If you're looking for a high-performance machine for gaming or intensive tasks, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 will serve you well with its powerful processor and graphics, large storage, and memory, but it's heavier and less portable. Remember to weigh the importance of cost, portability, and the specific uses you have in mind when making your decision. 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 keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Latitude 14 7490
Very good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2/10
7.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
9.1/10
5.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is poor.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and 3D due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, which provide smooth and visually rich gaming experiences. In contrast, the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is only fair for gaming and 3D because it has a significantly less powerful Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU and a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, resulting in less fluid graphics and limited gaming performance.
Engineering and Design
9.1/10
6.5/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in engineering and design use because it packs a powerful Intel i9 processor, a high-end Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, a larger amount of RAM, and a better quality screen, making it well-suited for demanding tasks that require strong graphics and processing capabilities.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
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 Latitude 14 7490 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
7.1/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 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
6.7/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Dell Latitude 14 7490 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering screen quality for general use, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 likely offers a vibrant display with higher resolution and brightness levels, providing a better viewing experience than the Dell Latitude 14 7490. For engineering and design tasks, the Alienware m18 R1 may also cover a wider color gamut which is crucial for color-critical work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the m18 R1's lower refresh rate can lead to less smooth visuals compared to laptops designed specifically for gaming, which usually prioritize high refresh rates for fluid motion and responsiveness.
Battery
4.0 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Dell Latitude 14 7490 has 9.5 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Latitude 14 7490 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the Dell Latitude 14 7490 costs $300.
"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."
"The Dell Latitude 7490's got the speed you need (and then some), a keyboard that's comfortable enough for writing all day long and a battery that supports a full 8-hour workday. If only the display were brighter and it managed heat better. If you need every minute of battery life you can get, the extended-battery version of the Lenovo ThinkPad T480 lasts 8 hours longer than the Latitude 7490, but its display is much less colorful."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Dell Latitude 14 7490
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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