Alienware X17 R1 vs. Surface Pro 8: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for Alienware X17 R1 and Surface Pro 8 models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Alienware X17 R1 image

Alienware X17 R1

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Surface Pro 8

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Alienware X17 R1 Pros

Reasons that Alienware X17 R1 is better than Surface Pro 8.

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-11980HK inside Alienware X17 R1 has a 98% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1185G7 inside Surface Pro 8.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware X17 R1 - Intel Core i9-11980HK
9,677
Alienware X17 R1 - Intel Core i7-11800H
7,908
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i7-1185G7
4,864
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i5-1135G7
3,980
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i3-1115G4
2,445
Supports larger memory

Alienware X17 R1 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Pro 8. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Surface Pro 8.

Max system memory size
Alienware X17 R1
64 GB
Surface Pro 8
32 GB
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 Pro 8 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryAlienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR4 XMPLPDDR4X
Supports discrete graphics

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

33% larger display

Alienware X17 R1 has a 17.3-inch screen size 33% larger than the 13-inch Surface Pro 8.

Display size
Alienware X17 R1
17.3-inch
Surface Pro 8
13-inch
Has four more ports and slots

Alienware X17 R1 has more ports and slots count than the Surface Pro 8. It has ten versus six amount of ports and slots on the Surface Pro 8.

PortsAlienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
HDMIYesNo
headphone jackYesYes
microSD card slotYesNo
Mini DisplayPortYesNo
power portYesNo
RJ-45YesNo
SSD slotNoYes
Surface ConnectNoYes
Surface Type CoverNoYes
Thunderbolt 4YesYes x2
USB-AYes x2No
USB-CYesNo
Total106
Much better versatile connectivity

Alienware X17 R1 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Pro 8. It has nine versus two commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Pro 8.

PortsAlienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
headphone jackYesYes
Thunderbolt 4YesYes
HDMIYesNo
microSD card slotYesNo
Mini DisplayPortYesNo
power portYesNo
RJ-45YesNo
USB-AYesNo
USB-CYesNo

Surface Pro 8 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 8 is better than Alienware X17 R1.

Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 8 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware X17 R1. It supports up to 4267MHz versus 3466MHz of system memory on the Alienware X17 R1.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 8 - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
Alienware X17 R1 - DDR4 XMP
3,466 MHz
About 71% lighter

Surface Pro 8 weighed 1.96 pounds, 71% lighter than the 6.65 pounds Alienware X17 R1.

WeightAlienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
Pound
6.65 lbs.
1.96 lbs.
Kilogram
3.02 kg
0.89 kg

Prices

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

Alienware X17 Price
Alienware X17 R2 VR Ready Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C, Windows 11 Home - White
 Alienware X17 R2 VR Ready Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C, Windows 11 Home - White
By Alienware
$1,899.99
$2,149.97 12% OFF
See at Amazon
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 480Hz Display, Intel Core i9-12900HK, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080Ti 16GB GDDR6, VR Ready, Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Light
 Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 480Hz Display, Intel Core i9-12900HK, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080Ti 16GB GDDR6, VR Ready, Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Light
By Dell
$2,089.99
See at Amazon
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" 4K | Core i9-2TB SSD - 32GB RAM - RTX 3080 | Cores - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6X Win 11 Home
 Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" 4K | Core i9-2TB SSD - 32GB RAM - RTX 3080 | Cores - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6X Win 11 Home
By Dell
$2,436.27
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$737.90
$1,099.99 33% OFF
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model) (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$680.99
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i7-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i7-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$924.99
$1,050.01 12% OFF
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
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
  • $1,099.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 128GB
    Platinum only.
  • $1,199.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 256GB
  • $1,399.99 
    i5-1135G7 16GB 256GB
  • $1,399.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 512GB
  • $1,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 256GB
  • $1,899.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 512GB
  • $2,199.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
  • $2,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 32GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
Generations

Exterior

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
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.
11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37” (287 mm x 208 mm x 9.3 mm)
Weight6.65 - 7.05 lbs (3.02 - 3.2 kg)1.96 lb (889 g)
Colors
Lunar light
With High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky - Smooth Finish
Matte Black 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.
  • Not included.
  • Compatible with 
    Surface Pro Signature Keyboard Surface Pro X Keyboard
  • Type Cover Features:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.
  • Surface Slim Pen Storage
    • Magnetic dock
    • Automatically wireless charge Surface Slim Pen

Display

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
Size17.3 Inches13 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: 2880 x 1920
    5.53M Pixels.
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
    60Hz default.
  • PixelSense™ Flow Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: GPU Ink Acceleration
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch

Ports

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
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 Pro 8 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Type Cover
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x SSD slot
    M.2 2230 NVMe slot

Internal Specs

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
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. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    2 cores, 4 threads, 3.00 → 4.10 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 28W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.40 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 28W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 28W
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. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    48 Execution Units, 400 → 1250 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 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
8GB 16GB 32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X 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
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.

Connectivity

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
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 5.1 technology
EthernetKiller E3100 2.5G Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
-

Battery

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
Size87 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 51.5Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 50.2Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
Battery Life-Up to 16 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply
240W 330W
power adapter.
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)

Software

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Windows 11 Home
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)
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Preloaded Xbox app
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one month trial

Camera & Audio

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
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
  • 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD and 4K 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
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
Inking-
  • Supports Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP)
    4096 levels of pressure Tilt sensing Best in class latency Paper feel 0.1mm precision magnetic storage
  • Supports Tactile signals with Surface Slim Pen 2
SensorsWindows Hello IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient Color Sensor (brightness and color)
Security-
  • Firmware TPM chip for enterprise-grade security and BitLocker support
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box-
  • Surface Pro 8
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis1-year limited hardware warranty

Key Features

Alienware X17 R1Surface Pro 8
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 2.8K
13”
1920p 60~120Hz
Weight
1.96 lb
0.89 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1185G7
4C/8T, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,404
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,864
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Pro 8 Ports

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