The Dell Alienware m16 R2, being pricier, offers you an edge in gaming and intensive tasks because of its superior graphics and processing power, but it's heavier which makes it less convenient to carry around; on the other hand, the Lenovo Flex 5 14 is more budget-friendly and versatile with its 2-in-1 feature and better suited for everyday tasks and light work, it's also lighter, enhancing portability, but don't expect it to handle heavy-duty gaming or demanding software as efficiently as the Alienware. Choose based on whether your priority is high-end performance or cost and convenience. 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 for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 14
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
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 m16 R2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 14 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 typically has a powerful GPU and a high screen refresh rate, essential for smooth gaming and effective 3D rendering, while the Lenovo Flex 5 14 has a more modest GPU and lower screen refresh rate, which might still handle less demanding games and 3D tasks but won't provide the same level of performance or visual fluidity. Additionally, although both have capable CPUs and good screen quality, the superior graphics capabilities of the Alienware make it more suitable for intensive gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.0/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 14 is good.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is equipped with a high-end CPU, ample RAM, and a superior GPU, all essential for demanding engineering and design tasks, along with a screen that offers excellent quality for detailed work; however, it is less portable and may have louder operating noise due to powerful internals. The Lenovo Flex 5 14, while still providing adequate performance with decent CPU, RAM, and GPU for less intense engineering needs, also boasts a high-quality screen, and it offers better portability, a more comfortable keyboard, and quieter operation.
Screen Quality
8.2/10
6.4/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
302.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
277.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 offers a vibrant and precise display suitable for general use and engineering tasks due to its high resolution and wide color gamuts, ensuring sharp visuals and accurate colors which are crucial for detailed design work. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for gaming and 3D applications, where smoother motion is a priority. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 14, while providing an adequate picture for everyday tasks and casual design, may fall short for both professional color work and gaming due to its more average color range and refresh rate.
Battery
6.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has 11.5 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.
Portability
Fair
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Flex 5 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,650
$950
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has a price of $1,650 and the Lenovo Flex 5 14 costs $950.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Lenovo Flex 5 14 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2, with a high-performance CPU and ample RAM, excels in screen quality for vivid visuals, making it ideal for intensive tasks, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life, which may not suit someone always on the go. The Lenovo Flex 5 14, while offering good CPU and RAM for everyday tasks, shines with its portability and longer battery life, plus the added flexibility of a touch screen, but with a potential tradeoff in lesser screen resolution compared to the Alienware when consuming high-definition content.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.6/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Lenovo Flex 5 14 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
7.6/10
7.4/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Lenovo Flex 5 14 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 m16 R2 and the Lenovo Flex 5 14 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The highlight of the latest IdeaPad Flex 5 14 is clearly its AMD CPU. The octa-core Ryzen 7 5700U is insanely fast even when compared to the best Tiger Lake Ultrabooks in the market or even Core H CPUs in many gaming laptops. It's a lot of raw processing power for what is supposed to be a budget 14-inch convertible. If your daily workloads can benefit from extra multi-thread CPU performance, then look no further than the inexpensive AMD-powered Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14. For regular on-the-road browsing or video streaming, however, a slimmer and lighter 10th gen Core Yoga, Spectre, or XPS would be a more balanced option."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m16 R2 or the Lenovo Flex 5 14
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.
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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