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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is generally less expensive than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and offers strong gaming performance with its Nvidia RTX GPU, higher refresh rate screen, and features beneficial for gaming such as RGB keyboard lighting and hardware ray tracing. However, it has a standard full HD screen and less storage capacity compared to the ThinkPad. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is pricier but comes with a higher resolution OLED touchscreen, larger storage capacity, and more RAM, which is favourable for professional creative work and multitasking. It also has a better portability score despite being slightly heavier, offers a premium business look, and includes features like a white backlit keyboard and both fingerprint and facial recognition. Choose the Alienware if gaming and price are your priority, and the ThinkPad Z16 if you need a higher resolution display for creative tasks, more storage, and a laptop with a professional appearance. 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 gaming and AI
- Very good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
411.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is rated higher in general use than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 because it has a higher quality screen, longer battery life, and superior keyboard and speaker qualities, which are important for productivity and multimedia tasks. While the Alienware x14 R1 is praised for its portability and gaming performance due to good CPU, RAM, and cooling system, the ThinkPad Z16's larger storage, excellent CPU, and ample RAM make it better suited for a wider range of general use cases despite being slightly less portable.
Gaming and AI
7.6
6.7
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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.
Content Creation
7.9
8.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.5
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers a balance in screen attributes suitable for everyday tasks, but it doesn't shine in refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 excels in color accuracy and range, vital for tasks requiring precise color representation like engineering or design, while its lower refresh rate detracts from its appeal for gaming and 3D. Both laptops fall short in gaming and 3D use due to their lower refresh rates, despite their high-quality panels and resolution, which benefit general use and professional design work.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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.
Cost
$1,201
$1,120
$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 ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is designed with a high-powered CPU and dedicated RTX GPU, suited for the demands of engineering and design work, accompanied by a high refresh rate screen for smooth visuals, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers a larger, higher resolution OLED touchscreen and more RAM for complex multitasking, with a powerful AMD processor and strong GPU performance, making both capable for intensive tasks but with different strengths in display and multitasking capabilities. Considering portability and quality, the Alienware is slightly lighter and has excellent heat management, whereas the ThinkPad offers an exceptional keyboard and quieter operation, which might appeal to professionals in extended use scenarios.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware x14 R1 to have very good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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 ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware x14 R1 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,201 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.06 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.66" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.34" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 411 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 0 | |
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 | 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 ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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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