The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED offers a balance of affordability and solid performance for everyday tasks, with an excellent display for media consumption; however, if you're engaged in heavy gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning activities, the Dell Alienware m16 R2, despite the higher cost, provides superior performance and a build more tailored for those intensive tasks. Keep in mind, the Alienware's premium features and performance come with less portability and possibly shorter battery life compared to the lighter ASUS Vivobook, which better suits on-the-go use and longer unplugged periods. Choose based on whether your priority is high-end tasks or everyday use and mobility. 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 S 15 OLED
Very good for content creation
Good portability
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m16 R2
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
7.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2, with its superior graphics card and higher screen refresh rate, is better suited for gaming and 3D applications, delivering smoother visuals and more detailed graphics. While the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a good screen quality for vivid colors and contrast, its graphics capabilities and refresh rate are not as high, making it less optimal for high-end gaming and 3D work.
Screen Quality
8.9/10
8.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
600.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
302.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m16 R2 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED offers vibrant colors and deep blacks due to its OLED display, making it appealing for general use and design tasks, which benefit from high resolution and a wide color gamut; however, its likely lower refresh rate is a drawback for 3D tasks where smooth motion is key. The Dell Alienware m16 R2's display, while very good for general and engineering work, misses the top marks for gaming and 3D mainly because even with a decent refresh rate, it may not match the high refresh rates often sought by gamers and professionals in 3D fields. In both cases, despite their other strengths, neither laptop has the optimal screen attributes to excel in scenarios where fast-paced visuals are crucial.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$990
$1,650
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a price of $990 and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 costs $1,650.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and Dell Alienware m16 R2 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED offers a balance of performance and portability with its solid CPU and RAM setup, complemented by a high-quality screen and reasonable battery life, making it suitable for everyday tasks and multimedia consumption. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m16 R2, while less portable due to its size and shorter battery life, provides a more powerful CPU and extra RAM, which, along with its superior screen, makes it ideal for demanding applications like gaming or engineering software.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.4/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED, with its high-quality screen and capable CPU, provides a solid balance for engineering tasks and is easier on the wallet, but may fall short in more demanding applications compared to the Dell Alienware m16 R2, which offers superior CPU, RAM, and GPU for intensive workloads, albeit at a higher price and with less portability. While both laptops have commendable screen quality and decent keyboards, the Alienware's emphasis on performance means it could have more operating noise and might be less convenient to carry around.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.9/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 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
7.9/10
7.6/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and Dell Alienware m16 R2 are both 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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has 7 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has 6 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.
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How the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 compare to other laptops
"The Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED excels as a capable work machine at an affordable price. It offers commendable performance, thanks to its 12th Gen Intel chip, delivers quality on-screen entertainment with its 15.6-inch OLED display, and can (kind of) get you through a full day of work. Oh, and its special Asus Antibacterial Guard is a nice touch for those who like a clean laptop."
"Alienware’s m16 R2 is a solid gaming laptop that leaves much to be desired, particularly in its quest to fulfill your needs as a product for productivity. Battery life under eight hours and a dim display are both vital issues for something that will accompany you through school projects or a workday. However, the Alienware m16 R2 is an exceedingly powerful gaming laptop, consistently being one of the best in our performance tests when compared against similar products. Even then, its display is lacking color, its fans get pretty darn loud, and its speakers aren’t punchy enough to rise above that noise."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED or the Dell Alienware m16 R2
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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