Dell Alienware X17 R2 vs Lenovo Legion 5 15"

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.

The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out for gaming and 3D with its higher-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and an extremely high screen refresh rate that can enhance the smoothness of fast-paced scenes, making it very suitable for the most demanding tasks. In comparison, the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a less powerful RTX 4060 GPU and a lower screen refresh rate but offers a higher resolution display, which means it can still deliver good gaming and 3D performance, but with clearer, more detailed images at the expense of some smoothness in motion and lower frame rates in more intensive games and applications.

The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out for engineering and design due to its high-end Intel i9 processor, substantial RAM, and top-tier Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, which together deliver excellent performance for demanding applications and graphical tasks alongside a quality screen; however, it is less portable with greater weight and size. In comparison, the Lenovo Legion 5 offers a sharp screen and a solid AMD Ryzen 7 processor with a capable Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, which are sufficient for most engineering and design needs, and it's more portable, but it has half the RAM and a less powerful GPU than the Alienware, making it a hybrid between performance and mobility.

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.

The Dell Alienware X17 R2 likely has superior resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks, with a panel that renders crisp and vivid images essential for engineering and design but it may have a lower refresh rate that is less optimal for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D. The Lenovo Legion 5, while still offering a high-quality display for routine use and adequate color accuracy for most engineering and design work, might fall short for gaming and 3D scenarios that benefit from higher refresh rates. Both laptops seem well-equipped for general and professional tasks, but serious gamers or those heavily involved in 3D work may need to look for displays specifically tailored to those needs.

Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.

PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.

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.