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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is significantly less expensive than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and offers solid general use, gaming, and engineering capabilities. It's more portable with a smaller, lighter design and has a touchscreen. However, the Alienware provides more powerful performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to better hardware but comes with a higher price tag and increased weight, which affects its portability. The ROG Flow has better battery life for typical usage and offers a good balance of price and functionality for various tasks. If budget is a concern and you seek a blend of performance and portability, choose the ASUS ROG Flow X16; if maximum performance for demanding applications is a priority and budget is less of an issue, go for the Dell Alienware m18 R1. 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 X16
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m18 R1
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6
9.1
7.2/10
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
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS ROG Flow X16 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
8.3
9.1
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.2/10
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 X16 is very good.
The Asus ROG Flow X16 is highly suitable for engineering and design due to its AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, substantial RAM, and high-quality IPS touchscreen display that enhances creative work with stylus support and flexible viewing angles. However, the Dell Alienware m18 R1, with its more advanced Intel i9 CPU, higher-end Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, and double the RAM, offers excellent performance for the most demanding engineering tasks and 3D design, despite being less portable and touchscreen absent.
Screen Quality
8.5
7.8
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
502.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, the ASUS ROG Flow X16 excels with its high-resolution display and brightness, making it ideal for everyday tasks and media consumption, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers a solid experience with less emphasis on display finesse. When it comes to engineering and design, the ASUS stands out with its superior color accuracy, covering professional color gamuts which are essential for precision work; the Dell, while adequate, may not be as accurate in color representation. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short with refresh rates that don't match the high demands of fast-paced visuals, although they provide sufficient resolution and panel quality for a decent experience.
Battery
5.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has 5.5 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
Good
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,300
$2,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a price of $1,300 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
8.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
502.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.1/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and ASUS ROG Flow X16 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 outshines the ASUS ROG Flow X16 in general use mainly due to its more powerful Intel i9 processor and double the RAM, which greatly enhances performance for demanding tasks, although its larger screen size and heavier weight reduce portability compared to the more compact and lighter ASUS. Additionally, the ASUS has a higher-quality screen with better color coverage and brightness, making it more suitable for tasks where visual fidelity is paramount, but it is let down by its shorter battery life compared to the Dell.
Content Creation
8.0
8.4
8.1/10
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 X16 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
7.7
8.0
8.1/10
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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is good.
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 X16 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.
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How the ASUS ROG Flow X16 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Flow X16 | Dell Alienware m18 R1 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,300 | $2,600 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.6'' x 0.76'' | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 8.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.98" | 16.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.57" | 12.59" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS | Intel i9-13900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 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 | 502 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 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 | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 2 | 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 X16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | June 2023
"Above all else, the Asus ROG Flow X16 is one thing - versatile! It is a thin, mobile work device, it's a 2-in-1, tablet, a powerful workstation and even a gaming PC. But something even more surprising: It does all of these things really well without making any big blunders. It's anything but a lazy compromise. Because, despite its compact dimensions and 2-in-1 functionality, the hardware isn't throttled and boasts, at least in turbo mode, above-average 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 X16 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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