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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance for 3D tasks, engineering software, and gaming, and don't mind a higher price and lesser portability, the Alienware m18 R1 is a solid choice with its higher-end processor. However, if you are looking for a more balanced option, with good performance for general use and better battery life at a somewhat lower price, then the Aorus 17H could suit your needs, despite it having a slightly less powerful processor and less RAM. Both laptops have large, high-quality screens, but the Aorus 17H has a higher refresh rate, which can make fast-moving visuals smoother. The Alienware has better color accuracy, though, which can be important for creative work. Both are gaming-oriented and heavy, impacting portability. 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 m18 R1
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good overall build quality
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 17H
- Very good overall display quality
- Good battery life
Key differences
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.6
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is considered excellent for engineering and design due to its powerful Intel i9 processor, large RAM, and high-quality Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, complemented by a high-resolution IPS screen that accurately covers the sRGB colorspace. Alternatively, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H offers very good engineering and design capability with a slightly less powerful Intel i7 processor, half the RAM, and the same GPU, but its screen offers lower resolution and less color space coverage, making it less suitable for intricate design work, despite being lighter and more convenient for mobility.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17H for software development, and content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has a better screen for general use, and gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1's screen delivers clear and vibrant visuals suitable for everyday tasks due to its resolution and brightness, while its color accuracy caters to engineering and design requirements. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H, with its high resolution and luminosity, ensures a crisp and comfortable viewing experience for general use and offers a color-accurate display for professionals in design and engineering. Both models fall short for gaming and 3D applications as they lack high refresh rates that provide smoother motion and enhanced gameplay experience.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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.
Portability
Poor
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H and Dell Alienware m18 R1 both have poor portability, though the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$2,200
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H costs $2,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.9/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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
9.1
8.7
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1's Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and 165Hz screen refresh rate offer top-tier performance and smooth visuals for gaming and 3D tasks, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, although it also has a Nvidia RTX 4080 offering excellent graphics capabilities, sets itself apart with a higher 360Hz screen refresh for extremely fluid motion, which is especially beneficial for competitive gaming. The Dell has an edge in processing power with its Intel i9 processor compared to the Aorus 17H's Intel i7, and both have quality IPS displays, but the Aorus may provide more vibrant visuals with its higher screen brightness.
Content Creation
8.4
8.0
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Gigabyte Aorus 17H are both very 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
8.0
7.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Gigabyte Aorus 17H |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 15.7'' x 10.2'' x 1.18'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 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 | 4 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 351 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m18 R1
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | July 2023
"Dell's Alienware m18 delivers on its promises: This is a large, powerful gaming laptop with the premium flair and feel you expect from an expensive purchase. The drawbacks are really the price and battery life, which in context are reasonable. (We'd also like to see more ports on the laptop's sides.) This price tier exists for deep-pocketed enthusiasts, and if you’re considering anything in this range, the m18 isn’t an outlier. For the majority of shoppers, of course, all of these mighty 18-inch systems are likely too expensive."
Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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Dig into reviews and images
eTeknix
Peter Donnell | February 2023
"Overall though, it’s *lots of swearing* fast, seriously. For work, rendering, gaming, it doesn’t matter, this is a true weapon of performance that’s going to run rings around most high-end desktop systems. If you absolutely have to game at ultra-high refresh rates on the go (but within thinking distance of a plug socket), this is the ticket. I can’t see such an extreme being that appealing to everyone, but if you take your gaming seriously, or even professionally, there’s nothing else out there that comes close that you can still fit in your backpack and travel with."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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