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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it better for intensive engineering tasks and gaming. It also has a longer battery life and includes a higher refresh rate display, which is beneficial for fast-paced gaming. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio provides a higher-resolution touchscreen ideal for creative work and is lighter with a more versatile form factor for portability. Both laptops have similar storage and memory capacity and are priced in a midrange bracket. If performance is a priority and you need a machine for demanding applications, the Alienware is a stronger fit, but if you prefer a lighter device with touch capabilities for general use and some creative tasks, consider the Surface Laptop Studio. 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 portability
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6
6.6
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, making it better suited for smooth and graphically intensive gaming and 3D work compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which has a Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti and a lower refresh rate of 120 Hz. While both laptops have high-quality screens and powerful CPUs, the superior GPU and refresh rate of the Alienware give it an edge in rendering and gameplay smoothness.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 excels in engineering and design tasks due to its powerful CPU, substantial RAM, high-performance GPU, and quality screen with high color coverage, which are very important for these tasks. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers a flexible display with a higher resolution and touchscreen capability but has a less powerful GPU and CPU, making it slightly less suited for the most intensive engineering and design applications, although it still performs well overall and adds versatility with its unique hinge design that supports different modes of use.
Screen Quality
7.9
8.0
14.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers a display that is bright and clear, with adequate resolution making it good for general tasks and perfect for crisp visuals in engineering applications due to its color accuracy. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio outshines with even better brightness and resolution, enhancing the experience for both general use and professional design work by covering a wide range of colors to provide more lifelike images. However, for Gaming and 3D work, both laptops fall short because they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and gameplay, even though their resolution and panel types are sufficient for moderate use.
Cost
$1,201
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a price of $1,201 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
411.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is equipped with a strong CPU and a substantial amount of RAM, making it adept at handling a variety of tasks efficiently, while its high-quality screen and portability, backed by a solid battery life, ensure a versatile usage experience. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with its unique flexible hinge, offers similar CPU and RAM capabilities conducive to general use, complemented by a high-resolution touchscreen display that enhances interactive tasks, although it may trade off some battery duration for these premium features.
Content Creation
7.9
7.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
7.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
Battery
9.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.4in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware x14 R1 to have very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware x14 R1 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,201 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | September 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.06 lbs | 4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.66" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.34" | 8.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i7-11370H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 411 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 2 | |
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 Studio
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | October 2021
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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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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 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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