M2 MacBook Pro 16” vs. Alienware X17 R1: Which is better?
Here is a side by side comparison between M2 MacBook Pro 16” and Alienware X17 R1 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.
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M2 MacBook Pro 16” Pros
Reasons that M2 MacBook Pro 16” is better than Alienware X17 R1.
2023 vs. 2021
Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G) inside M2 MacBook Pro 16” has a 58% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-11980HK inside Alienware X17 R1.
M2 MacBook Pro 16” supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware X17 R1. It supports up to 96GB versus 64GB of system memory on the Alienware X17 R1.
M2 MacBook Pro 16” weighed 4.7 pounds, 30% lighter than the 6.65 pounds Alienware X17 R1.
Weight | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
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Pound | 4.7 lbs. | 6.65 lbs. |
Kilogram | 2.13 kg | 3.02 kg |
Alienware X17 R1 Pros
Reasons that Alienware X17 R1 is better than M2 MacBook Pro 16”.
Alienware X17 R1 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 M2 MacBook Pro 16” since it has onboard memory.
Memory | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
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Slots | Onboard | x2 |
Type | LPDDR5 | DDR4 XMP |
Configurable up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6 150W TGP vs. integrated
Alienware X17 R1 comes with two M.2 slots that you can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.
Slots | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
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M.2 | Onboard | Yes x2 |
Alienware X17 R1 has a 17.3-inch screen size 6% larger than the 16.2-inch M2 MacBook Pro 16”.
Alienware X17 R1 has more ports and slots count than the M2 MacBook Pro 16”. It has ten versus seven amount of ports and slots on the M2 MacBook Pro 16”.
Ports | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
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full-size SD card slot | Yes | No |
HDMI | Yes | Yes |
headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
microSD card slot | No | Yes |
Mini DisplayPort | No | Yes |
power port | Yes | Yes |
RJ-45 | No | Yes |
Thunderbolt 4 | Yes x3 | Yes |
USB-A | No | Yes x2 |
USB-C | No | Yes |
Total | 7 | 10 |
Alienware X17 R1 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the M2 MacBook Pro 16”. It has nine versus five commonly used ports and slots on the M2 MacBook Pro 16”.
Ports | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
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HDMI | Yes | Yes |
headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
power port | Yes | Yes |
Thunderbolt 4 | Yes | Yes |
full-size SD card slot | Yes | No |
microSD card slot | No | Yes |
Mini DisplayPort | No | Yes |
RJ-45 | No | Yes |
USB-A | No | Yes |
USB-C | No | Yes |
Prices
Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.
Availability | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
Released | 2023 | 2021 |
Release Date |
| Available on June 1, 2021 |
Pricing |
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Generations |
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Exterior | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
Dimensions |
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Weight |
| 6.65 - 7.05 lbs (3.02 - 3.2 kg) |
Colors | Space Gray Silver | Lunar light With High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky - Smooth Finish |
Keyboard and Trackpad | Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
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Display | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
Size | 16.2 Inches | 17.3 Inches |
Info |
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Ports | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
Left (4)
Right (3)
| Left (1)
Right (1)
Back (8)
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Internal Specs | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
Processor |
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Integrated Graphics |
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Memory | 16GB 32GB 64GB 96GB Unified Memory | 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64GB 3200MHz or 3466MHz Dual-channel DDR4 SDRAM.2 x SO-DIMM slots.
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Discrete Graphics | - |
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Storage | 512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB SSD |
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Connectivity | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
Wi-Fi |
| Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675w Triple Band 2.4GHz/5GHz/6GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 wireless technology | Bluetooth 5.2 |
Ethernet | - | Killer E3100 2.5G Ethernet Controller Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps |
Battery | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
Size | 100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery | 87 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery |
Battery Life |
| - |
Power Supply | 140W 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 | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
OS | Shipped with macOS Ventura | Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Upgradable to Windows 11 |
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 |
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Camera & Audio | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
Camera | 1080p FaceTime HD camera Advanced image signal processor with computational video. |
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Audio |
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Misc | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
Sensors | Touch ID sensor | Windows Hello IR Camera |
Security |
| - |
In the box |
| - |
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 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 | Display Supports
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Key Features | M2 MacBook Pro 16” | Alienware X17 R1 |
At Glance |
Comparison Summary
Apple has released the M2 MacBook Pro 16”, a 16.2-inch machine, in early-2023. It is powered by up to 12-core Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G) with a boost clock speed up to 3.70 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Apple M2 Max iGPU (38 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores).
On the other hand, we have the 17.3-inch Alienware X17 R1 was introduced by Dell about two years earlier in mid-2021. It comes with up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-11980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 16GB GDDR6 150W TGP.
Geekbench 5 Single Core
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
The M2 MacBook Pro 16” has a 16.2-inch display which is slightly smaller than the 17.3-inch Alienware X17 R1. In addition, The M2 MacBook Pro 16” weighs 4.7 lbs. about 41% lighter than the 6.65 lbs. Alienware X17 R1. Moreover, measured at 14.01” x 9.77” x 0.66”, the M2 MacBook Pro 16” is much more portable than the Alienware X17 R1 at 15.72” x 11.79” x 0.82”.
There are a toal number of 7 ports and slots available on M2 MacBook Pro 16”. That includes a power port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a headphone jack, a full-size SD card slot, and an HDMI port. With that said, it has three ports and slots fewer than the Alienware X17 R1 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, a microSD card slot, and an RJ-45 port.
Moving over to upgradability, Apple claims that the M2 MacBook Pro 16” supports up to 96GB LPDDR5 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 R1, it supports up to 64GB 3466 MHz DDR4 XMP 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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