Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)
51.1Performance41.4
31.8Display29.8
94.7Battery55.3
32.7Portability79.6
7 spec wins — Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250)4 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)
InnoReviews verdict
Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) wins this laptop face-off, 52.6 to 48.4, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+39) and performance (+10). Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) 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 Aurora (AC16250)
- Stronger performance score: 51 vs 41
- Stronger battery score: 95 vs 55
- 414% higher charging: 180 W vs 35 W
- 300% higher RAM: 32 GB vs 8 GB
- 300% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 256 GB
- Lower launch price: $1,150 vs $1,299
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 33
- 67% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 300 nits
- 49% lower thickness: 11.5 mm vs 22.7 mm
- 41% lower weight: 1.51 kg vs 2.57 kg
- 16% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,130 vs 2,699
Display
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16 ″+5% | 15.3 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS | IPS (Liquid Retina) |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 | 2880x1864 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz+100% | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 300 nits | 500 nits+67% |
Performance
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core 7 240H | Apple M3 (8-core) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop | Apple M3 10-core GPU |
| RAM | 32 GB+300% | 8 GB |
| RAM type | DDR5-5600 (2x SO-DIMM) | LPDDR5 (unified) |
| Storage | 1,024 GB+300% | 256 GB |
| Storage type | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (2 M.2 slots) | SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,699Bottom 49% | 3,130+16%Top 14% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 13,815+14%Top 43% | 12,066Bottom 29% |
Battery
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 96 Wh+44% | 67 Wh |
| Charging | 180 W+414% | 35 W |
Design
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 2.57 kg | 1.51 kg+41% |
| Thickness | 22.7 mm | 11.5 mm+49% |
| Material | Anodized aluminum lid, plastic deck and base, magnesium alloy internal frame | Recycled Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (one with DisplayPort 1.4, one with Power Delivery), 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm headset jack | 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Webcam | 720p | 1080p FaceTime HD |
| Biometrics | None | Touch ID |
Software
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | macOS Sonoma |
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