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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a high-end laptop with considerable power, large storage, and a wide screen, suitable for gaming and intensive tasks, but it is more expensive and not very portable. In contrast, the Gateway 14.1" is more affordable, lighter, and easier to carry, yet it has limited performance and is more suited for basic tasks like internet browsing and document editing. 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 Gateway 14.1"
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
5.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
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
5.4
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
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its high-end Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card and the screen's high refresh rate of 165Hz, compared to the Gateway 14.1" laptop's Intel UHD Graphics 600 and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate which don't support intensive graphics tasks as effectively.
Engineering and Design
9.1
5.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.4
5.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
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
5.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
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
6.0
17.3in
SIZE
14.1in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 likely offers a high resolution and bright display, making it suitable for general use and detailed engineering work, but its possibly lower refresh rate would detract from the smooth visuals required for gaming and 3D applications. The Gateway 14.1" may offer decent resolution and brightness for satisfactory general and engineering use, but its screen might lack the wider color gamut that professionals seek for precise color work. Furthermore, both its average refresh rate and possibly lower-quality panel could lead to less-than-ideal experiences for gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
4.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Gateway 14.1" 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.1in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 14.1" 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
5.1
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Gateway 14.1" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$99
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the Gateway 14.1" costs $99.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Gateway 14.1" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Gateway 14.1" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $99 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 13.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 3.35 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 13.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.1" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 208 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
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 | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m18 R1
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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."
Gateway 14.1"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | September 2021
"The Gateway Ultra Slim 14" is surprisingly quiet with long battery life. The inexpensive Gateway excels at maximizing performance per dollar with lots of RAM and storage, super-quiet fan, and a long battery life. It can even house up to two M.2 SSDs which we weren't expecting from such a cheap system. However, the iffy reliability of the keyboard and USB-C port on our test unit means users should double-check for these potential issues immediately after purchasing."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Gateway 14.1"
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 Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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