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Updated January 10, 2024·
Consider the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for high-end gaming or demanding engineering software as it features a powerful processor and high-performance graphics card, but be aware that it is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable. On the other hand, if you prioritize portability, longer battery life, and touch screen functionality for general use and business-oriented tasks, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is a better option; however, this model is not suitable for intensive gaming or heavy 3D tasks due to its integrated graphics. The Dell is more expensive than the MSI, which could also influence your decision based on your budget. 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
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
517.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in general use due to its powerful CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality screen suitable for a variety of tasks, although its larger size, shorter battery life, and heavier weight compromise portability. On the other hand, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo offers good general use performance with a capable CPU, decent RAM, and high screen quality with better portability owing to its longer battery life and lighter weight, although its smaller storage capacity might limit the amount of data and applications that can be stored directly on the device.
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.3
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is only fair.
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
7.3
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 features top-tier CPU, abundant RAM, and a high-end GPU, which are critical for heavy engineering software, and it has a superior screen for detailed designs, but it's heavier and less portable. The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo provides a balance with a good CPU and enough RAM for less demanding engineering tasks, better portability, a high-quality keyboard, and lower noise, making it suitable for on-the-go use and regular office environments, but its GPU is not as powerful as the Alienware's for intensive graphics work.
Content Creation
8.3
7.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
7.3
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
517.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell Alienware X17 R2's higher resolution and brightness enhance visual clarity and readability, which is essential for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing. In engineering and design, this laptop's wide color gamuts ensure accurate color representation, crucial for detailed design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rate hampers the smoothness of fast-moving visuals, making it less ideal for those scenarios.
Battery
2.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has 11 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has very 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 Summit E13 Flip Evo has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$699
$0
$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 Summit E13 Flip Evo costs $699.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.8
7.4
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $699 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | August 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 11.8'' x 8.8'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 2.98 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 11.82" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 8.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 70 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 517 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
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 Summit E13 Flip Evo
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | April 2021
"MSI wants to prove that it can do more than just gaming laptops and the Summit E13 Flip is a great example of what the manufacturer is capable of especially in terms of aesthetics and performance. Normally for subnotebooks or convertibles, TDP and performance are often below average as makers want to meet slimmer designs and lower weight targets. The Summit manages to outperform others in its size class and category while still looking sleek and portable in the process. If you want a convertible that won't throttle significantly when under load, then this MSI will be one of the better options you can find."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo
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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