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Updated January 10, 2024·
Selecting between the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H depends largely on your priority between performance and portability among other factors. The Alienware offers higher raw performance and could be your choice for intensive tasks like gaming and high-end software, while the Aorus 17H brings slightly lower performance but is more portable with a lighter design. Both have the same screen size and storage, but the Alienware provides more RAM and a somewhat better battery life. If you often carry your laptop, value portability, and can do with a bit less performance, consider the Aorus. If high performance is critical for gaming, 3D work, or engineering software, and you don't mind a heavier device, the Alienware may be the better choice. Both are at a similar price point, so the decision comes down to your specific needs between top-tier performance and ease of carrying. 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 17H
- Good battery life
Key differences
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.6
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.5
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17H for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers a display that excels in resolution and brightness which makes for vivid and clear visuals, beneficial for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work, ensuring accurate color representation with its wide color gamuts. However, it falls short for gaming and 3D tasks due to a lower refresh rate, which is crucial for rendering smooth motion and quick responses in fast-paced environments. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, while also having a high-resolution, bright screen suitable for general use and decent color gamut coverage for engineering and design, similarly underperforms in gaming and 3D scenarios because of its less than ideal refresh rate.
Battery
2.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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 17H has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$2,200
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a price of $2,000 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H costs $2,200.
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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
351.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.9/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is superior for general use than the Gigabyte Aorus 17H primarily because it has twice the RAM, which greatly benefits multi-tasking and overall performance, and a higher screen brightness for better visibility. However, the Aorus 17H offers better battery capacity for longer use between charges and is lighter, enhancing its portability, despite having less RAM and slightly lower screen brightness.
Gaming and AI
8.9
8.7
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Gigabyte Aorus 17H are both very good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out with its Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti and a very high screen refresh rate, giving gamers and 3D users smooth visuals and top-tier graphics performance. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H is also equipped with a potent Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and an impressive refresh rate, though slightly lower, making it a powerful option for similar tasks but with a small tradeoff in maximum smoothness.
Content Creation
8.3
8.0
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
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 17H 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
9.0/10
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 17H 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
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.1in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to have only fair portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Gigabyte Aorus 17H |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 15.7'' x 10.2'' x 1.18'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 10.16" | |
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 | 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 | 351 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 5.9/10 | |
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 | 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."
Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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Dig into reviews and images
eTeknix
Peter Donnell | February 2023
"Overall though, it’s *lots of swearing* fast, seriously. For work, rendering, gaming, it doesn’t matter, this is a true weapon of performance that’s going to run rings around most high-end desktop systems. If you absolutely have to game at ultra-high refresh rates on the go (but within thinking distance of a plug socket), this is the ticket. I can’t see such an extreme being that appealing to everyone, but if you take your gaming seriously, or even professionally, there’s nothing else out there that comes close that you can still fit in your backpack and travel with."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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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