Alienware X17 R2 vs. Dell XPS 17 9720: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Alienware X17 R2 and Dell XPS 17 9720 specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

Alienware X17 R2 Pros

Reasons that Alienware X17 R2 is better than Dell XPS 17 9720.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-12900HK inside Alienware X17 R2 has a 10% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-12700H inside Dell XPS 17 9720.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware X17 R2 - Intel Core i9-12900HK
13,006
Alienware X17 R2 - Intel Core i7-12700H
11,774
Dell XPS 17 9720 - Intel Core i7-12700H
11,774
Dell XPS 17 9720 - Intel Core i5-12500H
9,293
Has three more ports and slots

Alienware X17 R2 has more ports and slots count than the Dell XPS 17 9720. It has ten versus seven amount of ports and slots on the Dell XPS 17 9720.

PortsAlienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
full-size SD card slotNoYes
HDMIYesNo
headphone jackYesYes
lock slotNoYes
microSD card slotYesNo
Mini DisplayPortYesNo
power portYesNo
RJ-45YesNo
Thunderbolt 4YesYes x4
USB-AYes x2No
USB-CYesNo
Total107
Much better versatile connectivity

Alienware X17 R2 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Dell XPS 17 9720. It has nine versus three commonly used ports and slots on the Dell XPS 17 9720.

PortsAlienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
headphone jackYesYes
Thunderbolt 4YesYes
full-size SD card slotNoYes
HDMIYesNo
microSD card slotYesNo
Mini DisplayPortYesNo
power portYesNo
RJ-45YesNo
USB-AYesNo
USB-CYesNo

Dell XPS 17 9720 Pros

Reasons that Dell XPS 17 9720 is better than Alienware X17 R2.

Supports larger memory

Dell XPS 17 9720 supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware X17 R2. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware X17 R2.

Max system memory size
Dell XPS 17 9720
64 GB
Alienware X17 R2
32 GB
About 27% lighter

Dell XPS 17 9720 weighed 4.79 pounds, 27% lighter than the 6.54 pounds Alienware X17 R2.

WeightAlienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
Pound
6.54 lbs.
4.79 lbs.
Kilogram
2.97 kg
2.17 kg

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware X17 R2 and Dell XPS 17 9720.

Uses the same memory type and speed

Both laptops supports the same 4800MHz DDR5 RAM.

Memory type and speed
Alienware X17 R2 - DDR5
4,800 MHz
Dell XPS 17 9720 - DDR5
4,800 MHz
Upgradable memory

Both laptops come with available RAM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed.

MemoryAlienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
Slots
x2
x2
TypeDDR5DDR5

Prices

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

Alienware X17 R2 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
$2,199.99
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" 4K | Core i9-2TB SSD - 64GB RAM - RTX 3080 | 14 Cores @ 5 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 10GB GDDR6X Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" 4K | Core i9-2TB SSD - 64GB RAM - RTX 3080 | 14 Cores @ 5 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 10GB GDDR6X Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,653.99
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
$2,296.00
Dell XPS 17 9720 12700H Price
Dell 2023 XPS 17 9720 Laptop 17" Touchscreen UHD+ Display 14-Core 12th Intel Core i7-12700H NVIDIA RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 32GB DDR5 2TB NVMe SSD Thunderbolt 4 WiFi 6E Backlit KB FP Reader Windows 10 Pro
Dell 2023 XPS 17 9720 Laptop 17" Touchscreen UHD+ Display 14-Core 12th Intel Core i7-12700H NVIDIA RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 32GB DDR5 2TB NVMe SSD Thunderbolt 4 WiFi 6E Backlit KB FP Reader Windows 10 Pro
By Dell
$3,529.00
Dell XPS 9720 Laptop PC 17 Inch UHD+ 3840 x 2400 Intel Core i7-12700H Processor, 32GB Ram, 1TB NVMe SSD, Thunderbolt, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, Webcam, Windows 11 Pro (Renewed)
Dell XPS 9720 Laptop PC 17 Inch UHD+ 3840 x 2400 Intel Core i7-12700H Processor, 32GB Ram, 1TB NVMe SSD, Thunderbolt, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, Webcam, Windows 11 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,478.99
Dell XPS 17 9720 17" UHD+ (3840 x 2400) Touchscreen Laptop - 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H 14-Core up to 4.70 GHz Processor, 64GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6, Windows 11 Pro
Dell XPS 17 9720 17" UHD+ (3840 x 2400) Touchscreen Laptop - 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H 14-Core up to 4.70 GHz Processor, 64GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6, Windows 11 Pro
By Dell
$2,686.49

Availability

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
Released20222022
Release Date
  • Announced on January 4, 2022.
  • Available starting in Winter 2022.
Announced on March 3, 2022
PricingStarting at $2,299Windows 11 Home
  • $1,839
    i5-12500H, 8GB, 512GB, Intel UHD, FHD+ Non-touch
Windows 11 Pro
  • $1,899
    i5-12500H, 8GB, 512GB, Intel UHD, FHD+ Non-touch
  • $1,999
    i5-12500H, 16GB, 512GB, Intel Iris Xe, FHD+ Non-touch
  • $2,349 
    i7-12700H, 16GB, 512GB, RTX 3050, FHD+ Non-touch
  • $2,649
    i7-12700H, 16GB, 512GB, RTX 3050, 4K UHD+ Touch
Applicable Models-
  • 2022 Dell XPS 17
  • Dell XPS 17 9720
  • Dell XPS 9720
Generations

Exterior

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
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” (39 9.23 x 299.49 x 21.4 mm)
    With FHD 165Hz or UHD 120Hz diplay.
14.74” x 9.76” x 0.77” (374.45 x 248.05 x 19.5 mm)
Weight6.54 ~ 6.82 lbs. (2.96 - 3.09 kg)
  • 4.79 lb (2.17 kg)
    Non-touch with 97Wh.
  • 5.67 lb (2.57 kg)
    Touch with 97Wh.
Colors
Lunar light
With High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky - Smooth Finish
Platinum Silver exterior Black interior
CNC machined aluminum in platinum silver with carbon fiber composite palm rest in black.
Keyboard and TrackpadKeyboard
  • Alienware X-Series thin keyboard
    • Per-key RGB LED with AlienFX lighting
    • Anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology.
    • 1.5mm key travel.
  • Alienware's CherryMX ultra-low-profile mechanical laptop keyboard
    • Per-key AlienFX lighting
    • 1.8mm key travel
    • Includes N-key rollover and anti-ghosting technology
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.
  • Full size, backlit chiclet keyboard.
  • 5.91 x 3.50 in (150 mm x 89 mm) touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
Chasis Information
  • Based on Alienware's Legend 2.0 industrial design language
  • Constructed with CNC aluminum and magnesium alloy parts
  • Engineered with Alienware Cryo-Tech™ Cooling technology
  • Includes Alienware's Quad-Fan Design
    Patent-pending
  • Element 31 thermal interface material
    Available with NVIDIA graphics options higher than 3060.
-

Display

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
Size17.3 Inches17 Inches
Info
  • 17.3” FHD with 165Hz
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB Dolby Vision Anti-glare WVA
  • 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 Dolby Vision Anti-glare WVA
  • 17.3” UHD with 120Hz
    3840 x 2160 255 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 4ms response time 500 nits 16:9 99% DCI-P3 Dolby Vision Anti-glare WVA
  • 17” FHD+ Nontouch
    1920 x 1200 133 PPI 500 nits 16:10 100% sRGB 1650:1 60Hz Dolby Vision™️ Eyesafe®️ Anti-glare WVA 5.06 W
  • 17” 4K UHD+ Touch
    3840 x 2400 266 PPI 500 nits 16:10 100% AdobeRGB 99% DCI-P3 1600:1 60Hz DisplayHDR™️ 400 Dolby Vision™️ Eyesafe®️ Anti-reflective Anti-smudge WVA 13.73 W

Ports

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
Alienware X17 R2 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 4.0 (40 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)
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.1
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
    v1.4
  • 1 x RJ-45
    2.5 Gbps
  • 1 x microSD card slot
Dell XPS 17 9720 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (3)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x lock slot
Right (4)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
    v6.0
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone

Internal Specs

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
Processor
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.30 → 4.70 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900HK
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.50 → 5.00 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-12500H
    12 cores, 16 threads, 2.50 → 4.50 GHz, 18MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.30 → 4.70 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1400 MHz
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900HK
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1450 MHz
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-12500H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1400 MHz
Memory
  • 16GB 32GB
    Dual Channel DDR5 4800MHz
Memory Slots
  • 2 x DDR5 SODIMM slots.
Memory Configurations
  • Speed: 4800MHz
  • Memory Type: Dual-channel DDR5
  • Minimum Memory: 16 GB
  • Maximum Memory: 32 GB
4 GB 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64 GB
4800 MHz Dual-channel DDR5 RAM.
2 x SODIMM slots.
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 - 6GB GDDR6
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series Laptop Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series Laptop Graphics
* Up to 12-phase HyperEfficient graphics voltage regulation.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050
    Ampere Architecture 4GB GDDR6 128-bit 2304 CUDA Cores 60W
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060
    Ampere Architecture 6GB GDDR6 192-bit 3584 CUDA Cores 70W
Storage
  • Storage slots: 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe slots
Single Storage Configuration
  • 256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB
    PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Dual Storage Configuration
  • 512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB
    RAID-0 (2 x PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD)
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
  PCIe Gen 4 x4 NVMe SSD.
Up to 64Gbps.
  • Storage slots: 2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots.

Connectivity

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
Wi-FiKiller Wi-Fi 6E AX1675
Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi 6E 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Intel Killer 1675 (AX211)
Onboard Dual Band 2.4GHz/5GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.2
EthernetKiller E3100 2.5G Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
-

Battery

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
Size87 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery97 Wh
6-cell "smart" lithium-ion.
Power Supply
240W 330W
power adapter.
130 W USB Type-C power adapter
Power rated at 5VDC/1A, 20VDC/6.5A.

Software

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
OSWindows 11
Home Pro
Windows 11
Home Pro Pro National Academic
Built-in AppsAlienware Command CenterDashboard navigates all features, including themes, system performance, and overclocking.
  • Five Tailored Power States
    full speed performance balanced quiet battery saver
  • Game Library to manage titles from multiple services
  • FX supports full RBG values up to 16.8 million colors
  • Power Management adjusts power plans with a game
  • Overclocking controls system performance and overclocking profiles
  • Sound Center dials in the perfect sound by managing sound profiles, audio effects, and Audio Recon
AlienFX Lighting Detail
  • Programmable with up to 16.8 million distinct colors
  • Rear stadium lighting is now engineered with 90 micro-LEDs for a bold new look
  • Microsoft Office 30-days trial
  • McAfee LiveSafe™ 12 Month Subscription

Camera & Audio

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
Camera
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Windows Hello IR support.
  • Front-facing camera
    Top-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps.
  • Infrared camera
    576 x 360 (VGA) at 30 fps for Windows Hello Facial Recognition.
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
  • Realtek ALC711-CG Audio Controller
  • Realtek ALC1319D Amplifier
  • Studio quality tuning with Waves MaxxAudio® Pro and Waves Nx® 3D audio
  • Quad-speaker design with 2.5W x2 woofers and 2.5W x2 tweeters = 10W total peak output
  • Dual microphone array optimized with Waves MaxxVoice supporting VoIP - Microsoft Cortana capable

Misc

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
SensorsWindows Hello IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader in the power button
  • IR Camera
SecurityWindows Hello IR camera for Facial Biometrics
  • Windows Hello with Fingerprint Sign in
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • Wedge-shaped lock
Warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis1 Year ProSupport with Next Business Day Onsite Service

Key Features

Alienware X17 R2Dell XPS 17 9720
At Glance
Released in Early
2022
16:9 4K UHD
17.3”
2160p 120Hz
Weight
6.54 lb
2.97 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-12900HK
14C/20T, 2.50 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,798
Single Core
Geekbench 5
13,006
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1450 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
4800 MHz DDR5
Alienware X17 R2 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080 Ti
16GB GDDR6
Released in Early
2022
16:10 4K UHD+
17”
2400p 60Hz
Weight
4.79 lb
2.17 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-12700H
14C/20T, 2.30 → 4.70 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,658
Single Core
Geekbench 5
11,774
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1400 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
4800 MHz DDR5
Dell XPS 17 9720 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3060
6GB GDDR6 70W TGP
Starting at
$1,839
i5-12500H, 8GB, 512GB
Built-in
97Wh
Large Battery
Built-in
Facial Recognition
Built-in
Fingerprint Reader
Featuring
Waves Nx® 3D
2 Woofers + 2 Tweeters
Advanced Thermal Design
Vapor Chamber
Cooling System
Supports
Dell Power Manager
Controls fan, battery life, & performance

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