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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 13, 2024·
When choosing between the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x, consider that the Alienware is designed for high-end gaming and demanding software, offering superior graphical performance but usually comes with a heftier price tag and is less portable due to its size and weight. The ThinkBook, on the other hand, is more affordable, lightweight, and offers solid performance for general use and business applications with better battery life, making it easier to carry around for daily tasks and travel. 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 overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.9
6.6
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1920
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x is only fair.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2, with its high-end GPU and rapid screen refresh rate, excels for gaming and 3D applications, which demand intense graphical performance. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x, offering modest GPU capabilities and a lower screen refresh rate, provides adequate performance but isn't optimized for high-demand creative tasks like gaming and detailed 3D work.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.9
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.6/10
9.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts a robust CPU, high RAM capacity, and a powerful GPU, making it excellent for demanding engineering and design tasks, coupled with a high-quality screen; its size, however, affects portability and can be noisy under load. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13x, while also equipped with adequate CPU and RAM for engineering tasks, offers better portability and a quieter operation, though its GPU and screen quality may not match the Alienware, which could limit performance in very graphics-intensive applications.
Screen Quality
8.5
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
367.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x for gaming and AI, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Lenovo ThinkBook 13x offer vibrant displays with high resolution and brightness, which are excellent for general use such as browsing and video streaming. Both laptops have wide color gamuts, providing a range of colors that can be extremely beneficial for professionals in engineering and design who require accuracy for tasks like CAD and photo editing. However, these laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications, as their lower refresh rates do not match the smoother visuals demanded by high-speed graphics rendering in such scenarios.
Battery
2.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13x 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
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13x has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.6
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a price of $2,000 and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
367.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
2.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2, with its robust CPU and ample RAM, ensures smooth performance for demanding applications and multitasking, complemented by a high-quality screen for vivid visuals, but it falls short on portability and battery life, making it less convenient for on-the-go use. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13x, while also providing good performance and screen quality, offers better portability and longer battery life, making it a more suitable option for users who prioritize mobility and don't require the high performance levels of the Alienware for their general use.
Content Creation
8.3
8.0
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1920
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Lenovo ThinkBook 13x 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.
Software Development
7.8
7.9
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1920
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13x and Dell Alienware X17 R2 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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How the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware X17 R2 | Lenovo ThinkBook 13x |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | January 30, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | 11.6'' x 8.1'' x 0.5'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.82 lbs | 2.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.72" | 11.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.79" | 8.1" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 2 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 87 Wh | 74 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2880 x 1920 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 367 nits | 500 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 9.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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