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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is often somewhat less expensive and offers a more powerful GPU which is great for gaming and intensive tasks, but is heavier and thicker, making it less portable than the Razer Blade 17. The Razer Blade 17, while more expensive, has a higher screen resolution and better color accuracy, which can be beneficial for creative professionals. It's also lighter and offers a longer battery life, which might be more suitable if you're mobile often. 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 Razer Blade 17
- Very good overall display quality
- Excellent speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
8.6
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Razer Blade 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Razer Blade 17 feature displays with strong panel types, resolution, and brightness, which are crucial for clarity and detail, making them suitable for general use and engineering tasks where precision and color accuracy matter. However, for gaming and 3D, the refresh rate becomes a pivot point for performance, an area where both laptops underperform, leading to less fluid visuals that could detract from fast-paced activities. The Razer Blade 17, while sharing similar drawbacks for gaming, provides superior color ranges necessary for high-level design work when compared to the Alienware, giving it an edge for professionals in that field.
Battery
4.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 17 has 5.5 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.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Razer Blade 17 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
$4,300
$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 Razer Blade 17 costs $4,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Razer Blade 17 and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 stands out with top-tier heat management and solid build quality, making it reliable for long-term general use despite its less favorable portability due to its heavier weight and larger size. Meanwhile, the Razer Blade 17 provides an excellent keyboard and better portability thanks to its lighter weight and compact design, along with a higher resolution screen, which enhances visual experiences for everyday tasks.
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
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be excellent for gaming and AI, while the Razer Blade 17 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in gaming and 3D with its powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, while the Razer Blade 17 also offers excellent 3D and gaming capabilities due to its robust Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and solid screen refresh rate but with a superior screen resolution, enhancing screen quality.
Engineering and Design
9.1
9.1
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 17 and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both excellent for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 excels in engineering and design use due to its top-tier Intel i9 CPU, a substantial amount of RAM, and a powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, all of which ensure speedy processing and high-quality graphics rendering on a quality screen. Similarly, the Razer Blade 17 is excellent for such tasks with a robust Intel i9 CPU, ample RAM, and a high-performing Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU, though its portability is also a strong point without sacrificing much on keyboard and speaker quality, or generating distracting operating noise.
Content Creation
8.4
8.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 17 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
8.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 17 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 Razer Blade 17 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Razer Blade 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Razer Blade 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $4,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 6.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 15.55" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 10.24" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i9-12900H | |
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 | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.1/10 | |
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 | 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."
Razer Blade 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | July 2022
"Our test configuration of the Blade 17 targets gamers and creative professionals. A Core i9-12900H processor, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP after the BIOS update, 16 GB of VRAM), and 32 GB of working memory equip the laptop for video processing, rending, and 4k gaming at the highest level. In addition, a fast PCIe-4 SSD (1 TB) ensures short load and storage times. With the Blade 17 (Early 2022), Razer delivers a successful and powerful work device for creative professionals. But this also has its price."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m18 R1 or the Razer Blade 17
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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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