Alienware X15 R1 vs. M1 MacBook Pro 16”: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware X15 R1 and M1 MacBook Pro 16” specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware X15 R1 Pros

Reasons that Alienware X15 R1 is better than M1 MacBook Pro 16”.

Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 8GB GDDR6 90W TGP vs. integrated

Upgradable storage

Alienware X15 R1 comes with two M.2 slots that you can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.

SlotsAlienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
M.2
Yes x2
Onboard

M1 MacBook Pro 16” Pros

Reasons that M1 MacBook Pro 16” is better than Alienware X15 R1.

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) inside M1 MacBook Pro 16” has a 50% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-11900H inside Alienware X15 R1.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M1 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
12,185
M1 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
11,988
Alienware X15 R1 - Intel Core i9-11900H
8,121
Alienware X15 R1 - Intel Core i7-11800H
7,908
Supports larger memory

M1 MacBook Pro 16” supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware X15 R1. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware X15 R1.

Max system memory size
M1 MacBook Pro 16”
64 GB
Alienware X15 R1
32 GB
About 6% lighter

M1 MacBook Pro 16” weighed 4.7 pounds, 6% lighter than the 5 pounds Alienware X15 R1.

WeightAlienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Pound
5 lbs.
4.7 lbs.
Kilogram
2.27 kg
2.13 kg

Prices

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

Alienware X15 Price
Alienware X15R1 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) 360Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i7-11800H Processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 DDR6 Graphics, Windows 11 Home- Lunar Light
Alienware X15R1 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) 360Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i7-11800H Processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 DDR6 Graphics, Windows 11 Home- Lunar Light
By Alienware
$1,784.99
$1,899.97 6% OFF
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, WiFi 6, Bluetooth, Windows 11 Home - White
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, WiFi 6, Bluetooth, Windows 11 Home - White
By Alienware
$1,920.69
Dell Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 15.6" QHD | Core i7 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 15.6" QHD | Core i7 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,314.99
M1 MacBook Pro 16” Price
Late 2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
Late 2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,265.00
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Max Chip (16-inch, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Max Chip (16-inch, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,779.05
$1,880.01 5% OFF
Late 2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip 10-core CPU (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed Premium)
Late 2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip 10-core CPU (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed Premium)
By Apple
$1,499.00

Availability

Alienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Released20212021
Release DateAvailable on June 1, 2021
  • Announced on October 18, 2021.
  • Available on October 26, 2021.
Pricing
  • $1,999.99
    i7-11800H 16GB 256GB RTX 3060 FHD 165Hz
  • $2,379.99
    i7-11800H 16GB 512GB RTX 3070 FHD 165Hz
  • $2,629.99
    i7-11800H 32GB 1TB RTX 3070 FHD 165Hz
  • $2,929.99
    i9-11900H 32GB 1TB RTX 3070 FHD 360Hz
  • $2,499
    M1 Pro 10-Core CPU 16-Core GPU 16GB 512GB
  • $2,699
    M1 Pro 10-Core CPU 16-Core GPU 16GB 1TB
  • $3,499
    M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 32GB 1TB
  • $3,899
    M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 1TB
  • $4,299
    M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 2TB
  • $4,899
    M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 4TB
  • $6,099
    M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 8TB
Generations

Exterior

Alienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Dimensions
  • 14.16” x 10.915” x 0.642” (359.7 x 277.25 x 16.3 mm)
    With FHD 165Hz diplay.
  • 14.16” x 10.915” x 0.626” (359.7 x 277.25 x 15.9 mm)
    With FHD 360Hz or QHD 240Hz diplay.
  • Height: 0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
  • Width: 14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
  • Depth: 9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
Weight5 - 5.2 lbs (2.27 - 2.36 kg)
  • 4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)
    M1 Pro models.
  • 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg)
    M1 Max models.
Colors
Lunar light
Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware X-Series thin keyboard
    • Per-key RGB LED with AlienFX lighting
    • Anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology.
    • 1.5mm key travel.
  • Touchpad
    • Multi-touch gesture Premium Precision glass touchpad with integrated scrolling.
    • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
    • Supports AlienFX touchpad.
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
  • Touch ID
  • 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 X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Size15.6 Inches16.2 Inches
Info
  • 15.6” FHD with 165Hz
    1920 x 1080 141 PPI ComfortView Plus 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 6W
  • 15.6” FHD with 360Hz
    1920 x 1080 141 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 1ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 7.6W
  • 15.6” QHD with 240Hz
    2560 x 1440 188 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 2ms response time 400 nits 16:9 99% DCI-P3 color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 10.15 W
  • Liquid Retina XDR display
    • 16.2-inch (diagonal) Liquid Retina XDR display;10 3456-by-2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch
  • XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range)
    • Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness
    • 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
    • Color
      1 billion colors Wide color (P3) True Tone technology
  • Refresh rates
    • ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
    • Fixed refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz
 

Ports

Alienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Alienware X15 R1 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left
  • 1 x Headset port
Right
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port
Back
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    Supports USB 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4, and PD output 15W (5V/3A).
  • 1 x USB-C
    Supports USB 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4, and PD output 15W (5V/3A).
  • 1 x USB-A
    Supports USB 3.2 Gen 1 with PowerShare
  • 1 x HDMI 2.1
    Supports up to 4K@120Hz display out.
  • 1 x MicroSD Card Slot
M1 MacBook Pro 16” Ports
Image Source: Apple
Left (4)
  • 1 x power port
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x HDMI
    4K@60Hz
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot

Internal Specs

Alienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Processor
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.60 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.50 → 4.90 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,
  2. Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,
Integrated Graphics
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
  1. Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
    Apple M1 Pro iGPU
    16 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  2. Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
    Apple M1 Max iGPU
    32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
MemoryMemory Slots
  • Onbaord memory
Memory Configurations
  • Speed: 3200MHz
  • Memory Type: Dual-channel DDR4
  • Minimum Memory: 16 GB
  • Maximum Memory: 32 GB
16GB 32GB 64GB
Unified Memory
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060
    6GB GDDR6 TGP: 70W Dynamic Boost: 20W Max Power: 90W Speed: 1050 → 1402 MHz
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 TGP: 90W Dynamic Boost: 20W Max Power: 110W Speed: 930 → 1410 MHz
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080
    8GB GDDR6 TGP: 90W Dynamic Boost: 20W Max Power: 110W Speed: 930 → 1365 MHz
* All configurations include 8-phase HyperEfficient graphics voltage regulation.
-
Storage
  • 1 x M.2 2230 slots (Up to 256GB)
  • 2 x M.2 2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)
    Supports RAID-0
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD

Connectivity

Alienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Wi-FiRivet Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675x
Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

Battery

Alienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Size87 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life-
  • Up to 14 hours wireless web
  • Up to 21 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
Power Supply
240W
power adapter.
140W USB‑C Power Adapter 
Charging up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes with included USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable.

Software

Alienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Shipped with macOS Monterey
Built-in Apps
  • Alienware Command Center
    AlienFX lighting Game Library Auto-tune game profile functionality Fusion 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 X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
Camera
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Optional Windows Hello IR support.
1080p FaceTime HD camera 
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
Audio
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3281
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 2 x 4W speakers
  • Microphone:
    • Dual-array microphones
  • High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for spatial audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
  • Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
  • Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones

Misc

Alienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
SensorsWindows Hello IR CameraTouch ID sensor
Security-
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box-
  • 16‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 140W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
Warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote DiagnosisYour 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 every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
More-
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Pro) or
    • Up to three external displays with up to 6K resolution and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Max)
  • Thunderbolt 4 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
  • HDMI digital video output
    • Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
    • DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

Key Features

Alienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”
At Glance
Released in Mid
2021
16:9 QHD
15.6”
1440p 240Hz
Weight
5 lb
2.27 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-11900H
8C/16T, 2.50 → 4.90 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,430
Single Core
Geekbench 5
8,121
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
3200 MHz DDR4
Alienware X15 R1 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080
8GB GDDR6 90W TGP
Released in Late
2021
16:10 XDR
16.2”
2234p 120Hz
Weight
4.7 lb
2.13 kg
Up to
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
10C/10T, 3.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,747
Single Core
Geekbench 5
12,185
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M1 Max iGPU
32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores
Configurable up to
64GB
Unified Memory
M1 MacBook Pro 16” Ports

Comparison Summary

Alienware X15 R1 vs. M1 MacBook Pro 16”

Dell has released the Alienware X15 R1, a 15.6-inch machine, in mid-2021. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-11900H with a boost clock speed up to 4.90 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 8GB GDDR6 90W TGP.

On the other hand, we have the 16.2-inch M1 MacBook Pro 16” was introduced by Apple around the same year in late-2021. It comes with up to 10-core Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G). It has an integrated graphics option up to Apple M1 Max iGPU (32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware X15 R11
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H1,46683.92%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H1,43081.85%
M1 MacBook Pro 16”1
Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)1,73799.43%
2
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)1,747100.00%
01,747

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware X15 R11
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H7,90864.90%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H8,12166.65%
M1 MacBook Pro 16”1
Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)11,98898.38%
2
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)12,185100.00%
012,185

The Alienware X15 R1 has a 15.6-inch display which is slightly smaller than the 16.2-inch M1 MacBook Pro 16”. In addition, the Alienware X15 R1 weighs 5 lbs. about 6% heavier than the 4.7 lbs. M1 MacBook Pro 16”. Moreover, measured at 14.16” x 10.915” x 0.626”, the Alienware X15 R1 is slightly bulkier than the M1 MacBook Pro 16” at 14.01” x 9.77” x 0.66”.

Alienware X15 R1M1 MacBook Pro 16”

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware X15 R1 supports up to 32GB 3200 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 M1 MacBook Pro 16”, it supports up to 64GB Unified memory. Like Alienware X15 R1, 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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