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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize portability and longer battery life, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is smaller, lighter, and offers more hours of use per charge, making it suitable for on-the-go use. However, if you need superior performance for intensive engineering tasks, 3D modelling, machine learning, or high-end gaming, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 comes with more powerful hardware that provides smoother and faster processing but with the tradeoff of being larger, heavier, and having a shorter battery life, making it less convenient to move around. Both have high-quality displays, but the X17 R2 has a larger screen and a higher refresh rate which is better for fast-paced games and detailed visual work. 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 x14 R1
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6
8.9
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3060 and a screen refresh rate of 144Hz, making it suitable for gaming and 3D applications, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti and a higher screen refresh rate of 480Hz, providing top-tier performance for the most demanding games and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is equipped with a high-performance CPU and GPU, ample memory, and a quality IPS screen which make it suitable for engineering and design tasks; its smaller screen size and lighter weight also enhance its portability compared to larger models.
Screen Quality
7.9
8.5
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
If you prioritize screen detail and vividness during everyday tasks or professional design work, both the Alienware x14 R1 and x17 R2 offer high resolutions and brightness, ensuring clear and vibrant displays. For specialized engineering and design applications, the breadth of their color gamut means accurate color representation, which is crucial in those fields. However, for gaming and 3D work where fluid motion is key, the lower refresh rates on these laptops might not deliver the smooth visuals required for an optimal experience.
Battery
9.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,201
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a price of $1,201 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
411.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 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.
Content Creation
7.9
8.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 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
7.7
7.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both good for software development.
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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware x14 R1 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,201 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.06 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.66" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.34" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 87 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 411 nits | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 6.1/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware x14 R1
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The Alienware X14 series is thinner, but also slower than the competition. With the X series, you get plenty of modern technology: Intel Alder Lake CPUs, GeForce RTX 3000 GPUs, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, G-Sync, and Advanced Optimus. However, the slim design has some drawbacks, just like its larger siblings. The shifted hinge position results in a very deep device with a large footprint compared to the competition."
Dell Alienware X17 R2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2022
"The Alienware x17 R2 recognizes targets a significantly higher TGP of 175 W for a roughly 30 percent performance boost over laptops running on the ~100 W GeForce RTX 3080 Ti like the Razer Blade 15 or Gigabyte Aero YE5. Similar results can be found through the CPU as well. This single aspect of the Alienware is perhaps the biggest differentiating factor between it and other ultrathin gaming laptops. Of course, the "performance at all cost" approach comes with drawbacks. Power consumption in particular is through the roof and battery life suffers because of it even when on the lowest performance settings."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Dell Alienware X17 R2
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.
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