If you need high performance for gaming or intensive engineering and 3D tasks, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out with a powerful processor and advanced graphics card, but this comes with less portability due to its size and weight. Conversely, the Dell Latitude 5330 offers greater portability, longer battery life, and is more cost-effective, making it suitable for general use and business activities. However, its performance for demanding applications will be limited compared to the Alienware. Choose the Alienware for peak performance if the budget allows, or the Latitude for everyday tasks with better mobility and at a lower price. 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
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
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Latitude 5330
Very good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2/10
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
286.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.8/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Dell Latitude 5330 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
8.9/10
6.2/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Latitude 5330 is only fair.
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.
Engineering and Design
9.1/10
6.9/10
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 Latitude 5330 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in engineering and design due to its high-performance CPU, ample RAM, top-tier GPU, and superior screen quality, which are crucial for resource-intensive tasks and detailed visuals. In contrast, the Dell Latitude 5330, while still suitable for engineering and design, has a less powerful CPU and integrated graphics, but offers greater portability, a high-quality keyboard, and a quieter operating experience, making it a balanced choice for on-the-go professionals.
Content Creation
8.3/10
7.4/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Latitude 5330 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
8.5/10
6.3/10
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
286.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Dell Latitude 5330 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts a high-resolution display and excellent brightness, which makes for crisp and vibrant visuals ideal for everyday tasks, while its broad color gamut ensures accurate color representation crucial for engineering and design work. The Dell Latitude 5330 offers a decent resolution and suitable brightness for everyday tasks and design-related activities, but may not provide the color precision professionals might need. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Alienware's lower refresh rate may not deliver as smooth an experience as dedicated gaming laptops, and the Latitude 5330 also falls short in this aspect, not catering to the high refresh rate preference of gamers and those using 3D applications.
Battery
2.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Dell Latitude 5330 has 9 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Latitude 5330 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Dell Latitude 5330 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$849
$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 Latitude 5330 costs $849.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Dell Latitude 5330 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Dell Latitude 5330 compare to other laptops
"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 X17 R2 or the Dell Latitude 5330
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.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
130,995
Recommendations made
28,383
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.