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Updated January 10, 2024·
When deciding between the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17", consider your needs for performance and portability. The Dell has a more powerful processor and graphics card, which makes it better for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks. However, this also means it is more expensive and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo is more affordable, has longer battery life, and is slightly lighter, making it easier to carry around, but it won’t perform as well in demanding tasks compared to the Dell. If high-end gaming and performance are crucial and budget is not a primary concern, the Dell is the superior option. If price and battery life are more important, and your tasks are more general use with occasional gaming, then the Lenovo may be the better fit. 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 display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
- The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware X17 R2.
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 surpasses the Lenovo Legion 5 17" in general use mainly due to its more powerful CPU, double the memory, and superior GPU, which contribute to much faster and smoother performance in demanding software applications and multitasking. However, the Lenovo Legion 5 is lighter and has slightly better battery life, making it more suitable for those prioritizing portability and longer usage away from a power source.
Gaming and AI
8.9
7.4
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
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 provides exceptional gaming and 3D performance with its top-tier Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a very high screen refresh rate, ideal for the most demanding tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" also offers reliable gaming capabilities with a capable Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a decent screen refresh rate, but it's less suited for the highest performance scenarios.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.6
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 leads in performance for engineering and design with a higher-end CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU compared to the Lenovo Legion 5 17", which still offers a solid CPU and GPU but with less RAM and a lower-end GPU, making it a good but not outstanding option in this regard.
Content Creation
8.3
7.2
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
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 Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.0
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for software development, though the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is somewhat better.
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
7.3
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts a display with vibrant colors and high resolution, making it excellent for tasks like document editing and web browsing, and it has wide color gamut coverage, ensuring accuracy for engineering and design work. However, its screen may not refresh as fast as dedicated gaming models, which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced games and 3D rendering. The Lenovo Legion 5 17", while also offering a good resolution and color production for everyday and professional tasks, falls short for gaming and 3D use due to a less responsive display that can affect the visual experience in dynamic scenarios.
Battery
2.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a price of $2,000 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
Portability
Fair
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to have only fair portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Lenovo Legion 5 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 6.57 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 11.41" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 80 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 5.8/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
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 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
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."
Lenovo Legion 5 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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