A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If you need exceptional performance for gaming or engineering tasks, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out with top-tier graphics and a more powerful processor, but it's significantly heavier and less portable. It also typically offers a shorter battery life due to these high-performance components. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 16 5630, while more affordable, offers respectable performance for general use and lighter tasks, and is much lighter and thinner, making it more portable with better battery life, but it may not handle demanding tasks as well. 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
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 16 5630
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1
6.5
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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
7.7
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
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 16 5630 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in engineering and design due to its superior CPU, ample RAM, high-end GPU, and quality screen, making it excellent for demanding tasks despite being less portable and noisier. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 16 5630, with its competent CPU and integrated graphics, provides a balance of performance and portability, making it a good choice for less intensive engineering work, with the added benefit of quiet operation.
Screen Quality
7.8
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering laptops for general use, both the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 boast screens with pleasing resolution, panel type, and brightness levels, ensuring comfortable viewing and clarity for everyday tasks. For engineering and design professionals, the importance of color accuracy is paramount; both laptops offer screens with good color gamuts, meeting the standards of DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which are vital for precise color work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the refresh rate is critical for smooth motion, and unfortunately, both laptops fall short in this regard, with their screens not prioritizing the high refresh rates required by demanding visual content, which affects the overall experience in fast-paced gaming scenarios.
Battery
4.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has 8 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
16.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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
7.0
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$849
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 costs $849.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Dell Inspiron 16 5630 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1, with its high-end CPU, abundant RAM, and premium display quality, excels in general use, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life due to its powerful components. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 offers a good balance with a capable CPU, sufficient RAM for most tasks, a high-quality screen, and better portability with a longer battery life, additionally benefiting from silence in operation due to a fanless design.
Content Creation
8.4
8.1
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Dell Inspiron 16 5630 are both very 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
8.0
7.9
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Dell Inspiron 16 5630 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $849 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 4.28 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 9.91" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-1360P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m18 R1
See more
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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Dell Inspiron 16 5630
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Dell Alienware m18 R1 vs. ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024)
VS
Compare Dell Alienware m18 R1 vs. ASUS ROG Flow X13
VS
Compare Dell Alienware m18 R1 vs. Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
VS
Compare Dell Inspiron 16 5630 vs. Dell Latitude 5330
VS
Compare Dell Inspiron 16 5630 vs. Apple MacBook Air (2020)
VS
Compare Dell Inspiron 16 5630 vs. Apple MacBook Air (2022)
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
97,395
Recommendations made
21,103
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
