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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is designed for high performance in gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks but it comes with a heftier price tag and is less portable due to its larger size and weight. Conversely, the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro is slightly smaller, lighter, and more affordable while offering similar levels of performance for demanding tasks. Both laptops have the same main processor and graphics unit, generous screen sizes with high resolutions, and extensive connectivity options. The Legion has a higher screen refresh rate, enhancing fast motion display, making it slightly better for high-speed gaming. Your decision may hinge on whether portability or a slightly smoother gaming experience is more crucial, balanced against your budget constraints. 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
- The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i.
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
8.7
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
Considering screen quality, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers a balance suitable for general and engineering pursuits, delivering pleasing resolution and brightness for daily tasks and color accuracy for design work but falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, on the other hand, excels in screen quality for both general usage and engineering design with its enhanced color gamut and superior resolution and brightness, providing vivid and precise visuals, yet lacks the high refresh rate critical for fluid motion in gaming and 3D applications. Therefore, while both laptops serve well for productivity and professional design, those looking to immerse in gaming or 3D environments may find neither to be optimal, requiring a tradeoff between screen attributes and specialized performance needs.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,600
$2,000
$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 Pro 7i costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro are both well-suited for general use because they share powerful CPUs and an ample amount of RAM, ensuring smooth performance for most tasks, with high-quality screens that offer crisp visuals. However, the Alienware has a larger screen and slightly better build quality but is heavier and less portable with shorter battery life, while the Legion 7i Pro is lighter and more portable with slightly better battery life, but it has a smaller screen.
Gaming and AI
9.1
9.1
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both excellent for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i are excellent for gaming and 3D due to their high-performing Nvidia RTX 4080 GPUs and substantial refresh rates, with the Alienware offering a 165 Hz display and the Legion topping it with 240 Hz, making for smoother visuals. Both machines have capable CPUs and high-quality IPS screens, with the Legion's screen notably brighter for vivid depiction, complementing its superior refresh rate for an enhanced gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
9.1
9.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both excellent for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i both excel in engineering and design tasks because they are equipped with top-tier CPUs and GPUs, ample RAM, and high-quality displays, ensuring smooth performance in demanding applications, high-complexity modeling, and detailed visuals. While the Alienware has a larger screen and slightly better screen quality, making it preferred for design accuracy, the Legion Pro is more portable and has a higher-quality keyboard, which may be favored for comfort and mobility.
Content Creation
8.4
8.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both very good for content creation.
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
8.2
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both very good for software development.
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.
Battery
4.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 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 Pro 7i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.3'' x 10.3'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.3" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.32" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i9-13900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 99.9 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 | 240Hz | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 9.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 4 | |
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 | 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 Legion Pro 7i
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2023
"Passionate gamers who want to play demanding modern titles with maximum details and don't mind spending the moolah will find the Lenovo Legion 7 Pro to be the right choice. The bright, sharp, and color-accurate 16:10 QHD 240 Hz display makes for an immersive viewing experience. The hardware is housed in a stylish chassis that feels premium and scores well in terms of workmanship and stability. Other aspects such as sound quality, input devices, and connectivity also seem to be near-perfect."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
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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