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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For a balance of performance and portability with a focus on gaming and creative tasks, consider the Dell Alienware m16 R2. It offers a high-quality display with a 240Hz refresh rate, making it excellent for fast-paced gaming and smooth visuals. The Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU provide robust performance for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks. It's also lighter and thinner, making it more portable than the Lenovo, and includes a number pad and advanced biometric security features like facial recognition. However, if you prioritize longer battery life, more RAM, and a lower price point, the Lenovo Legion 5 16 might be the better choice. With 32GB of RAM, it's well-suited for multitasking and demanding applications. The battery life is also longer, which is beneficial for extended use away from a power outlet. While it's slightly heavier and lacks some of the premium features of the Alienware, it still delivers strong performance for gaming and general use with its i9 processor and RTX 4060 GPU. The Legion 5 also has a numeric keypad, which is a plus for those who need it for data entry or calculations. Ultimately, choose the Alienware for its superior display, portability, and premium features if you're willing to pay a bit more and potentially sacrifice some battery life. Opt for the Legion 5 if you want more RAM, longer battery life, and a more cost-effective solution without compromising on performance for general use and gaming. 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024)
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9
8.5
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good.
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
8.4
9.0
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 is very good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
8.2
8.7
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
302.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m16 R2 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
6.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 16 has 3.5 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.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,650
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has a price of $1,650 and the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.1
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
302.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.9
8.2
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 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
7.6
8.0
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) to be very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Alienware m16 R2 and the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m16 R2 | Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,650 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2024 | January 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.8'' x 0.93'' | 14.3'' x 10.3'' x 0.97'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.75 lbs | 5.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.33" | 14.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 10.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 3.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 302 nits | 500 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.8/10 | 6.6/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
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 Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024)
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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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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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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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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