The ASUS Vivobook 16X is significantly less expensive with good general use performance, a lightweight design, and decent battery life, making it suitable for day-to-day tasks and casual gaming. However, the Dell Alienware m18 R1, while more costly, offers superior performance for 3D rendering, engineering, and intensive gaming due to its more powerful processor, higher RAM, and advanced GPU. It also has a larger screen with higher resolution and refresh rate, but it's less portable because of its weight. The choice boils down to whether you prioritize a budget-friendly option with moderate capabilities or require a premium laptop with high performance and are willing to invest more. 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 Vivobook 16X
Good portability
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 for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.1/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
9.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X 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
8.2/10
9.1/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.5/10
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 Vivobook 16X is very good.
The Asus Vivobook 16X is very good for engineering and design use as it includes a powerful CPU, high-quality GPU, ample RAM, and a screen with excellent color coverage, balancing performance with good portability and a high refresh rate display. The Dell Alienware m18 R1, on the other hand, excels in engineering and design because it has an even more robust CPU, double the RAM for complex multitasking, a top-tier GPU for demanding graphics tasks, and a larger, higher resolution screen, though at the expense of reduced portability due to its greater size and weight.
Content Creation
7.7/10
8.4/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X is good.
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
7.4/10
8.0/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X 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
7.3/10
7.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 16X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the ASUS Vivobook 16X and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 have screens that deliver clear images and vibrant colors due to their resolution and brightness, making everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming enjoyable. Engineering and design professionals will appreciate the wide color gamuts on both laptops, ensuring accurate color representation for tasks like photo editing and CAD work. However, gamers and 3D designers may find the screens on both laptops lacking because their refresh rates are not as high as specialized gaming models, which can lead to less fluid motion during fast-paced scenes and renderings.
Portability
Good
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.2 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS Vivobook 16X has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,200
$2,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS Vivobook 16X has a price of $1,200 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
"I think the ASUS Vivobook 16X is fantastic. Great performance, decent battery life, good keyboard and trackpad, and a massive screen – just that the screen quality itself is kinda subpar. If you’re okay with the screen, then I think this is an okay laptop. However, I’d like to see a price drop."
"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 Vivobook 16X 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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