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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Raider GE77Hx are similarly priced with high-end specs for intensive tasks like gaming or engineering. The Alienware offers better performance with a stronger GPU and CPU, making it more suitable for demanding 3D rendering or machine learning tasks. However, it's less portable due to its weight. The Raider, on the other hand, has a higher screen resolution and better color accuracy, making it better for tasks where visual fidelity is key, with a slightly lighter build for easier transportation. Both have substantial battery life, but neither is ideal if long unplugged usage is a priority. 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
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE77Hx
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.5
8.4
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the MSI Raider GE77Hx for gaming and AI.
When choosing a laptop for general use, you want a bright, high-resolution display, which both the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Raider GE77Hx offer, ensuring crisp text and vivid images. These laptops are also great for engineering and design tasks due to their wide color coverage, helping users see accurate colors and gradients. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens may not be as suitable, since high refresh rates, which are critical for smooth motion, are not a priority in these models.
Battery
2.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE77Hx has 5.5 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.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Raider GE77Hx are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is equipped with a high-end CPU, ample RAM, and a quality screen with high brightness and color coverage, making it excellent for general use where performance and display quality are crucial. However, it's heavier and less portable with a shorter battery life than the MSI Raider GE77HX, which also boasts a strong CPU and an impressive screen resolution, but has less RAM, making it less optimal for the most intensive tasks but still very good for general use.
Gaming and AI
8.9
8.7
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Raider GE77Hx are both very good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is equipped with a Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and boasts a high screen refresh rate of 480 Hz, making it a strong contender for intense gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE77Hx also performs well in gaming and 3D tasks with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, though its screen refresh rate is lower at 240 Hz.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.8
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels for engineering and design due to its superior processor and more robust graphics unit, crucial for demanding tasks, along with a high-quality screen that offers strong color coverage, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx is favored for its higher screen resolution and greater battery capacity, though it has less RAM which may limit performance with complex projects.
Content Creation
8.3
8.2
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Raider GE77Hx 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
7.9
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both good for software development.
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.
Portability
Fair
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to have only fair portability, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Raider GE77Hx both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$1,999
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a price of $2,000 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx costs $1,999.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | MSI Raider GE77Hx |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 15.6'' x 11.2'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 11.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-12800HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 5.9/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
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 Raider GE77Hx
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | July 2022
"The MSI Raider GE77 offers a lot of power for a lot of money. The main components consist of a Core i9-12900HX CPU, a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP, 16 GB VRAM), and 64 GB of RAM, which makes for a high overall performance level. The GeForce GPU in particular scores some of the highest scores we have seen from this chip. Both the CPU and the GPU are able to run at continuously high clock speeds. The relatively high heat and noise emissions match our expectations for this device class. With approximately 5.5 to 6.5 hours, the battery life is good for a powerful 4K laptop."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the MSI Raider GE77Hx
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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