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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming performance and the latest technology, the Lenovo Legion 9i with its more powerful graphics card and double the storage and RAM may suit you. Its higher resolution and color-accurate screen could benefit creative work as well. However, it usually costs more and has a slightly bulkier power brick, which could affect portability. The Dell Alienware m15 R7, while less expensive, offers a balance of performance with a high refresh rate screen for smooth gameplay. It has a lower resolution screen and half the storage and memory, which might limit some advanced tasks or multitasking, but its weight is similar to the Lenovo. Both laptops have RGB backlit keyboards and high build quality but the Alienware has a notably shorter battery life, which could be a concern if you're frequently mobile. 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
- The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion 9i.
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.4
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i offers superior screen quality, double the RAM, and a more advanced CPU than the Dell Alienware m15 R7, making it more appealing for varied and intensive tasks. However, the Alienware m15 R7 is slightly heavier with a lower battery life, while still providing satisfactory performance for general use but may not be as future-proof as the Legion 9i, which also has a better portability score.
Gaming and AI
7.8
9.2
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7, with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a high 240Hz refresh rate IPS display, offers solid gaming and 3D performance, making it good for these tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 9i surpasses it with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a Mini LED display, albeit with a lower 165Hz refresh rate, but provides superior screen quality and is considered excellent for gaming and 3D due to these top-tier components.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.6
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out for engineering and design use due to its more powerful Intel i9 processor, double the RAM, and a higher quality GPU compared to the Dell Alienware m15 R7, enhancing its ability to handle complex tasks and graphics-intensive applications. Additionally, the Legion 9i's screen offers a higher resolution and peak brightness, providing a sharper and more vibrant visual workspace, while the Alienware offers solid performance but with somewhat lesser specs and display quality.
Content Creation
7.5
8.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
8.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
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
9.7
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize vivid colors and sharp images for tasks like browsing and watching videos, both the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Lenovo Legion 9i offer high-resolution displays with excellent brightness. For engineering and design work, where accurate color reproduction is crucial, these laptops deliver with wide color gamut coverage; the Lenovo stands out with best-in-class performance in this regard. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates present on these laptops may not provide the most fluid visual experience.
Battery
5.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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.
Cost
$2,200
$3,420
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a price of $2,200 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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Key similarities
Portability
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Lenovo Legion 9i both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Lenovo Legion 9i 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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How the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
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."
Lenovo Legion 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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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