M1 MacBook Pro 16” vs. Alienware X17 R2: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between M1 MacBook Pro 16” and Alienware X17 R2 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

M1 MacBook Pro 16” Pros

Reasons that M1 MacBook Pro 16” is better than Alienware X17 R2.

Supports larger memory

M1 MacBook Pro 16” supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware X17 R2. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware X17 R2.

Max system memory size
M1 MacBook Pro 16”
64 GB
Alienware X17 R2
32 GB
About 29% lighter

M1 MacBook Pro 16” weighed 4.7 pounds, 29% lighter than the 6.54 pounds Alienware X17 R2.

WeightM1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
Pound
4.7 lbs.
6.54 lbs.
Kilogram
2.13 kg
2.97 kg

Alienware X17 R2 Pros

Reasons that Alienware X17 R2 is better than M1 MacBook Pro 16”.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-12900HK inside Alienware X17 R2 has a 6% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) inside M1 MacBook Pro 16”.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware X17 R2 - Intel Core i9-12900HK
13,006
M1 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
12,185
M1 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
11,988
Alienware X17 R2 - Intel Core i7-12700H
11,774
Upgradable memory

Alienware X17 R2 comes with two SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the M1 MacBook Pro 16” since it has onboard memory.

MemoryM1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
Slots
Onboard
x2
TypeUnifiedDDR5
Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 16GB GDDR6 vs. integrated

Upgradable storage

Alienware X17 R2 comes with two M.2 slots that you can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.

SlotsM1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
M.2
Onboard
Yes x2
6% larger display

Alienware X17 R2 has a 17.3-inch screen size 6% larger than the 16.2-inch M1 MacBook Pro 16”.

Display size
Alienware X17 R2
17.3-inch
M1 MacBook Pro 16”
16.2-inch
Has three more ports and slots

Alienware X17 R2 has more ports and slots count than the M1 MacBook Pro 16”. It has ten versus seven amount of ports and slots on the M1 MacBook Pro 16”.

PortsM1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
full-size SD card slotYesNo
HDMIYesYes
headphone jackYesYes
microSD card slotNoYes
Mini DisplayPortNoYes
power portYesYes
RJ-45NoYes
Thunderbolt 4Yes x3Yes
USB-ANoYes x2
USB-CNoYes
Total710
More versatile connectivity

Alienware X17 R2 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the M1 MacBook Pro 16”. It has nine versus five commonly used ports and slots on the M1 MacBook Pro 16”.

PortsM1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
HDMIYesYes
headphone jackYesYes
power portYesYes
Thunderbolt 4YesYes
full-size SD card slotYesNo
microSD card slotNoYes
Mini DisplayPortNoYes
RJ-45NoYes
USB-ANoYes
USB-CNoYes

Prices

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

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
Alienware X17 R2 Price
Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 480Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i9-12900H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, Killer Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Light
Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 480Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i9-12900H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, Killer Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Light
By Alienware
$2,270.00
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core i9 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 5 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core i9 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 5 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,396.79
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" 4K | Core i9 - 1TB SSD - 32GB RAM - RTX 3080 | 14 Cores @ 5 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 10GB GDDR6X Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" 4K | Core i9 - 1TB SSD - 32GB RAM - RTX 3080 | 14 Cores @ 5 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 10GB GDDR6X Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,619.97

Availability

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
Released20212022
Release Date
  • Announced on October 18, 2021.
  • Available on October 26, 2021.
  • Announced on January 4, 2022.
  • Available starting in Winter 2022.
Pricing
  • $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
Starting at $2,299
Generations

Exterior

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
Dimensions
  • Height: 0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
  • Width: 14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
  • Depth: 9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
  • 15.718” x 11.791” x 0.823” (399.23 x 299.49 x 20.9 mm)
    With FHD 360Hz diplay.
  • 15.718” x 11.791” x 0.843” (39 9.23 x 299.49 x 21.4 mm)
    With FHD 165Hz or UHD 120Hz diplay.
Weight
  • 4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)
    M1 Pro models.
  • 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg)
    M1 Max models.
6.54 ~ 6.82 lbs. (2.96 - 3.09 kg)
Colors
Space Gray Silver
Lunar light
With High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky - Smooth Finish
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit 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
Keyboard
  • Alienware X-Series thin keyboard
    • Per-key RGB LED with AlienFX lighting
    • Anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology.
    • 1.5mm key travel.
  • Alienware's CherryMX ultra-low-profile mechanical laptop keyboard
    • Per-key AlienFX lighting
    • 1.8mm key travel
    • Includes N-key rollover and anti-ghosting technology
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.
Chasis Information-
  • Based on Alienware's Legend 2.0 industrial design language
  • Constructed with CNC aluminum and magnesium alloy parts
  • Engineered with Alienware Cryo-Tech™ Cooling technology
  • Includes Alienware's Quad-Fan Design
    Patent-pending
  • Element 31 thermal interface material
    Available with NVIDIA graphics options higher than 3060.

Display

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
Size16.2 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 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
 
  • 17.3” FHD with 165Hz
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB Dolby Vision Anti-glare WVA
  • 17.3” FHD with 360Hz
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 1ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB Dolby Vision Anti-glare WVA
  • 17.3” UHD with 120Hz
    3840 x 2160 255 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 4ms response time 500 nits 16:9 99% DCI-P3 Dolby Vision Anti-glare WVA

Ports

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
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
Alienware X17 R2 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (1)
  • 1 x power port
Right (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Back (8)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), Power Delivery (5V/3A)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery (5V/3A)
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.1
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
    v1.4
  • 1 x RJ-45
    2.5 Gbps
  • 1 x microSD card slot

Internal Specs

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
Processor
  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,
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.30 → 4.70 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900HK
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.50 → 5.00 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  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,
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1400 MHz
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900HK
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1450 MHz
Memory
16GB 32GB 64GB
Unified Memory
  • 16GB 32GB
    Dual Channel DDR5 4800MHz
Memory Slots
  • 2 x DDR5 SODIMM slots.
Memory Configurations
  • Speed: 4800MHz
  • Memory Type: Dual-channel DDR5
  • Minimum Memory: 16 GB
  • Maximum Memory: 32 GB
Discrete Graphics-
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 - 6GB GDDR6
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series Laptop Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series Laptop Graphics
* Up to 12-phase HyperEfficient graphics voltage regulation.
Storage
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD
  • Storage slots: 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe slots
Single Storage Configuration
  • 256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB
    PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Dual Storage Configuration
  • 512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB
    RAID-0 (2 x PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD)

Connectivity

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675
Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi 6E 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
BluetoothBluetooth 5.0 wireless technologyBluetooth 5.2
Ethernet-Killer E3100 2.5G Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
Size100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery87 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 14 hours wireless web
  • Up to 21 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
-
Power Supply140W USB‑C Power Adapter 
Charging up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes with included USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable.
240W 330W
power adapter.

Software

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
OSShipped with macOS MontereyWindows 11
Home Pro
Built-in Apps
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
Alienware Command CenterDashboard navigates all features, including themes, system performance, and overclocking.
  • Five Tailored Power States
    full speed performance balanced quiet battery saver
  • Game Library to manage titles from multiple services
  • FX supports full RBG values up to 16.8 million colors
  • Power Management adjusts power plans with a game
  • Overclocking controls system performance and overclocking profiles
  • Sound Center dials in the perfect sound by managing sound profiles, audio effects, and Audio Recon
AlienFX Lighting Detail
  • Programmable with up to 16.8 million distinct colors
  • Rear stadium lighting is now engineered with 90 micro-LEDs for a bold new look

Camera & Audio

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
Camera1080p FaceTime HD camera 
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Windows Hello IR support.
Audio
  • 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
  • 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

Misc

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
SensorsTouch ID sensorWindows Hello IR Camera
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
Windows Hello IR camera for Facial Biometrics
In the box
  • 16‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 140W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
-
WarrantyYour 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.1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis
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

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2
At Glance
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
Released in Early
2022
16:9 4K UHD
17.3”
2160p 120Hz
Weight
6.54 lb
2.97 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-12900HK
14C/20T, 2.50 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,798
Single Core
Geekbench 5
13,006
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1450 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
4800 MHz DDR5
Alienware X17 R2 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080 Ti
16GB GDDR6

Comparison Summary

M1 MacBook Pro 16” vs. Alienware X17 R2

Apple has released the M1 MacBook Pro 16”, a 16.2-inch machine, in late-2021. It is powered by up to 10-core Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G). The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Apple M1 Max iGPU (32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores).

On the other hand, we have the 17.3-inch Alienware X17 R2 was introduced by Dell about a year later in early-2022. It comes with up to 14-core Intel Core i9-12900HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti with 16GB GDDR6.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

M1 MacBook Pro 16”1
Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)1,73796.61%
2
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)1,74797.16%
Alienware X17 R21
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H1,65892.21%
2
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900HK1,798100.00%
01,798

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

M1 MacBook Pro 16”1
Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)11,98892.17%
2
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)12,18593.69%
Alienware X17 R21
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H11,77490.53%
2
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900HK13,006100.00%
013,006

The M1 MacBook Pro 16” has a 16.2-inch display which is slightly smaller than the 17.3-inch Alienware X17 R2. In addition, The M1 MacBook Pro 16” weighs 4.7 lbs. about 39% lighter than the 6.54 lbs. Alienware X17 R2. Moreover, measured at 14.01” x 9.77” x 0.66”, the M1 MacBook Pro 16” is much more portable than the Alienware X17 R2 at 15.72” x 11.79” x 0.82”.

M1 MacBook Pro 16”Alienware X17 R2

There are a toal number of 7 ports and slots available on M1 MacBook Pro 16”. That includes a power port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, and a full-size SD card slot. With that said, it has three ports and slots fewer than the Alienware X17 R2 that has a power port, a headphone jack, a Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB-C port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a Mini DisplayPort, an RJ-45 port, and a microSD card slot.

Moving over to upgradability, Apple claims that the M1 MacBook Pro 16” supports up to 64GB Unified memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. It also has soldered storage, and there are no M.2 slots for expansion.

For Alienware X17 R2, it supports up to 32GB 4800 MHz DDR5 memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also has two M.2 slots that users can easily swap or add an extra SSD to get extra space when needed.

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