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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is less expensive and more portable, with a solid build and decent performance for general use and gaming. Its smaller screen and lower resolution are fit for typical tasks and some gaming. Conversely, the Lenovo Legion 9i has a larger, high-resolution display which is better for professional creative work, engineering, and high-end gaming, but it comes at a higher cost and is less portable due to its larger size and weight. It also has a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it well-suited for the most demanding applications and multitasking. Both have good build quality, but the Legion 9i offers superior performance and screen quality at the expense of battery life and portability. 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 portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
411.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers decent portability and battery life which makes it suitable for general use, however, its lower RAM and standard screen resolution might limit performance in certain tasks compared to the Lenovo Legion 9i, which, despite being less portable due to its larger size and shorter battery life, offers a higher RAM, superior screen quality, and a more powerful CPU, making it very good for general use and even demanding applications.
Gaming and AI
7.6
9.2
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out for gaming and 3D applications due to its higher-end Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a faster 165Hz screen refresh rate, surpassing the Dell Alienware x14 R1's Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and 144Hz screen refresh rate. Additionally, the Lenovo Legion 9i features a more powerful CPU and superior screen quality, with a higher resolution and brighter Mini LED display compared to the Dell's lower-resolution IPS screen, further enhancing its gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.6
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good.
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
8.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i is 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
8.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good.
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
9.7
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a screen well-suited for general use and engineering tasks owing to its high resolution and brightness, along with satisfactory color range, which ensures clear and vibrant image quality but falls short for gaming because of its lower refresh rate. Lenovo Legion 9i excels in screen quality for both general use and engineering design due to its superior panel that covers a wide color gamut, offering exceptional detail and color accuracy; however, like the Alienware, it's less ideal for gaming where it lacks a high refresh rate, crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced games. Essentially, both laptops are geared towards productivity and detail-oriented workloads but are not optimized for the high-refresh demands of gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
9.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,201
$3,420
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a price of $1,201 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo Legion 9i both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware x14 R1 | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,201 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.06 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.66" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.34" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 411 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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 Legion 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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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