The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is typically more expensive but offers stronger performance, especially for gaming and engineering tasks, due to its powerful Intel processor and Nvidia RTX graphics. It's suitable for intensive gaming and has hardware features like ray tracing and DLSS. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. Conversely, the LG Ultra 16 is much less expensive, lighter, and has a longer battery life, which is great for portability and general use. Its performance is lower, making it less ideal for demanding applications, and it lacks gaming features such as hardware ray tracing. Both laptops have the same amount of storage and RAM, and similar screen sizes, but the LG's screen has a slightly higher resolution and a different aspect ratio which could be better for productivity tasks. 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
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the LG Ultra 16
Excellent battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6/10
6.2/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the LG Ultra 16 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.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 16 is 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.
Screen Quality
7.9/10
6.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the LG Ultra 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 provides a sharp, vivid display with appropriate brightness, offering clear visibility and detail which enhances day-to-day activities like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, its screen can display a wide range of colors accurately, which is crucial for professionals who need precise color representation for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its screen refresh rate is not as high as dedicated gaming laptops, leading to less fluid motion and slower response times in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
9.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 16 has 17 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
8.5/10
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the LG Ultra 16 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
$1,000
$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 LG Ultra 16 costs $1,000.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and LG Ultra 16 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is praised for its powerful Intel CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU, making it suitable for general use with good screen quality and portability, though its battery life is moderate. Meanwhile, the LG Ultra 16 offers a lighter build for enhanced portability, lengthy battery life, solid RAM and an AMD CPU with integrated graphics, which supports general tasks with a high-resolution screen but may not handle intensive graphics tasks as competently as the Alienware.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.7/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and LG Ultra 16 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
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and LG Ultra 16 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 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 LG Ultra 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the LG Ultra 16 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."
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the LG Ultra 16
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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
130,995
Recommendations made
28,383
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.