Alienware x16 R2 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
49.3Performance44
49Display41.6
86.7Battery68
35.5Portability65.9
4 spec wins — Alienware x16 R23 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
InnoReviews verdict
Alienware x16 R2 wins this laptop face-off, 55 to 52.6, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+19) and display (+7). Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) 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 44
- Stronger display score: 49 vs 42
- Stronger battery score: 87 vs 68
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 240 Hz vs 120 Hz
- 100% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 512 GB
Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
- Stronger portability score: 66 vs 36
- 100% higher Peak brightness: 600 nits vs 300 nits
- 37% lower weight: 1.66 kg vs 2.66 kg
- Lower launch price: $1,550 vs $2,100
Display
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16 ″+7% | 15 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS LCD | HDR PixelSense LCD (touchscreen) |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 | 3270x2180 |
| Refresh rate | 240 Hz+100% | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 300 nits | 600 nits+100% |
Performance
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (Core Ultra 9 185H optional) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus (10-core) or Snapdragon X2 Elite (12-core) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop (RTX 4070, RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 optional) | Qualcomm Adreno |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X-7467 (soldered) | LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 1,024 GB+100% | 512 GB |
| Storage type | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (two M.2 slots) | Gen 4 SSD (removable, M.2 2230) |
Battery
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 90 Wh+36% | 66 Wh |
| Web browsing endurance | — | 14 h |
| Charging | — | 65 W |
Design
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 2.66 kg | 1.66 kg+37% |
| Thickness | 18.6 mm | 18.3 mm+2% |
| Material | All-metal chassis | Aluminum (100% recycled) |
Connectivity
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 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 | 1080p (HDR) + IR camera | 1080p Full HD (Windows Studio Effects) |
| Biometrics | IR face (Windows Hello) | Facial recognition (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Alienware x16 R2 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home (Arm) |
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