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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is a premium-priced, more portable option with its smaller 13.4-inch screen, lighter weight, and reported longer battery life, making it suitable for general use and for those who are on-the-go. It has ample performance for general use, 3D tasks, and engineering applications, but it's not as powerful as the Dell. By contrast, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 carries a higher price, but offers a larger 17.3-inch screen, more memory, and is heavier, which might limit its portability. It's better suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, where its superior performance could be more noticeable. Both come with sizable storage and high refresh rate displays, but if you value portability and battery life over top-tier performance, the ASUS may be your preferred option. If performance, especially for gaming and heavy computational tasks, is your priority and you don't mind the extra weight and shorter battery life, the Dell might be the better fit. 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 ROG Flow X13
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m18 R1
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.8
9.1
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS ROG Flow X13 is good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.5
9.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS ROG Flow X13 is very good.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13, while offering a robust AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, RTX 4070 GPU, and high screen quality, is outfitted with less RAM compared to the Dell Alienware m18 R1's larger capacity, making the latter more adept at handling complex engineering tasks. Furthermore, the Alienware's superior Intel i9 CPU and RTX 4080 GPU account for its excellence in engineering and design tasks, although the substantial tradeoff is decreased portability due to its larger size and weight.
Screen Quality
8.4
7.8
13.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
511.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
If you prioritize a crisp display and bright visuals for everyday tasks and professional design work, the ASUS ROG Flow X13 stands out due to its high resolution and brightness, which enhances the viewing experience for general use and aids in precise color work in engineering and design. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers a good balance with satisfactory resolution and brightness, providing a quality visual experience for both general use and engineering, although it does not excel specifically in either. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications where a high refresh rate is critical, and their inferior refresh rates may lead to less fluid motion and response times during such activities.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has 8 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
13.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.1
8.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
511.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.1/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and ASUS ROG Flow X13 are both very good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both acclaimed for general use due to their potent CPUs, ample RAM, high-resolution displays, and solid build quality. However, the ASUS is more portable with a better battery life and a versatile 2-in-1 design, making it highly suitable for on-the-go users, while the Dell offers more power and a larger screen, catering to those who prioritize performance over portability and have less need for long battery life.
Content Creation
8.2
8.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and ASUS ROG Flow X13 are both very good for content creation.
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
8.0
8.0
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both very good for software development.
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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 and Dell Alienware m18 R1 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,500
$2,600
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has a price of $2,500 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
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How the ASUS ROG Flow X13 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Flow X13 | Dell Alienware m18 R1 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,500 | $2,600 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.8'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.87 lbs | 8.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.77" | 16.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.35" | 12.59" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | Intel i9-13900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 511 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.8/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.3/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS ROG Flow X13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2021
"The Asus ROG Flow X13 is not an off-the-shelf convertible. This quickly becomes clear when you take a closer look at the technical specs. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS is a state-of-the-art SoC with 8 cores and 16 threads, which also makes the 2-in-1 interesting as a work device. With 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, gamers are also well taken care of. The dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q fits well into the overall concept and ensures a solid 3D performance. With the eGPU dock, which is equipped with a GeForce RTX 3080, the small convertible transforms into a full-fledged desktop replacement in terms of performance."
Dell Alienware m18 R1
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | July 2023
"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 ROG Flow X13 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.
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