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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 is less expensive and offers great portability with a lighter weight and longer battery life, suitable for users who need to move around frequently. It has a midrange performance that can handle general use and decent gaming. Meanwhile, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 is costlier but provides more power for demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering with higher performance components and more RAM. However, it's heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less ideal if you need to carry it often. Both laptops have similar storage capacity and high-quality displays, but the Alienware has a slightly larger screen. 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 Zephyrus G15
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
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 keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
9.1
7.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out for gaming and 3D with its stronger Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card and larger screen size, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, with a respectable Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, offers solid performance but not to the same level. Both laptops have equivalent high refresh rates but the Alienware's superior GPU contributes to its excellence in rendering games and 3D graphics with more detail and fluidity.
Engineering and Design
8.0
9.1
7.5/10
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 Zephyrus G15 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 surpasses the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 in engineering and design use, owing to its higher-capacity RAM for multitasking, a more powerful CPU and better GPU for demanding software, and a larger screen with excellent quality for detailed work.
Software Development
7.4
8.0
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 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.
Screen Quality
7.9
7.8
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 offers high resolution and brightness, which are vital for crisp text and vivid images, making it well-suited for general use and visually demanding tasks like engineering and design where color accuracy matters. However, the refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced 3D environments, may not meet the needs of serious gamers or professionals in animation. The Dell Alienware m18 R1 also provides a good balance of resolution and color fidelity for general and technical applications but falls short in providing the high refresh rates desired for gaming and 3D modeling.
Battery
9.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has 9.5 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
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,637
$2,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has a price of $1,637 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.2
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.1/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 offers a balance of good portability with a thinner and lighter design and excellent screen quality for general use, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 boasts a larger screen and higher RAM, making it more suitable for more intensive multitasking and applications at the expense of being heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
8.0
8.4
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 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 Zephyrus G15 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 | Dell Alienware m18 R1 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,637 | $2,600 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.6'' x 0.78'' | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 8.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.98" | 16.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.57" | 12.59" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS | Intel i9-13900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | No Webcam | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | 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 Zephyrus G15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2021
"As long as you're aware of the fact that the GeForce RTX 3080 laptop version can only unfold its potential to a limited extent due to Asus's low TDP setting and that it can be slower than a fast RTX 3070 laptop, the ROG Zephyrus G15 GA503Q cuts a fine figure. One of the biggest highlights turns out to be the WQHD panel, since it attracts customers with 165 Hz, relatively fast response times, FreeSync, and good color-space coverage. Other selling points are the surprisingly rich sound, the long battery life, and the sleek design. In terms of looks, the white edition stands out nicely from the competition."
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 Zephyrus G15 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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