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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is designed for high-performance tasks such as gaming or graphical work, offering robust hardware that can handle demanding applications. However, this comes with reduced portability due to its size and weight, along with typically shorter battery life. In contrast, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is better suited for general use and business applications, with an emphasis on portability and longer battery life. This model may not perform as well in highly intensive tasks but will be easier to carry around and offer more usage between charges. Consider what you value more; if performance in heavy-duty tasks is paramount and you don't mind less mobility, the Alienware could be a better choice. If you require something lighter with good performance for everyday tasks and longer-lasting battery on the go, the HP Dragonfly Pro might be more appropriate. 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
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.5
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in gaming and 3D applications because it includes a high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a screen that supports a refresh rate many times higher than standard displays, accommodating the intense graphical demands of modern games and 3D rendering.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.6
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is superior for engineering and design because of its higher-performing CPU and GPU, as well as its larger RAM, which are crucial for demanding tasks, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offers better portability and longer battery life, making it suitable for on-the-go professionals who still require decent performance for engineering applications.
Screen Quality
8.5
7.1
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and a robust panel type, which makes for vivid image quality and readability in various lighting conditions, whereas the HP Dragonfly Pro has a lower brightness and resolution, impacting its sharpness and visibility. When it comes to engineering and design, the Alienware's superior color gamut coverage ensures accurate color representation necessary for detailed work, but the Dragonfly Pro, while still decent, falls short for professional color work. For gaming and 3D applications, however, the Alienware's lower refresh rate hampers the smoothness of motion that's crucial for these tasks, while the Dragonfly Pro also falls behind because of its poor refresh rate even though both are not primarily designed for these purposes.
Battery
2.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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
14.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,000
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a price of $2,000 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2, with a high-end CPU and GPU, offers powerful performance suitable for demanding tasks and gaming but at the expense of portability and battery life; its larger screen provides an immersive experience but is less convenient for on-the-go usage. In contrast, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" emphasizes portability and longer battery life, along with a high-quality keyboard and touch-enabled display, making it an excellent choice for mobile professionals who prioritize ease of use and longevity over raw performance.
Content Creation
8.3
7.9
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for content creation, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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
7.8
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Dell Alienware X17 R2 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | HP Dragonfly Pro 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | July 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.72'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 3.42 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 12.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | AMD Ryzen 7 7736U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 64.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 405 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1440p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 3 | |
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."
HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Brendan Nystedt | March 2023
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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