If you prioritize gaming or high-performance tasks like 3D rendering or engineering simulations and don't mind a higher price and less portability, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 is designed for you with its powerful processor and high-end graphics card. However, if you prefer something more affordable, lightweight, and suitable for general use with a high-quality display, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 offers great value and better battery life. Keep in mind that while the Vivobook's performance is suitable for most tasks, it won't match the Alienware in handling demanding applications. 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 Pro 14
Very good overall display quality
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
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0/10
8.2/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
385.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.1/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 is good.
The ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 offers a lightweight and portable option with good screen quality and battery life, suitable for everyday tasks and mobility, but it has less powerful CPU and RAM compared to its counterpart. The Dell Alienware m18 R1, on the other hand, features a superior CPU and significantly more RAM, which greatly enhances performance for more demanding applications, but with a substantial tradeoff in portability and battery life, making it less suitable for on-the-go use.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
90Hz
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 Vivobook Pro 14 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 outperforms the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 in gaming and 3D applications due to its much more powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz compared to the ASUS's Intel i5-11300H Iris Xe and 90Hz, factors that are crucial for fluid graphics and smooth gameplay. Additionally, the Alienware's superior CPU and better screen quality contribute to its excellent gaming capabilities, despite being less portable due to its larger size and heavier weight.
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
9.1/10
5.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 is good.
The ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 is good for engineering and design because it has a solid CPU and RAM setup, and its OLED screen offers exceptional color accuracy and contrast, which is beneficial for design work. In comparison, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for such tasks due to its significantly more powerful CPU, substantially higher RAM, cutting-edge GPU, and larger screen, albeit being less portable and potentially noisier under load.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.4/10
5.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 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
7.2/10
8.0/10
5.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 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
8.4/10
7.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
385.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 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.
For general use, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14's high-resolution screen is sharper and its bright display makes it ideal for browsing or watching videos, outperforming the Dell Alienware m18 R1. In engineering and design tasks, the Vivobook also excels due to its wider color gamut coverage which ensures more accurate color representation, a crucial factor for those fields. On the other hand, gaming and 3D applications benefit more from higher refresh rates, and with the ASUS having a lower refresh rate compared to typical gaming-centered laptops, the Alienware may be better although both aren't optimized for gaming as they have poor quality in this regard.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 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
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$548
$2,600
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 has a price of $548 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
"The Asus Vivobook Pro 14 OLED is a Pantone Validated laptop that packs a lot of processing power. The Asus VivoBook Pro 14 OLED's highlight is its outstanding display: Featuring a 3K resolution in the 16:10 format and nearly a 100% coverage of the Display P3 color space, the display hardly leaves anything to be desired. The Asus laptop also shows impeccable rates in terms of general system performance. Combined with long battery life, low noise emissions, and relatively good speakers, the laptop can be recommended to users who can accept compromises in terms of connectivity."
"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 Pro 14 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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