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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you require a laptop for high-performance tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the Dell Alienware x14 R1, with its more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card, would be a better choice. However, this comes at a higher price and the laptop is less portable due to its weight. On the other hand, if your focus is on basic tasks like web browsing, office applications, and value for money, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" offers a more budget-friendly option with decent performance for everyday use, while also being lighter and thus easier to carry around for day-to-day activities. Keep in mind, the Lenovo has a lower quality display and less storage, which could constrain multimedia experiences and data capacity. 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
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware x14 R1.
Key differences
General Use
7.8
6.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
411.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers a more powerful CPU, more RAM, a higher-quality screen, and excellent heat management, making it ideal for demanding software and multitasking, but it comes with a higher price and slightly less portability compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15". The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 provides adequate, albeit less robust performance with a lesser CPU and RAM, and a lower-quality screen, which is reflected in its lower price, making it a budget-friendly option for less intensive tasks, with good portability but shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.6
5.8
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
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
5.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 excels in engineering and design tasks due to its powerful Intel i7 processor, high-end Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics, ample 16GB of RAM, and a high-quality IPS display, which are crucial for intensive applications and visual clarity.
Content Creation
7.9
6.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
6.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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.
Screen Quality
7.9
5.2
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a display that suits general use and engineering tasks due to a high-resolution screen with good color reproduction, making text clear and colors more accurate, which is important in detail-oriented work. However, its lower refresh rate can be a drawback for gaming and 3D applications, where smoother motion is a priority. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has lower overall screen quality, which means less sharp images for everyday tasks, less accurate colors for engineering and design work, and it also lacks the high refresh rate desired for optimal gaming and 3D experiences.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 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.
Build Quality
8.5
6.5
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,201
$360
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a price of $1,201 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" costs $360.
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Key similarities
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware x14 R1 to have very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware x14 R1 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,201 | $360 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.06 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.66" | 14.26" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.34" | 9.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i3-1115G4 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 35 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 411 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | February 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 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 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.
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Why trust us
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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