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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is slightly more expensive and comes with more RAM and a stronger processor and graphics card, making it better for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and gaming. However, it's heavier and has a slightly smaller battery than the Gigabyte Aorus 17, which may be cheaper and lighter, offering longer battery life but with less power, making it less suitable for demanding applications but more portable for general use. 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 overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 17
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
8.1
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both very good for gaming and AI, though the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in gaming and 3D with its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 480Hz, providing smoother visuals and better performance in intensive scenarios compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 17 that comes with a Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and a refresh rate of 360Hz.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.4
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers superior performance for engineering and design with a high-end CPU, double the RAM, and a more powerful GPU compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 17, and it also has a better speaker quality; however, it is less portable and has a shorter battery life than the Aorus 17, which still delivers good performance and better portability for similar tasks.
Screen Quality
8.5
8.0
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a high-resolution display that is bright and uses a panel type that excels in color reproduction, making it excellent for general use and detailed engineering work which relies on accurate colors. However, its lower refresh rate is not ideal for gaming and 3D applications, where a higher refresh rate is crucial for smooth motion. The Gigabyte Aorus 17 also offers good resolution and color accuracy which benefits general tasks and design software needing precise color ranges, but like the Alienware, it falls short for gaming due to its lower refresh rate.
Battery
2.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has 6 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.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out for its superior processing power with a top-tier CPU and more RAM, which alongside a high-quality screen, makes for a seamless general use experience; however, its lower portability and shorter battery life are tradeoffs. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17, while also providing a good general use experience with a strong CPU and quality screen, may appeal to those who prioritize longer battery life and slightly better portability but it has less RAM which could affect multitasking performance.
Content Creation
8.3
8.0
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 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
7.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,000
$2,000
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a price of $2,000 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 costs $2,000.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Gigabyte Aorus 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 15.7'' x 10'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 267 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
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 | 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."
Gigabyte Aorus 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is a powerful high-end gaming machine. The Aorus 17 is a potent gaming notebook in a 17.3-inch format designed for FHD gaming at maximum settings. A Core i7-12700H processor and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU make this possible. A lightning-fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the necessary storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Aorus 17 XE4, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded, high-performance gaming notebook."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Gigabyte Aorus 17
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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