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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers high-end performance suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks, with a larger screen and a high refresh rate, making it less portable due to its size and weight. Conversely, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is more portable, suitable for general use, and has a longer battery life. The HP's touchscreen and better webcam make it suitable for daily tasks and video conferencing. If you do not require the high performance for gaming or professional tasks and value portability and longer battery life, the HP could be a great choice, while the Dell is tailored for users needing top-tier performance and features for demanding applications. 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
Advantages of the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1
6.5
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in gaming and 3D applications because it features a powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, both very important for smooth and high-fidelity gaming experiences. In contrast, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a less capable AMD Radeon 680M GPU and a lower screen refresh rate of 60Hz, making it less suitable for demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.6
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in engineering and design due to its high-performance CPU, ample RAM, and powerful GPU, coupled with a large, high-quality screen that's beneficial for detailed work, but is less portable due to its significant size and weight. Conversely, the HP Dragonfly Pro favors portability and has a commendable screen alongside decent performance attributes, yet it offers less power and smaller screen size, which might not be as optimal for intensive engineering tasks but could serve well for general use and on-the-go professionals.
Screen Quality
7.8
7.1
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offer panels with sufficient resolution and brightness, enhancing readability and visibility in various lighting conditions. Their screens support wide color gamuts, which is crucial for engineering and design applications, ensuring accurate color representation for precise work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, they fall short as they lack high refresh rates, leading to less fluid motion and potentially diminished responsiveness during fast-paced scenes.
Battery
4.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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
3.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,600
$1,400
$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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.0
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out for general use due its superior CPU and RAM, making it excellent for multitasking and demanding applications, paired with a large, high-quality screen; however, it's less portable and has a relatively short battery life. On the other hand, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offers better portability and a longer battery life, with a good CPU and RAM for typical tasks, complemented by a high-quality touch screen, making it a versatile choice for on-the-go use.
Content Creation
8.4
7.9
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | HP Dragonfly Pro 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | July 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.72'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 3.42 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 12.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | AMD Ryzen 7 7736U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 64.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 405 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1440p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 3 | |
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."
HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Brendan Nystedt | March 2023
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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