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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers high-end gaming performance with a powerful AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX graphics, which makes it an excellent choice for gaming, 3D rendering, and other intensive tasks. However, its high cost reflects its premium capabilities, and it is heavier, compromising portability. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is more affordable and lighter, which makes it easier to carry around. Its Intel i7 processor and integrated graphics are suitable for general use and light creative tasks. If battery life is a priority, you may favor the Inspiron, as gaming laptops like the Alienware tend to have shorter battery life due to their powerful components. Choose the Alienware if top-tier performance is a must and you’re less concerned about budget and portability, or opt for the Inspiron if you prefer a balance of performance, price, and mobility for everyday tasks and some professional work. 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 for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 16 5630
- Very good for general use
- Very good for content creation
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.2
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 suits general use with its high-end CPU and ample RAM, providing strong performance though with a heavier build and shorter battery life; the tradeoff for a better screen and higher gaming capacity comes with less portability. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 offers a lighter design and longer battery duration, making it very suitable for general use, including professional tasks, but with slightly less raw processing power and graphics capability compared to the Alienware model.
Gaming and AI
7.8
6.5
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is only fair.
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.
Content Creation
7.5
8.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
7.3
7.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for software development, though the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is somewhat better.
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
8.2
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Dell Inspiron 16 5630 both offer screens with solid resolution and brightness making them suitable for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work. These models include panels that cover a broad color spectrum necessary for precise design and engineering. However, their lower refresh rates may not provide the smooth visuals desired in high-speed gaming and 3D rendering applications where fluid motion is crucial.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has 8 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.0
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,200
$849
$0
$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 Inspiron 16 5630 costs $849.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m15 R7 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 surpasses the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 in engineering and design performance due to its superior AMD Ryzen processor, higher-end Nvidia RTX GPU, and higher refresh rate display, which make it better at handling demanding engineering software and tasks. While both feature similar screen sizes and quality, the Inspiron 16 offers more portability and a quieter operation, but it falls short in graphical performance with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, which is less suitable for intensive graphical and engineering workloads compared to the Alienware's dedicated GPU.
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How the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | Dell Inspiron 16 5630 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $849 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 4.28 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 9.91" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i7-1360P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m15 R7
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Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | October 2022
"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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the Dell Inspiron 16 5630
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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