The Alienware Vs Macbook Pro are both analyzed and contrasted in this article. Do you ever find yourself wondering whether a product, an Alienware or a MacBook, would emerge victorious? If you did not, there is no need for alarm because this is exactly what is covered in this essay. Both the Apple MacBook Pro 14 and the Alienware Gaming laptop were evaluated side-by-side so that we could determine which one was superior. One of them is a gaming laptop that has many functions inside the chassis, and the other one is built for editing films and photographs, writing papers, and everything in between.
To determine which one is superior, we looked at a variety of aspects, including their designs, amounts of memory and storage space, chassis constructions, port connectivity, and overall performance. In addition to that, we have examined the differences and similarities between their technical specifications. Following is the complete comparison of Alienware Vs Macbook Pro covering all the major aspects of each of them. The Alienware r1 2021 laptop was one of the most successful and popular devices in the gaming world.
With Greater Power Comes a Bigger Design! Alienware Vs Macbook Pro
Both of these laptops are designed well by the respective companies. Because the design of Alienware is virtually identical to that of its predecessors, there isn’t much that can be said about its novel appearance. That is not a negative aspect: the sci-fi design, complete with a ringed back LED light and a futuristic lid logo, is distinctive and conveys the idea that this is a gaming PC without going over the top.
The white Lunar Light that we have seen in previous reviews is not available for Alienware, which can only be purchased in the Dark Side of the Moon color scheme. Even though Alienware is currently promoting its more streamlined X series, the maximum-power M series is still the preferred choice for performance in 15 and 17-inch models.
While the X models have an emphasis on thinness at the expense of raw power, the m15 and m17 have consistently been among the top in terms of frame rate for their respective sizes. That is not to suggest that the Alienware is extremely thick; nonetheless, I would never describe it as being small.
With dimensions of 1.05 by 15.6 by 11.8 inches, it is noticeably svelte than the hulking 17-inch gaming laptops of yesteryear (HWD). This is almost comparable to the dimensions of one of our other favorite giant gaming rigs, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17, which measures 1.11 inches in height, 15.6 inches in width, and 11.1 inches in depth.
In comparison, the Alienware x17 has a thickness of only 0.82 inches, but as we will see in the upcoming section on benchmarks, this comes at the expense of performance. The Alienware is physically thicker than its predecessor, the R4, further highlighting the distinction between the X series and the M series.
Throughout the past few years, Alienware laptops have gone through an aesthetic development process. We have witnessed a sort of maturing, a slight trend away from the garish toward a look that individuals who do not worship at the altar of RBG will find easier to enjoy.
The back of the device houses a sizable heat exhaust, but it is only visually arresting if the LED ring that rounds its periphery is lit up. You can change both its color and its intensity. We reached out to Dell to get more information regarding the construction of the Alienware. It is constructed out of aluminum, magnesium alloy, and plastic in equal parts. You’ll just have to take it on faith that the next few sentences are accurate, but we think the lid is made of aluminum, the underside is made of magnesium alloy, and the keyboard plate is made of plastic.
You could argue that Alienware is trying to save money by using plastic for the component that receives the most wear and tear. The use of plastic for the component that requires the most intricate carving will, without a doubt, result in lower production costs. On the other hand, the soft-touch finish feels great, and the fact that the keyboard plate is made of plastic means that it is the section of the base that conducts the least heat.
On the other hand, if you disregard the fact that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro 14s are different sizes, you will notice that they have essentially equal physical features. These elements include the ports, the keyboards, the display technology, and even the option of either an Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max processor.
Even the “notch” for the camera that has been placed in the uppermost part of the display, which has been one of the most debated aspects of the new design, is the same on both devices. In addition, you can select either a Space Gray or Silver color scheme for either one, following in the footsteps of the innumerable Apple goods that came before them.
However, it turns out that this is not the case for the majority of workflows that you are likely to perform, contrary to what you might assume based on the fact that the larger laptop naturally has the design potential for a more capable thermal-management system. Therefore, let’s postpone the discussion of performance for the conclusion of this review and instead take a look at some of the additional features that come standard on the 14-inch MacBook Pro 14.
What the 2016-2020 MacBook Pro 14s missed in terms of physical connectors, they made up for with an innovative approach to touch input in the form of Apple’s proprietary touch-screen interface that is referred to as the Touch Bar.
The Touch Bar is located at the top of the keyboard. The macOS Monterey operating system comes preinstalled on the 14-inch MacBook Pro 14. The only exception to this is the PugetBench test, which was developed by workstation manufacturer Puget Systems and simulates the process of retouching images in Adobe Photoshop. All of our other benchmarks operate natively on Apple silicon and Intel silicon (Opens in a new window).
I have included this benchmark, which operates within the Rosetta 2 emulation layer so that you can get an idea of the kind of performance you may anticipate while carrying out hard activities with older software that was originally developed for computers powered by Intel. In this particular scenario, there is a negligible decrease in performance, with each Windows PC exhibiting superior results. (Their Intel processors can run the test without any additional software.)
However, if you just need to utilize older software on an irregular basis, the difference isn’t that significant.
If you dismiss the fact that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro 14s are different sizes, you will discover that their physical characteristics are essentially identical. These components consist of ports, keyboards, display technologies, and even the choice between an Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max processor. Even the “notch” for the camera, which has been one of the most controversial features of the new design, is identical on both devices.
It turns out, however, that this is not the case for the vast majority of workflows you are likely to do, contrary to what you might expect based on the larger laptop’s inherent design potential for a more capable heat management system. Deferring discussion of performance until the conclusion of this review, let’s instead examine some of the additional features that come standard on the 14-inch MacBook Pro 14.
What the 2016-2020 MacBook Pro 14s lacked in physical ports, they made up for with a revolutionary approach to touch input in the form of the Touch Bar, Apple’s proprietary touch-screen interface. The Touch Bar is a contentious way of adding touch functionality to macOS, which has not been redesigned for extensive touch support like Windows 11 has.
The Touch Bar is positioned above the keyboard. The 14-inch MacBook Pro 14 ships with the macOS Monterey operating system preloaded. The lone exception is the PugetBench test, which was created by workstation manufacturer Puget Systems to imitate the process of retouching photos in Adobe Photoshop.
All of our other metrics run natively on Apple and Intel chips (Opens in a new window). I’ve included this benchmark, which operates within the Rosetta 2 emulation layer, to give you a sense of the speed you may expect when executing demanding tasks with older software that was designed for Intel-powered systems. In this case, there is a minor performance reduction, with each Windows-based computer achieving higher results.
(Their Intel processors can run the test without the need for additional software.) However, if you just occasionally require older software, the difference is not that big. Another popular product for gaming purposes is the Alienware battle station. Alienware is a division of Dell Company that makes laptops comparable to MacBook pro.
Keyboard
The keyboard on the Alienware is very impressive. The keys have a pleasant feel to them, and their travel distance of 1.5 millimeters makes for a satisfying typing experience. The keys are adequate for the browsing you do daily; nevertheless, after typing for extended periods, you may experience some discomfort. The RGB backlighting is particularly attractive to the eye.
The touchpad’s glass surface allows for precise tracking, but the peculiar thing about it is that it has a smaller surface area than other pads. On the other hand, the people who purchase this laptop are probably going to be serious gamers, and I believe that they will always have a gaming mouse plugged into the laptop.
Despite this, a more sizable touchpad would have been a tremendous improvement. However, in a surprising turn of events, the Alienware’s keyboard is perhaps the most remarkable feature of the laptop. You presumably approach gaming laptops intending to obtain the highest potential performance. There is a substantial amount of key travel here, and each depresses is accompanied by an extraordinarily nuanced combination of springiness and a satisfying clonk at the activation point.
As a consequence of this, Alienware has the sensation of being both robust and quick at the same time. This keyboard offers a higher level of comfort than virtually all of its competitors’ models do. The slightly flex-happy keyboard base is made much more irritating as a result of this feature. Having said that, the impact of bowing doesn’t come into play much while it’s being used, unless you’re typing while extremely angry.
At first, we had presumed that the review unit we received was equipped with the keyboard that Alienware had built in collaboration with Cherry and that used mechanical switches. It does not, though, because even the “basic” mSeries keyboard is fantastic. The Cherry flavor is probably going to be even more delicious.
On the other hand, this laptop does not include per-key lighting, which may come as a surprise to some. Instead, it has four zones that are spaced out across its keys in a horizontal fashion. This restricts the kinds of outlandish effects that you can produce; but, with the Alienware Command Centre Application, each of the zones may be animated, and they can be adjusted to any color in the rainbow. In comparison to the keyboard, the touchpad on the Alienware is not nearly as fascinating.
It is the traditional gaming laptop pad from back in the day, and it appears to have been squeezed in under the idea that it will not be used very frequently. This is not a piece of glass; rather, it is a rather small pad made of plastic that makes squeaking noises. The clicker doesn’t bother me, even though it’s a little noisy. You shouldn’t expect the surface to have the same level of comfort as the pad on a sleek portable laptop such as the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4.
Read Here: Msi Vs Alienware: Which is the Best Gaming laptop?
Available Ports & Connectivity:
During the product’s development, Alienware did not prevent any important ports from being implemented. The back of the laptop, both the right side and the left side of the device, and both of the device’s sides contain ports. The connector for headphones and a full-sized Ethernet port are both found on the right side of the laptop, while the left side of the device houses both of the computer’s USB 3.2 Gen 1 connections.
A key deficiency is the absence of a slot for SD cards in the device. This honeycomb cooling vents enables the computer to take in cold air in addition to the vents situated at the bottom of the device.
After being exhausted, this air exits the laptop through the side and back vents situated on its body. The device has a pretty cool and trendy design thanks to the brilliant LED ring that is located on the back of the device. It is fascinating because you may alter not only the hue but also the intensity of it. When it comes to connections, Alienware might not go all out, but there are probably plenty of them for the vast majority of its audience to be content with the product.
You may locate the Ethernet port on the left side of the device, near where the headphone jack is located. Two USB ports may be found on the opposite side of the device. These include a conventional HDMI port, a second USB port, and a USB-C port that is compatible with Thunderbolt. This is a connector for HDMI 2.1, which is a feature that is in high demand right now.
On the other hand, it is not very often that a laptop’s input and output ports are the features that get the most attention, but this is unquestionably the case with the new MacBook Pro 14. Apple eliminated the majority of the ports found on its laptops about five years ago and put all of its connectivity options into the USB-C and Thunderbolt categories. Reviewers and commenters on Apple-related websites began to express their dissatisfaction with the fact that laptops should be equipped with more than one kind of port. A chorus of lamentation arose.
However, professional customers that have complex peripheral configurations just want more I/O diversity, and happily, Apple has reintroduced this variety with the new MacBook Pro 14. Not only is there now a dedicated HDMI output for connecting external monitors without the need for an adapter or special connection, but the SD card reader has also made a welcome return. Both of these new features are a huge improvement over the previous versions.
Apple has stated in the past that transferring photographs and videos by inserting an SD card reader into a laptop is an unattractive solution to the problem. On the other hand, seasoned photographers, some of whom are personal acquaintances of mine, condemn the practice of putting form before function. Even though it and the HDMI output appear to be throwback features, it is encouraging to see the SD card reader make a comeback.
The MagSafe power connector, officially known as “MagSafe 3,” is the last port to make a comeback on the new MacBook Pro 14. It provides a dedicated power connector that is simple to attach due to the presence of magnets that guide it into the appropriate position. The MagSafe 3 port is incompatible with older power adapters for MacBook, and it has no connection to the MagSafe accessories that are compatible with the iPad and iPhone.
However, it does offer the dual benefits of cleanly breaking away if you trip over the cord, and it does not consume a USB-C or Thunderbolt port to charge the battery. Both of these benefits are advantageous. Because the new laptop only has three USB-C/Thunderbolt ports rather than the four higher-end versions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro 14 feature, the elimination of one connector does not constitute as significant of an improvement as it might otherwise.
The most basic configuration of the 13-inch Pro has just two, and one of them must be in operation to charge the device. However, every one of them is compatible with the most recent version of the Thunderbolt interface, which is known as Thunderbolt 4. A 3.5mm audio socket is also included, and it is encouraging to note that Apple (at least for the time being) has not abandoned this potentially obsolete connection in the manner that some of its competitors have. It is to be noted that some of the latest features were introduced in MacBook pro-2015 which will be Alienware Vs Macbook Pro 2015.
Display
The newest member of Alienware’s family of full-size, high-end gaming laptops, the m17 R4, updates the m17’s internals to the point where it stretches the bounds of what a laptop can accomplish in terms of power. The total performance stats are rather good on our test device, which is an AMD-only model with an eight-core processor. This large-screen laptop is ideal for playing demanding AAA games. While our unit included a 4K panel with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, 1080p users can choose from a panel that can reach an incredible 480Hz.
Alienware’s signature futuristic aesthetic has been maintained, and the laptop’s long battery life belies its somewhat hefty build. The Alienware’s weight may be ideal for the vast majority of users, as large-screen gaming laptops often serve as desktop replacements that are occasionally transported but remain stationary for the vast majority of their working lives. The display of both of these devices is acceptable and highly appreciated by the user. The topic of Alienware Vs Macbook Pro pro is all covered in this article.
One of the draws is the possibility of achieving an experience as near as possible to that of a desktop display; with that in mind, let’s have a look at this model and see what it has to offer. A big contribution to the performance statistics reported below is the graphics processing unit’s (GPU) configuration with an astounding power maximum of 175 watts.
We make sure the battery is fully charged, disable Wi-Fi, and turn off the keyboard’s backlight before commencing the test. Alienware did not exclude any notably useful ports throughout the development of this laptop. The laptop’s ports are on the rear, as well as on the right and left sides.
The laptop’s two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports are situated on the left side of the device, while the headphone jack and full-sized Ethernet port are on the right. There is a long strip on the device’s rear that houses all of its ports, including the power jack, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a USB-C port that is Thunderbolt 4-compatible. A major drawback is the lack of an SD card slot.
The computer can take in cool air thanks to this honeycomb-shaped arrangement of vents and the vents at the device’s base. The air is then expelled through the laptop’s side and back vents. The device has a flashy LED ring on the rear, giving it a cool, modern look. It’s cool that you can adjust the brightness and hue independently.
When you open the laptop’s lid, you will see that the screen is bright. Although there is neither an OLED nor a tiny LED option available, the screen itself looks great and is an excellent choice for video editing, gaming, and content consumption. The display has excellent color reproduction, and the refresh rate has been increased up to 240 hertz (Hz). The display’s extremely rapid response times and high refresh rate are two features that will be adored by serious gamers, who are the intended users of this portable gaming device.
A 720p webcam with dual mic arrays can be seen in the screen’s upper-center position. It’s a shame that such an expensive laptop doesn’t come equipped with a webcam that supports 1080p resolution. The Alienware comes equipped with really good speakers. They have a full and well-balanced sound, making them suitable for activities such as viewing movies, playing video games, and listening to light music.
On the other hand, professional customers that have complex peripheral configurations just want more I/O diversity, and happily, Apple has reintroduced this variety with the new MacBook Pro 14. The Touch Bar has been eliminated from the newly designed 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro 14s. The XDR screen technology found on the 14-inch MacBook Pro 14 is the next-most buzzworthy feature it possesses, following closely after the restoration of I/O diversity and the introduction of the Apple M1 Pro processor.
Apple uses the term “extreme dynamic range,” which stands for “extreme dynamic contrast,” as their marketing moniker for what the majority of other personal technology devices refer to as “high dynamic range,” or HDR. Let’s start with the simplest feature, which is a 120Hz refresh rate with ProMotion, but there is a lot more to discuss regarding the Liquid Retina XDR screen in addition to the expanded color gamut that it is capable of displaying.
Apple’s iPads and iPhones have been equipped with this technology for some time now; however, the latest generation of MacBook Pro 14s, both 14 and 16 inches in size, are the first laptops to include it.
The maximum refresh rate is 120Hz, which is twice as fast as the maximum of 60Hz, which has been the industry standard for laptop displays for many years. It provides a very smooth experience when browsing through online pages and documents.
Laptops designed specifically for gaming now come equipped with higher screen refresh rates than 60 Hz as standard, while mainstream, non-gaming laptops rarely have this feature.) On Windows workstations designed for content production work that requires great contrast and color accuracy, is XDR truly superior to other sophisticated display technologies such as OLED screens?
Well, it depends. Even to my untrained eye, it is evident that the local dimming zones result in whites that are astonishingly bright after watching a series of sample photographs and movies that Apple brought along for testing. These images and videos were sent to me for evaluation. How intensely luminous is the word “astoundingly”? The screen is rated for a maximum of 1,600 nits of local brightness while viewing optimized content. This is the same as the $5,000 Apple Pro Display XDR and is significantly brighter than the 500 to 1,000 nits that are considered to be very bright for a laptop.
Power Consumption / Battery Life
It is unrealistic to expect a gaming laptop to have a battery life of more than one or two hours. However, the Alienware laptop lasted for 6 hours and 25 minutes on the Laptop Mag Battery Test, which involves nonstop web browsing over Wi-Fi at a brightness level of 150 nits. When compared to other gaming notebooks, this one is very remarkable.
On the other hand, in comparison to the MacBook, which finished in 10 minutes and 21 seconds, this is a piece of cake. The battery life of my Dell Alienware laptop is not very good. We are only able to acquire a little more than two hours of video playback at a refresh rate of 300Hz, and this only increases by another 12 minutes at a refresh rate of 60Hz.
It is possible to gain a longer battery life if you only undertake light productivity tasks; however, this is not nearly enough to get you through a standard 8-hour workday even if you are successful at doing so. When it comes to gaming, unfortunately, it won’t even last you an hour. The battery life of the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch is really good.
It is readily capable of lasting through a standard eight-hour workday of light productivity, such as browsing the internet and formatting text. Even though watching videos causes the battery to deplete more quickly, it still lasts long enough to get through several full-length movies.
Additionally, if you use native applications like Apple TV, you will probably enjoy an even longer battery life. The battery life for gaming is low, but it is still better than most laptops with a dedicated GPU. Additionally, it is comparable to what you can anticipate when performing strenuous jobs that drive the CPU and CPU to their maximum capacity, such as video editing. Because of the higher number of CPU and GPU cores, the M1 Pro (with 10 CPU cores) and M1 Max versions will have a lower battery life than the standard M1 model.
The amount of time a battery will last varies tremendously depending on how it is used. The Mac’s battery life is superior to that of Alienware’s, according to the results of a comparison of the two brands’ respective battery capacities. The battery that comes standard with the Alienware lasts for more than six hours before needing to be recharged.
This is rather impressive for a laptop designed for gaming. However, Apple’s battery can last for more than 10 hours, thus in terms of battery life, the MacBook comes out on top when compared to Alienware.
Gaming
The Dell Alienware is a fantastic option for gamers looking for a laptop. Our system, which is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card, can keep very high frame rates in the majority of newer games despite their advanced graphic settings. When gaming for an extended time, there is no degradation in performance; nevertheless, it will become hot and loud.
The display on our device, which has a refresh rate of 300 Hz, seems to be very quick; nevertheless, it does not enable any variable refresh rate technology, which might help decrease screen tearing. For gamers on a tight budget, the NVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super is an excellent graphics card. This is one of the reasons why a card like this is so appealing.
For the most part, you won’t need to spend significantly more money to get that little bit more performance. It features increased speed and video memory in comparison to the original GTX 1660, making it the ideal choice for anyone building a gaming PC on a budget or looking to take their existing system to the next level. If you’re looking for the greatest graphics card for gaming in 1080p, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super is the one you’re going to want to get your hands on.
Nvidia took the original GeForce GTX 1660, which was previously considered to be one of the best inexpensive graphics cards available for budget computer builders, and improved it in about every manner imaginable.
The Nvidia Super series has had a mixed track record, with the RTX 2080 being a particularly prominent failure; but, the GTX 1660 Super is one product that we cannot recommend highly enough. Especially the high-end M1 Max model with 32 GPU cores, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 has the hardware to perform graphically complex games. This is especially true of the model with the most cores. The gameplay experience, on the other hand, can be rather different depending on whether the game is played on its native platform or through Rosetta 2. In addition, the response time of the display is somewhat sluggish, which is not ideal for games with a lot of fast-paced action.
Performance
When it comes to performance, the MacBook Pro 14 for gaming comes out on top when compared to the m15. When it comes to performance, the Mac easily beats out the Alienware laptop in contrast to the MacBook Pro 14. Apple’s m15 excels in performance thanks to its Intel Core i9 CPU and 16 GB of RAM, but the later gaming laptop features an Intel Core i7 processor and 16 GB of RAM.
You can claim that it provides you with a longer duration of service or that it maintains its high level of performance even as it ages. Alienware came in second place to Apple’s MacBook in the Geekbench 4 test.
Apple’s MacBook Pro 14 prevailed against competing for gaming laptops in the Excel productivity test, further solidifying the company’s position as the industry leader. In addition, the 2TB SSD that the Mac possesses allows it to easily win the File Transfer test against its rival. Nevertheless, the performance of the m15 was also good in this test, but it was not quite as good as the performance of the MacBook.
On the other hand, Alienware does somewhat better on the video transcoding test, needing only 9 minutes and 51 seconds to convert a 4K film to a 1080p resolution. On the other hand, it takes a MacBook a total of 10 minutes and 16 seconds to finish the task.
Multimedia Compatibility
The Dell Alienware is a good choice for watching movies and other shows. The image is rendered with a decent level of detail, and the sound quality is satisfactory. However, because of its size and weight, it is not particularly portable. Additionally, the battery life is horrible for playing back videos, which means that you will also need to bring the power adapter with you. The screen can grow bright enough for most rooms, but it will be difficult to see in environments that are too bright or that are sunny.
The Apple MacBook Pro14 is an excellent choice for watching videos and listening to music. The apple AirPods are also considered the best wireless headphone. The macBook is a very portable device that has a battery that lasts for well over 9 hours of video playback, which is sufficient time for you to watch a couple of full-length movies on it.
To give a true High Dynamic Range (HDR) experience, it possesses a crisp Mini LED display that generates deep blacks and can grow extremely bright. Additionally, the color accuracy of the display is excellent out of the box, allowing you to obtain an image that is correct while still appearing natural. The speakers have a full and well-balanced sound, but the volume can’t be turned up very high.
Conclusion
Both the Apple MacBook Pro 14 and the Alienware are, at the end of the day, two distinct laptops that are best suited for two distinct types of uses. The Apple MacBook is designed to appeal to creative professionals, students, and everyone in between thanks to its slim and lightweight form factor, potent Core i9 processor, and gorgeous Retina display.
The Alienware is a gaming laptop through and through, but it has more than enough computing power to handle all that the MacBook can do. Alienware Vs Macbook Pro is another power battle between the two companies. This, however, is only the case if you don’t mind bringing a dazzling light show with you wherever you go on your laptop.