The Apple MacBook Air is less expensive and offers great portability with a thin and light design, ideal for on-the-go use with up to 15 hours of battery life. Its performance suits general use, and it has a high-quality screen. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m18 is more expensive and built for power users, with superior performance for 3D work, machine learning, and engineering tasks, along with gaming capabilities. Despite this, it is heavier, has a shorter battery life, and is less portable, which makes it more suitable as a desktop replacement or for those who prioritize performance over portability. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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 m18 R1
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
9.1/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is equipped with its own GPU, suitable for basic 3D tasks, but the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a more powerful Nvidia GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, making it superior for gaming and advanced 3D applications. Importantly, many popular games aren't compatible with macOS on the MacBook, while the Alienware, running Windows, supports a wider range of gaming titles.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
9.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design because it features a powerful Intel processor and substantial RAM capacity, coupled with a dedicated Nvidia GPU for intense graphic workloads, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023), although offering good screen quality and a capable Apple M2 processor, is limited by lower RAM and its integrated GPU, making it less optimal for demanding engineering tasks. Additionally, the MacBook Air scores high in portability due to its light weight and quiet operation but is surpassed by the Alienware's significantly higher performance which is essential for engineering and design applications, despite its heavier build and louder fan noise.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.8/10
15.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
When looking at screen quality for general use, the Apple MacBook Air 15 boasts a display with high resolution and brightness, along with an excellent panel type, providing crisp and clear visuals for everyday tasks like web browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design, its display encompasses a wide color gamut, meeting the critical needs for color accuracy and consistency in professional creative work. However, for 3D applications, where refresh rate is paramount, the MacBook Air falls short, unlike gaming-optimized laptops with faster screens, which would be more suitable.
Battery
15.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 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
15.3in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$2,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very 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
8.1/10
8.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Dell Alienware m18 R1 are both very 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 15 (2023) and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
"Dell's Alienware m18 delivers on its promises: This is a large, powerful gaming laptop with the premium flair and feel you expect from an expensive purchase. The drawbacks are really the price and battery life, which in context are reasonable. (We'd also like to see more ports on the laptop's sides.) This price tier exists for deep-pocketed enthusiasts, and if you’re considering anything in this range, the m18 isn’t an outlier. For the majority of shoppers, of course, all of these mighty 18-inch systems are likely too expensive."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Dell Alienware m18 R1
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
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
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