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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is tailored for more demanding tasks with a stronger processor and graphics card, making it a better fit for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications. Its higher price reflects its premium capabilities, including better performance and a display with a higher resolution and refresh rate. However, it has a heavier build and shorter battery life compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3. In contrast, the Lenovo is more budget-friendly, lighter, and offers longer battery life, making it a better choice for casual gaming and everyday use without putting too much strain on your wallet. Both have similar screen sizes and types, but the Lenovo has a lower screen resolution and refresh rate. Choose the Alienware if performance is a priority and cost is less of a concern, or the Lenovo if you seek better value and portability with sufficient capabilities for less intensive tasks. 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
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.8
6.5
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7, equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 240 Hz, offers superior gaming and 3D performance compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, which comes with a Nvidia RTX 2050 graphics card and a lower refresh rate of 120 Hz. While both have similar screen sizes and IPS display types, Alienware's advantage in GPU and refresh rate makes it the better choice for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 stands out for engineering and design due to its superior CPU (AMD Ryzen 9 vs. AMD Ryzen 7), double the RAM, and a more powerful GPU (RTX 3070 Ti vs. RTX 2050), plus a higher quality screen that offers better resolution and color coverage. While the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is lighter and slightly more portable, it falls short in performance and screen quality, which are critical for demanding tasks in engineering and design.
Screen Quality
8.2
7.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 features a display with superior resolution and brightness suitable for daily tasks and detailed engineering work, while also offering a wide color gamut necessary for precision in design This makes it excellent for tasks that require color accuracy and clarity. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, while also equipped with a good quality screen, falls short in the gaming and 3D department mainly because of a lower refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.2
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,200
$549
$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 IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.4
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is equipped with a high-quality CPU and ample RAM for smooth multitasking, plus a superior screen for vivid visuals, making it well-suited for general use; however, its weight and size may affect portability and battery life is on the lower side. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 also offers a solid CPU and decent RAM for everyday tasks and its screen quality is good for general use, plus it's more portable due to its lighter weight and has better battery life, although the tradeoff is less raw performance compared to the Alienware.
Content Creation
7.5
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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 IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $549 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 5.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 10.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
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 Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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