If performance is crucial for intensive engineering tasks, 3D, or gaming, then the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is a great fit due to its high-end processor and superior graphics card. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, which may impact portability. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is much more affordable, lighter, and offers longer battery life, making it easier to carry around. It also features a touchscreen and higher screen resolution, which is beneficial for general use and media consumption, but its integrated graphics are less powerful, making it less suitable for 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 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
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
Good portability
Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.8/10
6.2/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
8.2/10
7.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is better suited for engineering and design due to its more powerful AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, essential for resource-intensive tasks, while its higher screen refresh rate and excellent color coverage make for a superior visual experience. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers less power with its Intel i7 CPU and integrated graphics, favoring portability with its lighter weight and 2-in-1 convertible design, making it a versatile choice for lighter use and presentations.
Screen Quality
8.2/10
7.3/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen for content creation.
For general use, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a high-resolution, bright display with vibrant colors, providing clarity and comfort for everyday tasks. In engineering and design, its superior color accuracy across different spectrums like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB ensures that professionals can rely on the display for precise color work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate limits the smoothness and responsiveness that gamers typically seek, which might make it less appealing for fast-paced, visually intensive gaming experiences.
Battery
5.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 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
4.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,200
$740
$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 Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $740.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a robust AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, ample RAM, and quality IPS screen for varied tasks, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life which impacts portability. On the other hand, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 with an Intel i7 CPU and similar RAM excels with a high-resolution touchscreen display, lighter weight for better portability, and longer battery life, making it versatile for both work and casual use as a laptop or tablet.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.5/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 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.
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How the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the Lenovo Flex 5 16
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.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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