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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a premium laptop that offers a more powerful CPU and GPU combination, higher resolution display with a higher refresh rate, and more robust build quality, which should suit demanding tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, and intensive engineering work. However, it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17 is significantly less expensive, offers good performance with a slightly less powerful CPU and GPU, and is lighter, making it more portable with a longer battery life. Choose the MSI Katana 17 for general use and portability, or opt for the Dell Alienware m18 R1 if you need top-tier performance and the price isn't a concern. 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 for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware m18 R1.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1
7.9
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in gaming and 3D with a higher-end GPU and a screen refresh rate allowing for smoother visuals compared to the MSI Katana 17, which features a slightly less powerful GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, still offering respectable gaming performance but not as fluid as the Alienware.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out for its top-tier Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card, along with a higher-resolution screen, making it excellent for demanding engineering and design tasks. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17, while boasting a capable Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, has a lower-resolution display, positioning it as a very good, yet less powerful option for similar workloads.
Content Creation
8.4
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 17 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.
Screen Quality
7.8
6.9
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and excellent brightness, which provides clarity and detail for general tasks and demanding engineering applications, but its lower refresh rate can detract from the smoothness and responsiveness critical for 3D gaming. Conversely, the MSI Katana 17, while also delivering a good resolution and adequate brightness for everyday activities, has less impressive color coverage that could limit the accuracy required for professional engineering and design work. For gaming and 3D tasks, both models' screens do not prioritize high refresh rates, reducing the potential for fluid motion and diminish the gaming experience.
Battery
4.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 3 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.2
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the MSI Katana 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$1,367
$500
$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 MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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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
256.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in general use with a more powerful CPU, superior graphics card, and higher-resolution screen, which is ideal for performance-intensive tasks and visual clarity, but it is heavier and might compromise portability and battery life. The MSI Katana 17, while also having a strong CPU and enough memory for general use, offers a more balanced approach with a lighter design and better heat management, which might favor users looking for easier mobility despite a lower screen resolution and graphics capability.
Software Development
8.0
7.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the MSI Katana 17 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 MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 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 | 4 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 53.5 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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."
MSI Katana 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"The MSI Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the MSI Katana 17
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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