There's a wide gap between a budget and mid-range gaming laptop, but it's not always cut and dry in terms of overall quality. The performance may be a consistent increase, but there are so many other factors to consider.
In my recent Dell G16 (7630) review, I praised the budget gaming laptop for its premium-like qualities. In fact, it featured qualities that outpace many $2K+ gaming rigs, which is why it's arguably the best cheap gaming laptop. How does that compare to the company's premium brand, Alienware? Specifically, the Alienware m16 R2, which just barely falls within the mid-range category (sub-$2K).
The Dell G16 falls into the budget range at under $1K. There's a $550 difference between them, so is it actually worth it? Or is it just an Alienware brand tax? Let's dive in.
Dell G16 7630 vs. Alienware m16 R2: Specs compared
Dell G16 7630 vs. Alienware m16 R2: Price
The price gap between the Dell G16 7630 and the Alienware m16 R2 is so wide that it immediately divides many consumers. Not many folks have the disposable income to afford a nearly $2K gaming rig. Meanwhile, gaming laptops in the triple digits are way more reasonable.
For $949, the Dell G16 7630 offers an Intel Core i7-1365HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB GPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz display, and a CherryMX mechanical keyboard.
For $1,499, the Alienware m16 R2 features an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics chip, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz display.
The Alienware m16 R2 starts at $1,199 and drops to an RTX 4060. It can go all the way up to $1,999 with a Core Ultra 9 CPU, RTX 4070 GPU, 64GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD. Meanwhile, the Dell G16 starts at the price we tested it at. It can climb to $1,949 with a Core i9 CPU, RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
They're similar when we match GPUs. While the Intel Core Ultra series is stronger than the 13th-generation Intel CPUs, it's not by much. The most significant configurable spec here is the CherryMX mechanical keyboard. The Dell G16 not only offers more competitive prices compared with the Alienware m16 R2 (outside of the topped-out models) but also features a major upgrade in terms of user input.
Winner: Dell G16 7630
Dell G16 7630 vs. Alienware m16 R2: Design
While I love all that the Dell G16 offers in terms of specs and features, it can't quite keep up with the Alienware m16 R2 in terms of style and portability.
I love the Dell G16's white colorway more than the gray chassis that the Alienware m16 sports. Even if you don't like the Dell G16's white chassis, you can configure it to the gray version. Despite that, the overall chassis of the m16 is elegant, while the G16 is chunky.
If you're a fan of RGB lights, the Alienware rocks some in the logo on the lid and surrounding the touchpad on the deck. Then there's the profile, which is massively different in size.
However, the x16 R2 is rocking RGB lights all over its chassis, including the infinity loop on the hinge and even the whole touchpad. If you're a fan of RGB lights, the m16 R2 lacks those fancier features, but it still supports lighting on the logos, keyboard, and surrounding touchpad.
Both are 16-inch units. The Dell G16 7630 weighs 6 pounds and measures 14.05 x 11.37 x 1.01 inches, while the Alienware m16 R2 weighs 5.8 pounds and measures 14.3 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches.
The Dell G16's depth and height might require you to carry a bigger bag. Unfortunately, this is a common sacrifice in budget gaming laptops, so the Alienware m16 R2 takes the win.
Winner: Alienware m16 R2
Dell G16 7630 vs. Alienware m16 R2: Display
The display on a gaming laptop is even more important than the GPU — and you can quote me on that.
The Dell G16 7630 and Alienware m16 R2 are each specced with a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz panel. Given its brand and price, I'd expect the Alienware laptop to feature a more premium panel. Essentially, it shouldn't be the way it is.
The specs are the same, so let's jump into benchmarks.
The Dell G16 7630 covered 114% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and averaged 310 nits of brightness. The Alienware m16 R2 covered 69.9% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and averaged 288 nits of brightness. What a wild turn of events.
To be clear, both of these displays are dim. However, that can be fixed by playing in a dark environment.
What cannot be remedied is color depth. At 114% of DCI-P3, the Dell G16 proves that it's even more colorful than a $5K gaming laptop like the MSI Titan 18 HX.
Winner: Dell G16 7630
Dell G16 7630 vs. Alienware m16 R2: Keyboard
While we don't typically dive into the keyboard experience in a face-off, there's a phenomenal difference between the Dell G16 7630 and Alienware m16 R2.
Let's get it out of the way: The Alienware m16 R2 features a standard membrane keyboard. However, it does support anti-ghost technology, so no keystroke is unregistered while gaming. As far as gaming laptop keyboards go, it felt comfortable to type on and we were happy it came with full-sized arrow keys.
However, despite the Dell G16 7630's price, it offers a full-blown CherryMX tactile mechanical keyboard. The keys feature deep travel and a satisfying actuation force that could keep me gaming for days.
This is not even a contest. It's a lopsided victory.
Winner: Dell G16 7630
Dell G16 7630 vs. Alienware m16 R2: Graphics
That $550 gap between the Dell G16 7630 and Alienware m16 R2 mostly comes down to the performance. The former features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB GPU, and the latter offers an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GPU. Let's see how that shakes out in our benchmarks.
On the Far Cry 6 benchmark (Ultra, 1080p), the Dell G16 7630 hit 85 frames per second, and the Alienware m16 R2 barely leads with 89 fps. At their native resolutions, the Dell G16 scored 61 fps, and the Alienware m16 achieved 71 fps — a noticeably wider gap.
The Dell G16 7630 averaged 82 fps on the Borderlands 3 benchmark (Badass, 1080p), stumbling against the m16 R2 (102 fps). At native resolutions, the G16 and m16 earned 54 fps and 65 fps, respectively.
On the Red Dead Redemption 2 benchmark (Medium, 1080p), the G16 7630 managed 64 fps, which galloped alongside the m16 R2 (65 fps). Natively, the G16 reached 39 fps while the m16 hit 40 fps.
Both machines took the leap of faith in the Assassin's Creed Mirage benchmark (Ultra, 1080p), and the Dell G16 7630 scored 88 fps while the Alienware m16 R2 flew up to 101 fps. At their native resolutions, the G16 averaged 62 fps, and the m16 got 73 fps.
If you're playing games at 1080p, the Dell G16 7630 can keep up with the Alienware m16 R2 in some titles. However, in the majority of 1600p benchmarks, the Alienware m16 R2 creates a wide gap.
Winner: Alienware m16 R2
Dell G16 7630 vs. Alienware m16 R2: Performance
The Dell G16 7630 manages its affordable price by offering a last-gen CPU via its Intel Core i7-1365HX processor. Meanwhile, the Alienware m16 R2 sports the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU. Let's see how much of a difference a single generation can make.
On the Geekbench 6.3 overall performance test, the Dell G16 7630 scored 11,209, while the Alienware m16 R2 jumped ahead at 12,784.
On our HandBrake benchmark, the Dell G16 7630 transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in 4 minutes and 19 seconds, while the Alienware m16 R2 finished in 3 minutes and 46 seconds.
Meanwhile, the G16’s 1TB SSD managed a transfer rate of 1,719 megabytes per second, which falls behind the m16’s 1TB SSD (2,015 MBps).
Coming ahead on all three critical benchmarks, the Alienware m16 R2 takes a victory lap.
Winner: Alienware m16 R2
Dell G16 7630 vs. Alienware m16 R2: Battery life
Both the Dell G16 7630 and Alienware m16 R2 offer decent battery life for gaming laptops. The company seems to have its power balance down to a science. But there can be only one winner, right?
The Dell G16 7630 survived for 5 hours and 4 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test, over an hour slower than the Alienware m16 R2 at 6:13. Despite that, when gaming, the Dell G16 7630 lasted 1 hour and 7 minutes, whereas the m16 R2 lasted 0:53.
That may not seem like much, but that's technically a 26.4% increase in battery life while gaming. While I don't recommend playing games unplugged, getting over an hour of game time is neat. And when operating normally, the m16 R2 offers a 22.7% increase.
From a pure numbers standpoint, they both offer something the other doesn't. If you aren't gaming unplugged, go with the Alienware m16 R2. If so, get the Dell G16 7630.
Winner: Draw
Overall winner: Dell G16 7630
You're probably wondering why I gave this away to the Dell G16 7630. Or you might not be surprised considering their review scores listed above. The Alienware m16 R2 may have an edge in performance, but the Dell G16 7630 brings a quality experience that even the best gaming laptops don't offer. And that's packaged in a rig that costs under $1,000.
The Dell G16 7630 brings a quality experience that even the best gaming laptops don't offer.
The Dell G16 7630 critical features are its mechanical keyboard and colorful display. The weight of those components is so great that it can make or break the most premium machines. And in this case, it broke the Alienware m16 R2.
However, the Alienware m16 R2 is not without redeeming qualities. Its high-level performance packed into a portable, stylish chassis makes it the perfect system to travel with, stash into a corner, and plug in external devices like a monitor and keyboard and mouse.
Otherwise, if you're looking to game on a laptop itself, there's no better gaming laptop under $1,000 other than the Dell G16 7630.
Winner: Dell G16 7630
