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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers superior gaming and engineering performance with its powerful processor and high-end graphics card, better suited for intensive tasks but it is heavier and less portable, with a lower battery life compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i. The IdeaPad Slim 5i, on the other hand, is more affordable, lighter, and boasts longer battery life, making it ideal for general use and portability, but its integrated graphics and processing power are not as powerful, impacting its capability for demanding graphics tasks and engineering software. 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 Slim 5i
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.8
6.3
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
7.0
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 IdeaPad Slim 5i is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 outshines the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i for engineering and design use with its stronger AMD Ryzen 9 processor, dedicated Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, and superior display quality; all crucial for compute-intensive tasks like 3D modeling or simulation. While the IdeaPad Slim 5i offers a highly portable design with good screen clarity and Intel i5 integrated graphics, making it suitable for lighter tasks, the Alienware's tradeoff comes in the form of heftier build and increased operational noise, factors that can be offset by its performance advantage in demanding applications.
Screen Quality
8.2
6.4
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
315.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers crisp visuals and vivid colors suitable for general use and detailed engineering work, thanks to its high resolution and wide color gamut coverage. However, the lower refresh rate may not be ideal for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is crucial. Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, with its moderate screen specifications, provides an adequate display for everyday tasks and engineering software but falls short for gaming and 3D due to less emphasis on high refresh rates and color accuracy.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
7.6
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,200
$828
$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 Slim 5i costs $828.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.5
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
315.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers strong performance for general use with its AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, paired with sufficient RAM and a high-resolution screen, though its weight and size may limit portability and it typically has shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, while also suitable for general use, might prioritize a balance between performance and portability with a less powerful CPU and integrated graphics, potentially offering longer battery life and easier handling due to its lighter and slimmer design.
Content Creation
7.5
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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 IdeaPad Slim 5i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $828 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 4.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 9.88" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i5-1335U | |
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 | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 56.6 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 | 315 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
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Dig into reviews and images
HT Tech
Robin Sinha | February 2021
"The device is made for average work loads and if your work has a lot to do with online browsing, using apps that are not power-hungry and streaming videos. The looks are really good and the device in itself is not a heavy one. And with Intel 11th-gen Core processor, you might sail through most of your work without complaints."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
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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