Dell Alienware m18 R1
Dell Alienware m18 R1
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GENERAL USE: Very Good—8.2/10
GAMING/AI: Excellent—9.1/10
ENG/DESIGN: Excellent—9.1/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Very Good—8.0/10
CONTENT CREATION: Very Good—8.4/10
PORTABILITY: Poor—5.1/10
BATTERY: Fair—6.0/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Good—7.7/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Best in Class—9.6/10
SIZE: 17.3"
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a high-performance laptop with a premium price. It includes a large amount of storage, substantial memory, and a top-tier Intel i9 processor alongside an Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, making it extremely capable for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. The large 17.3-inch IPS display offers a high resolution but is not a touchscreen. The weight is substantial, suggesting limited portability, and the battery life is shorter compared to less powerful machines. It excels in performance and screen quality, but the size and battery trade-off may limit its use for on-the-go tasks. It also features a full suite of ports including USB-C and Thunderbolt, a backlit keyboard with a number pad, hardware ray tracing, and DLSS for gaming. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Evaluation
Pros
- High RAM and storage
- Powerful Intel i9 processor
- Advanced Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU
- Large, high-refresh rate screen
- Multiple high-speed USB ports
Cons
- Below average battery life
- Low portability
- Relatively heavy at nearly 9 pounds
- Not touchscreen
Ratings by Category
Gaming & AI:4.8
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and 3D because it is equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card, which is crucial for rendering complex graphical tasks swiftly and smoothly. It also boasts a screen with a high refresh rate of 165 Hz, providing a fluid visual experience that is especially beneficial in fast-paced gaming scenarios.
Engineering & Design:4.8
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, CAD and 3D work.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Build Quality:4.6
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, chassis rigidity, and overall reliability. Our assessment of build quality includes many details that are difficult to quantify. Our laptop experts use their best judgment to produce the final score.
Keyboard Quality:4.6
The Keyboard Quality score is based on the PerfectRec experts’ assessment of tactile feedback, typing comfort, keyboard reliability and typing noise.
General Use:4.5
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in general use due to its high RAM and top-end CPU, ensuring smooth multitasking and fast application performance, complemented by a high-quality screen that provides crystal-clear images and robust color representation.
Content Creation:4.5
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, and video editing work.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Software Development:4.4
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software development.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
General Use Screen Quality:4.3
The general use screen score is based on the screen technology, contrast ratio, resolution, brightness, color gamut and color accuracy. This score does not take into account specialized display features for specific use cases, such as high refresh rate for gaming.
Operating Noise:4.0
PerfectRec’s Operating Noise Score is based on fan noise measurements. Laptops with a fanless design, such as Macbooks, receive the maximum score.
Battery Life:3.0
PerfectRec’s Battery Life rating is based on hours of battery life in typical usage scenarios.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $2,600 | ||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | ||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | ||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | ||
Width | 16.15" | ||
Depth | 12.59" | ||
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | ||
Graphics | RTX 4080 (175 W) | ||
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus | Yes | ||
RAM | 32 GB | ||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | ||
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | 4 Hours | ||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | ||
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | ||
Display Technology | IPS | ||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | ||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | ||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | ||
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score  | 8.5/10 | ||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | ||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | ||
Premium Business Laptop | No | ||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | ||
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | ||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | ||
Webcam | 720p | ||
Fingerprint Reader | No | ||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | ||
Number Pad | Yes | ||
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | 4 | ||
USB-C ports | 2 | ||
USB-C Charging | Yes | ||
Display Outputs | 4 | ||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | ||
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."
Comparison charts
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