The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is excellent for general use with a significant battery life advantage and a silent, fanless operation. Its high-resolution screen is ideal for design and video editing, but it lacks gaming, engineering, or extensive machine learning capabilities. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware x14 R1, while slightly heavier and with a shorter battery life, offers a high refresh rate screen and powerful hardware for gaming, engineering, and demanding computational tasks. The Apple model may appeal more for long-lasting mobile productivity and content creation, while the Dell is suitable for power users who need peak performance and don’t mind more frequent charging. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020)
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Alienware x14 R1
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its integrated Apple M1 GPU and standard 60Hz display refresh rate is fair for 3D tasks, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1, equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, and a higher 144Hz screen refresh rate, offers better graphics performance which makes it good for gaming and 3D applications. Additionally, many popular games are not compatible with macOS, limiting the MacBook's suitability for gaming compared to the Alienware's Windows 11 platform, which supports a wider range of game titles.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its Apple M1 CPU is a solid choice for engineering and design due to its high-quality IPS screen and exceptional keyboard, coupled with a lightweight and silent operation suitable for portability and quiet environments.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.9/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a high-resolution Retina display that's bright and provides a wide color gamut, making it excellent for detailed engineering and design work where color accuracy is key; however, its standard refresh rate limits its performance for 3D applications, where smoother motion is crucial. The Dell Alienware x14 R1, while providing a solid resolution and respectable brightness for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design, also doesn't offer the high refresh rate that would benefit gaming and 3D rendering. Both laptops are suitable for their respective specialized tasks but fall short for high frame rate-dependent activities like 3D gaming due to their focus on resolution and color accuracy over refresh rate.
Battery
20.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 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
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Alienware x14 R1 both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its long battery life and lighter weight serves as a solid choice for general use, offering a balance of performance with the Apple M1 chip and a high-quality screen, plus the comfort of a silent, fanless operation.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (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
7.8/10
7.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Alienware x14 R1 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.
Cost
$1,249
$1,201
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 costs $1,201.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 compare to other laptops
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
"The Alienware X14 series is thinner, but also slower than the competition. With the X series, you get plenty of modern technology: Intel Alder Lake CPUs, GeForce RTX 3000 GPUs, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, G-Sync, and Advanced Optimus. However, the slim design has some drawbacks, just like its larger siblings. The shifted hinge position results in a very deep device with a large footprint compared to the competition."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Dell Alienware x14 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.
Jason Lew
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.