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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is built for high-end gaming and demanding tasks, offering robust performance but at the expense of heavier weight, making it less portable. It has a larger display, which is good for immersive gaming and productivity, but it will typically have a shorter battery life due to its powerful components. On the other hand, the Gateway 14.1" is more suited for general use and offers greater portability and longer battery life, but it won't match the performance capabilities of the Alienware, especially for intensive 3D, machine learning tasks, or modern gaming. If those high-performance activities are important and you're willing to invest more and deal with a larger, less portable device, the Alienware is an excellent choice. If you prioritize portability, battery life, and cost savings for everyday tasks, the Gateway 14.1" would be the more practical option. 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 14.1"
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
5.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers a powerful Intel i9 processor, 32GB of RAM, a high-quality screen, and an excellent graphics card which all contribute to its performance and visual experience for general use, but its larger size and weight affect portability and it has only two hours of battery life.
Gaming and AI
8.9
5.4
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
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
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in gaming and 3D due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a very high screen refresh rate of 480 Hz, which result in superior image quality and smoother motion. The Gateway 14.1", on the other hand, is underpowered for these tasks because it has a basic Intel UHD Graphics 600 GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, which can't deliver the high-quality graphics and fluidity demanded by gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
9.1
5.5
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 14.1" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.3
5.8
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
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 14.1" 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
5.8
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is good for software development, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
6.0
17.3in
SIZE
14.1in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" 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 excellent brightness and color accuracy, making it ideal for general use and engineering tasks that require precise color representation. However, its lower refresh rate affects the smoothness required in gaming and 3D applications, where motion clarity is critical. In contrast, the Gateway 14.1" provides sufficient resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and some engineering work, but its color range falls short for professional design, and the refresh rate does not meet the gaming and 3D standards.
Battery
2.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Gateway 14.1" 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.1in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 14.1" 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
5.1
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Gateway 14.1" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$99
$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 14.1" costs $99.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Gateway 14.1" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Gateway 14.1" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $99 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 13.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 3.35 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 13.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 8.78" | |
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" | 14.1" | |
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 | 208 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 8.1/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
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."
Gateway 14.1"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | September 2021
"The Gateway Ultra Slim 14" is surprisingly quiet with long battery life. The inexpensive Gateway excels at maximizing performance per dollar with lots of RAM and storage, super-quiet fan, and a long battery life. It can even house up to two M.2 SSDs which we weren't expecting from such a cheap system. However, the iffy reliability of the keyboard and USB-C port on our test unit means users should double-check for these potential issues immediately after purchasing."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Gateway 14.1"
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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