The Dell Alienware X17 R2, being slightly less expensive than the Gigabyte Aorus 5, offers more storage, more RAM, a higher-tier CPU and GPU, which make it ideal for intensive gaming and demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering workloads. However, it's heavier and less portable, with a battery that may not last as long, making it less convenient for frequent travel. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is more portable with a slightly longer battery life and sufficient performance for general use, lighter gaming, and less resource-intensive tasks, but it has lower storage capacity and RAM, which might limit its performance in more 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
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 5
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware X17 R2.
Key differences
General Use
8.2/10
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
8.9/10
7.9/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.2/10
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 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
9.1/10
8.2/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 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.
Content Creation
8.3/10
7.6/10
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 is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.5/10
8.0/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for general use and engineering tasks, its display offers crisp visuals and vibrant colors due to its high resolution and broad color coverage, ensuring detailed images and accurate color representation which are essential for precise design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, its lower refresh rate hinders its ability to deliver fluid gameplay, which may disappoint gamers seeking a seamless experience. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 provides adequate resolution and color accuracy for everyday tasks and professional design work, but similarly falls short for gaming and 3D content due to its less-than-ideal refresh rate.
Battery
2.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has 5 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both have only fair portability, though the Gigabyte Aorus 5 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$2,359
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a price of $2,000 and the Gigabyte Aorus 5 costs $2,359.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 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.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Gigabyte Aorus 5 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Gigabyte Aorus 5 SE4 is a capable mainstream gaming notebook that will run the latest PC games with aplomb. However, it's not your stereotypical flashy gaming PC. Gigabyte has added some interesting tweaks. For example, the webcam placement and its Microsoft Azure AI tool — to automatically switch between power modes — are unusual for this genre. But more importantly, the pricing is fairly competitive and reasonable."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Gigabyte Aorus 5
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
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