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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 generally costs less and offers a blend of performance suitable for gaming and general use with its AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics. It is somewhat portable with a reasonable battery life for typical use. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m18 R1, which costs more, is equipped with a more powerful Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics, making it better suited for more intensive 3D rendering, machine learning tasks, and top-tier gaming. Additionally, it has a higher resolution screen. Both share the same screen size, but due to its higher specs, the m18 R1 is less portable and has a slightly shorter battery life. Consider the m17 R5 for cost-effective performance or the m18 R1 for advanced capabilities at a higher cost. 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 m17 R5
- Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m18 R1
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
9.1
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers solid gaming performance with an effective GPU and high screen refresh rate, ensuring smooth visuals in demanding games and 3D applications. The Dell Alienware m18 R1, by contrast, boasts a superior GPU and potentially even higher refresh rates, leading to even more exceptional gaming and 3D performance, though often at a higher cost and possibly with reduced battery life.
Engineering and Design
8.1
9.1
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good.
The Alienware m17 R5 offers satisfactory performance for engineering and design with its AMD Ryzen CPU, Nvidia RTX GPU, and full HD screen, but the Alienware m18 R1 excels in this area due to a more powerful Intel i9 CPU, superior Nvidia RTX GPU, and higher resolution screen, which can be crucial for more demanding engineering tasks and detailed designs.
Content Creation
7.8
8.4
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
7.4
8.0
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
8.1
7.8
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and m18 R1 laptops are equipped with screens that excel in providing sharp images and accurate colors, making them suitable for general use and professional engineering and design tasks where detail and color representation are crucial. However, their screens may not have the high refresh rates desired by gamers and 3D designers, which can result in less fluid motion during fast-paced scenes. For engineering and design, their color gamut coverage ensures precise color work, but for immersive gaming and smooth 3D rendering, their screens may not meet the standards set by displays with higher refresh rates.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$2,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.1/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has strengths in portability and a very good screen for general use, bolstered by a solid CPU, but it has less RAM which impacts multitasking and complex tasks compared to the Alienware m18 R1, which offers superior screen quality and a more powerful CPU for intensive applications, although it is less portable and has a slightly inferior battery life.
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 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
Poor
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Dell Alienware m18 R1 both have poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Dell Alienware m18 R1 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $2,600 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 8.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 16.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 12.59" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | Intel i9-13900HX | |
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 | 5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 3 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | January 2023
"Overall, the all-AMD system in the Alienware m17 R5 is impressive, especially the graphics performance. However, various driver issues and unnecessary inconsistencies prevent us from truly enjoying such a potent gaming machine. In addition to strong 3D performance, we particularly like the build quality, the fairly bright UHD display with high color space coverage, and the fact that the gamer is often quiet when not under load and also rather quieter than some competitors under load."
Dell Alienware m18 R1
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | July 2023
"Dell's Alienware m18 delivers on its promises: This is a large, powerful gaming laptop with the premium flair and feel you expect from an expensive purchase. The drawbacks are really the price and battery life, which in context are reasonable. (We'd also like to see more ports on the laptop's sides.) This price tier exists for deep-pocketed enthusiasts, and if you’re considering anything in this range, the m18 isn’t an outlier. For the majority of shoppers, of course, all of these mighty 18-inch systems are likely too expensive."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Dell Alienware m18 R1
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.
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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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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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