The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is more affordable and more portable with a long battery life, making it suitable for general use and everyday tasks. Its performance is solid for typical activities but may be limited for intensive engineering or 3D work. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is heavier and less portable, which might affect its suitability for on-the-go use, but it offers superior performance for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive engineering tasks. It also comes with a larger screen and is geared more towards those who need a powerful machine for specialized tasks rather than everyday productivity. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair.
The MacBook Air (2020) has a less powerful integrated Apple M1 GPU and a 60Hz screen which are fair for 3D tasks; in contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is equipped with a high-performance Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a much higher 480Hz refresh rate display, offering good gaming and 3D capabilities, as well as being more compatible with a wide range of games than Macs.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is appreciated for its portability and silent operation due to its efficient Apple M1 chip integrated GPU, making it suitable for design work without distracting noise, but it may lack the robustness for more intensive engineering software that benefits from a more powerful CPU and RAM configuration.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
8.1/10
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for software development, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The MacBook Air's display offers high resolution and brightness, making it sharp and easy to view in different lighting, ideal for general tasks and detailed engineering work; however, its standard refresh rate is inadequate for smooth 3D rendering. The Dell Alienware, while also providing a high-resolution, bright display suited for both general use and color-sensitive engineering tasks, doesn't match the high refresh rates required for optimal gaming and 3D performance. Both laptops have strong color reproduction capabilities critical for engineering and design but may fall short for the high-refresh demands of immersive 3D experiences.
Battery
15.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Poor
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers good performance with its Apple M1 CPU and 8 GB of RAM, adequate for general use and benefits from a high-resolution display and long battery life, making it very portable and suitable for day-to-day tasks with silent operation.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"Overall, the all-AMD system in the Alienware m17 R5 is impressive, especially the graphics performance. However, various driver issues and unnecessary inconsistencies prevent us from truly enjoying such a potent gaming machine. In addition to strong 3D performance, we particularly like the build quality, the fairly bright UHD display with high color space coverage, and the fact that the gamer is often quiet when not under load and also rather quieter than some competitors under load."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Dell Alienware m17 R5
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.