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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers higher performance suitable for intensive gaming and demanding engineering tasks, but it's less portable due to its size and weight. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 16 is more portable and offers better battery life, making it suitable for general use and on-the-go professionals. If the priority is gaming or high-end graphics work, the Alienware is the better pick, while the MSI is a good choice for those valuing mobility and longer unplugged work sessions. Keep in mind the Alienware is also typically more expensive than the MSI Prestige. 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 build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16
- Very good for software development
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.7
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in gaming and 3D tasks owing to its high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a screen refresh rate of 480Hz for a smoother gaming experience. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16, while still competent for gaming and 3D tasks, offers a moderate refresh rate of 165Hz and a less powerful GPU as part of its Intel i7 CPU, which may affect performance in intensive scenarios.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.2
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Prestige 16 is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out in engineering and design use due to its high-performance CPU and top-tier dedicated GPU, making it highly suitable for demanding tasks, while its screen, although not the highest resolution, offers great color accuracy and brightness.
Screen Quality
8.5
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 16 for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 has a better screen for content creation.
When considering general use, both the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Prestige 16 offer crisp visuals and comfortable brightness due to their high-resolution displays, providing a clear and vibrant experience for daily tasks. For engineering and design, both laptops excel by covering a broad spectrum of colors, ensuring that professionals in these fields can work with a high degree of color accuracy. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short as they lack the high refresh rates necessary for the smooth rendering of fast-paced visuals, which may detract from immersive experiences and performance in such scenarios.
Battery
2.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 has 7.5 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 MSI Prestige 16 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 Prestige 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$1,611
$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 Prestige 16 costs $1,611.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Prestige 16 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is appreciated for general use due to its powerful CPU, abundant RAM, and high-quality screen, though it is less portable and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16, with comparable RAM and a high-resolution screen, offers better portability and longer battery life, despite having a slightly less powerful CPU.
Content Creation
8.3
8.3
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 16 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
8.1
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Prestige 16 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.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the MSI Prestige 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | MSI Prestige 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,611 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 4.2 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 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 | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
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."
MSI Prestige 16
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Dig into reviews and images
Make Use Of
Paul Antill | June 2023
"The MSI Prestige 16 Evo: 2023's best value 16” thin & light laptop with i7-13700H. One of the top choices for professionals and students seeking a high-performance, portable computing solution in 2023. While the MSI Prestige 16 Evo A13M may not boast the most striking design compared to some other 16" options, its relatively "safe" styling lends itself well to professional and educational environments. Significantly, it doesn't compromise on essential features like port selection or cooling performance, ensuring seamless connectivity and efficient thermal management. The 16 Evo A13M offers an excellent combination of performance, portability, and functionality, making it a compelling choice for professionals and students alike."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the MSI Prestige 16
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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