Two gaming laptops, both with high-end specs and big price tags. However, one boasts the best-of-the-best when it comes to GPUs and a big SSD, whereas the other sports a higher resolution screen and a better processor.
So which one should you buy? Do you spend the extra money and go all out, or save those pennies and go with the slightly lower spec? As it turns out, it's really not about the money, but all about quality of life.
👉 We're curating the best Black Friday PC gaming deals right here 👈
Quick Links
- Alienware x16 R2 - $2,699.99 @ Dell
- Lenovo Legion 7i Pro - $1,999 @ B&H Photo
Alienware x16 R2
Most powerful laptop GPU? Check. Energy efficient CPU? Check. Lots of storage and fast RAM? Check and check again. High-end specs matched by a high-end price tag? Check, unfortunately.
There's no denying that this Alienware x16 R2 is a serious gaming laptop and I can't imagine anyone would be disappointed by its performance if they chose to hand over the best part of $2,700 for the pleasure. That said, we have tested other laptops with a 185H processor and RTX 4090 GPU, such as the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, and we were somewhat underwhelmed.
The problem with jamming the most powerful components into a slim laptop chassis is that it's really difficult to properly shift all the heat they generate. Or at the very least, it's hard to do without resorting to lots of very loud fans.
I've not tested this particular Alienware myself but unless Dell have worked some engineering miracle, then it's almost certainly going to be a noisy boi when under a heavy gaming load. Either that or the internal power limits stop it from getting too hot, but that'll just cap the gaming performance.
And I can't help but feel that an RTX 4090 is somewhat wasted with a 1200p screen, despite the 480 Hz refresh rate. That kind of GPU is designed to work at higher resolutions than this and you're essentially looking at a 1080p laptop.
Unless you're a professional gamer who needs to compete while on the go, you're better off going with a laptop that isn't quite so wild with the specs.
Lenovo Legion 7i Pro
I know it might seem unfair to pitch two laptops against each other when there's a $700 difference between the two, but the Lenovo's strengths aren't just about money.
You see that RTX 4080 is a far better fit for a gaming laptop than an RTX 4090. Yes, it's less powerful, but it consumes less power and thus produces less heat. That in turn means the laptop doesn't need to blast your eyes with ultra-noisy fans all the time.
The Core i9 14900HX is also a better processor for gaming than the Core Ultra 9 185H. I won't bore you with all the reasons why (it's all down to the tiled nature of the Meteor Lake architecture in the latter) but rest assured, the Legion 7i Pro is a better laptop in games than, say, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (which uses the 185H and 4090).
While the RAM and SSD aren't as impressive as those in the Alienware, the Lenovo laptop more than makes up for it with the screen. It's the same size at 16 inches but it has a 1600p resolution and a 240 Hz refresh rate. That lends itself perfectly for a spot of 1440p gaming and the RTX 4080 copes with that just fine.
But the biggest reason for choosing the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro over the Alienware x16 R2, other than price, is that it will just be a much nicer laptop to live with. The higher resolution will be kinder to your eyes and the lower heat output will be gentler to your ears.
Not every Black Friday deal choice is tricky!
