When deciding between the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16, consider your primary use case. The Alienware offers stronger performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming due to its powerful processor and dedicated graphics card, making it well-suited for intensive tasks but it is also more expensive. It has a lot of ports, including Thunderbolt, great heat management, and a high screen refresh rate for smooth visuals in fast motion scenes. However, this comes with some tradeoffs in portability and battery life, which is shorter than the Lenovo's. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Flex 5 is more affordable, has a longer battery life, a touchscreen, and a higher resolution display, which might be better for general use and productivity, especially if you value the flexibility of a 2-in-1 design. Its performance is adequate for everyday tasks, and it's lighter despite having a larger screen, but it lacks the gaming and intensive task capabilities of the Alienware. 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
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6/10
6.2/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
8.2/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is favored for engineering and design due to a more powerful CPU and a dedicated GPU which significantly enhances performance for demanding tasks, whereas the Lenovo Flex 5 16, although it has a higher resolution screen that might benefit design work, relies on an integrated GPU and has a less powerful CPU, which may not be as suitable for intensive engineering software.
Screen Quality
7.9/10
7.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 offer screens with sufficient resolution and brightness, ensuring clear and vivid displays that are easy on the eyes for tasks like browsing and document editing. Their screens also cover a wide range of colors, making them suitable for engineering and design applications where color accuracy is vital for professional results. However, for gaming and 3D applications, they're less optimal due to a lower refresh rate which can result in less smooth motion and gameplay, compromising the immersive experience that these applications require.
Battery
9.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,201
$779
$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 Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $779.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers robust performance for general use with its high-end CPU and dedicated graphics, making it suitable for more demanding applications, while its smaller screen and lighter weight make it more portable, albeit with shorter battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 16, with its high-resolution touchscreen and a longer battery life, provides a balance for productivity and media consumption; however, its integrated graphics are less suited for graphics-intensive tasks, and it's slightly heavier, which affects its portability.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.6/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.7/10
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 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.
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How the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Lenovo Flex 5 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Lenovo Flex 5 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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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