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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a high-end laptop with a larger screen, more storage, and greater memory. It's equipped with a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it better for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks. However, it's heavier and less portable, with lower battery life compared to the Lenovo LOQ 16. The Lenovo is more affordable, lighter, and offers better battery life, suitable for general use and portability. It's less powerful, which may limit performance in demanding applications, but it's a good fit for everyday tasks and lighter gaming. Choose the Dell for performance at the cost of portability and price or the Lenovo for affordability and better mobility with moderate performance. 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo LOQ 16
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in general use due to its higher RAM and powerful CPU, which provide swift multitasking and processing, but it is less portable and offers shorter battery life, making it less convenient for on-the-go use. In comparison, the Lenovo LOQ 16, with its decent screen quality and lighter weight, is more portable and has a longer battery life, making it suitable for general use but may not perform as fast in demanding tasks as the Alienware.
Gaming and AI
9.1
7.5
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 boasts a higher-end GPU, which is critical for smooth gaming and 3D rendering, and a higher screen refresh rate that provides more fluid visuals over the Lenovo LOQ 16. Although the Lenovo LOQ 16's CPU and screen quality are sufficient for gaming, they fall behind the Dell’s capabilities, with the LOQ 16's lesser GPU and lower screen refresh rate reinforcing the Dell as the superior choice for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.9
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in engineering and design due to its higher RAM and powerful GPU, which are critical for demanding software, along with a high-quality screen that benefits detailed work. In contrast, the Lenovo LOQ 16, while still very capable with a solid processor and GPU for engineering tasks, trades off some performance with less RAM and a lower screen resolution, but offers greater portability and a higher screen brightness.
Content Creation
8.4
7.6
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 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.
Screen Quality
7.8
7.2
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Lenovo LOQ 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Lenovo LOQ 16 both offer screens with high resolution and brightness for sharp text and clear images, making them suitable for general use. For engineering and design tasks that rely on precise color representation, both laptops have adequate coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. However, as they likely have a lower refresh rate, they're less ideal for gaming and 3D applications where smoother motion and faster screen updates provide a competitive edge.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Lenovo LOQ 16 has 6 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo LOQ 16 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo LOQ 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
$740
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the Lenovo LOQ 16 costs $740.
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Key similarities
Software Development
8.0
7.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 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.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Lenovo LOQ 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Lenovo LOQ 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $740 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.92" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
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 LOQ 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | September 2023
"Gaming laptops with an RTX 4060 are available starting from about 1,000 Euros (~$1,060), even in 16-inch format. For the supposedly affordable Lenovo LOQ 16 (1,500 Euros, ~$1,591), the manufacturer particularly saves in the equipment and materials compared to the more expensive Legion series. In addition, the LOQ is slightly heavier and more bulky. What remains is anything but a laptop full of difficult compromises. Instead, this is a more than solid gaming laptop that focusses on the 3D performance.Q is slightly heavier and more bulky."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Lenovo LOQ 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.
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