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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers higher performance, which is suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks due to its more powerful graphics card and processor. Its larger screen and better heat management make it a good desktop replacement, though it's less portable and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS66 is more portable and has a longer battery life, making it better for on-the-go use. However, it has less storage, lower graphics and processing power, and may not handle high-intensity tasks as well as the Alienware. Consider the Alienware if you need top-notch performance and don't mind carrying more weight, or the MSI if mobility and longer unplugged usage are priorities. 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
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the MSI Stealth GS66 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is ranked very good for general use because of its superior CPU, larger RAM, and higher screen quality, but with lesser portability and battery life, making it more suited for stationary use with consistent power access.
Gaming and AI
8.9
7.8
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Stealth GS66 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 480Hz, making it very good for gaming and 3D applications where fast rendering and fluid motion are crucial. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS66, while still good for gaming and 3D, offers a slightly less powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a lower screen refresh rate of 360Hz, which may affect performance in the most demanding scenarios.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.2
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Stealth GS66 is very good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out in engineering and design use due to its superior CPU, double the RAM, and a more powerful GPU compared to the MSI Stealth GS66, ensuring significantly better performance for computational and graphics-intensive tasks. While both laptops have high-quality displays, the Alienware's screen is larger, which may benefit design work, but this also makes it less portable and heavier than the MSI Stealth GS66, which could be a consideration if you frequently travel with your laptop.
Content Creation
8.3
7.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 Stealth GS66 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.
Screen Quality
8.5
8.1
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth GS66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a display that offers vibrant colors and high resolution, making it ideal for general use and engineering where clarity and accurate color representation are crucial. For design work, its broader color gamuts ensure that the colors you see on screen are precise and cover a wide spectrum vital for detailed projects. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the laptop's screen falls short due to a lower refresh rate, which can result in less fluid motion and slower response times during fast-paced scenes.
Battery
2.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
$1,000
$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 Stealth GS66 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.8
7.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Stealth GS66 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Stealth GS66 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 MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 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" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 4 | |
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 GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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