The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers higher performance for 3D, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to its more powerful processor and graphics card, but it is significantly more expensive and less portable than the Lenovo Legion Slim 7. The Alienware has a larger screen with a higher refresh rate but is heavier, making it less convenient for travel. In contrast, the Legion Slim 7 is lighter, offers good performance for general use, and boasts better portability and battery life at a lower cost. The Slim 7 also has a higher screen brightness, but the overall display quality favors the Alienware. If portability and cost are important to you while still needing decent performance, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is a good choice, while if performance for high-end tasks is a priority despite high cost and less portability, the Alienware m18 R1 could be the better option. 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
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good overall build quality
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16"
Very good overall display quality
Good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1/10
8.2/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
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
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in gaming and 3D tasks predominantly due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a solid refresh rate, ensuring smooth visuals and better handling of complex graphics. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" also performs well for gaming and 3D applications with its capable Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and an even higher screen refresh rate, which enhances gaming and motion graphics display, although it may not match the graphical processing power of the Alienware.
Engineering and Design
9.1/10
8.6/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out for engineering and design due to its higher RAM and an advanced Intel i9 processor alongside a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, making it highly suitable for resource-intensive tasks, although it is less portable due to its weight and size. In comparison, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has a commendable AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU with adequate RAM for many tasks while offering better portability and a brighter screen, but it may not handle the most demanding engineering software as effortlessly.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.7/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
502.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers a satisfactory viewing experience for general use and engineering tasks with its resolution and brightness, but its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for gaming or 3D applications that benefit from smoother visuals. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" boasts a high-quality display with excellent color accuracy, making it great for both everyday tasks and color-critical engineering or design work, but similar to the Alienware, it falls short for gaming and 3D due to a refresh rate that doesn't match the fast-paced requirements of these activities. Both laptops suffer in gaming and 3D environments primarily because of their refresh rates, although they excel in display quality for more stationary tasks.
Battery
4.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has 7 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
4.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.6/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 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
$1,680
$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 Slim 7 16" costs $1,680.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out for general use due to its high-performance CPU and ample RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and demanding applications run effortlessly, paired with a high-quality screen that adds to user experience, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 offers a good balance between power and portability, with quality performance components suitable for general use, better battery life, and improved portability due to its lighter weight, though it may not handle intensive tasks as smoothly due to having less RAM.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 Slim 7 16" 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
8.0/10
8.0/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" 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.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is a slim Legion notebook that is just as excellent with Nvidia & Intel. However, the Legion Slim 7i slightly sullied by lacklustre battery life. You get a slim aluminium chassis, great input devices, decent port selection, fast high-quality WQXGA display and great performance. Supporting Thunderbolt 4 is one advantage of the Intel/Nvidia model tested in this review. Moreover, this variant has slightly higher CPU performance as well as better GPU performance in certain applications (e.g. CUDA-based apps). The Lenovo Legion S7i is thin, premium and performant – but less efficient than its AMD counterpart."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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