Alienware 18 Area-51 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
64.4Performance66.2
64.1Display74.3
94.7Battery77.1
23.6Portability53
3 spec wins — Alienware 18 Area-517 spec wins — Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) wins this laptop face-off, 68.2 to 63.6, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+29) and display (+10). Alienware 18 Area-51 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Alienware 18 Area-51
- Stronger battery score: 95 vs 77
- 157% higher charging: 360 W vs 140 W
- 150% higher Refresh rate: 300 Hz vs 120 Hz
- 11% higher Screen size: 18 ″ vs 16.2 ″
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
- Stronger display score: 74 vs 64
- Stronger portability score: 53 vs 24
- 220% higher Peak brightness: 1,600 nits vs 500 nits
- 48% lower weight: 2.16 kg vs 4.12 kg
- 31% lower thickness: 16.8 mm vs 24.3 mm
Display
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 18 ″+11% | 16.2 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS LCD | Mini-LED (Liquid Retina XDR) |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 | 3456x2234 |
| Refresh rate | 300 Hz+150% | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 1,600 nits+220% |
Performance
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Apple M3 Max (14-core) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (RTX 5060, RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5090 optional) | Apple M3 Max 30-core GPU |
| RAM | 32 GB | 36 GB+13% |
| RAM type | DDR5-6400 (SODIMM) | LPDDR5 (unified) |
| Storage | 1,024 GB | 1,024 GB |
| Storage type | M.2 NVMe SSD (PCIe 4.0/5.0) | NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,057Top 20% | 3,120+2%Top 15% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 19,869Top 14% | 20,200+2%Top 12% |
Battery
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 96 Wh | 100 Wh+4% |
| Web browsing endurance | — | 13 h |
| Charging | 360 W+157% | 140 W |
Design
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 4.12 kg | 2.16 kg+48% |
| Thickness | 24.3 mm | 16.8 mm+31% |
| Material | Anodized aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 5 (DisplayPort 2.1, Power Delivery; Thunderbolt 4 on RTX 5070 and below), 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, 5Gbps RJ-45, SD card reader, 3.5mm audio jack | 3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Webcam | 1080p + IR camera (4K option) | 1080p FaceTime HD |
| Biometrics | IR face (Windows Hello) | Touch ID |
Software
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | macOS Sonoma |
Related comparisons
Alienware 18 Area-51vs Framework Laptop 13 ProVSAlienware 18 Area-51vs ASUS TUF Gaming F16 (2025)VSAlienware 18 Area-51vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025) GU605VSAlienware 18 Area-51vs ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2025)VSApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)vs Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 (16IAX10H)VSApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)vs Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5)VSApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)vs Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 (16IAX10)VSApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)vs MSI Titan 18 HX AI A2XWVS