I know you want to play all the latest games that are coming out every month. But you probably do not have a gaming laptop or PC, right? If you don’t, then this Dell Alienware 17 R5 review might be worth your read.
This Alienware laptop is a gaming beast, with lots of customization options available for you when it comes to configurations. Therefore, if you are interested, read this review till the end.
Dell Alienware 17 R5 Specifications
The Dell Alienware 17 R5 has various configurations that you can choose from. The various configurations that are available are:
| Display | 17.3in FHD 1920×1080, 165Hz, 3ms, NVIDIA G Sync 17.3in FHD 1920×1080, 360Hz, 1ms, NVIDIA G Sync 17.3in FHD 1920×1080, 480Hz, 3ms, NVIDIA G Sync 17.3in UHD 3840×2160, 120Hz, 3ms, NVIDIA G Sync |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (8 cores, 16 threads), 4.7GHz AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (8 cores, 16 threads), 4.9GHz |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB DDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB DDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GH DDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 8GB DDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 8GB DDR6 AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT 12GB DDR6 AMD Radeon RX 6700M 10GB GDDR6 |
| Memory | 16GB RAM (2x8GB) DDR5 4800 MHz Dual Channel32GB RAM (2x16GB) DDR5 4800 MHz Dual Channel64GB RAM (2x32GB) DDR5 4800 MHz Dual Channel |
| Hard Drive | 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 4TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Colors | Dark Side of the Moon |
| Keyboard | Alienware mSeries (Per key RGB) Alienware CherryMX Mechanical (Per key RGB) |
| Dimensions | Height (Peak): 1.05 in Width: 15.64 in Depth: 11.76 in Weight: 7.3 lbs. (3.3 kg) |
| Price | $1,139 – $3,749 |
Dell Alienware 17 R5 Review
For this Dell Alienware 17 R5 review, I used the cheapest configuration of this laptop. I did this because the performance of the higher configurations will definitely be better than the laptop I used. Therefore, this build will help me assess the minimum performance this gaming laptop can perform.
The cheapest one that I used had this pure AMD configuration:
| Display | 17.3” FHD 1920×1080, 165Hz, 3ms |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (8 cores, 16 threads), 4.7GHz |
| Graphics Card | AMD Radeon RX 6700M 10GB GDDR6 |
| Memory | 16GB RAM (2x8GB) DDR5 4800 MHz Dual Channel |
| Hard Drive | 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Colors | Dark Side of the Moon |
| Keyboard | Alienware CherryMX Mechanical (Per key RGB) |
| Ports | 2x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port 1x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port with Power Share support 1x Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 Port with DisplayPort support 1x 3.5mm headphone and microphone port1x HDMI 2.1 Output Port1x RJ45 Ethernet port |
| Price | $1,649.99 |
Design
The design of this laptop is pretty good, It has a sleek and compact design without too many engravings, which I liked. Here, I liked the placement of the keyboard and how professional it looked. Since the keyboard has RGB lights on them, it looked even prettier.
The bevel edges of this laptop are pretty slim, which looks superb, in my opinion. In addition, hen back chassis of the screen has this triangle-shaped edges with the Alienware logo, giving it a more gaming laptop feel.
However, the only downside I faced here is the weight of the laptop. While a big 17.3” screen might be awesome, it feels very heavy as a result. You will feel the 7.3 lb of this laptop while carrying it around in a bag for longer periods.
Display
The Dell Alienware 17 R5 has a fabulous display. My build has the FHD version with a 165Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. In my opinion, the 17.3” display makes everything seem better, especially on a laptop. In my opinion, it’s better tha the Dell XPS 13, which only has the benefit of being a touchscreen display.
Playing games feel better due to the larger screen compared to most other gaming laptops with 15.6” screens. I could feel headshots landing more efficiently while playing Valorant due to its low response time and high refresh rates. I wonder what it will feel like with a higher configuration!
Connectivity
Having lots of connectivity ports is a big plus for anyone using a laptop. Here, this laptop doesn’t disappoint in this regard. This laptop has three different USB ports. In addition, two of these ports have PowerShare and DisplayPort compatibilities as well.
Performance
I was surprised by the performance of this laptop, even though I got the lowest-end configuration.
When it came to performing normal tasks, I was surprised by the overall lag-free experience I got. I used various graphically intensive applications like Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effect without any lag. Plus, processing and rendering of the final video in 2K quality were quick too.
Now, when it comes to gaming, I only have one thing to say – this laptop will be a great gift for gamers. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800H processor with AMD Radeon RX 6700M graphics is more than enough to run most modern games at the highest settings. In addition, the 17.3” display with 165Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time also made the overall experience better.
Here are some of the frame rates I got playing games on this laptop:
| Game | Average Frame Rate (1080p, highest settings, v-sync turned off) |
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 78 |
| Metro Exodus | 63 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 67 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 56 |
| God of War | 60 |
| Marvel’s Spiderman | 65 |
| Valorant | 134 |
| Overwatch 2 | 126 |
| Call of Duty: Warzone | 101 |
As you can see, this laptop provided great gaming performance at 1080p resolution. When it came to multiplayer games, I was happy with its performance at max settings. However, I would still suggest gamers play competitive multiplayer games at the lowest settings since more frames win more games.
Battery Life
When it came to the battery life of the Dell Alienware 17 R5, the battery held up pretty well. It lasted a total of 6 hours while gaming, which is higher than most other Alienware 17in laptops. When not playing games, this laptop can last around 9 hours, which is pretty impressive.
Best Dell Alienware 17 R5 Alternatives
The best alternative laptops that you can buy in Dell Alienware 17 R5 stores are
1. Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop
Price: $2,249 – $4,954
Specifications
This laptop has many configurations. Therefore, the primary specification of this laptop is as follows:
| Display | 17.3in FHD 1920×1080, 165Hz, 3ms, NVIDIA G Sync17.3in FHD 1920×1080, 360Hz, 3ms, NVIDIA G Sync17.3in FHD 1920×1080, 480Hz, 3ms, NVIDIA G Sync17.3in QHD 2560×1440, 165Hz, 3ms, NVIDIA G Sync17.3in UHD 3840×2160, 120Hz, 3ms, NVIDIA G Sync |
| OS | Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Pro |
| Processor | 12th Gen Intel Core i7 12700H (14 cores, 20 threads), 4.7GHz 12th Gen Intel Core i9 12900H (14 cores, 20 threads), 5GHz 12th Gen Intel Core i9 12900HK (14 cores, 20 threads), 5GHz |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB DDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB DDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 16GB DDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 16GB DDR6 |
| Memory | 16GB RAM (2x8GB) DDR5 4800 MHz Dual Channel 32GB RAM (2x16GB) DDR5 4800 MHz Dual Channel 64GB RAM (2x32GB) DDR5 4800 MHz Dual Channel |
| Hard Drive | 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 512GB Raid 0 (2x256GB) M.2 Gen 4 PCIe NVMe SSD 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1TB Raid 0 (2x512GB) M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 2TB Raid 0 (2x1TB) M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 4TB Raid 0 (2x2TB) M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Colors | Lunar Light |
| Keyboard | Alienware X Series (Per key RGB) Alienware CherryMX Mechanical (Per key RGB) |
Pros & Cons
The primary advantages, and disadvantages of buying this laptop are:
| Pros | Cons |
| ➼ Unique and slim design ➼ Great gaming performance ➼ Customizable keyboard per key lighting ➼ CherryMX mechanical keyboard ➼ Lots of customization options | ➼ Very expensive ➼ Very heavy ➼ Pretty loud and hot under extensive use |
2. Acer Nitro 5
Price: $1,349
Specifications
The primary specification of this laptop is as follows:
| Display | 17.3in FHD 1920 x 1080 144Hz |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H (8 cores 16 threads) 4.6GHz |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GGR6 |
| Memory | 16GB DDR4 SDRAM (expandable to 32GB) |
| Hard Drive | 512GB PCIe SSD |
| Colors | Shale Black |
| Keyboard | Backlit Keyboard |
Pros & Cons
The primary advantages and disadvantages of buying this laptop are:
| Pros | Cons |
| ➼ Good gaming performance ➼ Lots of USB C and Ethernet ports ➼ Good battery life | ➼ Display could have been more vivid ➼ Dull design and looks |
3. Lenovo ThinkPad P17 Gen 2
Price: $1,709 – $2,969
Specifications
The primary specification of this laptop is as follows:
| Display | 17.3in FHD 1920 x 108017.3in UHD 3840 x 2160 |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i7 11800H (8 cores 16 threads) 4.6GHz11th Gen Intel Core i9 11950H 5GHz11th Gen Intel Xeon 11855M 4.9GHz |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA RTX A2000 4GB GDDR6NVIDIA RTX A4000 8GB GDDR6 |
| Memory | 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz64GB (2x32GB) DDR4 3200MHz |
| Hard Drive | 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD |
| Colors | Rugged Black |
| Keyboard | Backlit Keyboard |
Pros & Cons
The primary advantages, and disadvantages of buying this laptop are:
| Pros | Cons |
| ➼ Great overall performance ➼ Bright display ➼ Tactile Cherry ➼ MX mechanical keyboard ➼ Lots of connectivity ports ➼ Many configuration choices | ➼ Big and heavy ➼ No OLED or touch screen ➼ Pretty expensive |
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):-
When it comes to buying gaming laptops, gamers will always have many questions on their mind. Therefore, I have decided to answer some of their most frequently asked questions. They are
Ans: Yes, the Dell Alienware 17 R5 is a pretty good gaming laptop. It has a 17.3” screen with high refresh rates, making your gaming experience as smooth as possible. Plus, it’s powered by AMD Ryzen 7 6800H processor with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX or AMD Radeon RX graphics card.
Ans: Yes, this laptop will be a pretty good buy for graphic designers. Photo and video editors, along with 2D and 3D animators, will be best able to utilize this laptop’s graphical power.
Final Verdict: Is The Dell Alienware 17 R5 Worth Buying?
In my Dell Alienware 17 R5 review, I will say that yes, this laptop is worth buying. The best aspect of this laptop is that you can customize it in various ways as per your needs and budget.
This laptop has a big 17.3” screen with high refresh rates and low response times, making everything super smooth. This can be seen in playing games, where the quality of every animation and movement appears crisp. Plus, it also has a great battery life to boot as well.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➼ Great design and looks ➼ Good performance ➼ Lots of configurations available ➼ Better battery life compared to most other gaming laptops ➼ Great display ➼ Smooth mechanical keyboard | ➼ Very big and heavy ➼ Can be a bit loud and hot when used in performance mode ➼ Intel processors can outperform the weaker AMD processors |
Read Also:
Leave a Reply