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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is often less expensive than the Razer Blade 18 while still being powerful, making it ideal for gaming and engineering tasks without breaking the bank. However, the Razer Blade 18 offers a slightly larger and higher resolution display, with a superior battery life, making it suitable for tasks that require more screen real estate and longer periods away from power outlets. The Razer's build is more recent, which may translate into newer technology inside, but this also comes at a higher cost. Both laptops are heavy, indicating that while they're portable, they might not be the most comfortable for frequent travel. Choose the Alienware if you want to save some money and still have high performance, or the Razer Blade 18 if you're willing to invest more for better screen quality and battery life. 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
- The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has no clear advantages over the Razer Blade 18.
Advantages of the Razer Blade 18
- Very good for software development
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Software Development
7.8
8.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 18 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
8.9
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
524.0 nits
The Razer Blade 18 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Razer Blade 18 offer high resolution and bright displays, making texts sharp and videos vibrant, which is pleasing for day-to-day activities. In engineering and design, their screens display a wide range of colors accurately, essential for professionals working with visual content and precise color work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates can lead to less smooth visuals, which may not be ideal for fast-paced games that benefit from quicker screen refreshes.
Battery
2.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 18 has 4 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.
Cost
$2,000
$3,200
$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 18 costs $3,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
524.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.1/10
The Razer Blade 18 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Razer Blade 18 are both equipped with high-end CPUs and ample RAM, which make them capable of handling a broad range of tasks efficiently, while their quality screens offer crisp, vibrant visuals for a great viewing experience. However, the Alienware trades off some portability and battery life for a slightly better cooling system and lower operating noise, whereas the Razer Blade manages to be slightly more portable with a longer battery life but at the overlap of potential heat and noise increments during heavy usage.
Gaming and AI
8.9
8.9
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 18 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for gaming and AI.
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
9.3
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 18 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both excellent for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is equipped with a high-performance CPU and GPU, ample RAM, and a quality screen, making it very good for engineering and design tasks. The Razer Blade 18, offering an even more powerful latest-generation CPU, high-end GPU, and a higher resolution screen, excels further in the same applications while maintaining similar portability and build features, thus is considered excellent for engineering and design use.
Content Creation
8.3
8.6
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 18 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Razer Blade 18 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Razer Blade 18 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 Razer Blade 18 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Razer Blade 18 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $3,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 6.68 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 10.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i9-13950HX | |
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 | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 91.7 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 524 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 6.2/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1440p | |
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 18
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | March 2023
"Razer made a powerful laptop in the Blade 18, showing off a beautiful and fast display and the same high-quality build we’ve come to expect from this product line. It’s also quite expensive, which is hardly a surprise, but bears repeating even in this price range. It’s pricier than the Scar 18 despite an inferior GPU and half the storage, so you really have to want the Blade 18’s design to justify the cost."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Razer Blade 18
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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