Based on your needs, consider the following: The ASUS R410MA is more affordable and offers decent performance for general day-to-day tasks, with a longer battery life making it more portable but it has limited storage and lower performance capabilities. The Dell Alienware m18 R1, on the other hand, is a premium, high-performance laptop with substantial storage, a high-powered processor, and advanced graphics capabilities suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering software, but it is more expensive, heavier, and has a shorter battery life, which impacts portability. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS R410MA
Very good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m18 R1
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.5/10
8.2/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
8.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.1/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the ASUS R410MA is poor.
The ASUS R410MA's less powerful Intel Celeron processor and minimal RAM make it cumbersome for multitasking, while its lower-quality TN screen offers subpar viewing compared to the Dell Alienware m18 R1's high-end Intel i9 processor, substantial RAM, and superior IPS screen. Furthermore, the Alienware's larger screen and higher resolution enhance visual clarity, which along with better heat management and build quality, justifies its reduced portability and shorter battery life compared to the more mobile, but less capable ASUS laptop.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS R410MA is poor.
The ASUS R410MA is equipped with an entry-level Intel UHD Graphics GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, which aren't suitable for demanding gaming and 3D applications, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 features a high-end Nvidia RTX GPU and a faster 165Hz screen, making it excellent for such tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.3/10
9.1/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS R410MA is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
5.7/10
8.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS R410MA is poor.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
5.6/10
8.0/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the ASUS R410MA is poor.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
5.1/10
7.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the ASUS R410MA for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the ASUS laptop's screen may suffer from a lower resolution and dimmer display, making the Dell Alienware's sharper and brighter screen a better choice. During engineering and design tasks, the Dell's superior color gamut coverage ensures more accurate color representation, which is essential. However, for gaming and 3D applications, despite the Dell's decent resolution and panel type, its lackluster refresh rate may lead to less fluid motion compared to laptops designed for high-performance gaming.
Battery
8.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS R410MA has 8.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS R410MA has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the ASUS R410MA has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$111
$2,600
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS R410MA has a price of $111 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
"The Asus Laptop L410 is a super-affordable PC, even among budget notebooks, compromising on the display and processing power to deliver a serviceable Windows machine with good battery life and useful ports. The build is reasonably solid, there’s a good mix of ports, battery life is long enough, and it can perform basic everyday tasks. On the flip side, the screen is poor, anything other than basic tasks is a tough ask, and it has little memory and even less storage."
"Dell's Alienware m18 delivers on its promises: This is a large, powerful gaming laptop with the premium flair and feel you expect from an expensive purchase. The drawbacks are really the price and battery life, which in context are reasonable. (We'd also like to see more ports on the laptop's sides.) This price tier exists for deep-pocketed enthusiasts, and if you’re considering anything in this range, the m18 isn’t an outlier. For the majority of shoppers, of course, all of these mighty 18-inch systems are likely too expensive."
Get a great deal on the ASUS R410MA or the Dell Alienware m18 R1
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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