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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 cater to different user needs. The Alienware is a high-end model with a large high-refresh-rate screen, more storage, and superior processing power, making it suitable for intensive gaming and demanding engineering tasks. However, it is more expensive, heavier, and has a shorter battery life, which compromises portability. On the other hand, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is more affordable, lightweight, has a longer battery life, and includes a touchscreen, thus offering greater versatility and ease of use for general tasks. It may not be as powerful for specialized tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning, but its balance of features could make it more fitting for everyday use or casual content creation. 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.4/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
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
6.2
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.2
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
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
7.6
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 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.
Screen Quality
7.8
7.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 likely have screens with solid resolution and brightness that make them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video watching, satisfying the general use criteria. Their color accuracy and wide color gamuts are beneficial for professionals in engineering and design, who require precision in color representation for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, a high refresh rate is critical for smooth visuals, and since both models have a poor screen quality for these uses, they likely lack the high refresh rate necessary for optimal gaming and 3D rendering experiences.
Battery
4.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 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
16.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.0
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$779
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $779.
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Key similarities
Software Development
8.0
7.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 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 Lenovo Flex 5 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Lenovo Flex 5 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $779 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 52.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
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."
Lenovo Flex 5 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Lenovo Flex 5 16
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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