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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing the Dell Alienware X17 R2 may save you some money while providing excellent gaming and engineering performance, thanks to its powerful processor and graphics. However, it's slightly heavier, which might affect portability. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 17 offers a higher-resolution display which is great for creative work but comes at a higher price and slightly less battery life. Both laptops are well-suited for intensive tasks; the Dell might be a better value, while the Razer Blade edges out in display quality and portability. Both have ample storage and memory, and robust build quality, but you'll trade off some dollars for higher resolution and portability with the Razer. 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
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Razer Blade 17
- Very good for software development
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Software Development
7.8
8.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 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
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Razer Blade 17 for gaming and AI, while the Razer Blade 17 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Razer Blade 17 both offer vibrant displays with high resolution and brightness, providing crisp and clear visuals that are easy on the eyes. Their screens display a wide range of colors accurately, essential for engineering and design work where precise color representation is crucial. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and a less immersive experience.
Battery
2.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.0 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Razer Blade 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both have only fair portability, though the Razer Blade 17 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,000
$4,300
$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 Razer Blade 17 costs $4,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Razer Blade 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Razer Blade 17 both offer robust performance for general use with identical CPU and high RAM capacities, ensuring smooth multitasking and responsiveness. The Razer Blade 17 stands out with superior screen quality due to its higher resolution display, making for sharper images and more detailed visuals, and it boasts a longer battery life and better portability due to its lesser weight, whereas the Alienware X17 R2 is slightly heavier with less battery life, but excels in areas like speaker and keyboard quality.
Gaming and AI
8.9
8.6
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Razer Blade 17 are both very good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has an exceptionally high screen refresh rate which is a major advantage for gaming smoothness and responsiveness, but it comes with a lower resolution display; in contrast, the Razer Blade 17 offers a higher resolution screen which enhances the visual detail for games and 3D applications but has a lower refresh rate. Both laptops are equipped with powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics cards, providing top-notch graphics performance which is crucial for demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
9.1
9.1
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both excellent for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers a robust combination of a high-end CPU, ample RAM, and a top-tier GPU, making it very good for demanding tasks like engineering and design, although its heavier weight affects portability. The Razer Blade 17 shines with a comparably powerful CPU and GPU, more memory for multitasking, and superior screen resolution, enhancing design precision but comes at a cost of reduced battery life and also compromises portability due to its build.
Content Creation
8.3
8.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for content creation.
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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Razer Blade 17 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Razer Blade 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Razer Blade 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $4,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 6.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 15.55" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 10.24" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 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."
Razer Blade 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | July 2022
"Our test configuration of the Blade 17 targets gamers and creative professionals. A Core i9-12900H processor, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP after the BIOS update, 16 GB of VRAM), and 32 GB of working memory equip the laptop for video processing, rending, and 4k gaming at the highest level. In addition, a fast PCIe-4 SSD (1 TB) ensures short load and storage times. With the Blade 17 (Early 2022), Razer delivers a successful and powerful work device for creative professionals. But this also has its price."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Razer Blade 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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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