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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is a powerful, premium-priced laptop with substantial storage and RAM, making it excellent for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and demanding engineering tasks. However, it is larger, heavier, and has a shorter battery life, impacting its portability. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is much more affordable and compact, offering better portability and longer battery life, suitable for general use and everyday tasks, featuring a touchscreen and lighter design, but its performance is notably lower compared to the Alienware, especially for specialized 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
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.5
7.0
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use, though the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7, with a more powerful processor and twice as much RAM, outperforms the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, making it better for general use and more demanding tasks, despite being less portable and having a shorter battery life. The Surface Laptop Go 2, while less capable in performance, offers greater portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, making it suited for users prioritizing mobility and everyday tasks over high-end performance.
Gaming and AI
7.8
6.0
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is better suited for gaming and 3D applications because it includes a high-performance Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a very high screen refresh rate of 240Hz, enhancing visual fluidity and responsiveness in games. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, with its Intel i5-1135G7 Iris Xe graphics and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, offers a more basic visual experience, thus it's only fair for casual gaming and less demanding 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is highly regarded for engineering and design because it features a powerful CPU, ample RAM, a high-quality dedicated GPU, and a standout screen with high resolution and refresh rate, making it well-suited for demanding tasks.
Screen Quality
8.2
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for general use and detailed engineering work, while its comprehensive color gamut ensures accuracy in design tasks. However, its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for fast-paced gaming or 3D rendering. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, with decent resolution and adequate brightness, suits everyday tasks and engineering well, yet its color range and refresh rate fall short for professional design and smooth 3D experiences.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,200
$774
$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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
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Key similarities
Content Creation
7.5
7.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.0
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $774 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | August 2022
"The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 review is a compact companion with old hardware. The Surface Laptop Go 2 shows some weaknesses. Microsoft didn't really develop the second generation of the Surface Laptop Go 2 any further but has only equipped it with a slightly more powerful Core i5 processor. However, the performance still remains at a fairly low level overall, but for many users, it definitely should still be sufficient for everyday tasks."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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