The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers higher gaming performance and a larger, higher resolution display, which makes for a better experience in gaming and engineering tasks, at the expense of battery life, portability, and price. It's typically more expensive and heavier, making it less convenient to carry around. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is more affordable, more portable with a longer battery life, and still offers good quality gaming performance. It's notably lighter and has better battery life, but it has a smaller screen and is not as powerful as the m15 R7 for the most demanding tasks. Choose the m15 R7 if performance is your priority and you can handle a bulkier laptop with less battery life. Go for the x14 R1 if portability, longer battery life, and saving money are more important, and you're willing to compromise a bit on screen size and top-end performance. 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 Dell Alienware m15 R7
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Dell Alienware x14 R1
Very good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2/10
7.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Alienware m15 R7's screen offers a sharp image and sufficient brightness, while the x14 R1, although slightly less bright, still provides a clear and crisp display suitable for everyday tasks. In the context of engineering and design, the m15 R7 excels with a wider color range, ensuring accurate color representation, an aspect less pronounced but still adequate in the x14 R1. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications where high refresh rates are key, as each has a standard refresh rate, limiting their ability to render fast-paced visuals smoothly.
Battery
5.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 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
Fair
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,200
$1,201
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a price of $2,200 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 costs $1,201.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a robust CPU and RAM configuration suitable for demanding tasks, and with its high refresh rate IPS screen, it is great for both work and play but is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware x14 R1, while also providing solid CPU performance and ample RAM, shines with its superior portability supported by lighter weight and longer battery life, alongside a highly bright screen, making it an excellent choice for general use on the go.
Gaming and AI
7.8/10
7.6/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 boasts a more powerful GPU with an RTX 3070 Ti and a higher screen refresh rate of 240Hz, making it excellent for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has an RTX 3060 and a screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which are still good for gaming but slightly less optimal for very high-frame-rate scenarios. Both laptops have high-quality screens and capable CPUs, but the m15 R7's superior GPU and refresh rate provide a more fluid visual experience in demanding games and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 stands out for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 9 processor, high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics, and a high-resolution screen, making it capable of handling intensive tasks and detailed visuals. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware x14 R1, while still suitable for engineering and design with its strong Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics, offers greater portability and a higher-quality keyboard, which may appeal to users frequently on the move or who prioritize typing experience.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both 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
7.3/10
7.7/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 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.
Build Quality
8.5/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Dell Alienware x14 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 Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 compare to other laptops
"The Alienware M15 offers solid gaming and leading endurance. It makes the most of its CPU and GPU while delivering stellar battery life for a gaming laptop. Opening the lid presents a full-size keyboard with honeycomb cutouts above it on the deck. An oblong RBG lightning element surrounds the entire rear panel and can be color-synced with the other lights on the laptop. There’s not a lot to dislike about the M15 Its productivity performance lagged in some areas, particularly in the storage benchmark, and it’s a bit heavy. Alienware has a clear winner here with the M15 based on its strong overall performance and endurance."
"The Alienware X14 series is thinner, but also slower than the competition. With the X series, you get plenty of modern technology: Intel Alder Lake CPUs, GeForce RTX 3000 GPUs, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, G-Sync, and Advanced Optimus. However, the slim design has some drawbacks, just like its larger siblings. The shifted hinge position results in a very deep device with a large footprint compared to the competition."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the Dell Alienware x14 R1
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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