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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is a robust choice for intensive engineering tasks, owing to its powerful processor and graphics card, but it's less portable due to its size and weight. The MSI GE66 Raider, on the other hand, offers a higher resolution screen and better battery life, making it suitable for general use and high-resolution gaming, with the benefit of being more portable if mobility is important. Both are similarly priced high-end laptops with substantial storage and memory, but if you prioritize gaming or graphical work, the MSI's better screen might appeal to you, while the Dell's superior performance is better for demanding engineering applications. 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 gaming and AI
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
- Very good overall display quality
- Good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, engineering and design, and content creation.
When considering general use, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 offers a balanced screen in terms of resolution and brightness, but the MSI GE66 Raider stands out with its higher resolution and brightness, leading to clearer and more vibrant visuals. For engineering and design work, both laptops provide wide color ranges, making them well-suited to tasks that require color accuracy, though the specific color gamuts covered may vary. However, for gaming and 3D applications where refresh rate becomes crucial for smooth rendering, neither laptop excels, which may result in less fluid motion and a less immersive experience.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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
15.6in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,600
$3,199
$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 GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider 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.
Gaming and AI
9.1
8.6
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI GE66 Raider is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is equipped with a Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and has a high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, which is ideal for smooth gaming and 3D experiences. In comparison, the MSI GE66 Raider comes with a Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a lower refresh rate of 120Hz, yet offers excellent graphics performance as well, suited for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
9.1
9.1
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and MSI GE66 Raider are both excellent for engineering and design.
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
8.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider 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
8.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and MSI GE66 Raider 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 GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 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 | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 4 | |
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 GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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