Alienware X17 R1 vs. Surface Go 3: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware X17 R1 and Surface Go 3 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware X17 R1 Pros

Reasons that Alienware X17 R1 is better than Surface Go 3.

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-11980HK inside Alienware X17 R1 has a 516% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i3-10100Y inside Surface Go 3.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware X17 R1 - Intel Core i9-11980HK
9,677
Alienware X17 R1 - Intel Core i7-11800H
7,908
Surface Go 3 - Intel Core i3-10100Y
1,570
Surface Go 3 - Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y
1,510
Supports larger memory

Alienware X17 R1 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Go 3. It supports up to 64GB versus 8GB of system memory on the Surface Go 3.

Max system memory size
Alienware X17 R1
64 GB
Surface Go 3
8 GB
Supports faster memory

Alienware X17 R1 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Go 3. It supports up to 3466MHz versus 1866MHz of system memory on the Surface Go 3.

Memory type and speed
Alienware X17 R1 - DDR4 XMP
3,466 MHz
Surface Go 3 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Upgradable memory

Alienware X17 R1 comes with two SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the Surface Go 3 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryAlienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR4 XMPLPDDR3
Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6 150W TGP vs. integrated

Upgradable storage

Alienware X17 R1 comes with two M.2 slots that you can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.

SlotsAlienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
M.2
Yes x2
Onboard
64% larger display

Alienware X17 R1 has a 17.3-inch screen size 64% larger than the 10.5-inch Surface Go 3.

Display size
Alienware X17 R1
17.3-inch
Surface Go 3
10.5-inch
Has five more ports and slots

Alienware X17 R1 has more ports and slots count than the Surface Go 3. It has ten versus five amount of ports and slots on the Surface Go 3.

PortsAlienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
HDMIYesNo
headphone jackYesYes
microSD card slotYesYes
Mini DisplayPortYesNo
power portYesNo
RJ-45YesNo
Surface ConnectNoYes
Surface Go Type Cover ConnectorNoYes
Thunderbolt 4YesNo
USB-AYes x2No
USB-CYesYes
Total105
Much better versatile connectivity

Alienware X17 R1 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Go 3. It has nine versus three commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Go 3.

PortsAlienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
headphone jackYesYes
microSD card slotYesYes
USB-CYesYes
HDMIYesNo
Mini DisplayPortYesNo
power portYesNo
RJ-45YesNo
Thunderbolt 4YesNo
USB-AYesNo

Surface Go 3 Pros

Reasons that Surface Go 3 is better than Alienware X17 R1.

About 82% lighter

Surface Go 3 weighed 1.2 pounds, 82% lighter than the 6.65 pounds Alienware X17 R1.

WeightAlienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Pound
6.65 lbs.
1.2 lbs.
Kilogram
3.02 kg
0.54 kg

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Alienware X17 Price
Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 480Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i9-12900H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, Killer Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Light
Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 480Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i9-12900H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, Killer Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Light
By Alienware
$2,270.00
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core i9 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 5 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core i9 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 5 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,396.79
Dell Alienware X17 R1 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD+ | Core i7-512GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 4.9 GHz - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X17 R1 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD+ | Core i7-512GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 4.9 GHz - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,611.98
Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5” Price
Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$513.00
$629.99 19% OFF
Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Black (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Black (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$499.99
$629.99 21% OFF
Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Pentium® Gold - 4GB Memory - 64GB eMMC - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Pentium® Gold - 4GB Memory - 64GB eMMC - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$390.00

Availability

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Released20212021
Release DateAvailable on June 1, 2021
  • Introduced: September 22, 2021
  • Pre-ordered: September 22, 2021
  • Released: October 5, 2021
Pricing
  • $2,099.99
    i7-11800H 16GB 256GB RTX 3060 6GB FHD 165Hz
  • $2,479.99
    i7-11800H 16GB 512GB RTX 3070 8GB FHD 165Hz
  • $3,229.99
    i7-11800H 32GB 512GB RTX 3080 16GB UHD 120Hz
  • $3,629.99
    i9-11980HK 32GB XMP 512GB RTX 3080 16GB UHD 120Hz
  • $399 
    Gold 6500Y 4 GB 64 GB WiFi
  • $549
    Gold 6500Y 8 GB 128 GB WiFi
  • $629
    i3-10100Y 8 GB 128 GB WiFi
Generations

Exterior

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Dimensions
  • 15.718” x 11.791” x 0.823” (399.23 x 299.49 x 20.9 mm)
    With FHD 360Hz diplay.
  • 15.718” x 11.791” x 0.843” (399.23 x 299.49 x 21.4 mm)
    With FHD 165Hz or UHD 120Hz diplay.
9.65” x 6.9” x 0.33” (245 mm x 175  mm x 8.3 mm)
Width: 9.65” (245 mm)
Height: 6.9” (175 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.3 mm)
Weight6.65 - 7.05 lbs (3.02 - 3.2 kg)
  • Surface Go 3: 1.2 lbs (544 g)
  • Surface Go 3 Keyboard: 0.55 lbs (249 g)
Colors
Lunar light
With High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky - Smooth Finish
Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware X-Series thin keyboard
    • Per-key RGB LED with AlienFX lighting
    • Anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology.
    • 1.5mm key travel.
  • Touchpad
    • Multi-touch gesture Premium Precision glass touchpad with integrated scrolling.
    • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
    • Supports AlienFX touchpad.
  • Surface Go Type Cover
    • Not included
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size mechanical backlit keyset with 1 mm of key travel.
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 101 mm x 56 mm
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Size17.3 Inches10.5 Inches
Info
  • 17.3” FHD with 165Hz
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI ComfortView Plus 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 7.2 W
  • 17.3” FHD with 360Hz
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 1ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB 800:1 Anti-glare WVA 8.4 W
  • 17.3” UHD with 120Hz
    3840 x 2160 255 PPI ComfortView Plus 4ms response time 500 nits 16:9 100% Adobe RGB 1200:1 Anti-glare WVA 12.2 W
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1280 (2.45M Pixels)
  • Density: 220 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Contrast ratio: 1500:1
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3

Ports

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Alienware X17 R1 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (1)
  • 1 x power port
Right (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Back (8)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery (5V/3A)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery (5V/3A)
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Powershare
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.1
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
    v1.4
  • 1 x microSD card slot
  • 1 x RJ-45
    2.5 Gbps, Killer E3100
Surface Go 3 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Right (3)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Go Type Cover Connector
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x microSD card slot

Internal Specs

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Processor
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.60 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.30 → 5.00 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 65W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 6500Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.10 → 3.40 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 5W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-10100Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.30 → 3.90 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 5W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 6500Y
    Intel® UHD Graphics 615
    23 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-10100Y
    Intel® UHD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
Memory
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64GB
3200MHz or 3466MHz Dual-channel DDR4 SDRAM.
2 x SO-DIMM slots.
  • Max 32GB of 3200 MHz DDR4 Memory
  • Max 64GB of 3466 MHz XMP DDR4 Memory
4GB 8GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060
    6GB GDDR6 TGP: 115W Dynamic Boost: 15W Max Power: 130W Speed: 1387 → 1702 MHz
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 TGP: 125W Dynamic Boost: 15W Max Power: 140W Speed: 1215 → 1620 MHz
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080
    16GB GDDR6 TGP: 150W Dynamic Boost: 15W Max Power: 165W Speed: 1350 → 1710 MHz
* All configurations include 12-phase HyperEfficient graphics voltage regulation.
-
Storage
  • 2 x M.2 2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)
    Supports RAID-0
  • 64GB
    eMMC
  • 128GB
    SSD

Connectivity

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Wi-FiRivet Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675w
Triple Band 2.4GHz/5GHz/6GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology
EthernetKiller E3100 2.5G Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
-
More-LTE version coming soon.

Battery

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Size87 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 28Wh 
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 26.8Wh 
    Minimum battery capacity.
Battery Life-Up to 11 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply
240W 330W
power adapter.
24W proprietary Surface Connect power supply

Software

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Windows 11 Home in S-mode
Built-in Apps
  • Alienware Command Center
    AlienFX lighting Game Library Auto-tune game profile functionality Fusion Alienware Adrenalin Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one month trial
  • Microsoft 365 Family one month trial

Camera & Audio

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Camera
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Windows Hello IR support.
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
Audio
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3281
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 2 x 4W speakers
  • Microphone:
    • Dual-array microphones
  • Enhanced dual far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™

Misc

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
Inking-Supports Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP)
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
magnetic storage
SensorsWindows Hello IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
Security-
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box-
  • Surface Go 3
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
More-
  • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
  • Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 165 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power
  • Casing: Magnesium

Key Features

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3
At Glance
Released in Mid
2021
16:9 4K UHD
17.3”
2160p 120Hz
Weight
6.65 lb
3.02 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-11980HK
8C/16T, 3.30 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,646
Single Core
Geekbench 5
9,677
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
3466 MHz DDR4 XMP
Alienware X17 R1 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080
16GB GDDR6 150W TGP
Released in Late
2021
3:2 FHD+
10.5”
1280p 60Hz
Weight
1.2 lb
0.54 kg
Up to
Intel Core i3-10100Y
2C/4T, 1.30 → 3.90 GHz
Geekbench 5
799
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,570
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 615
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
Configurable up to
8GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Go 3 Ports
Starting at
$399
Gold 6500Y, 4GB, 64GB eMMC
Supports
Surface Pen
4096 Levels, Tilt sensing, Magnetic Storage.
Up to
11 Hours
Battery Life
Built-in
IR Camera
For Face Unlock
Optional
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 6

Comparison Summary

Alienware X17 R1 vs. Surface Go 3

Dell has released the Alienware X17 R1, a 17.3-inch machine, in mid-2021. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-11980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 16GB GDDR6 150W TGP.

On the other hand, we have the 10.5-inch Surface Go 3 was introduced by Microsoft around the same year in late-2021. It comes with up to a dual-core Intel Core i3-10100Y with a boost clock speed up to 3.90 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® UHD Graphics 615 (24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware X17 R11
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H1,46689.06%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK1,646100.00%
Surface Go 31
10th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 6500Y77847.27%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-10100Y79948.54%
01,646

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware X17 R11
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H7,90881.72%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK9,677100.00%
Surface Go 31
10th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold 6500Y1,51015.60%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-10100Y1,57016.22%
09,677

The Alienware X17 R1 has a 17.3-inch display which is way larger than the 10.5-inch Surface Go 3. In addition, the Alienware X17 R1 weighs 6.65 lbs. about 454% heavier than the 1.2 lbs. Surface Go 3. Moreover, measured at 15.72” x 11.79” x 0.82”, the Alienware X17 R1 is much bulkier than the Surface Go 3 at 9.65” x 6.9” x 0.33”.

Alienware X17 R1Surface Go 3

There are a toal number of 10 ports and slots available on Alienware X17 R1. That includes a power port, a headphone jack, a Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB-C port, a USB-A port, an HDMI port, a Mini DisplayPort, a microSD card slot, and an RJ-45 port. With that said, it has five ports and slots more than the Surface Go 3 that has a USB-C port, a Surface Connect, a headphone jack, a Surface Go Type Cover Connector, and a microSD card slot.

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware X17 R1 supports up to 64GB 3466 MHz DDR4 XMP memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also comes with two M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.

For Surface Go 3, it supports up to 8GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 memory. Unlike Alienware X17 R1, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Furthermore, it also has an integrated storage module and has no M.2 slots for replacement.

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