Surface Laptop SE vs. Alienware Area-51m R2: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface Laptop SE and Alienware Area-51m R2 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Laptop SE Pros

Reasons that Surface Laptop SE is better than Alienware Area-51m R2.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

About 73% lighter

Surface Laptop SE weighed 2.45 pounds, 73% lighter than the 9.04 pounds Alienware Area-51m R2.

WeightSurface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
Pound
2.45 lbs.
9.04 lbs.
Kilogram
1.11 kg
4.10 kg

Alienware Area-51m R2 Pros

Reasons that Alienware Area-51m R2 is better than Surface Laptop SE.

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-10900K inside Alienware Area-51m R2 has a 892% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Celeron N4120 inside Surface Laptop SE.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware Area-51m R2 - Intel Core i9-10900K
10,800
Surface Laptop SE - Intel Celeron N4120
1,088
Surface Laptop SE - Intel Celeron N4020
746
Supports larger memory

Alienware Area-51m R2 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Laptop SE. It supports up to 64GB versus 8GB of system memory on the Surface Laptop SE.

Max system memory size
Alienware Area-51m R2
64 GB
Surface Laptop SE
8 GB
Supports faster memory

Alienware Area-51m R2 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Laptop SE. It supports up to 3200MHz versus 2400MHz of system memory on the Surface Laptop SE.

Memory type and speed
Alienware Area-51m R2 - DDR4 XMP
3,200 MHz
Surface Laptop SE - DDR4
2,400 MHz
Upgradable memory

Alienware Area-51m 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 Surface Laptop SE since it has onboard memory.

MemorySurface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
Slots
Onboard
x2
TypeDDR4DDR4 XMP
Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB GDDR6 vs. integrated

49% larger display

Alienware Area-51m R2 has a 17.3-inch screen size 49% larger than the 11.6-inch Surface Laptop SE.

Display size
Alienware Area-51m R2
17.3-inch
Surface Laptop SE
11.6-inch

Prices

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

Surface Laptop SE Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop SE CELERON 8GB RAM 128GB SSD RENEWED, Glacier
Microsoft Surface Laptop SE CELERON 8GB RAM 128GB SSD RENEWED, Glacier
By Microsoft
$199.00
$219.00 9% OFF
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - Platinum (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - Platinum (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$249.00
$304.99 18% OFF
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5/'' Touchscreen AMD Ryzen 5 8GB 128GB Windows 11 H, 13-13.99 inches
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5/'' Touchscreen AMD Ryzen 5 8GB 128GB Windows 11 H, 13-13.99 inches
By Microsoft
$399.00
Alienware Area-51m R2 Price
Alienware Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3" 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS)
Alienware Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3" 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS)
By Alienware
$2,299.99
EbidDealz Replacement for Laptop 17.3" FHD LCD Screen Display Complete Assembly 144Hz Dell Alienware Area-51m R2 7N7YC 07N7YC CN-07N7YC
EbidDealz Replacement for Laptop 17.3" FHD LCD Screen Display Complete Assembly 144Hz Dell Alienware Area-51m R2 7N7YC 07N7YC CN-07N7YC
By Generic
$249.99
Alienware 2021 Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3-inch 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS) (Renewed)
Alienware 2021 Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3-inch 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS) (Renewed)
By Alienware
$3,999.00

Availability

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
Released20212020
Release DateIntroduced on November 9, 2021Announced on June 22, 2020.
PricingStarting at $249.99$2,569.99
i7-10700 RTX 2060 16GB 256GB
Generations-

Exterior

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
Dimensions11.17” x 7.6” x 0.70” (283.70 x 193.05 x 17.85 mm)15.85 x 12.565 x 1.089 - 1.7 in (402.60 x 319.14 x 27.65 - 44 mm)
Weight2.45 lbs. (1,112.4 g)
  • 9.04 lb (4.10 Kg)
    Alienware Area-51m R2 with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.
  • 10.36 lb (4.70 Kg) 
    Alienware Area-51m R2 with other graphics cards.
Colors
Glacier
Lunar Light Dark Side of the Moon
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size keyboard with a soft-touch feel and full 1.3mm travel.
  • Trackpad:
    • Microsoft Precision Touchpad.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gestures.
  • Alienware mSeries Keyboard
    • Alienware TactX keyboard with per-key RGB LED AlienFX lighting.
    • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology.
    • 1.7mm key travel, programmable macro keys, alphanumeric keys.
  • Touchpad
    • 3.94 x 2.20 in (100 mm x 56 mm) All-points addressable (APA) trackpad.
    • AlienFX backlit.

Display

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
Size11.6 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 1366 x 768 (135 PPI)
  • Liquid Crystal Display Module
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • 17.3” FHD 144Hz with Tobii
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 9ms response time 300 nits 16:9 72% NTSC 600:1 contrast ratio Anti-glare Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3” FHD 144Hz with NVIDIA-GSYNC
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 7ms response time 300 nits 16:9 72% NTSC NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology 600:1 contrast ratio Anti-glare WVA
  • 17.3” FHD 300Hz with Tobii
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 700:1 Anti-glare Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3” FHD 360Hz with Tobii & NVIDIA-GSYNC
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 5ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology 700:1 Anti-glare Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3” UHD 60Hz with Tobii
    3840 x 2160 255 PPI 25ms response time 500 nits 16:9 100% Adobe RGB 1 200:1 contrast ratio Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA

Ports

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
Surface Laptop SE Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left
  • Kensington lock slot
Right
  • 1 x USB-A
  • 1 x USB-C
  • 1 x DC-in
    Barrel type power connector.
  • 1 x Headset jack
    Standard 3.5mm jack.
Alienware Area-51m R2 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 
    supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 and DisplayPort 1.2
  • 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
  • 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 with Powershare.
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0
    Output with HDCP 2.2 Output Port (Supports direct-drive VR interfaces).
  • 1 x mini DisplayPort™ 1.4
    Output Port (supports NVIDIA® G-Sync™).
  • 1 x RJ-45
    Killer™ Ethernet E3000 2.5Gbps Port.
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
  • 2 x power adapter Ports
  • 1 x Global Headset Port
  • 1 x Audio Out 1/8" Port
    Compatible with inline mic headset.
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately)

Internal Specs

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
Processor
  1. Intel® Celeron® Processor N4020
    2 cores, 2 threads, 1.10 → 2.80 GHz, 4MB Cache, 6W
  2. Intel® Celeron® Processor N4120
    4 cores, 4 threads, 1.10 → 2.60 GHz, 4MB Cache, 6W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 65W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700K
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.80 → 5.10 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 125W
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900
    10 cores, 20 threads, 2.80 → 5.20 GHz, 20MB SmartCache, 65W
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K
    10 cores, 20 threads, 3.70 → 5.30 GHz, 20MB SmartCache, 125W
Integrated Graphics
  1. Intel® Celeron® Processor N4020
    Intel® UHD Graphics 600
    12 Execution Units, 200 → 650 MHz
  2. Intel® Celeron® Processor N4120
    Intel® UHD Graphics 600
    12 Execution Units, 200 → 700 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700K
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Memory
4GB 8GB
2400 MHz DDR4 Memory
  • Memory Slots
    • 2 x SoDIMM slots
  • Memory Configurations
    • 8 GB, 2 x 4 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 32 GB, 2 x 16 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 64 GB, 2 x 32 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 3200 MHz, dual-channel, Intel XMP
    • 32 GB, 2 x 16 GB, DDR4, 3200 MHz, dual-channel, Intel XMP
Discrete Graphics-NVIDIA® GeForce®
  • GTX™ 1660 Ti - 6GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • RTX™ 2060 - 6GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • RTX 2070 SUPER™ - 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • RTX 2080 SUPER™ - 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
AMD® Radeon™
  • RX 5700M - 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
Storage
64GB 128GB
eMMC
Available Slots
  • 2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 1TB each)
  • One SATA AHCI 6 Gbps (Up to 1TB)
Single Drive
256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB
NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD.
Dual Drives
  • 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
RAID-0 Drives
  • 512GB RAID 0 (2x 256GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
  • 1TB RAID 0 (2x 512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
  • 2TB RAID 0 (2x 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
  • 4TB RAID 0 (2x 2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
RAID-0 Plus Drives
  • 512GB (2x 256GB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive [Storage]
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive [Storage]
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID 0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB (2x 512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD) Non-Raid [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID 0 [Boot] + 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) Non-Raid [Storage]

Connectivity

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
Wi-FiWi-Fi 5 (2x2): IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.Rivet Killer WiFi 6 AX1650i 
Up to 2212Mbps Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi-6 (802.11ax)
BluetoothBluetooth Wireless 5.0 LE technologyBluetooth 5.1
Ethernet-Killer™ Ethernet E3000 PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
Size35Wh6-cell smart lithium-ion (90Wh)
Battery LifeUp to 16 hours of typical device usage-
Power Supply45W Barrel type power adapter
  • 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 240W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 330W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)

Software

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
OSWindows 11 SE
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Built-in AppsMicrosoft 365 for Education
  • Alienware Command Center
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)

Camera & Audio

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
Camera1MP Front facing camera
With up to 720p 30fps video
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware HD (1280 x 720 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • 2W Stereo Speakers
  • Single digital microphone
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3282-CG
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 4-Way Stereo Speaker Design
    • Output: 8-10W
  • Microphone:
    • Dual-array microphones in the camera assembly

Misc

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
InkingNot Support-
Sensors1 x Hall-effect Sensor
  • Tobii Eye Tracking (Optional)
SecurityTPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
In the box
  • Surface Laptop SE
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
-
WarrantyOne-year limited hardware warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis
MoreExterior
  • Casing: All plastic bodies unpainted
  • Physical buttons: Power button and Volume buttons on Keyboard
  • Hinge: 135 degrees open angle
-

Key Features

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2
At Glance
Released in Late
2021
16:9 HD
11.6”
768p 60Hz
Weight
2.45 lb
1.11 kg
Up to
Intel Celeron N4120
4C/4T, 1.10 → 2.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
384
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,088
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 600
12 Execution Units, 200 → 700 MHz
Configurable up to
8GB
2400 MHz DDR4
Surface Laptop SE Ports
Released in Mid
2020
16:9 FHD
17.3”
360Hz w/ Tobii
Weight
9.04 lb
4.10 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-10900K
10C/20T, 3.70 → 5.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,392
Single Core
Geekbench 5
10,800
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
3200 MHz DDR4 XMP
Alienware Area-51m R2 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080 SUPER
8GB GDDR6

Comparison Summary

Surface Laptop SE vs. Alienware Area-51m R2

Microsoft has released the Surface Laptop SE, a 11.6-inch machine, in late-2021. It is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Celeron N4120 with a boost clock speed up to 2.60 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® UHD Graphics 600 (12 Execution Units, 200 → 700 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 17.3-inch Alienware Area-51m R2 was introduced by Dell about a year earlier in mid-2020. It comes with up to 10-core Intel Core i9-10900K with a boost clock speed up to 5.30 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER with 8GB GDDR6.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Surface Laptop SE1
Intel® Celeron® Processor N402041129.53%
2
Intel® Celeron® Processor N412038427.59%
Alienware Area-51m R24
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K1,392100.00%
01,392

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Surface Laptop SE1
Intel® Celeron® Processor N40207466.91%
2
Intel® Celeron® Processor N41201,08810.07%
Alienware Area-51m R24
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K10,800100.00%
010,800

The Surface Laptop SE has a 11.6-inch display which is way smaller than the 17.3-inch Alienware Area-51m R2. In addition, The Surface Laptop SE weighs 2.45 lbs. about 268% lighter than the 9.04 lbs. Alienware Area-51m R2. Moreover, measured at 11.17” x 7.6” x 0.7”, the Surface Laptop SE is much more portable than the Alienware Area-51m R2 at 15.85” x 12.565” x 1.7”.

Surface Laptop SEAlienware Area-51m R2

Moving over to upgradability, Microsoft claims that the Surface Laptop SE supports up to 8GB 2400 MHz DDR4 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users.

For Alienware Area-51m R2, it supports up to 64GB 3200 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. Besides that, it also comes with a SATA slot where you can install an additional 2.5-inch SATA-based SSD, SSHD, or a hard disk drive.

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