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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing the Dell Alienware X17 R2 would be wise for customers seeking a high-performance laptop for engineering tasks, 3D rendering, or intensive gaming, as it features robust processing power and a powerful graphics card. But keep in mind, it comes with a higher price tag, reduced portability due to its larger size and weight, and a shorter battery life when compared to more general-use laptops. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66 offers a more wallet-friendly option with decent performance for general use and moderate gaming, a lighter build for easier transport, and longer battery life, but it wouldn't match the Alienware in handling highly demanding tasks. 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
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers superior performance for general use due to its more powerful CPU, higher amount of RAM, and a significantly brighter and more color-accurate screen while providing better heat management but sacrifices portability and has shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
8.9
7.2
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Pulse GL66 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.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 leads in engineering and design use primarily due to its superior CPU, sizable RAM, and high-end GPU, making it adept at handling complex engineering software and tasks; additionally, its screen offers excellent color coverage, essential for design work.
Content Creation
8.3
7.2
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
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
7.0
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for software development, though the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is somewhat better.
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
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers superior screen resolution and brightness which are critical for clarity and vividness in general use, alongside wide color gamuts that ensure accurate color representation for engineering and design tasks. Unfortunately, its lower refresh rate may not deliver the smooth visuals preferred in fast-paced 3D gaming. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66 provides adequate resolution and brightness for day-to-day tasks and sufficient color accuracy for casual design work, but its screen also lacks the high refresh rate needed for optimal gaming experiences.
Battery
2.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 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
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a price of $2,000 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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."
MSI Pulse GL66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | April 2022
"The MSI Pulse GL66 has a lot of potential for improvement. Although the RTX 3060 is only able to use 105 watts, we still liked the gaming performance, particularly since this also makes the Pulse comfortably efficient but not slow by any means. Neither the dark display with its lame response times, nor USB 2.0 or the lack of Thunderbolt will please real gamers. The use of a sticker factory seal, which is at least questionable, also won't inspire any enthusiasm. It is obvious that the laptop is really designed for price-conscious gamers."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the MSI Pulse GL66
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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