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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is a high-performance laptop suitable for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and gaming thanks to its powerful processor and top-tier graphics card. It has ample storage and memory, which are beneficial for demanding applications, but it's less portable due to its size and weight. On the other hand, the Gateway 11.6" is much more affordable and portable, making it easier to carry around. It's designed for general use with basic performance capabilities, which are adequate for tasks like browsing and document processing but not for intensive gaming or engineering software. 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
- Good for software development
- 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 Gateway 11.6"
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
5.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in general use with a high-end processor, ample RAM, a larger, higher-quality display, and an advanced graphics card, though its heavy build and shorter battery life affect portability. In contrast, the Gateway 11.6" offers great portability with its smaller size and longer battery life, however, it falls short for general use due to its basic processor, minimal RAM, lower-resolution screen, and less capable graphics.
Gaming and AI
8.9
5.4
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in gaming and 3D thanks to its high-performance Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a screen refresh rate of up to 480 Hz, which delivers smoother visuals and better responsiveness. In contrast, the Gateway 11.6" falls short for such tasks with its basic Intel UHD Graphics 600 and a modest screen refresh rate of 60 Hz, which are not designed to handle high-end gaming or intensive 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
9.1
5.4
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in engineering and design tasks due to its robust CPU and GPU, ample RAM, and high-quality, large display, whereas the Gateway 11.6" falls short with a basic CPU, minimal RAM, and a lower resolution screen, making it unsuitable for demanding applications. While the Dell Alienware's size and weight reduce its portability, the Gateway is more portable but compromises performance and screen quality, which are very important for engineering and design purposes.
Content Creation
8.3
5.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
32.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for content creation, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is good for software development, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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.
Screen Quality
8.5
5.7
17.3in
SIZE
11.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers a high-resolution display with bright, vivid colors which enhances user experience for general use and is also perfect for engineering and design work because it covers a wider color gamut, ensuring greater accuracy for professional tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate makes it less suitable as it may not be as smooth as displays with higher refresh rates. In contrast, the Gateway 11.6" has a lower resolution and brightness, making it less ideal for any use case, and its limited color range and low refresh rate make it poorly suited for the demands of engineering, design, and 3D gaming.
Battery
2.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Gateway 11.6" 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
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
11.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
5.1
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Gateway 11.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$89
$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 Gateway 11.6" costs $89.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Gateway 11.6" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Gateway 11.6" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $89 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 2.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 7.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 11.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 200 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 1 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Gateway 11.6"
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.
About Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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