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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers top-notch performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, owing to its high-end graphics card, robust processor, and ample memory and storage. It's heavier and less portable than the Dell Latitude 5431, with a shorter battery life, making it ideal for users who prioritize power over mobility and are less concerned about carrying it around. On the other hand, the Dell Latitude 5431 is more budget-friendly, lightweight, and has a longer battery life, making it a better option for general use, business tasks, and users who travel frequently. It's not as powerful as the Alienware, so it's not designed for gaming or intensive engineering tasks, but it will handle everyday computing needs well. 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 5431
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
241.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Dell Latitude 5431 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out for general use due to its higher RAM and more powerful Intel i9 processor, making it suitable for more demanding tasks, coupled with an exceptional screen with better brightness and higher screen resolution that enhances visual experience. In contrast, while the Dell Latitude 5431 is lighter and offers longer battery life, making it more portable, and is well-equipped with a solid Intel i5 processor and ample RAM for routine tasks, its screen quality and speaker quality don't match the Alienware's, which might be less ideal for users who prioritize multimedia experience.
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.2
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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 5431 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
6.9
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Latitude 5431 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out for engineering and design due to its powerful Intel i9 processor, a high-end Nvidia RTX graphics card, and ample RAM which allow for intensive computational tasks and graphic designs, paired with a high-quality screen.
Content Creation
8.3
7.4
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
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 5431 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
6.1
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
241.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Dell Latitude 5431 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When assessing screen quality for general use, the Alienware X17 R2 excels due to its high-resolution display and brightness, providing crisp and vivid images, whereas the Latitude 5431 offers a satisfactory but less impressive visual experience. For engineering and design tasks, the Alienware's superior color accuracy and wider color gamuts make it a preferable choice over the Latitude, which has adequate but not exceptional color performance. However, for gaming and 3D applications where high refresh rates are crucial, the Alienware falls short, lacking the smoother visuals that dedicated gaming panels offer, while the Latitude also isn't designed for these high-performance visual demands.
Battery
2.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Dell Latitude 5431 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Latitude 5431 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
7.4
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Dell Latitude 5431 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$950
$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 5431 costs $950.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.8
7.3
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Dell Latitude 5431 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Dell Latitude 5431 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Dell Latitude 5431 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $950 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.96'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 3.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 12.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 8.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i5-1250P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 64 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 241 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 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 | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Dell Latitude 5431
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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