The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in 3D and machine learning tasks and is well-suited for intensive gaming with its high refresh rate display and powerful GPU. It's heavier and less portable, making it ideal for a stationary setup. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is lighter, more portable, and offers a higher resolution OLED touchscreen. Its longer battery life and premium business look make it suitable for professional environments and general use. If gaming and 3D work are less of a priority and portability is key, the ThinkPad Z16 would be a 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
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
Very good for software development
Good portability
Good battery life
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9/10
6.7/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
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 ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out with its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a very high screen refresh rate of 480Hz, ideal for fluid and visually intensive gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 features the less potent AMD RX 6500M and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, which while suitable for gaming and 3D, offers less graphic intensity and smoothness in visual rendering.
Engineering and Design
9.1/10
8.4/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts a powerful Intel i9 processor with an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU, providing exceptional performance for engineering and design tasks, paired with a high-refresh-rate screen, though it's heavier and less portable than some competitors.
Screen Quality
8.5/10
8.5/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offer screens with high resolution and brightness, providing clear and vibrant visuals for everyday tasks and media consumption. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out in engineering and design due to its superior color accuracy and wider color gamuts, which ensure that professionals see precise colors for detailed work. However, both models have lower refresh rates, making them less suitable for gaming and 3D applications, which benefit from smoother visuals that higher refresh rates provide.
Battery
2.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
16.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
$1,120
$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 Z16 costs $1,120.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in general use with its high-performance CPU and GPU, generous RAM, and vibrant IPS screen, but it's less portable and has shorter battery life compared to some peers. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, while also featuring ample RAM and robust CPU performance, stands out with a superior OLED screen, better portability, and longer battery life, alongside a professional design more suited for business environments.
Content Creation
8.3/10
8.5/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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.
Software Development
7.8/10
8.2/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 to be 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.
Build Quality
8.5/10
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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 ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
"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’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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.
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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