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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For a balance of performance and portability, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) is a strong contender. It offers a high-performance CPU and GPU, suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, with a faster refresh rate for smoother visuals. However, it's less portable due to its weight and battery life, which is typical for gaming laptops. The Dell Alienware m18 R1, on the other hand, provides a larger screen and more RAM, which is beneficial for engineering tasks and multitasking, but at the cost of even greater weight and slightly lower battery life. Both have excellent build quality and cooling systems, crucial for intensive tasks. If you prioritize a larger screen and additional RAM for demanding applications, the Alienware is the way to go. If you want a slightly more portable and potentially less expensive option without sacrificing too much performance, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a better choice. 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 software development
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024)
- 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 Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.1
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 Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) are both very good for general use.
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
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 Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) are both excellent for gaming and AI.
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
9.0
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) are both excellent for engineering and design.
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
8.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) 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
7.9
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
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 Pro 7i (2024) 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.
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 (2024) both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$2,650
$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 (2024) costs $2,650.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $2,650 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | February 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.3'' x 10.3'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 5.78 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.32" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i9-14900HX | |
Graphics | |||
Graphics | RTX 4080 (175 W) | RTX 4080 (175 W) | |
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus | |||
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus | Yes | Yes | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
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 | 6.4/10 | |
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 (2024)
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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 (2024)
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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