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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize high-end performance for tasks like intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is an excellent choice, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. The Gigabyte G5, while more affordable and lighter, making it more portable, offers lower performance which might not be optimal for demanding software or games, yet it still handles general use and some gaming well. Consider the Alienware if maximum power is critical and you don't mind the higher price and less mobility, or the Gigabyte if you prefer to save money and need something easier to carry around with moderate performance. 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 Gigabyte G5
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.1
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
248.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte G5 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is regarded better for general use because it has a higher-powered CPU, more RAM for multitasking, and a higher quality screen, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life. In contrast, the Gigabyte G5 offers modest performance suitable for general tasks, with the advantage of better portability and longer battery life, but it has a lower-quality screen and less RAM which might slow down performance with resource-intensive applications.
Gaming and AI
8.9
7.3
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
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 G5 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
7.6
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte G5 is 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
7.2
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte G5 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.
Software Development
7.8
6.8
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is good for software development, while the Gigabyte G5 is only fair.
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
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
248.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Gigabyte G5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers a high-resolution, bright display with a panel that delivers clear and vibrant images, whereas the Gigabyte G5 provides acceptable clarity and brightness but may not be as sharp or vivid. Engineers and designers may prefer the Alienware due to its superior color accuracy and wider color gamuts, ensuring precise color representation, while the G5's color fidelity and range might suffice for casual design work but lack professional-grade precision. When it comes to 3D applications, the lower refresh rate on the Alienware impacts smoothness and responsiveness, while the G5 also falls short for gaming and 3D tasks due to similar screen limitations.
Battery
2.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte G5 has 3.5 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Gigabyte G5 has 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
7.2
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte G5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$868
$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 Gigabyte G5 costs $868.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Gigabyte G5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Gigabyte G5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $868 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.89'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 14.2" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 9.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i5-12500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 3.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 248 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
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."
Gigabyte G5
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam | April 2023
"The Gigabyte G5 KE is a midrange gaming laptop that checks most boxes. Gigabyte makes good use of the Core i5-12500H and RTX 3060 Laptop GPU combo, and we find no untoward issues with overall performance. The dual-fan quad-heatpipe cooling arrangement does well to ensure that the underlying hardware doesn't throttle under load. That being said, the display is below par when compared to 2023 standards, especially when competing devices."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Gigabyte G5
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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