Dell Alienware X17 R2 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3

The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is rated very good for general use because it has a high-performance CPU, substantial RAM, and a high-quality screen while being less portable and having shorter battery life; the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is considered fair for general use due to its adequate CPU, lower RAM, and solid screen quality, but offers better portability and longer battery life.

The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in gaming and 3D due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics and a high screen refresh rate of 480 Hz, which provides smooth and immersive visuals. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 offers a fair gaming and 3D experience, as it comes with Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is adequate for general use but less ideal for high-end gaming or 3D tasks.

The Dell Alienware X17 R2 outperforms the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 in engineering and design use due to its higher RAM, more powerful CPU and GPU, and superior screen quality; these factors are very important for such tasks and the Dell machine excels in all. While the Surface Laptop Go 3 offers greater portability and has a good screen quality, its lower CPU and RAM limit its ability to handle intensive engineering and design applications.

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.

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.

For general use, the Dell Alienware's high resolution and vibrant display provide crisp and clear visuals, while its brightness ensures good visibility even in well-lit environments, contributing to its very good screen quality. In engineering and design tasks, the color accuracy is critical for precise work, and the Dell's ability to cover a wide range of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB means it offers very good fidelity in color representation. However, for gaming and 3D applications where refresh rate is a top priority for smooth motion, the Dell Alienware's lower refresh rate holds it back, leading to poor performance in this aspect compared to other gaming-oriented laptops with faster screens.

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.