The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a top-tier gaming laptop with a high-end price to match. It offers exceptional performance for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, thanks to its powerful Intel i9-13900HX processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU. The large 17.3-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and a 165Hz refresh rate is ideal for fast-paced gaming and detailed visual work. However, its size and weight make it less portable, and the battery life is relatively short, which is typical for gaming laptops.
On the other hand, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is a versatile upper midrange laptop that's significantly less expensive and more portable. It features a vibrant 16-inch Mini LED touchscreen with a higher resolution of 3200 x 2000, making it excellent for general use, including web browsing, media consumption, and light creative work. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor and Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU provide good performance for everyday tasks and some light gaming or photo editing. Its slim design, longer battery life, and included stylus make it a great choice for professionals or students who need a reliable device for on-the-go productivity.
In summary, if you prioritize raw performance and gaming capabilities and don't mind a bulkier, less portable device, the Alienware m18 R1 is the way to go. However, if you value portability, battery life, and a versatile touchscreen display for general productivity tasks, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i offers a more balanced and cost-effective solution. 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
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i
Best in class overall display quality
Good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1/10
7.7/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
9.8/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 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.
Battery
4.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i has 9 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
4.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 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
7.4/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$1,450
$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 Yoga Pro 9i costs $1,450.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 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.
Engineering and Design
9.1/10
8.7/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is very good.
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
8.4/10
8.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 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
8.1/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 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.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i
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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Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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