The Dell Alienware x14 R1, with its higher price tag, offers great performance for engineering, 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive gaming thanks to its powerful processor and graphics card. Its portability is quite good and it has exceptional build quality and heat management. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, on the other hand, is more budget-friendly and still packs a solid performance punch for similar tasks, even though it's not quite as strong for the most demanding applications. Its larger screen is better for multitasking and creative work, however it is slightly heavier and has a lower battery life, making it less portable than the Alienware. Both laptops have sleek designs and are equipped with plenty of ports for connectivity, but the Alienware's additional Thunderbolt ports may offer more versatility for peripheral connections. Choose the Alienware if peak performance and portability are a priority, or the IdeaPad Pro 5i for a larger screen and a more attractive price point while still delivering powerful performance for many use cases. 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
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware x14 R1.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.9/10
7.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a better screen for general use.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1’s screen shines in general use due to its combination of resolution and brightness, which makes images and text clear and easy on the eyes. For engineering and design, its color gamut coverage ensures that professionals can see accurate colors, but for gaming and 3D applications, the screen falls short because of its lower refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth motion. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers a superior experience for general tasks with its excellent display quality and also does well in color-sensitive work, yet it shares the same limitation in refresh rate, impacting gaming and 3D performance.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 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
4.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.6/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,201
$950
$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 IdeaPad Pro 5i costs $950.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 stands out for general use due to its robust processing power and vivid screen, while remaining fairly portable and offering reasonable battery life, contributing to its versatility. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is also well-suited for general use, featuring a high-quality CPU and ample RAM, complemented by a high-resolution screen and longer battery life, though it may be slightly less portable than the Dell.
Gaming and AI
7.6/10
7.4/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
8.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers a robust GPU and higher color accuracy for graphics-intensive engineering and design tasks, meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i features a higher resolution screen and newer CPU, which might benefit detailed design work and computational tasks, respectively. While both have similar RAM, the Alienware typically runs quieter, yet the IdeaPad's larger screen may offer better visibility, though it's slightly heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.7/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
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 IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
7.7/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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.
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How the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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."
"Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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