Alienware 18 Area-51 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5 Max)
64.4Performance91.1
64.1Display74.3
94.7Battery99.5
23.6Portability53.3
3 spec wins — Alienware 18 Area-518 spec wins — Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5 Max)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5 Max) wins this laptop face-off, 81.9 to 63.6, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+30) and performance (+27). 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
- 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 ″
- Lower launch price: $3,400 vs $3,899
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5 Max)
- Stronger performance score: 91 vs 64
- Stronger display score: 74 vs 64
- Stronger battery score: 100 vs 95
- Stronger portability score: 53 vs 24
- 220% higher Peak brightness: 1,600 nits vs 500 nits
Display
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5 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 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (RTX 5060, RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5090 optional) | Apple M5 Max 32-core GPU |
| RAM | 32 GB | 36 GB+13% |
| RAM type | DDR5-6400 (SODIMM) | LPDDR5X (unified) |
| Storage | 1,024 GB | 2,048 GB+100% |
| Storage type | M.2 NVMe SSD (PCIe 4.0/5.0) | SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,057Top 20% | 4,336+42%Top 1% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 19,869Top 14% | 30,057+51%Top 1% |
Battery
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 96 Wh | 100 Wh+4% |
| Charging | 360 W+157% | 140 W |
Design
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 4.12 kg | 2.15 kg+48% |
| Thickness | 24.3 mm | 16.8 mm+31% |
| Material | Anodized aluminum | Recycled Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5 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 5, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 6 |
| Webcam | 1080p + IR camera (4K option) | 12MP Center Stage |
| Biometrics | IR face (Windows Hello) | Touch ID |
Software
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | macOS Tahoe |
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