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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers higher graphics performance and is suitable for gaming and engineering tasks, but costs more and is less portable due to its larger size and weight. In contrast, the Dell XPS 13 is slimmer, lighter, and easier to carry around, making it better for general use, but it's less powerful for 3D, machine learning, and engineering work. Choose the Alienware if gaming or high performance are your priorities and you don’t mind the extra weight and cost, or opt for the XPS if portability and lower cost are more important, especially if you mainly plan to use it for everyday tasks. 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 x14 R1
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6
6.2
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 stands as a superior choice for gaming and 3D applications due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a screen capable of a 144 Hz refresh rate, offering smoother visuals and better performance in graphically intensive tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design use due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, which offer better performance for CPU-intensive tasks and 3D rendering, along with a high-refresh-rate screen for smoother visuals. While the Dell XPS 13 is also good for engineering and design with the same amount of RAM and high screen quality, its portability and build quality are superior, but it has a less powerful GPU and CPU, which could limit performance in more demanding applications.
Screen Quality
7.9
7.2
14.0in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When evaluating laptops like the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Dell XPS 13 for general use, screen quality is highly satisfactory as both offer displays with clear resolution and brightness, providing comfortable viewing for everyday tasks. With engineering and design applications in mind, their screens offer wide color gamuts, enabling accurate color representation crucial for these fields. However, these laptops are less suitable for gaming and 3D application users due to their lower refresh rates, which make them less capable of delivering the smooth visuals that are paramount for these experiences.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.4in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.5 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Dell XPS 13 has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,201
$850
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a price of $1,201 and the Dell XPS 13 costs $850.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
411.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell XPS 13 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers potent CPU and gaming-capable graphics, making it suitable for both general and intensive tasks, while its high-quality screen and solid build are balanced against lesser portability and battery life. In contrast, the Dell XPS 13 provides a superior portable experience and longer battery life with a high-resolution screen, but compromises on graphics power, making it an excellent choice for everyday tasks but less so for graphic-intensive activities.
Content Creation
7.9
7.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell XPS 13 are both 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
7.7
7.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell XPS 13 are both 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.
Battery
9.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 has 10 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell XPS 13 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 x14 R1 and the Dell XPS 13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware x14 R1 | Dell XPS 13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,201 | $850 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.06 lbs | 2.59 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.66" | 11.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.34" | 7.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i7-1250U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 411 nits | 442 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware x14 R1
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The Alienware X14 series is thinner, but also slower than the competition. With the X series, you get plenty of modern technology: Intel Alder Lake CPUs, GeForce RTX 3000 GPUs, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, G-Sync, and Advanced Optimus. However, the slim design has some drawbacks, just like its larger siblings. The shifted hinge position results in a very deep device with a large footprint compared to the competition."
Dell XPS 13
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chen | April 2023
"In the past, the XPS 13 was a hands-down contender for the best laptop on the market. But the Apple-silicon MacBook has since barrelled onto the scene, and it wipes the floor with most of the ultraportable Windows laptops that cross my desk on a daily basis. This XPS is no exception. Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, battery life is worse."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Dell XPS 13
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.
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