Dell XPS 15 9520 vs. Alienware X15 R2: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Dell XPS 15 9520 and Alienware X15 R2 specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

Dell XPS 15 9520 Pros

Reasons that Dell XPS 15 9520 is better than Alienware X15 R2.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-12900HK inside Dell XPS 15 9520 has a 8% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-12900H inside Alienware X15 R2.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Dell XPS 15 9520 - Intel Core i9-12900HK
13,006
Alienware X15 R2 - Intel Core i9-12900H
12,027
Dell XPS 15 9520 - Intel Core i7-12700H
11,774
Alienware X15 R2 - Intel Core i7-12700H
11,774
Dell XPS 15 9520 - Intel Core i5-12500H
9,293
Supports larger memory

Dell XPS 15 9520 supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware X15 R2. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware X15 R2.

Max system memory size
Dell XPS 15 9520
64 GB
Alienware X15 R2
32 GB
Upgradable memory

Dell XPS 15 9520 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 X15 R2 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryDell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR5LPDDR5
About 22% lighter

Dell XPS 15 9520 weighed 4.06 pounds, 22% lighter than the 5.15 pounds Alienware X15 R2.

WeightDell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Pound
4.06 lbs.
5.15 lbs.
Kilogram
1.84 kg
2.34 kg

Alienware X15 R2 Pros

Reasons that Alienware X15 R2 is better than Dell XPS 15 9520.

Supports faster memory

Alienware X15 R2 supports a faster memory speed than the Dell XPS 15 9520. It supports up to 5200MHz versus 4800MHz of system memory on the Dell XPS 15 9520.

Memory type and speed
Alienware X15 R2 - LPDDR5
5,200 MHz
Dell XPS 15 9520 - DDR5
4,800 MHz

Prices

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

Dell XPS 15 9520 Price
Dell XPS 15 9520 15.6" FHD+ (Intel 12th Gen 14-Core i7-12700H (Beat i9-11980HK), 64GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, RTX 3050) Business Laptop, Backlit, Fingerprint, Thunderbolt 4, Webcam, Win 11 Pro
Dell XPS 15 9520 15.6" FHD+ (Intel 12th Gen 14-Core i7-12700H (Beat i9-11980HK), 64GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, RTX 3050) Business Laptop, Backlit, Fingerprint, Thunderbolt 4, Webcam, Win 11 Pro
By Dell
$1,929.99
DELL XPS 15 9520 15.6" Laptop Intel Core i7-12700H(14-Core) 1TB PCIe SSD 32GB RAM FHD+ (1920x1200) 500 Nit RTX 3050 Windows 11 PRO
DELL XPS 15 9520 15.6" Laptop Intel Core i7-12700H(14-Core) 1TB PCIe SSD 32GB RAM FHD+ (1920x1200) 500 Nit RTX 3050 Windows 11 PRO
By Dell
$1,769.00
$2,029.00 13% OFF
Dell XPS 15 9520 (Latest Model) Intel 12th Gen Core i7-12700H (14-CORE) 1TB PCIe SSD 32GB DDR5 RAM FHD+ Non Touch RTX 3050 Win 11 Pro (Renewed)
Dell XPS 15 9520 (Latest Model) Intel 12th Gen Core i7-12700H (14-CORE) 1TB PCIe SSD 32GB DDR5 RAM FHD+ Non Touch RTX 3050 Win 11 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,362.99
Alienware X15 R2 Price
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, WiFi 6, Bluetooth, Windows 11 Home - White
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, WiFi 6, Bluetooth, Windows 11 Home - White
By Alienware
$1,640.00
$1,999.97 18% OFF
Dell Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 15.6" QHD | Core i7 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 15.6" QHD | Core i7 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,314.99
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Core i9-12900H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, Killer WiFi 6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Light
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Core i9-12900H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, Killer WiFi 6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Light
By Alienware
$2,599.00

Availability

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Released20222022
Release DateAnnounced on March 25, 2022.
  • Announced on January 4, 2022.
  • Available starting in Winter 2022.
PricingWindows 11 Home
  • $1,439
    i5-12500H, 8GB, 512GB, Intel UHD, FHD+ Non-touch
Windows 11 Pro
  • $1,499
    i5-12500H, 8GB, 512GB, Intel UHD, FHD+ Non-touch
  • $1,599
    i5-12500H, 16GB, 512GB, Intel Iris Xe, FHD+ Non-touch
  • $1,949 
    i7-12700H, 16GB, 512GB, RTX 3050, FHD+ Non-touch
  • $2,049 
    i7-12700H, 16GB, 512GB, RTX 3050 Ti, FHD+ Non-touch
  • $2,349 
    i7-12700H, 16GB, 512GB, RTX 3050 Ti, 4K UHD+ Touch
  • $2,399 
    i9-12900HK, 16GB, 512GB, RTX 3050 Ti, FHD+ Touch
  • $2,699 
    i9-12900HK, 16GB, 512GB, RTX 3050 Ti, 3.5K OLED Touch
Starting at $2,199
Generations

Exterior

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Dimensions13.56” x 9.06” x 0.73” (344.40 x 230.10 x 18.54 mm)
  • 14.16” x 10.915” x 0.642” (359.7 x 277.25 x 16.3 mm)
    With FHD 165Hz diplay.
  • 14.16” x 10.915” x 0.626” (359.7 x 277.25 x 15.9 mm)
    With FHD 360Hz or QHD 240Hz diplay.
Weight
  • 4.06 lb (1.84 kg)
    Non-touch with 56Wh.
  • 4.22 lb (1.92 kg)
    Non-touch with 86Wh.
  • 4.31 lb (1.96 kg)
    OLED touch with 86Wh.
  • 4.62 lb (2.10 kg)
    4K+ touch with 86Wh.
5.15 ~ 5.2 lbs. (2.34 ~ 2.36 kg)
Colors
  • Platinum Silver exterior Black interior
  • CNC machined aluminum in platinum silver with carbon fiber composite palm rest in black
  • Edge-to-edge Corning® Gorilla® Glass 6 on the touch panel
Lunar light
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full size, backlit chiclet keyboard.
  • Built-in Fingerprint Reader.
    On power button.
  • 5.94 x 3.54 in (150.90 mm x 90 mm) touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
  • 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.
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 all configurations)

Display

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Size15.6 Inches15.6 Inches
Info
  • 15.6” FHD+ Nontouch
    1920 x 1200 145 PPI 500 nits 16:10 100% sRGB 1650:1 60Hz Dolby Vision™️ Eyesafe®️ Anti-glare WVA 4.41 W
  • 15.6” 3.5K OLED Touch
    3456 x 2160 261 PPI 400 nits 16:10 100% DCI-P3 SDR (80000:1) HDR(124000:1) 60Hz DisplayHDR™️ 500TB Dolby Vision™️ Eyesafe®️ Anti-glare WVA 8.74 W
  • 15.6” 4K UHD+ Touch
    3840 x 2400 290 PPI 500 nits 16:10 100% AdobeRGB 94% DCI-P3 1600:1 60Hz DisplayHDR™️ 400 Dolby Vision™️ Eyesafe®️ Anti-glare WVA 10.4 W
  • 15.6” FHD with 165Hz
    1920 x 1080 141 PPI ComfortView Plus 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 6W
  • 15.6” FHD with 360Hz
    1920 x 1080 141 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 1ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 7.6W
  • 15.6” QHD with 240Hz
    2560 x 1440 188 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 2ms response time 400 nits 16:9 99% DCI-P3 color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 10.15 W

Ports

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Dell XPS 15 9520 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 (3)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Alienware X15 R2 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port
Right
  • 1 x Headset port
Back
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    Supports USB 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4, and PD output 15W (5V/3A).
  • 1 x USB-C
    Supports USB 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4, and PD output 15W (5V/3A).
  • 1 x USB-A
    Supports USB 3.2 Gen 1 with PowerShare
  • 1 x HDMI 2.1
    Supports up to 4K@120Hz display out.
  • 1 x MicroSD Card Slot

Internal Specs

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Processor
  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
  3. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900HK
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.50 → 5.00 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.30 → 4.70 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900H
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.50 → 5.00 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  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
  3. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900HK
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1450 MHz
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1400 MHz
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1450 MHz
Memory
4 GB 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64 GB
4800 MHz Dual-channel DDR5 RAM.
2 x SODIMM slots.
  • 16GB 32GB
    Dual Channel LPDDR5 5200MHz
Memory Slots
  • Onbaord memory
Memory Configurations
  • Speed: 5200MHz
  • Memory Type: Dual-channel LPDDR5
  • Minimum Memory: 16 GB
  • Maximum Memory: 32 GB
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050
    Ampere Architecture 4GB GDDR6 128-bit 2304 CUDA Cores 40W
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti
    Ampere Architecture 4GB GDDR6 128-bit 2560 CUDA Cores 45W
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 - 6GB GDDR6
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Ti - 6GB GDDR6
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 Ti - 6GB GDDR6
* All configurations include 8-phase HyperEfficient graphics voltage regulation.
Storage
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.
  • 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)

Connectivity

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Wi-FiIntel Killer 1675 (AX211)
Dual Band 2.4GHz/5GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675
Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi 6E 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.2
Ethernet-2.5Gbps Ethernet NIC via included Type-C to RJ-45 port dongle

Battery

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Size
  • 56 Wh
    3-cell "smart" lithium-ion.
  • 86 Wh
    6-cell "smart" lithium-ion.
87 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
Battery Life
  • 13 hours 20 minutes
    On a FHD+ with 86Wh model.
  • 9 hours 13 minutes
    On a OLED 3.5K with 86Wh model.
  • 8 hours 42 minutes
    On a 4K UHD+ with 86Wh model.
-
Power Supply
  • 90 W USB Type-C power adapter
    Power rated at 5VDC/3A, 9VDc/3A, 15VDC/3A, 20VDC/4.5A.
  • 130 W USB Type-C power adapter
    Power rated at 5VDC/1A, 20VDC/6.5A.
240W
power adapter.

Software

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
OSWindows 11
Home Pro
Windows 11
Home Pro
Built-in Apps
  • Microsoft Office 30-days trial
  • McAfee LiveSafe™ 12 Month Subscription
Alienware Command Center
  • Dashboard 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

Camera & Audio

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Camera
  • 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.
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Optional Windows Hello IR support.
Audio
  • Realtek ALC3281-CG
  • Studio quality tuning with Waves MaxxAudio® Pro and Waves Nx® 3D audio
  • Quad-speaker design with 2.5W x2 woofers and 1.5W x2 tweeters = 8W total peak output
  • Dual microphone array optimized with Waves MaxxVoice supporting VoIP - Microsoft Cortana capable
  • Speakers:
    • Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos
  • Microphone:
    • Dual-array microphones

Misc

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader in the power button
  • IR Camera
Windows Hello IR Camera
Security
  • Windows Hello with Fingerprint Sign in
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • Wedge-shaped lock
Windows Hello IR camera for Facial Biometrics
Warranty1 Year ProSupport with Next Business Day Onsite Service1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis

Key Features

Dell XPS 15 9520Alienware X15 R2
At Glance
Released in Early
2022
16:10 3.5K
15.6”
2160p OLED
Weight
4.06 lb
1.84 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
64GB
4800 MHz DDR5
Dell XPS 15 9520 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3050Ti
4GB GDDR6 45W TGP
Starting at
$1,439
i5-12500H, 8GB, 512GB
Up to
13 Hours
Battery Life
Built-in
Facial Recognition
Built-in
Fingerprint Reader
Featuring
Waves Nx® 3D
2 Woofers + 2 Tweeters
Supports
Dell Power Manager
Controls fan, battery life, & performance
Released in Early
2022
16:9 QHD
15.6”
1440p 240Hz
Weight
5.15 lb
2.34 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-12900H
14C/20T, 2.50 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,758
Single Core
Geekbench 5
12,027
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1450 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5
Alienware X15 R2 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080 Ti
16GB GDDR6

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