Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
VS
61.6Performance35.5
55.5Display27.3
94.7Battery69.5
20Portability82.8
9 spec wins — Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)2 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
InnoReviews verdict
Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) wins this laptop face-off, 59.9 to 49.5, pulling ahead mainly in display (+28) and performance (+26). Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)
- Stronger performance score: 62 vs 36
- Stronger display score: 56 vs 27
- Stronger battery score: 95 vs 70
- 700% higher charging: 360 W vs 45 W
- 300% higher Refresh rate: 240 Hz vs 60 Hz
Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
- Stronger portability score: 83 vs 20
- 64% lower weight: 1.22 kg vs 3.4 kg
- 45% lower thickness: 15.6 mm vs 28.5 mm
- Lower launch price: $900 vs $3,200
Display
| Spec | Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16 ″+23% | 13 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS | PixelSense IPS LCD (touchscreen) |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 | 1920x1280 |
| Refresh rate | 240 Hz+300% | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+18% | 425 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 |
| RAM | 32 GB+100% | 16 GB |
| RAM type | DDR5-6400 (2x SO-DIMM) | LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 1,024 GB+300% | 256 GB |
| Storage type | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (3 M.2 slots) | UFS 4.0 (removable) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,925+28%Top 31% | 2,287Bottom 7% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 18,978+71%Top 17% | 11,125Bottom 18% |
Battery
| Spec | Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 96 Wh+92% | 50 Wh |
| Web browsing endurance | — | 16 h |
| Charging | 360 W+700% | 45 W |
Design
| Spec | Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 3.4 kg | 1.22 kg+64% |
| Thickness | 28.5 mm | 15.6 mm+45% |
| Material | — | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 5 (DisplayPort 2.1, Power Delivery), 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, SD card reader, 3.5mm combo jack | 2x USB-C (USB 3.2, DisplayPort 1.4a), USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Webcam | 1080p or 4K (8MP) with IR | 1080p Full HD |
| Biometrics | IR face (Windows Hello) | Fingerprint (Windows Hello, in power button) |
Software
| Spec | Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home (Arm) |
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