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What we think
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Updated January 16, 2024·
To decide between the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, consider how you'll use the laptop. If gaming or high-performance tasks like video editing are important, the Alienware, with its powerful hardware, is suited for this, but keep in mind it's bulkier which makes it less portable. If you prioritize a versatile design for artistic work or presentations, and prefer a more portable and stylish device, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 could be preferable, even if it may cost a bit more and might not be as powerful as the Alienware for resource-intensive tasks. Always remember that battery life can vary greatly with powerful laptops being more demanding, so if longer unplugged usage is essential, check the battery specifications closely. 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
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Very good for software development
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
7.7
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in gaming and 3D applications primarily because it carries a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and an incredibly high screen refresh rate of 480 Hz, which is ideal for fast-paced games. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, while still good for gaming and 3D tasks with its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, offers a lower screen refresh rate of 120 Hz but compensates with a higher screen resolution and touchscreen functionality for creative tasks.
Screen Quality
8.5
7.9
17.3in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen for content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 likely have high-resolution displays with excellent brightness and panel types that offer clear and vivid images, which makes them suitable for everyday activities like browsing and video streaming. Engineering and design professionals benefit from these laptops because their screens probably cover a broad range of colors, ensuring that designers can work with a palette that closely matches real-world colors. However, gamers and 3D designers may find the screens less attractive due to a lower refresh rate, which can result in less smooth visuals during fast-paced action and rendering.
Battery
2.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 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
14.4in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
$3,300
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a price of $2,000 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 both excel in CPU and RAM capabilities, ensuring smooth performance for general use, with the Dell offering a more gaming-oriented experience and the Surface Laptop providing a flexible 2-in-1 form factor that also serves as a drawing tablet.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts a high-performance CPU and GPU which are crucial for heavy workloads in engineering and design, though it is heavier and less portable; conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a higher amount of RAM which can be advantageous for multitasking and complex tasks, and it has a better screen resolution and quality, coupled with greater portability due to its lower weight. Both laptops provide large screens and substantial storage, but trade-offs include portability for the Dell and lower GPU power in the Surface for graphical tasks.
Content Creation
8.3
8.4
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
8.2
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $3,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 64 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 | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The new Surface Laptop Studio with its foldable display is supposed to replace the old Surface Book and the overall impression is good after our review. The build quality and the materials are top-notch, the performance utilization of the two components is solid and the device does not show any major flaws in terms of display or speakers, either. The folding mechanism leaves a sold impression as well, but it remains to be seen how it will hold up over the years. The so-called presentation mode is also not ideal since it covers the whole keyboard."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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