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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a high-end, expensive laptop with a large screen, significant weight, and high performance, making it suitable for intensive gaming and engineering tasks; however, it is not very portable. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is a midrange, less expensive option with a smaller touchscreen and lower weight, offering better portability. It has moderate performance capabilities, appropriate for general use and lighter workloads. If you prioritize gaming or intensive tasks over portability and are willing to invest more, consider the Alienware. If you prefer a balanced combination of performance and portability at a lower cost, the Surface Laptop Studio is a better fit. 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
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1's powerful CPU and large RAM make it excellent for demanding applications and multitasking, complemented by high screen quality, which is crucial for general use; however, its size and short battery life impair its portability and limit its off-the-plug usefulness, respectively.
Gaming and AI
9.1
6.6
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
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
7.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is equipped with a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, and although both have IPS screens, the Alienware's larger screen and higher refresh rate make it better suited for demanding engineering and design tasks. However, the Surface Laptop Studio offers greater portability and has a higher-resolution touch screen that can be beneficial for design flexibility, but with lower overall performance due to its less capable hardware.
Content Creation
8.4
7.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
Software Development
8.0
7.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.0
17.3in
SIZE
14.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 likely offers a well-rounded display with decent resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, and good color accuracy essential for engineering and design work, but lacks a high refresh rate crucial for a smooth gaming and 3D experience. Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio probably provides excellent color reproduction and sufficient resolution and brightness for both general use and professional design tasks, enhancing visual fidelity and precision. However, like the Alienware, it might not cater to gamers or 3D professionals due to an absence of a high refresh rate display that can deliver fluid motion graphics.
Battery
4.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 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
14.4in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,600
$1,700
$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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | September 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 8.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-11370H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | October 2021
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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