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Updated January 10, 2024·
If performance is your priority and you need a machine capable of handling intensive tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 would be a better choice. It offers a higher-tier graphics card and a more powerful processor suitable for gaming and engineering software. However, keep in mind it is heavier and has shorter battery life, thus not as portable as the Dell XPS 13. On the flip side, the Dell XPS 13 is lighter, offers longer battery life, and is more suited for general use, making it an excellent portable option. It is also less expensive, but may not perform as well for highly demanding tasks or gaming. 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
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.8
6.2
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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
8.7/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 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.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is equipped with a higher-powered CPU and advanced GPU, making it more suitable for resource-intensive engineering and design tasks, but it's less portable due to its larger size and weight. In contrast, the Dell XPS 13 offers a balance between performance and portability with a high-quality screen and a lightweight design, still capable for engineering and design, albeit with less graphical power compared to the Alienware model.
Screen Quality
8.2
7.2
15.6in
SIZE
13.4in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 13 has a better screen for content creation.
For general use, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 provides vivid details and brightness, making it easy on the eyes for activities like browsing or watching videos, while the Dell XPS 13 offers a similar but slightly less bright display that is still quite suitable for everyday tasks. When it comes to engineering and design, the Alienware's wider color gamuts ensure precise color representation for professional work, whereas the XPS 13, with decent color coverage, is adequate for less demanding design tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Alienware's lower refresh rate can cause motion blur or lag, adversely affecting the visual experience, while the XPS 13, not designed for these uses, also falls short due to similar limitations in refresh rate.
Battery
5.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 has 10 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
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.4in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.5 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Dell XPS 13 has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,200
$850
$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 XPS 13 costs $850.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.7
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
The Dell XPS 13 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a powerful CPU and high-quality graphics, making it suitable for demanding applications, but is less portable and has shorter battery life. In contrast, the Dell XPS 13 provides a balance between performance for everyday tasks and portability, boasting a longer battery life and lightweight design, despite a less powerful GPU.
Content Creation
7.5
7.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 13 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
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 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
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Dell XPS 13 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the Dell XPS 13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | Dell XPS 13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $850 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 2.59 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 11.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 7.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i7-1250U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.4" | |
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 | 442 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
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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Dig into reviews and images
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."
Dell XPS 13
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chen | April 2023
"In the past, the XPS 13 was a hands-down contender for the best laptop on the market. But the Apple-silicon MacBook has since barrelled onto the scene, and it wipes the floor with most of the ultraportable Windows laptops that cross my desk on a daily basis. This XPS is no exception. Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, battery life is worse."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the Dell XPS 13
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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