Alienware X15 R1 vs. Surface Pro 8: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Alienware X15 R1 and Surface Pro 8 specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

Alienware X15 R1 Pros

Reasons that Alienware X15 R1 is better than Surface Pro 8.

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-11900H inside Alienware X15 R1 has a 66% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1185G7 inside Surface Pro 8.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware X15 R1 - Intel Core i9-11900H
8,121
Alienware X15 R1 - Intel Core i7-11800H
7,908
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i7-1185G7
4,864
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i5-1135G7
3,980
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i3-1115G4
2,445
Supports discrete graphics

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

19% larger display

Alienware X15 R1 has a 15.6-inch screen size 19% larger than the 13-inch Surface Pro 8.

Display size
Alienware X15 R1
15.6-inch
Surface Pro 8
13-inch

Surface Pro 8 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 8 is better than Alienware X15 R1.

Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 8 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware X15 R1. It supports up to 4267MHz versus 3200MHz of system memory on the Alienware X15 R1.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 8 - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
Alienware X15 R1 - DDR4
3,200 MHz
About 61% lighter

Surface Pro 8 weighed 1.96 pounds, 61% lighter than the 5 pounds Alienware X15 R1.

WeightAlienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
Pound
5 lbs.
1.96 lbs.
Kilogram
2.27 kg
0.89 kg

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware X15 R1 and Surface Pro 8.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Alienware X15 R1
32 GB
Surface Pro 8
32 GB

Prices

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

Alienware X15 Price
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
$1,823.63
$1,999.97 9% OFF
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
$1,769.99
$1,899.97 7% OFF
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
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum Microsoft Copilot
By Microsoft
$789.99
$1,099.99 28% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$649.99
$697.00 7% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$737.90
$1,099.99 33% OFF

Availability

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
Released20212021
Release DateAvailable on June 1, 2021
  • Introduced: September 22, 2021
  • Pre-ordered: September 22, 2021
  • Released: October 5, 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
  • $1,099.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 128GB
    Platinum only.
  • $1,199.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 256GB
  • $1,399.99 
    i5-1135G7 16GB 256GB
  • $1,399.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 512GB
  • $1,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 256GB
  • $1,899.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 512GB
  • $2,199.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
  • $2,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 32GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
Generations

Exterior

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
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.
11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37” (287 mm x 208 mm x 9.3 mm)
Weight5 - 5.2 lbs (2.27 - 2.36 kg)1.96 lb (889 g)
Colors
Lunar light
Matte Black Platinum
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.
  • Not included.
  • Compatible with 
    Surface Pro Signature Keyboard Surface Pro X Keyboard
  • Type Cover Features:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.
  • Surface Slim Pen Storage
    • Magnetic dock
    • Automatically wireless charge Surface Slim Pen

Display

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
Size15.6 Inches13 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
  • Resolution: 2880 x 1920
    5.53M Pixels.
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
    60Hz default.
  • PixelSense™ Flow Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: GPU Ink Acceleration
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch

Ports

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
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
Surface Pro 8 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Type Cover
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x SSD slot
    M.2 2230 NVMe slot

Internal Specs

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
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. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    2 cores, 4 threads, 3.00 → 4.10 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 28W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.40 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 28W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 28W
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. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    48 Execution Units, 400 → 1250 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
MemoryMemory Slots
  • Onbaord memory
Memory Configurations
  • Speed: 3200MHz
  • Memory Type: Dual-channel DDR4
  • Minimum Memory: 16 GB
  • Maximum Memory: 32 GB
8GB 16GB 32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
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
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.

Connectivity

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
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
Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology

Battery

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
Size87 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 51.5Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 50.2Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
Battery Life-Up to 16 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply
240W
power adapter.
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)

Software

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Windows 11 Home
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)
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Preloaded Xbox app
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one month trial

Camera & Audio

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
Camera
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Optional Windows Hello IR support.
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD and 4K 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
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
Inking-
  • Supports Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP)
    4096 levels of pressure Tilt sensing Best in class latency Paper feel 0.1mm precision magnetic storage
  • Supports Tactile signals with Surface Slim Pen 2
SensorsWindows Hello IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient Color Sensor (brightness and color)
Security-
  • Firmware TPM chip for enterprise-grade security and BitLocker support
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box-
  • Surface Pro 8
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis1-year limited hardware warranty

Key Features

Alienware X15 R1Surface Pro 8
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
3:2 2.8K
13”
1920p 60~120Hz
Weight
1.96 lb
0.89 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1185G7
4C/8T, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,404
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 Pro 8 Ports

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