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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the LG Gram 17 depends on your needs. The Alienware offers powerful performance suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks, thanks to its high-end processor and superior graphics card. However, it is more expensive, heavier, and has a shorter battery life, which makes it less portable. On the other hand, the LG Gram 17 is much lighter and offers significantly longer battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go use and general tasks. It also costs less but is not as capable for demanding tasks as its processor and onboard graphics are less powerful than the Alienware's. 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 speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the LG Gram 17
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1
6.5
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the LG Gram 17 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in gaming and 3D applications because it comes with a high-end Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, which are very important for smooth, immersive gameplay and graphic-intensive tasks.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.0
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the LG Gram 17 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out for engineering and design due to its high-performance CPU, ample RAM, superior dedicated GPU, and excellent screen quality, which are critical for intensive tasks but compromises on portability and could be louder and warmer under load. On the other hand, the LG Gram 17, while offering good CPU and RAM for lighter engineering tasks, integrates less powerful graphics and a high-quality display, bundled into a more portable and quieter machine, making it a suitable choice for users prioritizing mobility and a quieter working environment over raw power.
Screen Quality
7.8
7.4
17.3in
SIZE
17.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
353.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the LG Gram 17 for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and LG Gram 17 both have displays with high resolution and good brightness, which makes text and images clear and easy to read for tasks like browsing and document editing, benefitting general users. Engineers and designers will appreciate that these laptops cover a wide range of colors, allowing for precise work with graphics and photos. However, both laptops have lower refresh rates, which means they're less suitable for gaming and 3D applications where fast and fluid motion is crucial.
Battery
4.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The LG Gram 17 has 11 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
17.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The LG Gram 17 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
7.0
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the LG Gram 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$2,100
$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 LG Gram 17 costs $2,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
353.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The LG Gram 17 and Dell Alienware m18 R1 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.
Content Creation
8.4
8.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Gram 17 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
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The LG Gram 17 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 LG Gram 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | LG Gram 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $2,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.9'' x 10.2'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 2.98 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.91" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.19" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 353 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 2 | |
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."
LG Gram 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2022
"The LG Gram 17 is a light office laptop with a large display and great battery life. The newest incarnation of the Gram 17 can be classified as a model update. LG uses the predecessor's compact, light magnesium case along with an identical port configuration (including 2x Thunderbolt 4) and keyboard. Changes can be found in the hardware. With the Gram 17 (2022), LG offers a light (approx. 1,350 g), mobile work device - and finally with a matte display."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the LG Gram 17
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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.
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