Choosing the Dell Alienware x14 R1 may favor those looking for a smaller, lighter laptop with strong gaming capabilities without stretching their budget. Despite a lower price, it still offers solid performance with a capable graphics card for general use and gaming. However, the Gigabyte Aero 17, with its larger, higher-resolution display, more powerful graphics card, and increased storage, is better suited for intensive tasks like 3D work, machine learning, and video editing, at the cost of being heavier and more expensive. Battery life may also be a consideration, as higher performance typically reduces battery duration. Both laptops are equipped with the same processor, so general computing tasks will be comparable, but portability and higher-end capabilities are the main distinguishing factors. 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 Gigabyte Aero 17
Very good for general use
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Gigabyte Aero 17 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1, with its powerful CPU and capable GPU, strikes a balance between performance and portability, suitable for mobile engineering work. The Gigabyte Aero 17, with a more potent GPU, a larger high-resolution screen, and substantial storage, offers top-tier performance and screen quality for engineering and design, but at the cost of reduced portability due to its larger size and weight.
Screen Quality
7.9/10
9.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers a satisfying visual experience for general tasks and engineering work with its bright display and high resolution, which ensures crisp text and images, although its refresh rate might not be high enough for the smooth rendering needed in gaming and 3D applications. The Gigabyte Aero 17 stands out for engineering and design due to its wide color coverage, rendering accurate colors for professional-grade creative work, while also providing a vivid and sharp display for general use. However, the Gigabyte's screen, despite its qualities, falls short for gaming and 3D tasks because of a lower refresh rate, which can limit the smoothness of fast-moving visuals.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,201
$2,071
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a price of $1,201 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 17 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.
Gaming and AI
7.6/10
7.9/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both good for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 17 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
7.7/10
7.9/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 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
8.5/10
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Gigabyte Aero 17 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 Gigabyte Aero 17 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Gigabyte Aero 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 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.
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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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