Alienware x16 R2 vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)
49.3Performance41.4
49Display29.8
86.7Battery55.3
35.5Portability79.6
5 spec wins — Alienware x16 R23 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)
InnoReviews verdict
Alienware x16 R2 wins this laptop face-off, 55 to 48.4, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+31) and display (+19). 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 x16 R2
- Stronger performance score: 49 vs 41
- Stronger display score: 49 vs 30
- Stronger battery score: 87 vs 55
- 300% higher Refresh rate: 240 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 300% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 256 GB
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 36
- 67% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 300 nits
- 43% lower weight: 1.51 kg vs 2.66 kg
- 38% lower thickness: 11.5 mm vs 18.6 mm
- Lower launch price: $1,299 vs $2,100
Display
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16 ″+5% | 15.3 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS LCD | IPS (Liquid Retina) |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 | 2880x1864 |
| Refresh rate | 240 Hz+300% | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 300 nits | 500 nits+67% |
Performance
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (Core Ultra 9 185H optional) | Apple M3 (8-core) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop (RTX 4070, RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 optional) | Apple M3 10-core GPU |
| RAM | 16 GB+100% | 8 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X-7467 (soldered) | LPDDR5 (unified) |
| Storage | 1,024 GB+300% | 256 GB |
| Storage type | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (two M.2 slots) | SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | — | 3,130Top 14% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | — | 12,066Bottom 29% |
Battery
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 90 Wh+35% | 67 Wh |
| Charging | — | 35 W |
Design
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 2.66 kg | 1.51 kg+43% |
| Thickness | 18.6 mm | 11.5 mm+38% |
| Material | All-metal chassis | Recycled Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort), 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, mini DisplayPort, microSD, 3.5mm audio jack | 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Webcam | 1080p (HDR) + IR camera | 1080p FaceTime HD |
| Biometrics | IR face (Windows Hello) | Touch ID |
Software
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | macOS Sonoma |
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