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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is significantly more expensive but offers top-tier performance for 3D, machine learning, and intensive gaming thanks to its powerful processor and high-end graphics card. The Alienware also has a higher refresh rate display, crucial for fast-paced games, but it's heavier and less portable, with a shorter battery life. The Inspiron is lighter with a longer battery life, making it more portable, but with a lower performance ceiling. 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 X17 R2
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 16 5635
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.3
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in gaming and 3D tasks largely due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a high screen refresh rate, enhancing visual fluidity and detail during fast-paced scenes. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 offers only integrated graphics with its AMD Ryzen 7 7730U CPU and a standard screen refresh rate, which means it can handle games and 3D content but not as smoothly or with the same level of detail as its Alienware counterpart.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.3
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out for engineering and design due to its higher-end CPU, significantly more powerful GPU, and larger amount of RAM, which enable intensive tasks and complex calculations to be performed more efficiently, but it comes with reduced portability and likely higher operating noise.
Screen Quality
8.5
6.6
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
265.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers excellent visual clarity and color accuracy with its high-resolution display, making it great for engineering and design tasks that require detailed imagery and precise color representation. However, its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for gaming or 3D modeling, where smoother motion is key to an immersive experience. The Dell Inspiron 16 5635, with fair screen quality across the board, may suffice for everyday tasks and some design work, but lacks the advanced color gamut and high refresh rates necessary for specialized engineering applications and fluid gameplay.
Battery
2.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has 8 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
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.0
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a price of $2,000 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 costs $700.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
265.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Dell Inspiron 16 5635 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in general use due to its high-performance CPU, large RAM, and superior screen quality, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the Dell Inspiron 16 5635, which offers a balance of CPU and RAM adequacy, higher screen resolution, and extended battery life, making it more suitable for on-the-go usage. Both laptops provide ample storage and good keyboard and speaker quality, but the Alienware has a higher portability cost due to its size and weight, whereas the Inspiron prioritizes portability and longer unplugged usage.
Content Creation
8.3
7.9
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 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 Inspiron 16 5635 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
7.8
7.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Dell Inspiron 16 5635 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.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Dell Inspiron 16 5635 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.72'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 9.92" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | |
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 | 2 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 265 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
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."
Dell Inspiron 16 5635
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Dig into reviews and images
UltrabookReview
Derek Sullivan | January 2023
"Compared to the previous year’s Inspiron, Dell upgraded the screen aspect ratio on this generation, but also transitioned to a more minimalistic centered keyboard flanked by up-firing speakers. The 16-inch screen is huge plus and I really appreciate the extra real estate without sacrificing the footprint much. This year’s model is a little larger than last, though, as the former model was already very small for a 15 incher."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Dell Inspiron 16 5635
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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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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