The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers superior performance with high-end specs making it ideal for gaming, 3D modeling, and intensive engineering applications; this comes with a heavier build and shorter battery life, affecting portability. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is more affordable, lightweight, with modest performance suited for general use and longer battery life for on-the-go tasks. The choice hinges on your need for high performance at a premium price with the Alienware, or affordability and portability for everyday tasks with the Inspiron. 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
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
Good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2/10
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers powerful performance with its high-end CPU and plenty of RAM, alongside a quality display and good speaker performance, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life, which affects portability. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 provides decent general-use performance with a mid-range CPU and satisfactory RAM, a respectable screen with less color coverage, and it's lighter with longer battery life, making it more portable.
Gaming and AI
9.1/10
6.3/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
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 15 3530 is only fair.
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
9.1/10
6.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 surpasses the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 in engineering and design use primarily due to its substantially more powerful CPU, larger amount of RAM, and superior GPU, which are essential for demanding tasks such as 3D modeling, simulations, and real-time rendering. Additionally, the Alienware's higher-quality screen supports more accurate color reproduction and finer details, whereas the Inspiron, while still capable, offers more modest performance and screen quality suited for less intensive engineering tasks, balanced with better portability and lower operating noise.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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
8.0/10
7.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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
7.8/10
6.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 likely has a high-resolution display with good color accuracy and brightness, which provides a clear and vivid viewing experience for general use and detail-oriented tasks like engineering and design, but its lower refresh rate might not be well-suited for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D applications. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530, with a display that probably has decent brightness and resolution, can handle everyday activities and some professional work adequately but might lack the color fidelity for precision work in engineering and design and the refresh rate for smooth gaming and 3D graphics. Therefore, the Alienware is better suited for tasks that demand color precision and visual detail, while the Inspiron, with its fair characteristics, serves as an all-rounder but doesn't excel in scenarios requiring high color accuracy or fast screen refresh rates.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has 6.5 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
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
6.2/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$722
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 costs $722.
"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 m18 R1 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
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.
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 Golden, Ph.D
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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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Laptops Expert
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