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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is designed for high-end gaming and intense tasks with a powerful processor and graphics card, a big display, and a robust build, but it's heavier and less portable. If gaming, 3D work, or resource-heavy engineering applications are your focus and budget is not a constraint, this laptop would serve you well. On the other hand, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is more affordable, has a smaller screen that's convertible for tablet use, and is significantly lighter, making it ideal for general use, portability, and simpler tasks. It offers reasonable performance for everyday work but isn't suited for demanding gaming or intensive engineering software. 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
517.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is good.
The Dell Alienware M18 R1 excels in general use with a high-performance CPU, significant RAM, and a quality display, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life, whereas the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo offers good general performance in a more portable size and with longer battery life, but has a less powerful CPU and less RAM.
Gaming and AI
9.1
6.3
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in gaming and 3D rendering because it includes a powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate, which dramatically improve visual performance and fluidity in graphics-intense tasks. In contrast, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has a much less powerful integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, which means it will not handle gaming and 3D tasks as well.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out for engineering and design, offering a high-end CPU and GPU, which are crucial for complex tasks, more RAM for multitasking and larger projects, and a superior graphics display quality, although it's heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
8.4
7.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
7.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
7.3
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
517.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo for gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize a laptop for everyday tasks like surfing the web, watching videos, and working with documents, both the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo offer good screen quality, boasting clear resolutions and brightness that enhances visibility and detail. When it comes to engineering and design, their good color accuracy, covering a wide range of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, make them suitable options for professionals who need precise color representation for their work. However, if you're into gaming or working with 3D applications, the limited refresh rates on these screens may not deliver the smooth visuals you’d want, despite their acceptable resolution and panel quality.
Battery
4.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$699
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a price of $2,600 and the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo costs $699.
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How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $699 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | August 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 11.8'' x 8.8'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 2.98 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 11.82" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 8.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-1260P | |
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 | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 70 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 517 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
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 | 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."
MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | April 2021
"MSI wants to prove that it can do more than just gaming laptops and the Summit E13 Flip is a great example of what the manufacturer is capable of especially in terms of aesthetics and performance. Normally for subnotebooks or convertibles, TDP and performance are often below average as makers want to meet slimmer designs and lower weight targets. The Summit manages to outperform others in its size class and category while still looking sleek and portable in the process. If you want a convertible that won't throttle significantly when under load, then this MSI will be one of the better options you can find."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo
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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