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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a high-end gaming laptop with strong performance for 3D, machine learning, and engineering tasks; it also has a large, high-refresh-rate display and extensive connectivity, but has a shorter battery life and is less portable due to its size and weight. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, on the other hand, is more budget-friendly, lighter, and has longer battery life, making it suitable for general use and portability; however, it offers less performance and storage, and a smaller display, which might not be ideal for intensive tasks or gaming. Choose the Dell for high-demand applications if budget is not a primary concern, or the Lenovo for everyday tasks and mobility. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.0
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in general use because of its powerful CPU, large RAM capacity, high-quality screen, and exceptional performance for intensive tasks, although it sacrifices portability and battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers better battery life and portability but falls short in CPU performance, RAM capacity, and screen quality, making it less suitable for demanding applications.
Gaming and AI
9.1
5.9
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
9.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 surpasses the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 in gaming and 3D tasks due to its superior GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4080, and a higher screen refresh rate of 165, providing smoother visuals and better handling of graphics-heavy applications. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3's integrated Vega 6 graphics and a standard 60 refresh rate screen are less suited for such demanding activities, although it may offer a more affordable price and better portability.
Engineering and Design
9.1
6.1
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in engineering and design tasks with its high-end CPU, substantial RAM, powerful GPU, and quality screen, which collectively deliver strong performance for demanding applications but at the cost of portability and battery life. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, with its modest CPU, lower RAM, integrated graphics, and average screen, offers enough capability for basic engineering tasks alongside better portability and longer battery life, yet it may struggle with more intensive workloads.
Content Creation
8.4
7.2
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
7.1
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
6.4
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 boasts high resolution and brightness suitable for general use and engineering, and its color gamut coverage caters well to design software demands, yet its lower refresh rate limits gaming and 3D work effectiveness. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 provides sufficient resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and basic engineering or design work but falls short for gaming and 3D applications where its refresh rate isn't ideal. While both laptops have adequate screen qualities for casual and professional use, neither is optimized for the high refresh rate demands of competitive gaming and smooth 3D modeling.
Battery
4.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
3.5 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
6.5
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$400
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $400.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 3.52 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 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 | 47 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 | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
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 | 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."
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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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