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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is tailored for high-end gaming and applications requiring strong graphics performance; however, it is more expensive, heavier, and has a lower battery life. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is more affordable, offers greater portability, and has longer battery life, making it suitable for everyday use and light to moderate productivity tasks, but with less power for intensive 3D tasks, machine learning, or gaming due to its integrated graphics. If your work demands top-tier performance and you don't mind the higher price and reduced portability, choose the Alienware; if you prioritize battery life, portability, and a balance in affordability and performance, the Inspiron is a better fit. 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 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
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1
6.6
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
165Hz
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 m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers superior gaming and 3D performance with its Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and higher screen refresh rate of 165, providing smoother visuals and better graphics handling compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, which is equipped with Intel Iris Xe graphics and has a standard refresh rate of 60, suitable for casual gaming but not as refined for fast-paced games or detailed 3D work.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 outshines the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus in engineering and design uses due to its higher-end CPU and GPU, which are crucial for demanding applications, and its larger, higher refresh rate screen that benefits design work. While both have high-quality screens, the Alienware's superior performance is offset by being less portable and noisier under load, which makes the Inspiron preferable for those prioritizing portability and a quieter working environment despite its lower performance capabilities.
Screen Quality
7.8
7.0
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
326.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus both offer screens with resolutions and brightness levels suitable for crisp text and vibrant images required by general users. For engineering and design professionals who need accurate color reproduction, these laptops provide good coverage of color gamuts ensuring that designs and projects appear true to life. However, their screens do not have high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications, making them less ideal for those particular activities.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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.
Portability
Poor
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
326.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in general use due to its superior CPU, larger amount of RAM, and higher screen quality, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, which offers a good balance for general use with reasonable performance, better portability, and longer battery life, though with less powerful specs. Additionally, both laptops have high-quality keyboards and manage heat well, but the Alienware's focus on gaming may mean higher operating noise and less effective battery life, while the Inspiron prioritizes a lightweight design and longer usage times.
Content Creation
8.4
7.9
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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
8.0
7.7
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Dell Inspiron 14 Plus |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | July 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 64 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2240 x 1400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 326 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | August 2022
"The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is for power users on a budget. If you're looking to maximize CPU and GPU performance on your next 14-inch laptop, then consider the pricier Razer Blade 14 or Asus Zephyrus G14. If you're looking for a thin-and-light 14-inch Ultrabook, then the Asus Zenbook 14 or LG Gram 14 may be better options. For the best of both worlds, however, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420 rides a fine line between extreme performance and portability while keeping prices at reasonable levels. Frequent travelers who rely on performance beyond what the Core U-series and integrated graphics series can offer will find the Dell to be a solid solution."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
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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