Alienware M15 R3 vs. Surface Laptop Studio: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Alienware M15 R3 and Surface Laptop Studio specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Alienware M15 R3 image

Alienware M15 R3

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Surface Laptop Studio

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Alienware M15 R3 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R3 is better than Surface Laptop Studio.

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-10980HK inside Alienware M15 R3 has a 44% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-11370H inside Surface Laptop Studio.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware M15 R3 - Intel Core i9-10980HK
7,013
Alienware M15 R3 - Intel Core i7-10750H
5,412
Surface Laptop Studio - Intel Core i7-11370H
4,864
Surface Laptop Studio - Intel Core i5-11300H
4,441
Alienware M15 R3 - Intel Core i5-10300H
3,747
8% larger display

Alienware M15 R3 has a 15.6-inch screen size 8% larger than the 14.4-inch Surface Laptop Studio.

Display size
Alienware M15 R3
15.6-inch
Surface Laptop Studio
14.4-inch

Surface Laptop Studio Pros

Reasons that Surface Laptop Studio is better than Alienware M15 R3.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

Supports faster memory

Surface Laptop Studio supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M15 R3. It supports up to 4267MHz versus 2666MHz of system memory on the Alienware M15 R3.

Memory type and speed
Surface Laptop Studio - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
Alienware M15 R3 - DDR4
2,666 MHz
About 18% lighter

Surface Laptop Studio weighed 3.83 pounds, 18% lighter than the 4.65 pounds Alienware M15 R3.

WeightAlienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
Pound
4.65 lbs.
3.83 lbs.
Kilogram
2.11 kg
1.74 kg

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware M15 R3 and Surface Laptop Studio.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Alienware M15 R3
32 GB
Surface Laptop Studio
32 GB

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Alienware M15 R3 Price
Dell Alienware m15 R3 Gaming Laptop (2020) | 15.6" FHD | Core i7-512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - 2070 Super | 6 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Pro
 Dell Alienware m15 R3 Gaming Laptop (2020) | 15.6" FHD | Core i7-512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - 2070 Super | 6 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Pro
By Dell
$1,913.06
See at Amazon
Dell Alienware m15 R3 Gaming Laptop (2020) | 15.6" FHD | Core i7-2TB SSD + 2TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 2070 Super | 6 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Pro
 Dell Alienware m15 R3 Gaming Laptop (2020) | 15.6" FHD | Core i7-2TB SSD + 2TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 2070 Super | 6 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Pro
By Dell
$2,155.30
See at Amazon
Dell m17 R3 17.3 inch FHD Gaming Laptop (Luna Light) Intel Core i7-10750H 10th Gen, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, Nvidia Geforce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home
 Dell m17 R3 17.3 inch FHD Gaming Laptop (Luna Light) Intel Core i7-10750H 10th Gen, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, Nvidia Geforce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home
By Dell
$1,230.00
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio - 14.4" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i7 - 32GB Memory - 1TB SSD - Platinum
 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio - 14.4" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i7 - 32GB Memory - 1TB SSD - Platinum
By Microsoft
$1,570.99
$2,699.99 42% OFF
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio - 14.4" Inch Touchscreen, Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM Memory, 256GB SSD, Perfect for Surface Pro, Surface Book 3 and Surface Tablet Users Platinum 9U1-00001 (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio - 14.4" Inch Touchscreen, Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM Memory, 256GB SSD, Perfect for Surface Pro, Surface Book 3 and Surface Tablet Users Platinum 9U1-00001 (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$671.00
$799.00 16% OFF
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio - 14.4" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i7 - 32GB Memory - 2TB SSD - Platinum
 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio - 14.4" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i7 - 32GB Memory - 2TB SSD - Platinum
By Microsoft
$1,649.99
$3,099.99 47% OFF
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
Released20202021
Release DateAvailable on May 2020
  • Introduced: September 22, 2021
  • Pre-ordered: September 22, 2021
  • Released: October 5, 2021
PricingStarting at $1,499.99
  • $1,599.99
    i5-11300H 16GB 256GB Intel Iris Xe
  • $1,799.99
    i5-11300H 16GB 512GB Intel Iris Xe
  • $2,099.99
    i7-11370H 16GB 256GB RTX 3050 Ti
  • $2,699.99
    i7-11370H 16GB 1TB RTX 3050 Ti
  • $3,099.99
    i7-11370H 32GB 2TB RTX 3050 Ti
Generations-

Exterior

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
DimensionsBase
Width: 14.19 in. (360.30 mm)
Depth: 10.87 in. (276.20 mm)
Height: 0.72 - 0.78 in. (18.30 - 19.70 mm)
300 Hz Refresh Rate Models
Width: 14.19 in. (360.30 mm)
Depth: 10.86 in. (275.90 mm)
Height: 0.70 - 0.78 in. (17.90 - 19.70 mm)
12.72” x 8.98” x 0.746” (323.28 mm x 228.32 mm x 18.94 mm)
WeightStarting at 4.65 lbs (2.10 kg) up to 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg)
  • 3.83 lb (1,742.9 grams)
    Intel Core i5 models.
  • 4.00 lb (1,820.2 grams)
    Intel Core i7 models.
Colors
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
Platinum
Casing: Magnesium and Aluminum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware mSeries 4-Zone AlienFX RGB keyboard.
    • Alienware mSeries keyboard with per-key RGB LED.
  • AlienFX lighting
  • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology
  • 1.7mm key travel
  • 0.2mm-dish concave key design
  • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • Windows key and dedicated buttons for media controls, screen brightness
    • Backlight.
  • Precision Haptic touchpad:
    • Largest surface touchpad to date.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gestures.

Display

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
Size15.6 Inches14.4 Inches
InfoFull HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 7ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% NTSC  color gamut, Anti-glare.
Full HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 7ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% NTSC color gamut with NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology, Anti-glare.
Full HD with 300Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 3ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 100% sRGB color gamut, Anti-glare.
Ultra HD with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 3180 x 2160, OLED, 282 PPI, 1ms response time, 400 nits, 16:9, HDR-400 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 100,000:1 contrast ratio, TrueLife, 14.80W max power consumption
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology
All options
  • Wide Viewing Angles on all displays with 85 degrees viewing from all directions
  • 14.4” PixelSense™ Flow Display
  • Resolution: 2400 x 1600 (201 PPI)
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Contrast ratio: 1500:1
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
    60Hz default.
  • Inking: GPU Ink Acceleration
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Dolby Vision® support

Ports

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
Alienware M15 R3 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port
  • 1 x RJ-45 Killer™ Ethernet E3000 10/100/1000Mbps/2.5Gbps Port
  • 2 x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port
  • 1 x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1 port with PowerShare technology
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 Port (USB Type-C™ with support for USB 3.1 Gen 2 10Gbps, 40Gbps Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort 1.2)
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0b with HDCP 2.2 Output Port
  • 1 x Mini-Display Port 1.4 (certified) Output Port
  • 1 x Audio Out 1/8" Ports (Compatible with inline mic headset)
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately)
  • 1 x microSD 5.1, UHD-II HD312 Card Reader
Surface Laptop Studio Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (2)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
Right (2)
  • 1 x Surface Connect+
    Magnet Charging, Surface Dock
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone

Internal Specs

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
Processor
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 4.50 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 5.00 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-11300H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.10 → 4.40 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 35W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11370H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.30 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 35W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-11300H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11370H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Memory
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
2666 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
Onboard memory.
16GB 32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1650 Ti (4GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1660 Ti (6GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 (6GB GDDR6) OC Ready
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 (8GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 SUPER (8GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2080 SUPER (8GB GDDR6) with Max-Q Design
  • AMD RX5500M (4GB GDDR6)
  • Optional NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti  with 4GB GDDR6
    For Consumer.
  • Optional NVIDIA® RTX™ A2000 with 4GB GDDR6
    For Business.
StorageAvailable Slots
  • One M.2 2230 slot (Up to 512GB)
  • Two M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)
Single Drive
  • 256 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 1 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 2 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
RAID-0
  • 512GB (2x256 PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 1TB (2x 512 PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
RAID-0 Plus
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB
Removable M.2 NVMe SSD

Connectivity

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
Wi-Fi
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 2400 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
Bluetooth
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 › Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology
Ethernet
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3000 PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
-

Battery

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
Size
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion
  • 58.0 Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 56.3 Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
Battery Life-
  • Up to 19 hours of typical device usage
    Intel Core i5 models.
  • Up to 18 hours of typical device usage
    Intel Core i7 models.
Power Supply
  • E4 130W (19.50 VDC/6.70A)
  • E4 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • E4 240W (19.50 VDC/12.31A)
* Support Hybrid Power
  • 60W power supply
    Intel Core i5 models.
  • 95W power supply
    Intel Core i7 models.

Software

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
  • For Consumer: Windows 11 Home
  • For Commercial: Windows 11 Pro
Built-in Apps
  • Alienware Command Center
  • Alienware Adrenlin
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Preloaded Xbox app
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one month trial

Camera & Audio

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 1080p resolution front-facing camera
Audio
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3281-CG
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 4-Way (Woofer/Tweeter) Stereo Speaker Design
    • Output: 4-5W
    • Introduces Discrete Smart Amp Woofer technology
    • Delivers 2.5x bass improvement over the previous generation
    • Delivers 2x treble improvement over the previous generation
    • Delivers 30% loudness improvement over the previous generation for full-range performance
  • Microphone:
    • Digital-array microphones in camera assembly
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • Quad Omnisonic™ speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
Inking-
  • Supports Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP)
    4096 levels of pressure Tilt sensing Best in class latency Paper feel 0.1mm precision
  • Supports Tactile signals with Surface Slim Pen 2
Sensors
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
Security
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • Hardware TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security and BitLocker support
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • Windows enhanced hardware security
In the box-
  • Surface Laptop Studio
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty-
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Surface for Business customers: Includes Advanced Exchange, an expedited replacement service, at no additional cost
MoreCHASIS
  • Based on Alienware's Legend industrial design language
  • Engineered with Alienware's Advanced Cryo-Tech Cooling technology
  • Engineered with HyperEfficient Voltage Regulation
  • Constructed with a Magnesium Alloy exterior shell and copper alloy thermal components
Supports Surface Dial
Supports off-screen interaction only.
Hinge
Dynamic Woven Hinge made of woven fabric with embedded cables that can bend 180 degrees.

Key Features

Alienware M15 R3Surface Laptop Studio
At Glance
Released in Mid
2020
16:9 FHD
15.6”
1080p 300Hz
Weight
4.65 lb
2.11 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-10980HK
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,223
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,013
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
2666 MHz DDR4
Alienware M15 R3 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080 SUPER
8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q
Released in Late
2021
3:2 2.4K
14.4”
2400p 60~120Hz
Weight
3.83 lb
1.74 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-11370H
4C/8T, 3.30 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,397
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,864
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Laptop Studio Ports
NVIDIA GeForce
RTX 3050 Ti 
4GB GDDR6

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