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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is generally more expensive and offers high performance for 3D, machine learning tasks, and gaming, due to a powerful graphics card and processor, making it a solid choice if these are your priorities. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, which impacts its portability. The Lenovo ThinkPad P16, while less expensive and not as powerful for demanding tasks like gaming, has a better battery life and higher portability, making it a good fit for general use and some professional applications like engineering. The ThinkPad also boasts a higher resolution display, which can be beneficial for tasks requiring fine detail. 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 ThinkPad P16
- Very good for software development
- Very good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.9
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
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 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2's higher screen refresh rate and more powerful GPU make it very good for gaming and 3D applications, providing a smoother visual experience and better graphics processing compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad P16, which has a lower refresh rate and less powerful GPU, but still performs well in these areas.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.3
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts a superior CPU and GPU, which are crucial for demanding engineering tasks and design work, and its high screen refresh rate benefits fast-paced visual applications, but the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 offers a higher-resolution display with better color accuracy and more battery life, which is important for detailed design work and longer use without charging.
Software Development
7.8
8.4
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 offer crisp, clear displays with high resolution and brightness, resulting in sharp images and comfortable visibility under various lighting conditions. In the context of engineering and design, both laptops provide wide color coverage crucial for precision in color-critical work, ensuring accurate color representation and detailed visuals. However, for gaming and 3D, despite their quality in other areas, they fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and slower response times, affecting the overall gaming experience.
Battery
2.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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.
Cost
$2,000
$1,449
$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 ThinkPad P16 costs $1,449.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is a powerful gaming laptop with a high-end CPU and state-of-the-art GPU, combining a sizeable amount of RAM and vast storage, but these features affect its battery life and portability, making it less suitable for long hours away from a power source or frequent travel. Conversely, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16, while also equipped with a capable CPU and professional-grade GPU, has a higher-resolution screen and longer battery life, making it better-suited for on-the-go use and work that benefits from detailed visuals, even though it may not match the raw performance of the Alienware for demanding tasks like intensive gaming.
Content Creation
8.3
8.2
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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.
Portability
Fair
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.2in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to have only fair portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Lenovo ThinkPad P16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,449 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | July 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 14.3'' x 10.5'' x 1.2'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 6.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 14.3" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 10.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-12800HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 94 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 569 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
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 ThinkPad P16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Eric Grevstad | February 2023
"It's only a few months since we gave the MSI CreatorPro X17 one of our rare 4.5-star ratings and our top mobile workstation honor, but the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 matches that achievement in a more premium overall build. Ultimately, its build quality, screen, and keyboard give our latest Editors' Choice nod to the Lenovo—it's enough of a monster on almost all fronts that it simply cannot be ignored."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Lenovo ThinkPad P16
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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