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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is less expensive and offers solid performance for gaming and general use with good battery life and portability. It has a midrange graphics card and processor suitable for many tasks but may fall short for the most demanding applications and games. The MSI Titan GT77, while much pricier, has top-of-the-line hardware for intense gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software, with a superior display resolution and screen technology, but comes with a heavier power brick affecting its portability. Both are gaming-focused with ample screen size, but MSI leads in performance and Dell in value. 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 GT77.
Advantages of the MSI Titan GT77
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Excellent for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
602.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Titan GT77 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a solid general-use experience with a good balance of CPU and RAM for everyday tasks and casual gaming, while its IPS screen offers decent color coverage and brightness for media consumption, but it might be less portable and have shorter battery life than some prefer.
Gaming and AI
7.7
10.0
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The MSI Titan GT77 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The MSI Titan GT77 boasts a superior GPU with the Nvidia RTX 4080 and a more vibrant Mini LED display, making it better equipped for high-end gaming and 3D work compared to the Dell Alienware m17 R5, which has a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a standard IPS screen.
Engineering and Design
8.1
10.0
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Titan GT77 is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good.
The MSI Titan GT77 is considered best for engineering and design because it boasts a top-tier CPU and GPU combinaton, an abundance of RAM, and an exceptionally high-resolution Mini LED screen, which outmatches the very good, yet less powerful, Dell Alienware m17 R5 in these critical areas. However, both are large and heavy, which limits their portability, with the Alienware m17 having a quality yet less impressive IPS screen and component setup, potentially making it a more cost-effective option for users with less demanding requirements.
Content Creation
7.8
9.1
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan GT77 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
9.1
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan GT77 is excellent 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
9.7
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
602.0 nits
The MSI Titan GT77 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the MSI Titan GT77's screen offers exceptionally clear visuals and vibrant colors due to its higher resolution and brightness, compared to the Dell Alienware m17 R5. The Titan GT77 also excels in engineering and design tasks with its wide color coverage, providing accurate colors essential for professional work. However, both struggle in gaming and 3D scenarios as their screens don't have high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and overall responsiveness in fast-paced environments.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The MSI Titan GT77 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
$6,975
$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 GT77 costs $6,975.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan GT77 has 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.
Portability
Poor
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
7.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Titan GT77 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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 GT77 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | MSI Titan GT77 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $6,975 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 15.6'' x 13'' x 0.91'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 7.28 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 12.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 602 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
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 Titan GT77
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"The MSI Titan GT77 HX 13V is the utimate gaming laptop with RTX 4090 & Core i9-13950HX. The new MSI Titan GT77 will most likely only reach a very small group of users due to the high price, but it is still an impressive showcase of what is possible. The high-end gamer combines the best components you can currently get in almost every regard and it is a very good overall package, which does not have to hide behind full-fledged desktop systems."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the MSI Titan GT77
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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