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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 21, 2024·
When choosing between the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, consider that the Alienware is typically built for gaming, offering robust performance for graphics-intensive tasks but at the expense of being bulkier and having shorter battery life. The MSI Stealth, while slightly more expensive, is designed with a focus on creative professionals, offering a balance of high performance with a more portable form factor and better battery life, making it suited for use on-the-go. Decide based on whether gaming performance or mobility plus battery life best aligns with your needs. 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
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
- Very good overall display quality
- Good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
8.4
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio have high-resolution displays that offer sharp images and bright panels, making them suitable for everyday tasks such as browsing and watching videos. In engineering and design, the color accuracy is crucial, and both laptops deliver with wide color gamuts, ensuring that the colors in your projects are reproduced faithfully and precisely. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, resulting in less fluid graphics during fast-paced action.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
18.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
$2,900
$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 Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1, with its powerful CPU and ample RAM, excels in handling multitasking and demanding programs, making it a solid choice for general use; however, its screen quality, while good, along with lower battery life and less portability, could be a compromise for mobile users. On the other side, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio offers a balance with a high-quality display and robust performance capabilities, yet it also faces challenges with portability and battery life, making both laptops better suited for stationary use where power is readily available.
Gaming and AI
9.1
8.9
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is built with a high-end GPU and a high screen refresh rate, offering smooth graphics and responsiveness that are crucial for immersive gaming and fluid 3D performance. Meanwhile, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio also boasts a powerful GPU and an impressive screen refresh rate, while its high-quality CPU and screen contribute to a strong overall experience suited for demanding gaming and creative tasks.
Engineering and Design
9.1
9.1
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio are both excellent for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio both offer robust CPUs and GPUs, large amounts of RAM, and high-quality screens, essential for demanding tasks like 3D modeling and large-scale computations in engineering. While both are less portable due to their size and power, they compensate with excellent keyboard and reasonable operating noise, ensuring a comfortable and relatively quiet work environment, though they may not excel in speaker quality.
Content Creation
8.4
8.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
8.0
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and MSI Stealth 18 AI 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 MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $2,900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 15.8'' x 11.4'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 6.15 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 15.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 11.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
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 | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the MSI Stealth 18 AI 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 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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