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Updated January 16, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is well-suited for someone seeking top performance in gaming, 3D modeling, or engineering software, with a high-end processor and graphics card but it's heavier and not as easy to carry around. On the other hand, the MSI Thin GF63 offers decent performance for general use and some gaming at a lower price, with a lighter build for better portability. If budget constraints are significant and you need a laptop for day-to-day tasks and occasional gaming, the MSI may be suitable. However, if you need maximum performance and are less concerned about cost and portability, the Alienware is a better choice. 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 Thin GF63
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the MSI Thin GF63 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 outperforms the MSI Thin GF63 in CPU and RAM, making it more capable for demanding tasks, and it has a better screen quality, though it's less portable due to higher weight and shorter battery life. While the MSI Thin GF63 offers a more portable option with longer battery life, its lower RAM and CPU affect performance for intensive uses, and it compromises on screen quality and speaker performance compared to the Alienware.
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.9
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Thin GF63 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
7.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Thin GF63 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 excels in engineering and design use owing to its superior CPU, ample RAM, high-end GPU, and excellent screen quality that includes high brightness and color coverage, which are essential for detail-oriented tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Thin GF63, while still respectable, offers less advanced internals and screen quality which may not be as suitable for the most demanding tasks, but gains an edge in portability and operating noise, making it a more travel-friendly option.
Content Creation
8.3
7.4
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
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 Thin GF63 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
7.2
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for software development, though the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is somewhat better.
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
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the MSI Thin GF63 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the high resolution and brightness of the Dell Alienware X17 R2's screen provide crisp and clear visuals, whereas the MSI Thin GF63's decent resolution and lower brightness are adequate but not as impressive. In engineering and design, the Alienware's wider color gamuts ensure more accurate colors, which is less pronounced on the MSI. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Alienware's lower refresh rate might hinder smooth motion compared to laptops designed with higher refresh rates, despite its other high-quality features.
Battery
2.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 has 4.5 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
4.1 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI Thin GF63 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
6.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$1,150
$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 Thin GF63 costs $1,150.
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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the MSI Thin GF63 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | MSI Thin GF63 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,150 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 51 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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 Thin GF63
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Charles Jeffries | November 2022
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the MSI Thin GF63
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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