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Updated January 10, 2024·
Selecting the Dell Alienware m18 R1 means investing in superior performance for gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks due to its high-end processor and advanced graphics card. However, it is heavier, more expensive, and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the HP Envy x360 15" is more budget-friendly, offers a longer battery life, and has a touchscreen with a high portability score, making it suitable for general use and on-the-go productivity. It does not match the Alienware in performance for intensive tasks and lacks gaming-oriented features such as hardware ray tracing and DLSS. Consider your primary use case and whether portability or raw power is your priority when making a 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 HP Envy x360 15"
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the HP Envy x360 15" is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in general use with a high-performance CPU, substantial RAM, and excellent screen quality, but at the cost of portability and shorter battery life, making it less convenient for on-the-go usage. The HP Envy x360 15", though less powerful with a modest CPU and less RAM, offers better portability and longer battery life, plus the versatility of a touchscreen, balancing performance with convenience for everyday tasks.
Gaming and AI
9.1
6.0
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 HP Envy x360 15" is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 delivers a far more powerful gaming and 3D experience due to its high-end Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card and a high 165Hz screen refresh rate, which are essential for smooth and detailed visuals in intensive tasks. In contrast, the HP Envy x360 15" has an integrated AMD Vega 7 GPU and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, which provide a fair performance that's acceptable for casual gaming and less demanding 3D applications, but falls short for more advanced uses.
Engineering and Design
9.1
6.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the HP Envy x360 15" is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers superior performance for engineering and design use due to its high-end CPU, substantial RAM, and powerful GPU along with a high-quality screen; however, it is less portable compared to the HP Envy x360 15", which has a fair performance with lower-end CPU and GPU, and less RAM, which may not handle engineering software as efficiently but is more portable and offers a touch screen feature for flexible use.
Content Creation
8.4
7.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the HP Envy x360 15" 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
7.2
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 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 HP Envy x360 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.
Screen Quality
7.8
6.2
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the HP Envy x360 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1's screen is well-regarded for general use and engineering due to its high resolution and brightness, which enhance visibility and detail, along with an extensive color range that is crucial for precision in design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the screen falls short because of its lower refresh rate, which can lead to less smooth visuals during fast-paced action. On the other hand, the HP Envy x360 15" has moderate screen quality across the board, meeting basic requirements for resolution and brightness in general use and engineering, but also lacks the high refresh rate desired for gaming and robust color gamuts needed for professional design tasks.
Battery
4.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The HP Envy x360 15" 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Envy x360 15" 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
7.2
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the HP Envy x360 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
$430
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the HP Envy x360 15" costs $430.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the HP Envy x360 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | HP Envy x360 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $430 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 9'' x 0.72'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 4.43 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.07" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 8.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 55 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
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 | 271 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 3 | |
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."
HP Envy x360 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Matt Elliott | January 2023
"Despite its good looks, stellar webcam and comfortable keyboard, the Envy x360 15 is hard to recommend because of its dim, 16:9 display. If the display isn't an issue for you, just be sure to wait for a good sale price. Otherwise, a more modern two-in-one with a 16:10 display such as the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 or Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 provides a larger workspace without adding much to the size and weight of the system."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the HP Envy x360 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 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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