates of these laptops’ screens may not be as smooth as alternatives designed specifically for high-frame-rate gaming, which can impact the experience.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E16 Flip has 8 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
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Summit E16 Flip has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$1,550
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip costs $1,550.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 features a high-capacity battery, larger screen, and powerful CPU and GPU combination, making it suitable for a range of general use scenarios, but its size and weight may hinder portability. On the other hand, the MSI Summit E16 Flip offers a high-resolution touchscreen that can double as a tablet, respectable performance capabilities and a lighter, thinner design for greater portability, alongside a longer battery life, appealing to users needing versatility on the go.
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.7
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m17 R5 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is favored for engineering and design because it offers a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and a stronger Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, which are crucial for tasks that demand high performance; however, it is heavier and bulkier, making it less portable than the MSI Summit E16 Flip. While the MSI Summit E16 Flip has a higher resolution touch screen that could benefit designers, its Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU are not as robust as the Alienware's, but it gains points for being lighter and more versatile as a 2-in-1 device.
Content Creation
7.8
7.9
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
7.6
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip 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.
Build Quality
7.8
7.4
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Summit E16 Flip 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 Summit E16 Flip compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI Summit E16 Flip |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,550 | ||
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 | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 8 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 | 294 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 | 7.5/10 | |
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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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 Summit E16 Flip
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | October 2022
"The MSI Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop with pen, 16:10 display, and RTX 3050 Ti. The Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop from the business segment that primarily targets creative users. MSI combines a 16-inch touchscreen in the 16:10 format with a powerful midrange GPU. While the 2-in-1 laptop from MSI isn't meant for everybody, it should definitely attract some followers. The touchscreen display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) covers the DCI-P3 color space. This is accompanied by stable viewing angles, a good color reproduction, short response times, and a good contrast level."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI Summit E16 Flip
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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