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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is less expensive and offers ample storage and decent performance for general use and gaming, but its heavier design affects portability. Its larger battery might give it a longer life away from an outlet. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 18 is pricier but provides superior processing power, a more powerful graphics card, and double the memory, enhancing its capabilities for 3D work, machine learning, and high-end gaming. It's also lighter and has a higher resolution and bigger display but has slightly less battery capacity. For budget-conscious consumers or those looking for longer on-the-go usage, the Alienware may be suitable, while the Razer is ideal for individuals seeking top-tier performance and a better screen, and who don't mind spending more. 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 Razer Blade 18.
Advantages of the Razer Blade 18
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
524.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.1/10
The Razer Blade 18 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.
Gaming and AI
7.7
8.9
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a high screen refresh rate suitable for smooth gaming visuals, but the Razer Blade 18 surpasses it with a more powerful GPU, which is crucial for top-tier gaming and 3D performance, although it has a lower refresh rate. While both feature quality screens and capable CPUs, the Razer Blade 18's advanced screen quality further enhances visual clarity and color, making it stand out for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.1
9.3
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 18 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.8
8.6
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 18 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
8.5
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 18 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
8.9
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
524.0 nits
The Razer Blade 18 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Razer Blade 18 are equipped with displays that offer clarity and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design, thanks to their high resolutions and panel types. These models excel in color accuracy and range, with coverage of professional color gamuts, making them ideal for tasks requiring precise color representation, like photo editing and CAD work. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to lower refresh rates, which means they can't display as many frames per second, leading to less fluid motion during fast-paced scenes.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Razer Blade 18 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The Razer Blade 18 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
$3,200
$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 Razer Blade 18 costs $3,200.
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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 Razer Blade 18 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Razer Blade 18 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Razer Blade 18 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $3,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 6.68 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 10.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i9-13950HX | |
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 | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 91.7 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 524 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1440p | |
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 | 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."
Razer Blade 18
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | March 2023
"Razer made a powerful laptop in the Blade 18, showing off a beautiful and fast display and the same high-quality build we’ve come to expect from this product line. It’s also quite expensive, which is hardly a surprise, but bears repeating even in this price range. It’s pricier than the Scar 18 despite an inferior GPU and half the storage, so you really have to want the Blade 18’s design to justify the cost."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Razer Blade 18
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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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