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Updated January 16, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers high performance suitable for intensive tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, thanks to its powerful processor and high-end graphics card. However, it is less portable due to its larger size and heavier weight. On the other hand, the HP Stream 14" is more budget-friendly, lightweight, and portable, making it a suitable choice for general use like web browsing, watching videos, and basic productivity. But it has lower performance due to its entry-level processor and integrated graphics, which are not ideal for demanding software applications or games. Consider your priorities carefully: whether you need a powerhouse laptop for specialized tasks or a simple, cost-effective computer for everyday 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 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 HP Stream 14"
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
6.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is equipped with a high-end CPU, substantial RAM, and an excellent screen, which facilitate smooth multitasking and a premium visual experience for general use. In comparison, the HP Stream 14" offers less powerful processing capabilities, lower RAM, and a screen with inferior quality, which make it adequate for basic tasks but less suited for demanding applications, despite its better portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
8.9
5.7
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
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
5.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 outshines the HP Stream 14" for engineering and design due to its superior CPU, ample RAM, high-end GPU, and quality screen, all essential for demanding tasks and visual precision. In contrast, the HP Stream 14" falls short with a basic processor, less memory, an underpowered integrated GPU, and a lower quality screen, making it less suitable for complex engineering software and detailed design work.
Content Creation
8.3
6.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for content creation, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
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
6.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is good for software development, while the HP Stream 14" 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
5.2
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2's screen excels in general use and engineering tasks due to its high resolution, brightness, and enhanced color accuracy, covering broad color gamuts that ensure detailed and vivid images, making it ideal for precision work in design. However, its lower refresh rate impacts its quality for gaming and 3D, where smoother motion through higher refresh rates is crucial. On the other hand, the HP Stream 14's screen falls short across all use cases because of its lower resolution, brightness, and limited color range, which makes it less suitable for tasks that demand sharpness, color fidelity, or fluid motion.
Battery
2.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Stream 14" has very 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
5.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the HP Stream 14" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$299
$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 HP Stream 14" costs $299.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the HP Stream 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | HP Stream 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $299 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 12.8'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 12.76" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 8.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel Celeron N4120 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 320 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
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 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware X17 R2
See more
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 Stream 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Zachary Cuevas | November 2021
"With half of the main system memory and a fraction of the storage that we recommend in any budget Windows laptop, the HP Stream 14 does not impress. Perhaps it doesn't need to, depending on your reference point. For the price, you're getting a functional laptop with Windows 10, which already places the HP Stream 14 above most Chromebooks on that merit alone. Still, in this price range, you can't do much worse, but you can do better. In fact, for just $100 more, you can grab the much superior budget option, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the HP Stream 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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