The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers a balance of power and portability, suitable for gaming and intensive tasks with its strong GPU and processor. It's also fairly light, with ample ports for connectivity and a backlit keyboard, making it a solid choice for users who value portability without compromising on performance. The Lenovo Legion 5 17", on the other hand, has a larger screen which is great for immersive gameplay and engineering work, and it includes a number pad which can be useful for productivity. However, it is heavier and less portable, and with a bigger power brick, it's less convenient to carry around. Both have similar battery life and are similarly priced, so the choice largely hinges on whether you prefer a more portable device or a larger display for your work and entertainment. 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
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware x14 R1.
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
7.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
411.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use, though the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is ideal for general use thanks to its more powerful CPU and brighter, more color-accurate display, which enhance productivity and multimedia viewing experiences, all in a very portable package with a high-quality build and good heat management.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.6/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is equipped with a high-end CPU and GPU, coupled with ample RAM and an excellent quality screen, making it very well-suited for demanding engineering and design tasks. In comparison, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" also has a capable CPU and GPU and sufficient RAM, but its screen quality doesn't match the Alienware's, making it slightly less optimal for precision work in engineering and design, despite its larger screen size.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for content creation, though the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is somewhat better.
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
7.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for software development, though the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is somewhat better.
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
7.9/10
7.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" offer screens with sufficient resolution and panel quality, ensuring clear and sharp images combined with ample brightness. When it comes to engineering and design work, their color gamut coverage supports accurate color representation which is crucial for professionals in these fields. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, the lower refresh rates on these laptops may lead to less fluid visuals compared to models tailored specifically with higher refresh rates for gaming.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" are appreciated for gaming and 3D applications because they both feature powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPUs and screens with high refresh rates of 144Hz. While both have IPS screens known for good color accuracy and viewing angles, the larger screen size of the Legion may offer a more immersive gaming experience, but the Alienware's higher brightness level and superior screen pixel density could result in sharper and more vibrant visuals..
Cost
$1,201
$1,200
$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 Legion 5 17" costs $1,200.
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How the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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 Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
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 Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.