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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a high-end, more expensive device with powerful performance suitable for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and machine learning. It's equipped with a high-end processor and graphics card, more RAM, and a larger battery, but is quite heavy, making it less portable. The Lenovo Legion 7 is less expensive and more portable, with a solid performance that can handle gaming, general use, and some engineering tasks, but it might not perform as well as the Dell Alienware in very demanding situations. It also has a slightly longer battery life. Both have large, high-resolution displays, but the Dell's more advanced GPU renders it better suited for intense gaming and professional work. If budget is a concern and you need a balance of performance and portability, the Lenovo might be the right choice, whereas if high performance is the priority and price is less of a concern, the Dell is more fitting. 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
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 7
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1
7.8
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 outperforms the Lenovo Legion 7 for gaming and 3D tasks primarily due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, compared to the Lenovo's RTX 3070, providing smoother and more detailed graphics. While both laptops have the same screen refresh rate, which is crucial for fluid motion in games and animations, the superior GPU in the Alienware enhances overall visual performance.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.2
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 exceeds the Lenovo Legion 7 in engineering and design tasks mainly because it features a more powerful CPU and twice the RAM, which are very important for these types of workloads. Additionally, the Alienware's superior GPU contributes to better performance in tasks that involve graphics processing, though the Legion 7 offers better portability due to its lighter weight.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 7 for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 7 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When considering screen quality for general use, the Lenovo Legion 7 outperforms the Dell Alienware m18 R1, likely due to its superior combination of panel type, resolution, and brightness, which results in a clearer and more vibrant display for everyday tasks. For engineering and design, the Legion 7 again takes the lead as it probably offers broader color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, ensuring more precise color reproduction crucial for professional design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short, as they lack high refresh rates, which are key for fluid motion and fast-paced visuals, although the resolution and panel types are decent but not as critical.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 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
5.5 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo Legion 7 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,600
$1,500
$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 Lenovo Legion 7 costs $1,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels for general use because of its robust CPU, ample RAM, and high screen quality, which make it well-suited for demanding tasks, although it's less portable and has lower battery life compared to the Lenovo Legion 7. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 7, while still offering good performance, a quality screen, and adequate RAM for general tasks, stands out with its portability and longer battery life, making it a more convenient choice for on-the-go use despite somewhat lower performance than the Alienware.
Content Creation
8.4
7.9
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 Lenovo Legion 7 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
7.6
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion 7 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 Lenovo Legion 7 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 Lenovo Legion 7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Lenovo Legion 7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14'' x 10.3'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 5.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 80 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 | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 469 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
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."
Lenovo Legion 7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Lenovo Legion 7
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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