If portability is a top concern for you, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 may be more suitable due to its lighter weight and potentially longer battery life. However, if screen quality and storage capacity are more important, you may prefer the Gigabyte Aero 16, which offers an OLED display with higher resolution and more on-board storage. Both laptops have strong performance for general use, 3D applications, gaming, and engineering tasks, although the Gigabyte Aero 16 has a more powerful graphics card, which could make a difference in the most demanding situations. Keep in mind, the Gigabyte is heavier and might have a shorter battery life, affecting its portability compared to the Dell. 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 overall build quality
Very good portability
Good speakers
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 16
Very good for general use
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.9/10
8.4/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 16 for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, and software development.
When considering screen quality for general use, elements like panel type, resolution, and brightness are crucial; the Dell Alienware x14 R1 provides a good balance of these features, making it suitable for everyday tasks, while the Gigabyte Aero 16, with superior brightness and higher resolution, ensures very good visual clarity and detail. For engineering and design, color accuracy is paramount, and the Gigabyte Aero 16's excellent coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB means it offers vibrant, true-to-life colors which are essential for professional design work, whereas the Dell Alienware falls short. However, for gaming and 3D applications, a high refresh rate is key to smooth visuals, and unfortunately, both the Dell Alienware and Gigabyte Aero lack in this area, making them less ideal for fast-paced games and rendering 3D animations where screen fluidity is important.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 16 has 7 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.8/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 16 to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a high-resolution IPS screen, lightweight design, and solid battery life, making it suitable for those requiring a combination of performance and portability in their general use laptop. Conversely, the Gigabyte Aero 16 offers more storage, a premium OLED display with higher resolution, but is slightly heavier and has a larger screen, catering to users who prioritize screen quality and storage capacity over the ultimate portability.
Gaming and AI
7.6/10
7.8/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aero 16 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both good for gaming and AI.
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
8.2/10
8.6/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 16 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both very good for engineering and design.
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
7.9/10
8.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 16 to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 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
7.7/10
7.9/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 16 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 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.
Cost
$1,201
$1,260
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a price of $1,201 and the Gigabyte Aero 16 costs $1,260.
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How the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Gigabyte Aero 16 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Gigabyte Aero 16 is a workstation laptop for light gaming. It's design is still muted, with a silver chassis alongside a black keyboard and trackpad that provides some contrast. The Gigabyte Aero’s full-size chiclet-style keyboard is enjoyable to type on thanks to its snappy feel and responsiveness. The 4K+ AMOLED display is good, but it could be better. It doesn’t handle true black very well and suffers from strong reflections and glare. The Gigabyte Aero excels at productivity performance and can keep up with other gaming laptops in 1080p. But it has very few ports and its refresh rate leaves a bit to be desired."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Gigabyte Aero 16
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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