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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a high-end gaming laptop with a robust processor, advanced graphics, substantial battery capacity, and a larger screen with a high refresh rate, making it suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. However, its size, thickness, and weight make it less portable. The MSI Creator Z16P, while also high-performance and suitable for engineering and content creation, offers a touchscreen, is lighter, and slightly more portable, but it has a less powerful graphics card compared to the Dell. If portability and a touchscreen are priorities without compromising much on performance, and if a lower price point is appealing, the MSI Creator Z16P is a viable choice. If best-in-class gaming and engineering performance is crucial and portability is less of a concern, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out, albeit at a higher price. 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 MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.1
7.6
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI Creator Z16P 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.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Creator Z16P is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in engineering and design tasks thanks to its more powerful CPU and GPU, coupled with twice the RAM of the MSI Creator Z16P, making it better suited for resource-intensive applications. However, the MSI Creator Z16P, with its lighter build and higher screen brightness, offers greater portability and a vivid display, potentially making it a more desirable choice for users who prioritize on-the-go usage and screen quality despite its somewhat lesser computational power.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the MSI Creator Z16P for software development, and content creation, while the MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers a display with high resolution and brightness, making it suitable for general use and engineering tasks that benefit from sharp images and vibrant colors. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is crucial. The MSI Creator Z16P, with its superior color accuracy covering wider color gamuts, excels in tasks requiring color precision such as engineering and design, but similarly to the Alienware, its display is not optimized for the high refresh rates favored in gaming and 3D environments.
Portability
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator Z16P has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,600
$1,300
$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 MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the MSI Creator Z16P is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out for general use due to its higher RAM and more powerful CPU, which translates to smoother multitasking and speedier performance for demanding applications, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the MSI Creator Z16P, which still offers adequate power for general tasks with good screen quality and a more portable design.
Content Creation
8.4
7.9
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Creator Z16P 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
7.6
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 MSI Creator Z16P 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.
Battery
4.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P has 5 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and MSI Creator Z16P 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 MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 1 | |
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."
MSI Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the MSI Creator Z16P
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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