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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For a balance of performance and portability with a touch of elegance for general use, consider the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15". It's lighter, thinner, and has a touchscreen with excellent color accuracy, making it great for everyday tasks and business use. However, if you prioritize top-tier gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning tasks, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 is the way to go with its powerful GPU and CPU, despite its bulkier design and shorter battery life. It's also built for heat management during intensive tasks. Your choice should align with your primary use case: the Surface for versatility and professional use, or the Alienware for high-performance demanding 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
- 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is good.
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
6.6
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is only fair.
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
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is good.
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
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.1
17.3in
SIZE
15.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" for software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
4.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has 9 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.0in
8.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,600
$1,200
$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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
Software Development
8.0
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m18 R1 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m18 R1 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,600 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | June 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | 13.4'' x 9.6'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 8.9 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 16.15" | 13.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 12.59" | 9.61" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel Core Ultra 7 165H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 97 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2496 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
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 | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 1 | |
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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