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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is more affordable and portable, making it suitable for gaming and general use on the go. However, it has lower performance than the MSI Stealth GS77, which offers better 3D, machine learning, and engineering capabilities due to a more powerful graphics card and double the RAM and storage, albeit at a higher price and with less portability due to its larger size and weight. The MSI's display is also larger and has a higher resolution, which benefits creative professionals and gamers, while the Alienware's smaller screen is more convenient for travel. If your priority is high-end performance for complex tasks and a larger display, and you're okay with a higher price and less portability, the MSI Stealth GS77 is the better option. If you prefer something more budget-friendly and easier to carry around, the Alienware x14 R1 is more suitable. 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
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS77
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
411.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is suitable for general use with its strong processor and ample memory making multitasking smooth, and its high-definition, bright screen is good for various media, all in a slim, lightweight design that enhances portability and offers decent battery life. Conversely, the MSI Stealth GS77 also excels in general use with comparable processing power and a larger screen estate that features a higher resolution ideal for sharp visuals, plus it doubles the memory, which alongside generous storage, supports extensive multitasking, but this comes with decreased portability and shorter battery life.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both very good for engineering and design, though the MSI Stealth GS77 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1's solid CPU, capable GPU, and a high-quality screen make it good for engineering and design, with the bonus of being lighter and more portable. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS77 offers a more powerful GPU, more RAM, higher screen resolution and larger screen size, catering to those who need the highest performance and screen real estate but can compromise on portability.
Screen Quality
7.9
8.3
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS77 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the MSI Stealth GS77 offer high-resolution displays with good brightness, making text and images clear and vivid; the MSI Stealth just has an edge with a slightly sharper display. When it comes to engineering and design work, both laptops have screens that cover a broad range of colors, key for accurate visual representation, but the MSI Stealth may display colors more accurately. However, for Gaming and 3D tasks, despite their high resolutions and decent panel types, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can affect motion clarity and gameplay smoothness.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS77 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth GS77 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,201
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a price of $1,201 and the MSI Stealth GS77 costs $2,499.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.6
7.9
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 144Hz, making it a good choice for gaming and 3D tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS77 includes a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 240Hz, providing very good performance for similar tasks.
Content Creation
7.9
8.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS77 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
8.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS77 to be very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and MSI Stealth GS77 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 MSI Stealth GS77 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware x14 R1 | MSI Stealth GS77 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,201 | $2,499 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.06 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.66" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.34" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i7-12700H | |
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 | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 411 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
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 | 3 | |
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."
MSI Stealth GS77
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | April 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS77 is better than the GS76... mostly. The GS77 is a few steps forward and a few steps back from the GS76. Improvements are numerous including the stronger and more rigid skeleton, higher resolution webcam, larger clickpad, easier serviceability, relatively similar battery runtimes, newer display options, and higher performance at about the same TDP and TGP levels as before. CPU performance is better than expected even when compared to other laptops with Core i7 or Core i9 processors. The newer model feels more substantial than the outgoing one for higher quality impressions as well."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the MSI Stealth GS77
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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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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