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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" depends on your usage. The Alienware is designed for gaming and intensive tasks with its high-performance processor and dedicated graphics card, and its high refresh rate display furthers its suitability for fast-paced action. However, it is heavier, which affects portability. On the flip side, the Surface Laptop 5 is lighter, making it more portable, and has a higher resolution display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, which is great for productivity tasks like reading and writing; but it relies on integrated graphics which aren't suited for demanding games or heavy graphics work. The Alienware's larger battery may offer a bit more endurance, particularly for gaming. If portability and display for productivity are priorities and your tasks are not graphics intensive, the Surface Laptop could be a better choice; if you need more power for gaming or heavy tasks and can handle the extra weight and cost, consider the Alienware. 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6
6.1
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 surpasses the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for gaming and 3D applications due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card compared to the Surface's integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz against 60Hz, which provides smoother visuals during fast-paced games. Both have capable CPUs and high-quality screens; however, the significantly better GPU and refresh rate in the Alienware are what make it more suited for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is highly regarded for engineering and design tasks due primarily to its superior processing power and dedicated graphics card, ensuring performance is strong for CPU and GPU-intensive applications; the high-quality screen further complements this capability. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a balance between performance and portability with a good processor and integrated graphics, but it may not handle demanding engineering software as effectively, despite its excellent portability and touch-enabled, high-resolution display.
Screen Quality
7.9
7.2
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering general use, both the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offer panels with high resolution and ample brightness, ensuring crisp and clear displays for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design work, their screens deliver wide color gamuts, enabling accurate color representation which is crucial for professionals who require precision in their visuals such as graphic designers and architects. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the relatively lower refresh rates of these laptops' screens may lead to less fluid motion and a less immersive experience, which is less ideal for fast-paced games or intensive 3D rendering tasks.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 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
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
411.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers a strong CPU and dedicated graphics, making it suitable for general use and beyond; however, it's heavier and has shorter battery life than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", which balances a respectable CPU with portability and a higher-resolution touchscreen, though it might struggle with more graphically intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.9
7.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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
7.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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.
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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How the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware x14 R1 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,201 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.06 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.66" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.34" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 411 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 1 | |
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Lori Grunin | October 2022
"The Surface Laptop 5 remains afloat as a solid machine. It's just not one that stands out in any particular way. Just like the last one. The biggest upgrade were some new components, but they perform in the same range as other laptops with them, and frequently at the bottom of that range. I suspect Microsoft's settings are very conservative to help keep cooling and battery life within reason in the older chassis design."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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