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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If performance in 3D rendering, machine learning tasks, or gaming is a priority and budget is less of a concern, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 will outperform the Dell XPS 13 significantly. However, it's heavier and bulkier, which compromises portability, with lower battery life. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 13 is far more portable and has longer battery life, making it ideal for general use like browsing and office applications. This makes it a better choice if you prioritize portability and longer unplugged use over intensive task performance. 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
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.2
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in gaming and 3D tasks due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and an extremely high screen refresh rate, which facilitates smoother visuals and better responsiveness in such demanding applications. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 13, while still capable, is less suited for these tasks since it operates with a significantly less powerful Intel Iris Xe GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, which can limit performance and visual fluidity in gaming and 3D modeling.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.2
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
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 XPS 13 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for engineering and design due to its powerful CPU (Intel i9), substantial RAM, and high-performance GPU (Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti) which favor intensive tasks and complex graphics but compromise on portability with its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
8.3
7.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 XPS 13 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
7.2
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers a display that provides excellent clarity and brightness, suitable for everyday tasks, and its wide color gamuts ensure precise color representation essential for engineering and design work. However, its lower refresh rate means it's not ideal for gaming and 3D applications, which demand quick screen updates for smooth visuals. Conversely, the Dell XPS 13, while producing sharp and bright visuals great for daily activities and reasonably accurate colors for professional design tasks, also falls short for gaming and 3D due to its less-than-optimal refresh rate.
Battery
2.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 has 10 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
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.5 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Dell XPS 13 has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,000
$850
$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 XPS 13 costs $850.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for general use, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2, with its powerful CPU and ample RAM, excels in performance for both general and intensive applications, while its larger screen offers high-quality visuals, but it's less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the lighter Dell XPS 13, which is also well-suited for general use with its high-resolution screen, longer battery life, and better portability.
Software Development
7.8
7.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Dell XPS 13 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
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Dell XPS 13 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 X17 R2 and the Dell XPS 13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Dell XPS 13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $850 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 2.59 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 11.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 7.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-1250U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 442 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
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."
Dell XPS 13
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chen | April 2023
"In the past, the XPS 13 was a hands-down contender for the best laptop on the market. But the Apple-silicon MacBook has since barrelled onto the scene, and it wipes the floor with most of the ultraportable Windows laptops that cross my desk on a daily basis. This XPS is no exception. Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, battery life is worse."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Dell XPS 13
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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