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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 22, 2024·
The Dell Alienware is ideal for intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering, offering high performance but with a heftier price tag and less portability. Conversely, the Gateway is budget-friendly and highly portable, suitable for basic tasks such as web browsing and document editing, with lower performance capabilities and potentially shorter battery life. Choose the Alienware if you need advanced capabilities and can handle a larger, heavier device; opt for the Gateway for casual use, easier travel, and cost savings. 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 m16 R2
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 11.6"
- Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9
5.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
302.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 boasts a powerful CPU and ample RAM, ensuring smooth performance for everyday tasks, along with a high-quality screen that enhances user experience; however, it's less portable and has a shorter battery life. Whereas, the Gateway 11.6" offers greater portability and potentially longer battery life, but falls short with a less capable CPU, lower RAM, and inferior screen quality, hindering general use performance.
Gaming and AI
7.9
5.4
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 comes with a high-performance GPU that can smoothly handle gaming and 3D applications, and it likely has a higher screen refresh rate for fluid visuals, while the Gateway 11.6" has less powerful graphics capabilities and a lower refresh rate which isn't suited for such demanding tasks. Additionally, the Alienware probably features a stronger CPU and better screen quality, enhancing overall performance and visual experience, factors in which the Gateway may fall short, making it less ideal for intensive use.
Engineering and Design
8.4
5.4
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is equipped with a high-powered CPU, ample RAM, a robust GPU, and a high-quality screen, which are crucial for the demands of engineering and design software; conversely, the Gateway 11.6" lacks in these areas, making it less capable of handling intense graphical or computational tasks required for these fields. While the Gateway wins in portability due to its smaller size, it doesn't meet the performance needs for engineering and design as effectively as the Alienware does.
Content Creation
7.9
5.7
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for content creation, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
7.6
5.7
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for software development, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.7
16.0in
SIZE
11.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
302.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell Alienware m16 R2 provides a vivid, sharp display with good brightness, offering a pleasing visual experience for everyday tasks, whereas the Gateway's display lacks in clarity and brightness, making it less appealing for regular use. When it comes to engineering and design, the Alienware's wider color gamuts ensure accurate color representation essential for professional creative work, but the Gateway falls short in providing the color fidelity required for those fields. And in gaming and 3D applications, the Alienware's lower refresh rate may not deliver as smooth an experience as dedicated gaming laptops, while the Gateway's overall poor quality display, including low refresh rate, hinders any form of immersive 3D experience.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has 6 hours of battery life. The Gateway 11.6" 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
16.0in
SIZE
11.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
5.1
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has very good build quality, while the Gateway 11.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,650
$89
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has a price of $1,650 and the Gateway 11.6" costs $89.
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How the Dell Alienware m16 R2 and the Gateway 11.6" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m16 R2 | Gateway 11.6" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,650 | $89 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2024 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.8'' x 0.93'' | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.75 lbs | 2.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.33" | 11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 7.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 11.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 302 nits | 200 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.8/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m16 R2
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMag
Momo Tabari | January 2024
"Alienware’s m16 R2 is a solid gaming laptop that leaves much to be desired, particularly in its quest to fulfill your needs as a product for productivity. Battery life under eight hours and a dim display are both vital issues for something that will accompany you through school projects or a workday. However, the Alienware m16 R2 is an exceedingly powerful gaming laptop, consistently being one of the best in our performance tests when compared against similar products. Even then, its display is lacking color, its fans get pretty darn loud, and its speakers aren’t punchy enough to rise above that noise."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m16 R2 or the Gateway 11.6"
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 Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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