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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming or doing extensive 3D modeling and machine learning tasks, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 with its more powerful graphics card will handle those demands better. However, its larger size and weight make it less convenient to carry around. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, while not as suited for intensive gaming, offers a higher screen resolution and a more color-accurate display which might be preferable for tasks like photo editing or watching high-resolution movies. It is lighter and more portable, making it a better option for frequent travelers or those who need to work on the go. The Lenovo also has a longer battery life, which benefits those who are often away from power sources. Both laptops have similar storage and memory, so your choice should consider how much you value portability and screen quality versus raw gaming and processing 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
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
- Very good for software development
- Best in class overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
7.6
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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.
Software Development
7.8
8.3
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is good.
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
9.6
17.3in
SIZE
14.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i outshines the Dell Alienware X17 R2 in general usage and engineering and design due to its superior resolution and brightness, providing crisp, vibrant visuals which are essential for detail-oriented tasks and comfortable everyday use. Furthermore, its wider color gamut ensures that professionals who require accurate color representation for engineering and design tasks are satisfied with the true-to-life colors. In contrast, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications, as their screen refresh rates are not as high as what's favorable for these activities, potentially resulting in less fluid motion and slower response times during fast-paced scenes.
Battery
2.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has 6 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
14.5in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,000
$1,600
$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 Slim Pro 9i costs $1,600.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use.
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.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.9
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, making it very good for handling intensive engineering and design tasks that require powerful GPU capabilities, whereas the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, with its lighter build and smaller screen, offers excellent portability and a high-quality Mini LED screen, which provides superb color accuracy and contrast for design work.
Content Creation
8.3
8.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for content creation.
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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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 Lenovo Slim Pro 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Lenovo Slim Pro 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,600 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 12.9'' x 9.6'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 12.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 9.64" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-13705H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3072 x 1920 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 618 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
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 Slim Pro 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | August 2023
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is an impressive laptop with a brilliant Mini-LED display, a powerful 100-watt version of Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, and excellent connectivity. Having run the Cinebench benchmark again, we were impressed with the CPU performance. That makes the Slim Pro 9i is an easy recommendation, especially for those who care about GPU and CPU performance. It’s also a fantastic choice if you frequently view HDR movies and games on your laptop."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
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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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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