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Updated March 22, 2024·
If you're budget-conscious and want a laptop that offers good performance for gaming and intensive tasks, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 may be a solid choice, though its lower price may mean compromises in top-end features or build quality compared to the MSI Titan 18 HX, which is likely to excel in demanding applications and provide premium build but at a higher cost and with potentially reduced battery life and less portability due to its size and power consumption. Select the MSI if top-tier performance is critical and cost is less of a concern, otherwise, the Dell is a cost-effective alternative. 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 Titan 18 HX.
Advantages of the MSI Titan 18 HX
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5, with its high-performance CPU and ample RAM, excels in routine tasks, but its heavier design and shorter battery life might limit its portability compared to other laptops. While the MSI Titan 18 HX also boasts a robust CPU and plenty of RAM, its superior screen quality enhances the user experience for general use, though it similarly faces portability challenges due to size and weight.
Gaming and AI
7.7
9.4
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 boasts powerful gaming capabilities with a high refresh rate that makes it suitable for smooth gameplay, but the MSI Titan 18 HX outshines it with an even more robust GPU for superior 3D rendering and gaming performance. While both laptops have high-quality screens and capable CPUs, the Titan's top-tier screen quality and refresh rate provide an edge for the most demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.1
9.9
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers strong CPU and GPU performance suitable for engineering tasks, complemented by quality RAM and a high-resolution screen, though it's less portable and a bit noisier. In comparison, the MSI Titan 18 HX steps up with top-tier CPU and GPU capabilities, even more RAM for complex projects, and an exceptional screen, making it superior for demanding design work, albeit at the cost of reduced portability and potential for louder operation.
Content Creation
7.8
9.0
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent 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
8.9
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
9.2
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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 MSI Titan 18 HX offers superior screen quality due to its higher resolution and brightness, providing sharper images and better visibility in various lighting conditions. In engineering and design tasks, this laptop excels with wider color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color reproduction and finer gradient distinctions critical for professional work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short on refresh rates, which are key for smooth motion and responsiveness, despite having sufficient resolution and panel type for good image quality.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
$4,800
$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 Titan 18 HX costs $4,800.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan 18 HX has 4 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
18.0in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and MSI Titan 18 HX 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 Titan 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI Titan 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $4,800 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | February 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 7.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 15.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 12.08" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 128 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 4096 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.1/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
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 Titan 18 HX
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | January 2024
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI Titan 18 HX
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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