Dell XPS 17 9720 vs. Alienware X17 R1: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Dell XPS 17 9720 and Alienware X17 R1 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Dell XPS 17 9720 Pros

Reasons that Dell XPS 17 9720 is better than Alienware X17 R1.

Newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2021

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-12700H inside Dell XPS 17 9720 has a 21% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-11980HK inside Alienware X17 R1.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Dell XPS 17 9720 - Intel Core i7-12700H
11,774
Alienware X17 R1 - Intel Core i9-11980HK
9,677
Dell XPS 17 9720 - Intel Core i5-12500H
9,293
Alienware X17 R1 - Intel Core i7-11800H
7,908
Supports faster memory

Dell XPS 17 9720 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware X17 R1. It supports up to 4800MHz versus 3466MHz of system memory on the Alienware X17 R1.

Memory type and speed
Dell XPS 17 9720 - DDR5
4,800 MHz
Alienware X17 R1 - DDR4 XMP
3,466 MHz
About 28% lighter

Dell XPS 17 9720 weighed 4.79 pounds, 28% lighter than the 6.65 pounds Alienware X17 R1.

WeightDell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
Pound
4.79 lbs.
6.65 lbs.
Kilogram
2.17 kg
3.02 kg

Alienware X17 R1 Pros

Reasons that Alienware X17 R1 is better than Dell XPS 17 9720.

Has three more ports and slots

Alienware X17 R1 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.

PortsDell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
full-size SD card slotYesNo
HDMINoYes
headphone jackYesYes
lock slotYesNo
microSD card slotNoYes
Mini DisplayPortNoYes
power portNoYes
RJ-45NoYes
Thunderbolt 4Yes x4Yes
USB-ANoYes x2
USB-CNoYes
Total710
Much better versatile connectivity

Alienware X17 R1 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.

PortsDell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
headphone jackYesYes
Thunderbolt 4YesYes
full-size SD card slotYesNo
HDMINoYes
microSD card slotNoYes
Mini DisplayPortNoYes
power portNoYes
RJ-45NoYes
USB-ANoYes
USB-CNoYes

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Dell XPS 17 9720 and Alienware X17 R1.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 64GB

Both laptops supports up to 64GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Dell XPS 17 9720
64 GB
Alienware X17 R1
64 GB
Upgradable memory

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

MemoryDell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
Slots
x2
x2
TypeDDR5DDR4 XMP

Prices

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

Dell XPS 17 9720 12700H Price
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 Home
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 Home
By Dell
$2,686.49
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
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

Availability

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
Released20222021
Release DateAnnounced on March 3, 2022Available on June 1, 2021
PricingWindows 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
  • $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
Applicable Models
  • 2022 Dell XPS 17
  • Dell XPS 17 9720
  • Dell XPS 9720
-
Generations

Exterior

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
Dimensions14.74” x 9.76” x 0.77” (374.45 x 248.05 x 19.5 mm)
  • 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.
Weight
  • 4.79 lb (2.17 kg)
    Non-touch with 97Wh.
  • 5.67 lb (2.57 kg)
    Touch with 97Wh.
6.65 - 7.05 lbs (3.02 - 3.2 kg)
Colors
Platinum Silver exterior Black interior
CNC machined aluminum in platinum silver with carbon fiber composite palm rest in black.
Lunar light
With High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky - Smooth Finish
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full size, backlit chiclet keyboard.
  • 5.91 x 3.50 in (150 mm x 89 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.

Display

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
Size17 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 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
  • 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

Ports

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
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
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

Internal Specs

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
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
  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
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
  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
Memory
4 GB 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64 GB
4800 MHz Dual-channel DDR5 RAM.
2 x SODIMM slots.
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
Discrete Graphics
  • 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
  • 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
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.
  • 2 x M.2 2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)
    Supports RAID-0

Connectivity

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
Wi-FiIntel Killer 1675 (AX211)
Onboard Dual Band 2.4GHz/5GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675w
Triple Band 2.4GHz/5GHz/6GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.2
Ethernet-Killer E3100 2.5G Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
Size97 Wh
6-cell "smart" lithium-ion.
87 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
Power Supply130 W USB Type-C power adapter
Power rated at 5VDC/1A, 20VDC/6.5A.
240W 330W
power adapter.

Software

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
OSWindows 11
Home Pro Pro National Academic
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
  • Microsoft Office 30-days trial
  • McAfee LiveSafe™ 12 Month Subscription
  • Alienware Command Center
    AlienFX lighting Game Library Auto-tune game profile functionality Fusion Alienware Adrenalin Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)

Camera & Audio

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
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.
  • Windows Hello IR support.
Audio
  • 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
  • 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

Misc

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
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
-
Warranty1 Year ProSupport with Next Business Day Onsite Service1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis

Key Features

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1
At Glance
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
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

Comparison Summary

Dell XPS 17 9720 vs. Alienware X17 R1

Dell has released the XPS 17 9720, a 17-inch machine, in early-2022. It is powered by up to 14-core Intel Core i7-12700H with a boost clock speed up to 4.70 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 with 6GB GDDR6 70W TGP.

On the other hand, we have the 17.3-inch Alienware X17 R1 was introduced by Dell about a year earlier in mid-2021. It comes with up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-11980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 16GB GDDR6 150W TGP.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Dell XPS 17 97201
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-12500H1,65399.70%
2
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H1,658100.00%
Alienware X17 R11
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H1,46688.42%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK1,64699.28%
01,658

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Dell XPS 17 97201
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-12500H9,29378.93%
2
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H11,774100.00%
Alienware X17 R11
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H7,90867.16%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK9,67782.19%
011,774

The Dell XPS 17 9720 has a 17-inch display which is quite similar size to the 17.3-inch Alienware X17 R1. In addition, The Dell XPS 17 9720 weighs 4.79 lbs. about 38% lighter than the 6.65 lbs. Alienware X17 R1. Moreover, measured at 14.74” x 9.76” x 0.77”, the Dell XPS 17 9720 is much more portable than the Alienware X17 R1 at 15.72” x 11.79” x 0.82”.

Dell XPS 17 9720Alienware X17 R1

There are a toal number of 7 ports and slots available on Dell XPS 17 9720. That includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports, a lock slot, a full-size SD card slot, and a headphone jack. With that said, it has three ports and slots fewer than the Alienware X17 R1 that has a power port, a headphone jack, a Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB-C port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a Mini DisplayPort, a microSD card slot, and an RJ-45 port.

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Dell XPS 17 9720 supports up to 64GB 4800 MHz DDR5 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 Alienware X17 R1, it supports up to 64GB 3466 MHz DDR4 XMP memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also has two M.2 slots that users can easily swap or add an extra SSD to get extra space when needed.

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