How do the scores compare?

Alienware x16 R2 scores 55/100 overall; MSI Sword 16 HX B14V scores 44.6/100. Alienware x16 R2 wins 3 individual spec rows, MSI Sword 16 HX B14V wins 2.

What are the main differences between the Alienware x16 R2 and the MSI Sword 16 HX B14V?

Alienware x16 R2 advantages: Stronger display score: 49 vs 36; Stronger battery score: 87 vs 53; 67% higher Refresh rate: 240 Hz vs 144 Hz; 38% higher capacity: 90 Wh vs 65 Wh; 33% lower thickness: 18.6 mm vs 27.7 mm. MSI Sword 16 HX B14V advantages: 14% lower weight: 2.3 kg vs 2.66 kg.

Alienware x16 R2 vs MSI Sword 16 HX B14V

WINNER

Dell

Alienware x16 R2

$2,100

MSI

MSI Sword 16 HX B14V

49.3Performance50.5

49Display35.7

86.7Battery53.3

35.5Portability35

3 spec wins — Alienware x16 R22 spec wins — MSI Sword 16 HX B14V

InnoReviews verdict

Alienware x16 R2 wins this laptop face-off, 55 to 44.6, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+33) and display (+13). MSI Sword 16 HX B14V still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the Alienware x16 R2

Stronger display score: 49 vs 36
Stronger battery score: 87 vs 53
67% higher Refresh rate: 240 Hz vs 144 Hz
38% higher capacity: 90 Wh vs 65 Wh
33% lower thickness: 18.6 mm vs 27.7 mm

Reasons to pick the MSI Sword 16 HX B14V

14% lower weight: 2.3 kg vs 2.66 kg

Display

Display comparison: Alienware x16 R2 versus MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Spec	Alienware x16 R2	MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Screen size	16 ″	16 ″
Panel type	IPS LCD	IPS
Resolution	2560x1600	1920x1200
Refresh rate	240 Hz+67%	144 Hz
Peak brightness	300 nits	312 nits+4%

Performance

Performance comparison: Alienware x16 R2 versus MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Spec	Alienware x16 R2	MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Processor	Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (Core Ultra 9 185H optional)	Intel Core i7-14700HX
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop (RTX 4070, RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 optional)	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop
RAM	16 GB	16 GB
RAM type	LPDDR5X-7467 (soldered)	DDR5-5600 (2x SO-DIMM)
Storage	1,024 GB	1,024 GB
Storage type	PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (two M.2 slots)	PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Alienware x16 R2 versus MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Spec	Alienware x16 R2	MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Geekbench 6 (single)	—	2,837Top 41%
Geekbench 6 (multi)	—	15,107Top 33%

Battery

Battery comparison: Alienware x16 R2 versus MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Spec	Alienware x16 R2	MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Capacity	90 Wh+38%	65 Wh
Charging	—	200 W

Design

Design comparison: Alienware x16 R2 versus MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Spec	Alienware x16 R2	MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Weight	2.66 kg	2.3 kg+14%
Thickness	18.6 mm+33%	27.7 mm
Material	All-metal chassis	Plastic

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Alienware x16 R2 versus MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Spec	Alienware x16 R2	MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Ports	1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort), 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, mini DisplayPort, microSD, 3.5mm audio jack	3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort, PD 3.0), HDMI 2.1, RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm combo jack
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth	5.4	5.4
Webcam	1080p (HDR) + IR camera	720p HD with privacy shutter
Biometrics	IR face (Windows Hello)	—

Software

Software comparison: Alienware x16 R2 versus MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Spec	Alienware x16 R2	MSI Sword 16 HX B14V
Operating system	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11 Home

Related comparisons

Alienware x16 R2vs MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+VS Alienware x16 R2vs ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405)VS Alienware x16 R2vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition)VS Alienware x16 R2vs Dell XPS 16 (2026)VS MSI Sword 16 HX B14Vvs HP OmniBook 7 AeroVS MSI Sword 16 HX B14Vvs HP OmniBook 5 16 (2025)VS MSI Sword 16 HX B14Vvs Dell Inspiron 16 Plus (2024)VS MSI Sword 16 HX B14Vvs HP OmniBook X Flip 14 (14-fm0000)VS

Try another matchup

Device oneDevice two