Alienware 18 Area-51 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
64.4Performancespec-based66.2
97.5Graphics—
64.1Displayspec-based74.3
94.7Batteryspec-based77.1
23.6Portabilityspec-based53
3 spec wins — Alienware 18 Area-517 spec wins — Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: Alienware 18 Area-51 scores 68 against 68.2 for Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max). Pick by the categories that matter to you, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Alienware 18 Area-51
- 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)
- 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
- 13% higher RAM: 36 GB vs 32 GB
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 17% | 3,120+2%Top 11% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 19,869Top 12% | 20,200+2%Top 9% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (GPU) | 22,099Top 9% | — |
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 |
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