Alienware M17 R3 vs. 2020 MacBook Pro 16”: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware M17 R3 and 2020 MacBook Pro 16” specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware M17 R3 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M17 R3 is better than 2020 MacBook Pro 16”.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-10980HK inside Alienware M17 R3 has a 7% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-9980HK inside 2020 MacBook Pro 16”.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware M17 R3 - Intel Core i9-10980HK
7,013
2020 MacBook Pro 16” - Intel Core i9-9980HK
6,504
2020 MacBook Pro 16” - Intel Core i9-9880H
6,100
Alienware M17 R3 - Intel Core i7-10750H
5,412
2020 MacBook Pro 16” - Intel Core i7-9750H
4,880
Alienware M17 R3 - Intel Core i5-10300H
3,747
Upgradable storage

Alienware M17 R3 comes with two M.2 slots that you can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.

SlotsAlienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
M.2
Yes x2
Onboard
8% larger display

Alienware M17 R3 has a 17.3-inch screen size 8% larger than the 16-inch 2020 MacBook Pro 16”.

Display size
Alienware M17 R3
17.3-inch
2020 MacBook Pro 16”
16-inch

2020 MacBook Pro 16” Pros

Reasons that 2020 MacBook Pro 16” is better than Alienware M17 R3.

Supports larger memory

The 2020 MacBook Pro 16” supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware M17 R3. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware M17 R3.

Max system memory size
2020 MacBook Pro 16”
64 GB
Alienware M17 R3
32 GB
About 35% lighter

The 2020 MacBook Pro 16” weighed 4.3 pounds, 35% lighter than the 6.55 pounds Alienware M17 R3.

WeightAlienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
Pound
6.55 lbs.
4.3 lbs.
Kilogram
2.97 kg
1.95 kg

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware M17 R3 and 2020 MacBook Pro 16”.

Uses the same memory type and speed

Both laptops supports the same 2666MHz DDR4 RAM.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M17 R3 - DDR4
2,666 MHz
2020 MacBook Pro 16” - DDR4
2,666 MHz

Prices

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

Alienware M17 R3 Price
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
$1,129.98
2020 Dell Alienware m17 R3 Laptop 17.3" - Intel Core i7 10th Gen - i7-10750H - Six Core 5Ghz - 256GB SSD + 256GB SSD - 16GB RAM - Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
2020 Dell Alienware m17 R3 Laptop 17.3" - Intel Core i7 10th Gen - i7-10750H - Six Core 5Ghz - 256GB SSD + 256GB SSD - 16GB RAM - Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,592.98
2020 Dell Alienware m17 R3 Laptop 17.3" - Intel Core i7 10th Gen - i7-10750H - Six Core 5Ghz - 256GB SSD + 256GB SSD - 20GB RAM - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
2020 Dell Alienware m17 R3 Laptop 17.3" - Intel Core i7 10th Gen - i7-10750H - Six Core 5Ghz - 256GB SSD + 256GB SSD - 20GB RAM - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,592.96
2020 MacBook Pro 16” Price
Late 2019 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 (16 inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB) Space Gray (Renewed)
Late 2019 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 (16 inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$654.00
2019 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.3GHz Intel Core i9 (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
2019 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.3GHz Intel Core i9 (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$758.41
2020 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.0GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) - Space Gray (Renewed)
2020 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.0GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) - Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$609.00
$679.00 10% OFF

Availability

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
Released20202020
Release Date
  • Available on May 2020
  • Announced in June 2020.
  • Available in June 2020.
PricingStarting at $1,549.99
  • $2,399 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | Radeon 5300M 4GB
  • $2,799 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD | Radeon 5500M 4GB
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
Dimensions15.74 x 11.59 x 0.89 in (399.80 x 294.30 x 22.50 mm)
  • Width: 15.74 in. (399.80 mm)
  • Depth: 11.59 in. (294.30 mm)
  • Height: 0.89 in. (22.50 mm)
  • Height: 0.64 inch (1.62 cm)
  • Width: 14.09 inches (35.79 cm)
  • Depth: 9.68 inches (24.59 cm)
WeightStarting at 6.55 lb (2.97 kg)Starting at 4.3 pounds (2.0 kg)
Colors
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard
    • Type:
      • 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
    • 1.7 mm key travel and alphanumeric keys
    • 0.2 mm-dish concave key design
  • Touchpad
    • Size: 4.13” x 3.15” (105 mm x 80 mm)
    • Premium Precision-Point glass touchpad
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 65 (U.S.) or 66 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys in an inverted‑T arrangement
  • Touch Bar
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure‑sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure‑sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures

Display

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
Size17.3 Inches16 Inches
InfoFull HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 9ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% NTSC  color gamut, 600:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare.
Full HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 9ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% NTSC color gamut with NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology, 600:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare.
Full HD with 300Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 3ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 100% sRGB color gamut, 700:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare.
Ultra HD with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 3180 x 2160, 282 PPI, 25ms response time, 500 nits, 16:9, 100% sRGB color gamut, 1,200:1 contrast ratio, 12W max power consumption
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology
All options
  • Wide Viewing Angles on all displays with 85 degrees viewing from all directions
Retina display
  • 16‑inch (diagonal) LED‑backlit display with IPS technology; 3072‑by‑1920 native resolution at 226 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 2048 by 1280
    • 1792 by 1120
    • 1344 by 840
    • 1152 by 720
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide color (P3)
  • True Tone technology
  • Refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz

Ports

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
Alienware M17 R3 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port
  • 1 x RJ-45 Killer™ Ethernet E3100 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 0.125" 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
Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
  • Charging
  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt (up to 40Gb/s)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)

Internal Specs

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
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. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.50 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.80 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
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. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Memory
  • 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
    • 2666 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
    • Soldered-on.
16GB 32GB 64GB
2666MHz DDR4 onboard memory
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)
  • AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory (20 CUs)
  • AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory (24 CUs)
  • AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory (24 CUs)
New
  • AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8GB of HBM2 memory (40 CUs)
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]
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD

Connectivity

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
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.
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 › Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Ethernet
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3000 PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
-

Battery

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
Size
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion
100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life-
  • Up to 11 hours wireless web
  • Up to 11 hours Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply
  • 130W (19.50 VDC/6.70A)
  • 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 240W (19.50 VDC/12.31A)
  • 330W (19.50 VDC/16.92A)
96W USB‑C Power Adapter

Software

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Shipped with macOS Catalina
Built-in Apps
  • Alienware Command Center
  • Alienware Adrenalin
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player

Camera & Audio

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3281-CG
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 2-Way Stereo Speaker Design
    • Output: 4-5W
  • Microphone:
    • Digital-array microphones in the camera assembly
  • High‑fidelity six‑speaker system with force‑cancelling woofers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for Dolby Atmos playback
  • Studio‑quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack

Misc

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
Sensors
  • Tobii Eye Tracking (Optional)
  • Touch ID sensor
Security
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box-
  • 16‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 96W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
Warranty-Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one‑year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
MoreCHASIS
  • AlienFX Lighting Zones
    • Programmable with up to 16.8 million distinct colors
  • Exterior Chassis Materials
    • Magnesium Alloy exterior shell
    • Copper Alloy thermal structures
  • Customized Features
    • AlienFX Lighting Detail
    • Programmable with up to 16.8 million distinct colors
    • Alienware Command Center
    • AlienFX Lighting Technology
    • Game Library with auto-tune game profile functionality
    • Fusion (Includes support for Overclock, Thermal, Power, Audio, and Audio Recon profiles)
  • Thermal
    • Cryo-Tech Cooling Technology
    • Dual-Intake, Dual-Exhaust Airflow Design
    • High-Voltage Driving Fans
    • Load-balancing Heat Pipes
    • Dense Copper Fin Stacks
Video Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
    • Up to two displays with 6016‑by‑3384 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors or
    • Up to four displays with 4096‑by‑2304 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)

Key Features

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”
At Glance
Released in Mid
2020
16:9 FHD
17.3”
1080p 300Hz
Weight
6.55 lb
2.97 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 M17 R3 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080 SUPER
8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q
Released in
2020
16:10 Retina
16”
1920p 60Hz
Weight
4.3 lb
1.95 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-9980HK
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,114
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,504
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Configurable up to
64GB
2666 MHz DDR4
AMD
Radeon Pro 5600M
8GB HBM2

Comparison Summary

Alienware M17 R3 vs. 2020 MacBook Pro 16”

Dell has released the Alienware M17 R3, a 17.3-inch machine, in mid-2020. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-10980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.30 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER with 8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q.

On the other hand, we have the 16-inch MacBook Pro 16” was introduced by Apple around the same year in 2020. It comes with up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-9980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8GB HBM2.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware M17 R31
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H1,06186.75%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H1,13492.72%
3
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK1,223100.00%
2020 MacBook Pro 16”1
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H1,04485.36%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H1,06687.16%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK1,11491.09%
01,223

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware M17 R31
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H3,74753.43%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H5,41277.17%
3
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK7,013100.00%
2020 MacBook Pro 16”1
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H4,88069.59%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H6,10086.98%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK6,50492.74%
07,013

The Alienware M17 R3 has a 17.3-inch display which is slightly larger than the 16-inch 2020 MacBook Pro 16”. In addition, the Alienware M17 R3 weighs 6.55 lbs. about 52% heavier than the 4.3 lbs. 2020 MacBook Pro 16”. Moreover, measured at 15.74” x 11.59” x 0.89”, the Alienware M17 R3 is much bulkier than the 2020 MacBook Pro 16” at 14.09” x 9.68” x 0.64”.

Alienware M17 R32020 MacBook Pro 16”

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware M17 R3 supports up to 32GB 2666 MHz DDR4 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with two M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.

For 2020 MacBook Pro 16”, it supports up to 64GB 2666 MHz DDR4 memory. Like Alienware M17 R3, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Furthermore, it also has an integrated storage module and has no M.2 slots for replacement.

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