When choosing between the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Lenovo LOQ 15, bear in mind that the Alienware has a larger screen and offers substantially better battery life, making it suitable for longer use away from a power source. It also comes with more storage space right out of the box. However, the LOQ 15 is lighter and thus more portable, and it has a more modern processor and a newer graphics card, which may give it an edge in latest games and applications. If you need a laptop with a numeric keypad and prefer a white backlight for the keyboard, the Lenovo LOQ 15 includes these features while the Dell does not. Ultimately, the Alienware tends towards being more of a stationary gaming system with its heft and endurance, and the Lenovo offers newer hardware with improved mobility at the expense of storage and battery life. 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
Very good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo LOQ 15
Good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1/10
7.1/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Lenovo LOQ 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo LOQ 15 provide sharp images and vibrant colors due to their high resolutions and brightness, making everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming a pleasant experience. In engineering and design, professionals will appreciate the wide color gamuts of both laptops, as they offer a broader range of colors for more precise and accurate work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, these laptops may fall short because their refresh rates aren't as high as what's recommended for smooth and responsive gameplay or 3D rendering.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
7.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo LOQ 15 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$1,179
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a price of $1,100 and the Lenovo LOQ 15 costs $1,179.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo LOQ 15 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is well-regarded for general use because it combines a strong CPU and RAM configuration, a high-quality IPS screen, and a generous battery capacity, though it's heavier and less portable. In contrast, the Lenovo LOQ 15 also offers a robust CPU and RAM, along with a quality screen and better portability due to its lower weight, but it has a smaller battery and less storage.
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
7.5/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
480Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo LOQ 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
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
8.1/10
7.9/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m17 R5 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo LOQ 15 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is well-suited for engineering and design due to its robust CPU and GPU, along with a large, color-accurate screen which benefits detailed work; although it’s heavier which affects portability. Conversely, the Lenovo LOQ 15, also with a strong CPU and superior GPU, offers a sharp, bright display in a lighter form factor, making it more portable but with a smaller screen that might be less ideal for intricate designs.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo LOQ 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
7.4/10
7.5/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo LOQ 15 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo LOQ 15 has 6 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
7.8/10
7.4/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Lenovo LOQ 15 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell Alienware m17 R5 and the Lenovo LOQ 15 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Even after a short time with the LOQ 15, you'll find it has a lot going for it, but ultimately it's just "good"—not quite a star. The performance is respectable for the hardware it’s running, but Lenovo had to make some design sacrifices to trim the price. One of the better aspects is the keyboard, making it one of the better low-cost gaming laptops to actually put your hands on."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m17 R5 or the Lenovo LOQ 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.
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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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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