The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is the better choice if you need top-tier performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, thanks to its more powerful processor and superior graphics card. However, it is also significantly heavier, less portable, and has a shorter battery life, which could be inconvenient if you plan to move around a lot. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 16 5635, while more affordable and offering good performance for general use, it has a weaker graphics capability, making it less suitable for intensive gaming or engineering software. It compensates with a lighter weight, better battery life, and a quieter operation, which could be preferable for everyday tasks and mobility. 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
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 16 5635
Good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1/10
6.3/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 5635 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
7.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in engineering and design due to its superior processor (Intel i9), substantial RAM (32GB), and high-end GPU (Nvidia RTX series), coupled with a high-quality screen, making it exceptionally suited for demanding tasks. Meanwhile, the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 is only deemed good as it sports a competent but less powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, half the RAM (16GB), and an integrated AMD GPU, which provides decent performance but may fall short for intensive engineering workloads.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
6.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
265.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 boasts a higher resolution and brighter display, making it a solid choice for general use and suitable for detail-oriented tasks in engineering and design due to its wide color gamut support. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rate hampers the visual fluidity and responsiveness that are crucial for these uses. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 offers a balanced fair screen experience in resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and engineering design, but it similarly falls short for gaming and 3D due to its inadequate refresh rate.
Battery
4.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 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
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 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
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$735
$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 5635 costs $735.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Dell Inspiron 16 5635 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is ideal for general use due to its powerful CPU and ample RAM, which allow for swift multitasking and demanding applications; it also boasts a high-quality screen, albeit at the cost of portability and shorter battery life.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 16 5635 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
7.7/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 5635 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 16 5635 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Compared to the previous year’s Inspiron, Dell upgraded the screen aspect ratio on this generation, but also transitioned to a more minimalistic centered keyboard flanked by up-firing speakers. The 16-inch screen is huge plus and I really appreciate the extra real estate without sacrificing the footprint much. This year’s model is a little larger than last, though, as the former model was already very small for a 15 incher."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Dell Inspiron 16 5635
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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About the laptop team
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
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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