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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is less expensive and offers strong performance for gaming and engineering tasks with ample storage, high RAM, and a powerful GPU; however, its heavier weight makes it less portable. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 17 costs more but comes with superior storage, double the RAM, and an updated GPU, enhancing its performance capability especially for 3D rendering and machine learning. It also boasts a higher resolution display and longer battery life, making it more suitable for intensive tasks and multi-media use, but it is a more recent model which might affect software compatibility or availability of accessories. 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 overall build quality
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.2
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use, though the MSI Stealth 17 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers a robust screen quality and very good build, making it reliable for everyday tasks, but it is less portable and has lower battery life than the MSI Stealth 17, which provides exceptional general use thanks to its superior CPU, ample memory, and larger storage, though at a higher cost.
Content Creation
8.3
8.8
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
32.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for content creation, though the MSI Stealth 17 is somewhat better.
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
8.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is 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.
Screen Quality
8.5
8.6
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Stealth 17 have displays with high resolution and brightness which are essential for sharp and clear visuals, making them excellent for general use and detailed engineering work. Their screens cover a wide range of colors including DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which is crucial for professionals in engineering and design to accurately represent and work with diverse color palettes. However, both lack high refresh rates, which are vital for smooth rendering and responsiveness, making them less ideal for 3D applications and gaming where motion clarity and quick visual feedback are key.
Battery
2.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 17 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.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the MSI Stealth 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$3,899
$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 MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
8.9
9.1
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
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
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth 17 to be excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2, with its Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti and impressive 480 refresh rate, offers smooth and highly responsive gaming experiences, but the MSI Stealth 17 elevates performance even further with the more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU though it has a lower refresh rate of 240, yet brings sharper images with a higher resolution display.
Engineering and Design
9.1
9.4
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both excellent for engineering and design.
The MSI Stealth 17 stands out for engineering and design use due to its more advanced CPU and double the RAM of the Dell Alienware X17 R2, along with a more powerful GPU and a higher-resolution screen, facilitating more demanding computational tasks and finer detail in designs.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the MSI Stealth 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | MSI Stealth 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $3,899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 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 | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 Stealth 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | April 2023
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the MSI Stealth 17
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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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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