A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming visuals and performance, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 with its more powerful graphics card is the better option; however, its battery life is short and it's heavier, making it less portable. For versatile use, such as business with the option for some light gaming, the MSI Summit E16 Flip is lighter, has a touchscreen with a higher resolution, and offers longer battery life, making it more suitable for on-the-go tasks and presentations. Both laptops have high-quality displays with strong color accuracy, but the MSI might be the better choice for tasks that benefit from a touchscreen. 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 build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Summit E16 Flip
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.8
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
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 Summit E16 Flip 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
7.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for engineering and design as it has a high-performance CPU and GPU, a substantial amount of RAM, and excellent screen quality, making it ideal for demanding tasks, although it is less portable and has louder operating noise.
Screen Quality
8.5
8.0
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the MSI Summit E16 Flip for general use, gaming and AI, and content creation.
When considering screen quality for general use, both the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip offer high resolution and excellent brightness with panel types conducive to sharp images and good viewing angles. For engineering and design tasks, these laptops provide wide color gamuts covering a large spectrum of DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, ensuring accurate color representation crucial for detail-oriented work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short as they lack high refresh rates, which are essential for smooth motion and a more immersive experience in fast-paced visuals.
Battery
2.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E16 Flip has 8 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
4.1 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Summit E16 Flip 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 Summit E16 Flip has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$1,550
$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 E16 Flip costs $1,550.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for general use, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out for general use with higher RAM and a more powerful CPU for multitasking and demanding applications, but it's less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the MSI Summit E16 Flip, which offers portability and better battery life in addition to being a versatile 2-in-1 convertible, though its CPU and RAM are less suited for intensive tasks.
Content Creation
8.3
7.9
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip 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.
Software Development
7.8
7.6
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Summit E16 Flip 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | MSI Summit E16 Flip |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,550 | ||
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 | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 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 | 8 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 | 294 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 | 7.5/10 | |
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
See more
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 E16 Flip
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | October 2022
"The MSI Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop with pen, 16:10 display, and RTX 3050 Ti. The Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop from the business segment that primarily targets creative users. MSI combines a 16-inch touchscreen in the 16:10 format with a powerful midrange GPU. While the 2-in-1 laptop from MSI isn't meant for everybody, it should definitely attract some followers. The touchscreen display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) covers the DCI-P3 color space. This is accompanied by stable viewing angles, a good color reproduction, short response times, and a good contrast level."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the MSI Summit E16 Flip
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Dell Alienware X17 R2 vs. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)
VS
Compare Dell Alienware X17 R2 vs. ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
VS
Compare Dell Alienware X17 R2 vs. Gigabyte Aorus 17
VS
Compare MSI Summit E16 Flip vs. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
VS
Compare MSI Summit E16 Flip vs. ASUS TUF Gaming A17
VS
Compare MSI Summit E16 Flip vs. HP Envy 17
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
130,695
Recommendations made
28,318
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
