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Updated January 12, 2024·
If price is a major concern and you need a laptop for everyday tasks and casual gaming, the HP Victus 15 may be the better choice as it offers value for basic functionality at a lower cost. However, if you require a laptop for high-performance gaming, 3D modeling, or intensive engineering software, the Dell Alienware m18 R1, while more expensive, provides superior performance that could justify the additional expense. It also typically comes with higher quality components and features that could enhance your user experience, though it may be bulkier and have shorter battery life than more budget-friendly options like the HP Victus 15. 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 HP Victus 15
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.3
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the HP Victus 15 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in general use due to its superior CPU, RAM, and screen quality, offering a high-resolution, larger screen, and powerful performance which can handle multiple tasks efficiently but at the cost of portability and shorter battery life. The HP Victus 15, while still good for general use, provides a more portable and longer-lasting battery option with satisfactory performance and screen quality, but with less powerful components compared to the Alienware, making it suited for less demanding tasks.
Gaming and AI
9.1
6.4
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
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 HP Victus 15 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in gaming and 3D tasks with its top-tier NVIDIA RTX 4080 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, superior to the HP Victus 15 which has a mid-range NVIDIA RTX 3050 GPU and lower refresh rate of 144Hz. Additionally, the Dell's screen boasts a higher resolution, providing crisp visuals that are essential for gaming and 3D applications, compared to the HP's standard full HD screen.
Engineering and Design
9.1
6.7
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the HP Victus 15 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in engineering and design due to its high-performance CPU, substantial RAM, and powerful GPU, all of which support demanding applications and multitasking, coupled with a high-quality screen that provides sharp visuals and wide color coverage.
Content Creation
8.4
7.2
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
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 Victus 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
7.0
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the HP Victus 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
6.9
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the HP Victus 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers a high-resolution display with excellent color accuracy, making it suitable for engineering and design tasks, but its lower refresh rate may not be ideal for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is crucial. The HP Victus 15 provides a good balance of resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but its limited color gamut makes it less optimal for professional design work. For gaming and 3D, both laptops may fall short due to their refresh rates not meeting the high standards typically desired for fast-paced, visually demanding content.
Battery
4.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The HP Victus 15 has 5.5 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
5.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP Victus 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
7.4
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the HP Victus 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
$575
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the HP Victus 15 costs $575.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the HP Victus 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | HP Victus 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $575 | ||
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 10.4'' x 0.93'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 5.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i5-13420H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 52.5 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
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 Victus 15
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | March 2023
"The HP Victus 15 is great for gaming. It's available with Intel 12th Gen. CPUs and NVIDIA discrete graphics, which are powerful enough to provide a smooth gaming experience in demanding AAA titles at 1080p. It has a nice keyboard and a fast SSD, as well as Wi-Fi 6 and Ethernet connectivity for low-latency online gaming. Unfortunately, its 144Hz display has a slow response time causing noticeable ghosting, and it doesn't support variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the HP Victus 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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