Dell Precision 3550 vs. Alienware M17 R4: Full specs comparison

We have comprehensively compared the specifications for the Dell Precision 3550 and Alienware M17 R4 models. The report includes detailed information regarding both models' CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Dell Precision 3550 image

Dell Precision 3550

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Alienware M17 R4

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Dell Precision 3550 Pros

Reasons that Dell Precision 3550 is better than Alienware M17 R4.

Upgradable memory

Dell Precision 3550 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 Alienware M17 R4 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryDell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR4DDR4
About 26% lighter

Dell Precision 3550 weighed 4.09 pounds, 26% lighter than the 5.51 pounds Alienware M17 R4.

WeightDell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Pound
4.09 lbs.
5.51 lbs.
Kilogram
1.86 kg
2.50 kg

Alienware M17 R4 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M17 R4 is better than Dell Precision 3550.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-10980HK inside Alienware M17 R4 has a 79% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-10810U inside Dell Precision 3550.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware M17 R4 - Intel Core i9-10980HK
7,013
Alienware M17 R4 - Intel Core i7-10870H
6,596
Dell Precision 3550 - Intel Core i7-10810U
3,911
Dell Precision 3550 - Intel Core i7-10610U
3,042
Dell Precision 3550 - Intel Core i5-10310U
2,992
Dell Precision 3550 - Intel Core i7-10510U
2,942
Dell Precision 3550 - Intel Core i5-10210U
2,933
Supports faster memory

Alienware M17 R4 supports a faster memory speed than the Dell Precision 3550. It supports up to 2933MHz versus 2666MHz of system memory on the Dell Precision 3550.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M17 R4 - DDR4
2,933 MHz
Dell Precision 3550 - DDR4
2,666 MHz
10% larger display

Alienware M17 R4 has a 17.3-inch screen size 10% larger than the 15.6-inch Dell Precision 3550.

Display size
Alienware M17 R4
17.3-inch
Dell Precision 3550
15.6-inch

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Dell Precision 3550 and Alienware M17 R4.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Dell Precision 3550
32 GB
Alienware M17 R4
32 GB

Prices

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

Dell Precision 3550 Price
Dell Precision 3550 15.6-inch Laptop - Intel Core i5 10th Gen i5-10310U - Quad Core 4.4Ghz - 256GB SSD - 16GB RAM - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
 Dell Precision 3550 15.6-inch Laptop - Intel Core i5 10th Gen i5-10310U - Quad Core 4.4Ghz - 256GB SSD - 16GB RAM - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$349.99
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Dell Precision 3550 15.6-inch Laptop - Intel Core i5 10th Gen i5-10310U - Quad Core 4.4Ghz - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Pro Carbon (Renewed)
 Dell Precision 3550 15.6-inch Laptop - Intel Core i5 10th Gen i5-10310U - Quad Core 4.4Ghz - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Pro Carbon (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,163.97
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Dell Precision 3550 Laptop FHD Notebook PC, Intel Core i7-10510U Processor, 16GB DDR4 Ram, 512GB NVMe SSD, Webcam, WiFi & Bluetooth, Thunderbolt, HDMI, NVIDIA Quadro P520 Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
 Dell Precision 3550 Laptop FHD Notebook PC, Intel Core i7-10510U Processor, 16GB DDR4 Ram, 512GB NVMe SSD, Webcam, WiFi & Bluetooth, Thunderbolt, HDMI, NVIDIA Quadro P520 Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$600.00
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Alienware M17 R4 Price
Alienware m17 R4, 17.3 inch FHD (Full HD) Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light
 Alienware m17 R4, 17.3 inch FHD (Full HD) Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light
By Alienware
$2,399.00
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Dell Alienware m17 R4 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD | Core i7-1TB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 10 Home
 Dell Alienware m17 R4 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD | Core i7-1TB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 10 Home
By Dell
$1,166.50
See at Amazon
Dell Alienware m17 R4 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD | Core i7 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | 8 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Pro (Renewed)
 Dell Alienware m17 R4 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD | Core i7 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | 8 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,485.99
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Released20202021
Release Date-
  • Announced on January 12, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available on January 26, 2021
Pricing-Starting at $2,149.99
Generations

Exterior

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Dimensions14.13” x 9.30” x 0.46 - 0.59” (359.1 mm x 236.25 mm x 11.81 - 14.99  mm)15.74” x 11.585” x 0.6618 - 0.87 - 0.8154” (399.8 mm x 294.26 mm x 16.9 - 22 - 20.71 mm)
Weight4.09 lbs (1.86 kg)Starting at 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg) up to 6.55 lbs (2.97 kg)
Colors-
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full-size backlit keyboard.
  • 4.00” x 2.45” (101.7 mm x 55.2 mm) touchpad with 5 multi-touch gesture support.
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware mSeries 4-Zone AlienFX RGB keyboard.
    • Alienware mSeries keyboard with per-key RGB LED.
  • AlienFX lighting
  • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology
  • 1.7mm key travel
  • 0.2mm-dish concave key design
  • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.

Display

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Size15.6 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 15.6" HD Non-Touch
    1366x768 100 PPI 220 nits Anti-Glare Non-Touch 45% color gamut
  • 15.6" FHD Non-Touch
    1920x1080 141 PPI 220 nits Anti-Glare Non-Touch 45% color gamut WVA
  • 15.6" FHD Non-Touch
    1920x1080 141 PPI 300 nits Anti-Glare Non-Touch 100% sRGB WVA
  • 15.6" FHD Touch
    1920x1080 141 PPI 220 nits Anti-Glare w/Embedded Touch 45% color gamut WVA
  • 17.3” FHD with 144Hz 
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 7ms response time 300 nits 16:9 72% NTSC NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology 600:1 contrast ratio Anti-glare WVA
  • 17.3” FHD with 360Hz
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI tms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology 700:1 Anti-glare WVA
  • 17.3” UHD with 60Hz
    3840 x 2160 255 PPI 25ms response time 500 nits 16:9 100% Adobe RGB 1 200:1 contrast ratio 12W max Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA

Ports

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Dell Precision 3550 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt™ 3 
    Supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 and DisplayPort 1.4.
  • 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
  • 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 with PowerShare
  • 1 x HDMI 1.4 Port
  • 1 x Flip-Down RJ-45 port
  • 1 x Headset jack
  • 1 x MicroSD-card reader
  • 1 x SIM card slot (optional)
  • 1 x Smart card reader (optional)
  • 1 x Noble Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • 1 x DC-in
Alienware M17 R4 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 Port
    Supports USB Type-C™ with support for USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps, 40Gbps Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort 1.2.
  • 2 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port
  • 1 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with PowerShare technology
  • 1 x RJ-45 Ethernet port
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
  • 1 x HDMI 2.1
    Supports up to 4K@120Hz display out.
  • 1 x Mini-Display Port 1.4 (certified) Output Port
  • 1 x Audio Out 1/8" Ports (Compatible with inline mic headset)
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately)
  • 1 x microSD 5.1, UHD-II HD312 Card Reader
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port

Internal Specs

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Processor
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10210U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.60 → 4.20 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10310U with vPro™
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.70 → 4.40 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10510U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.80 → 4.90 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10610U with vPro™
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.80 → 4.90 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  5. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10810U with vPro™
    6 cores, 12 threads, 1.10 → 4.90 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.20 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10210U
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10310U with vPro™
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10510U
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10610U with vPro™
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  5. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10810U with vPro™
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Memory
  • Memory Slots
    • 2 x DDR4 SODIMM slots
  • Memory Configurations
    • Speed: 2667MHz
    • Memory Type: Non-ECC
    • Minimum Memory: 4GB
    • Maximum Memory: 32B
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
2933 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
Discrete Graphics
NVIDIA Quadro P520 (Optional)
Pascal Architecture, 2GB GDDR5 64-bit, 1303 → 1493 MHz, 384 CUDA Cores.
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3000 series
Storage
  • Hard Drive Slots
    • 1 x M.2 PCIe SSD slot
    • 1 x 2.5 inches hard drive slot
  • Hard Drive Configurations
    • Up to 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
    • Up to 2TB SATA Hard Drive
Available Slots
  • One M.2 2230 slot (Up to 512GB)
  • Two M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)
Single Drive
  • 256 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 1 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 2 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
RAID-0
  • 512GB (2x256 PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 1TB (2x 512 PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
RAID-0 Plus
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]

Connectivity

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Wi-Fi
  • Intel AX201
    Up to 2400 Mbps Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi 802.11 a/b/g WiFi-4 (802.11n) WiFi-5 (802.11ac) WiFi-6 (802.11ax) Bluetooth 5.1
  • Qualcomm QCA61x4A (DW1820)
    Up to 867 Mbps Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi 802.11 a/b/g WiFi-4 (802.11n) WiFi-5 (802.11ac) Bluetooth 5.0
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 2400 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Bluetooth 5.1
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i › Bluetooth 5.1
EthernetIntel 1219-V/Intel 1219-LM Gigabit Ethernet controller
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3100X PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Size
  • 42 Wh - 3-cell lithium-ion, ExpressCharge capable
  • 51 Wh - 3-cell lithium-ion, ExpressCharge capable
  • 68 Wh - 4-cell lithium-ion, ExpressCharge capable
  • 68 Wh - 4-cell lithium-ion, Long Cycle Life
86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion with Alienware Battery Defender
Battery LifeUp to 17 hours of battery life
With optional 4-cell 68 Wh ExpressCharge capable battery.
-
Power Supply
  • 65 W - 7 mm-barrel power adapter
  • 90 W - 7 mm-barrel power adapter
  • 65 W - USB-C power adapter
  • 90 W - USB-C power adapter
  • 240W power adapter
  • 330W power adapter

Software

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Ubuntu 18.04 LTS RedHat 8.2
Upgradable to Windows 11
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 30-days trial
  • Alienware Command Center
    Supports AlienFX lighting, Game
    Library with auto-tune game profile functionality.
  • Alienware Adrenalin
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)

Camera & Audio

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Top-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps.
  • Optinal Infrared camera
    For Windows Hello Facial Recognition.
Front-facing camera
Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • Dual integrated high-quality speakers
  • 2W Stereo Speakers
  • Dual integrated noise-canceling digital array microphones
  • MaxxAudio® Pro by Waves
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3281-CG
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 2-Way (Woofer/Tweeter) Stereo Speaker Design
    • Includes Discrete Smart Amp Woofer technology
  • Microphone:
    • Digital-array microphones in the camera assembly

Misc

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • The fingerprint reader in the power button (optional)
  • IR Camera (optional)
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
Security
Hardware Security
  • SafeBIOS - protects from threats that attack below-the-OS. Includes Dell Off-host BIOS Verification, BIOS Resilience, BIOS Recovery, and additional BIOS Controls.
  • SafeID - secures end-user credentials with a dedicated security chip. Additional features include the following: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.07, self-encrypting storage drives (Opal, FIPS), Smart card keyboard (FIPS).
  • Physical Security Options - Chassis lock slot support, Chassis Intrusion Switch, Lockable Cable Covers, Supply chain tamper alerts (Check regional availability)
Software Security
  • SafeGuard and Response - powered by VMware Carbon Black and Secureworks provides modern security to prevent, detect, and remediate advanced malware and cyber attacks. A suite of technologies include the following: Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Threat Detection and Response (TDR), Managed Endpoint Detection and Response, Incident Management Retainer, Emergency Incident Response
  • SafeData - protects information on devices and in the cloud.
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • Trusted Protection Module
WarrantyBasic Onsite Service 12 Months, 12 Month(s)-
More-CHASIS
  • Based on Alienware's Legend industrial design language
  • Engineered with Alienware's Advanced Cryo-Tech Cooling technology
  • Engineered with HyperEfficient Voltage Regulation
  • Constructed with a Magnesium Alloy exterior shell and copper alloy thermal components

Key Features

Dell Precision 3550Alienware M17 R4
At Glance
Released in
2020
16:9 FHD
15.6”
1080p 60Hz
Weight
4.09 lb
1.86 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-10810U
6C/12T, 1.10 → 4.90 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,039
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,911
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
2666 MHz DDR4
Dell Precision 3550 Ports
Nvidia Quadro
P520
2GB GDDR5
Released in Early
2021
16:9 FHD
17.3”
1080p 360Hz
Weight
5.51 lb
2.50 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-10980HK
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,223
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,013
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
2933 MHz DDR4
Alienware M17 R4 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080
8GB GDDR6

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