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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a high-end, more expensive option with more RAM and a powerful CPU and GPU combination, suitable for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and gaming, but it is heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is more affordable, lighter, and offers better battery life, making it more portable, but comes with less RAM and a less powerful CPU and GPU, which may not be as suitable for intensive tasks but still adequate for general use and moderate gaming. Choose the Alienware for top-tier performance or the Aorus for a balance between cost, portability, and capability. 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 overall build quality
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 15
- Very good overall display quality
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1
8.0
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 exceeds in gaming and 3D due to a higher tier GPU, offering stronger performance compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 15's very capable but less powerful GPU. Both have similar screen refresh rates, but the Alienware's superior GPU gives it the edge for very intensive tasks, while the Aorus 15 still delivers a very good experience for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in engineering and design due to its superior Intel i9 CPU, larger amount of RAM, and more powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, which together provide excellent performance and screen quality essential for these tasks. The Gigabyte Aorus 15, while very good for engineering and design, offers a less robust Intel i7 CPU, less RAM, and a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, although it may be more portable due to being lighter.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.0
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
316.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 15 for software development, and content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, a laptop with a high-resolution and bright screen offers clear visuals, making the Dell Alienware suitable, while the Gigabyte Aorus stands out with similar attributes. In engineering and design, accurate color reproduction is crucial; both laptops provide ample color range, with the Gigabyte having a slight edge. However, for gaming and 3D applications, where fluid motion is key, the lack of high refresh rates on both these models leads to less smooth visuals, despite their adequate resolutions and panel types.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has 6 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$1,500
$500
$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 Gigabyte Aorus 15 costs $1,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
316.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers top-tier performance with a superior processor and double the memory for multitasking, combined with a large, high-quality screen, which makes it very good for general use, although it's less portable and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 15, while still good for general use, offers a more balanced approach with sufficient performance for most tasks, better battery life, and easier portability due to its lighter weight and smaller size.
Content Creation
8.4
8.0
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 Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
7.6
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
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 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 Gigabyte Aorus 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Gigabyte Aorus 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.2'' x 9.6'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 5.29 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.2" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 9.6" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 316 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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."
Gigabyte Aorus 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | December 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a power-hungry gaming beast. The Aorus 15 is designed to run games at QHD and high to max settings. But it also cuts a good figure in other demanding applications such as video editing and rendering. This is made possible by the Core i7 12700H and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop inside the machine. A lightning-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 TB) allows for short loading times."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Gigabyte Aorus 15
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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