Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
VS
51.1Performance44
31.8Display41.6
94.7Battery68
32.7Portability65.9
5 spec wins — Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250)3 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) scores 52.6 against 52.6 for Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition). Pick by the categories that matter to you — Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) edges ahead in battery and performance, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250)
- Stronger performance score: 51 vs 44
- Stronger battery score: 95 vs 68
- 177% higher charging: 180 W vs 65 W
- 100% higher RAM: 32 GB vs 16 GB
- 100% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 512 GB
- Lower launch price: $1,150 vs $1,550
Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
- Stronger display score: 42 vs 32
- Stronger portability score: 66 vs 33
- 100% higher Peak brightness: 600 nits vs 300 nits
- 35% lower weight: 1.66 kg vs 2.57 kg
- 19% lower thickness: 18.3 mm vs 22.7 mm
Display
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16 ″+7% | 15 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS | HDR PixelSense LCD (touchscreen) |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 | 3270x2180 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 300 nits | 600 nits+100% |
Performance
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core 7 240H | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus (10-core) or Snapdragon X2 Elite (12-core) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop | Qualcomm Adreno |
| RAM | 32 GB+100% | 16 GB |
| RAM type | DDR5-5600 (2x SO-DIMM) | LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 1,024 GB+100% | 512 GB |
| Storage type | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (2 M.2 slots) | Gen 4 SSD (removable, M.2 2230) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,699Bottom 49% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 13,815Top 43% | — |
Battery
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 96 Wh+45% | 66 Wh |
| Web browsing endurance | — | 14 h |
| Charging | 180 W+177% | 65 W |
Design
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 2.57 kg | 1.66 kg+35% |
| Thickness | 22.7 mm | 18.3 mm+19% |
| Material | Anodized aluminum lid, plastic deck and base, magnesium alloy internal frame | Aluminum (100% recycled) |
Connectivity
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 USB-C/USB4, USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm headphone jack, Surface Connect, microSD |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Webcam | 720p | 1080p Full HD (Windows Studio Effects) |
| Biometrics | None | Facial recognition (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Alienware 16 Aurora (AC16250) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home (Arm) |
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