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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2, being more expensive, offers high performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks with its powerful processor and top-tier graphics card. Its larger screen is conducive to gaming and productivity but impairs portability due to its weight. Conversely, the Dell XPS 15 is less expensive and far more portable with a higher battery life, making it suitable for general use. It has a higher-quality keyboard and speakers, but its performance for intensive tasks like 3D and engineering won't match the Alienware. The choice depends on your need for mobility versus power for demanding applications. 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 overall display quality
Advantages of the Dell XPS 15
- Very good for software development
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.8
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
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
9.1/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 15 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 with its Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a high screen refresh rate is well-suited for intense gaming and 3D work, offering smooth and vivid visuals. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 15 comes with an Intel Arc A370M GPU and a lower refresh rate, making it capable for gaming and 3D tasks, but it won't be as smooth or responsive as the Alienware for fast-paced gaming scenarios.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.1
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 15 is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is equipped with a more powerful CPU and GPU combo, more RAM, and a high refresh rate, making it very suitable for demanding engineering and 3D design tasks, albeit less portable given its size and weight. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 15 offers a balance between performance and portability with a good screen aspect ratio for design work, making it a solid option for engineering tasks for those who also value portability and a higher screen resolution.
Screen Quality
8.5
7.4
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
606.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 15 has a better screen for content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for clarity and visibility in various lighting conditions, which is ideal for general use and detailed work in engineering and design. Its expansive color gamut ensures that professionals who work with high-resolution images and videos see accurate colors, which is crucial in those fields. However, its lower refresh rate is less optimal for 3D applications and gaming, where a high refresh rate is key to smooth motion and gameplay.
Battery
2.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 15 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell XPS 15 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,000
$1,000
$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 15 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
606.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell XPS 15 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers powerful performance with a top-end CPU and ample RAM, and a larger screen, making it suitable for demanding applications and multitasking, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the Dell XPS 15, which balances solid performance and a high-quality screen with greater portability and longer battery life, making it well-suited for on-the-go use without sacrificing much power for general tasks.
Content Creation
8.3
8.3
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 15 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for content creation.
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
8.1
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 15 to be very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 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
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Dell XPS 15 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 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Dell XPS 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 13.6'' x 9.1'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 4.21 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 13.57" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
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 | 606 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 9.1/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
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."
Dell XPS 15
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | May 2023
"The 2023 Dell XPS 15 is more or less exactly what you'd expect from the company flagship. Its fresh components deliver measurably superior power and longevity, while the machine's premium build and design remain intact. It may not be overly exciting, but XPS loyalists and upgraders should be more than happy."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Dell XPS 15
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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