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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is more suitable for gaming and intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering work, with a higher refresh rate display that provides smoother visuals. However, it is significantly heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is much lighter and has longer battery life, making it more suitable for general use and better for carrying around. The Lenovo also costs less. If portability and budget are priorities, go for the Lenovo. If performance, especially for gaming and specialized tasks, is crucial, choose the Alienware. 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 for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.1
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 boasts a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 480, making it ideal for gaming and 3D work. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" relies on integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics and has a modest refresh rate of 60, rendering it only fair for gaming and 3D purposes.
Engineering and Design
8.1
6.6
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a robust setup for engineering and design tasks with a high-performance CPU, substantial RAM, a dedicated high-end GPU, and a quality screen, but it is heavier and less portable. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is lighter and more portable but provides fair performance for engineering with a less powerful CPU, less RAM, an integrated GPU, and a lower quality screen, making it less suitable for demanding tasks.
Screen Quality
8.1
6.4
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a high-resolution display with great brightness and color accuracy that suits general use and engineering tasks, but its lower refresh rate is not ideal for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" provides a screen that is decent for tasks like browsing and productivity, thanks to acceptable levels of brightness and resolution, but its limited color gamut and modest refresh rate don't fulfill the requirements for professional engineering software or fluid gaming experiences. Both laptops have compromises; the Dell is better for color-critical work but falls short for gamers, while the Lenovo is a more budget-friendly option for everyday tasks but not for specialized professional use or high-performance gaming.
Battery
5.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
6.0
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$741
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" costs $741.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a robust CPU and more RAM, making it well-suited for demanding tasks, while also providing excellent screen quality and ample storage, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" which, although lighter with longer battery life, offers slightly less powerful CPU performance and less RAM, making it more suited for lighter general use. The Lenovo also has good screen quality and adequate storage for most general purposes.
Content Creation
7.8
7.4
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
7.4
7.3
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m17 R5 | Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $741 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.3 lbs | 3.57 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.18" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.76" | 9.29" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | AMD Ryzen 7 5700U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 12 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 42 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 480Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 301 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
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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