The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers a larger screen, higher performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning, and a top-tier processor and GPU for gaming at a higher price. On the other hand, the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R is more affordable, considerably lighter, and offers a longer battery life, making it more suitable for portability. The Mech-15 G3R also has a high refresh rate display beneficial for gaming. However, it has half the RAM of the Alienware, which might limit performance in RAM-intensive tasks. Both have ample storage and high-quality displays, but the Dell excels in color accuracy. Choose the Alienware if you prioritize performance over portability and budget, or the Eluktronics if you value portability, battery life, and a better price to performance ratio. 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 overall build quality
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R
Very good overall display quality
Good portability
Good battery life
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.4/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 provides adequate resolution and brightness, making it comfortable for everyday tasks, while the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R offers higher resolution and brightness, enhancing the viewing experience further. In engineering and design, both laptops offer good color accuracy and range, crucial for precision work, but the Eluktronics stands out with slightly better coverage of professional color spaces, making it more suitable for detailed color work. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on both laptops lead to less smooth visuals, which might be less satisfactory for those specific activities where refresh rate is key.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R 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
4.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R 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
7.8/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$2,400
$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 Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R costs $2,400.
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R both offer high-quality CPUs and ample RAM, ensuring smooth performance for general use; they both also have good screen quality with high resolution. However, the Dell is less portable due to its larger size and weight, and both laptops have battery life that might not be ideal for extended usage without access to power.
Gaming and AI
9.1/10
8.7/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be excellent for gaming and AI, while the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R is very good.
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
8.7/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers a more robust CPU and GPU combination, along with a larger screen of higher quality, making it well-suited for engineering and design where such aspects are crucial. Conversely, the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R, while also capable for these tasks, emphasizes portability and keyboard quality, and has an innovative cooling system, but compromises somewhat on screen size and ultimate processing power.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.4/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R and Dell Alienware m18 R1 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
8.0/10
8.1/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both very good for software development.
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 Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R 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."
"Everything considered, the XMG Neo 15 (Mech-15 G3R) with RTX 3070 Ti is a great gaming performer. The combination of the Ti graphics card with the new Intel 12th gen CPU is enough to go toe-to-toe, and even slightly pull ahead of the RTX 3080 in most titles, though on games with Ray-Tracing enabled, particularly with graphics set to the maximum and on higher resolutions, the additional VRAM of the RTX 3080 makes a big impact, and the 8GB RTX 3070 Ti machine simply can’t compete, even with the more powerful processor."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Eluktronics Mech-15 G3R
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.
About Eluktronics
Eluktronics is a relatively new American gaming laptop company, founded in 2011. They are a reseller for the Taiwanese brand Clevo, who manufacture laptops exclusively and ship them to resellers like Eluktronics who customize them. Eluktronics laptops generally have great hardware specifications for the money, including the CPU, GPU, and RAM. They also feature a relatively clean design by gaming laptop standards, with few logos and discreet colors.
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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