The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its M1 chip is well-suited for general use, offering great battery life and portability due to its lightweight and compact design, ideal for everyday tasks and mobile professionals. The Dell Alienware X17 R2, on the other hand, is a powerhouse with its Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics, designed for high-end gaming, 3D rendering, and intensive engineering programs; however, it's less portable and has a significantly shorter battery life. The MacBook Pro is also less pricey compared to the Alienware, which may be a consideration if budget is a concern. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is praised for its silent fanless operation, long battery life, and portability, making it suitable for general use and on-the-go productivity, whereas the Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers a more powerful CPU, more RAM, and better speaker quality, but is heavier and has a shorter battery life, orienting it towards users with demanding computational needs who prioritize performance over portability.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
8.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
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 X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has an integrated GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, suitable for some 3D work but limited for gaming, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is equipped with a high-end discrete Nvidia GPU and a much higher screen refresh rate, making it ideal for demanding games and 3D tasks; additionally, the compatibility of many popular games with Windows, not MacOS, also favors the Alienware for gaming.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
9.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a more portable and quieter experience due to its lightweight design and silent operation, but with its lower-powered integrated GPU and less RAM, it falls short in handling the most demanding engineering and 3D design tasks compared to the Dell Alienware X17 R2, which comes with a high-end dedicated GPU, substantially more RAM, and a processor that's geared more towards these intensive tasks, albeit at the cost of increased weight and reduced battery life.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, gaming and AI, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) excels in general use and engineering design due to its high-resolution Retina display that offers vibrant colors and brightness, while its coverage of professional color gamuts ensures precise color work for designers and engineers. However, its lower refresh rate limits performance in 3D applications, which require smoother visuals for optimal experience. Conversely, the Dell Alienware X17 R2, despite having a high-quality display for general and engineering tasks, falls short for Gaming and 3D because the particular configuration in question might not have a screen with a high enough refresh rate to match the demands of fast-paced visuals in gaming environments.
Battery
20.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 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
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair 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 X17 R2 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
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
7.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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 Pro 13 (2020) and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 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 x17 R2 recognizes targets a significantly higher TGP of 175 W for a roughly 30 percent performance boost over laptops running on the ~100 W GeForce RTX 3080 Ti like the Razer Blade 15 or Gigabyte Aero YE5. Similar results can be found through the CPU as well. This single aspect of the Alienware is perhaps the biggest differentiating factor between it and other ultrathin gaming laptops. Of course, the "performance at all cost" approach comes with drawbacks. Power consumption in particular is through the roof and battery life suffers because of it even when on the lowest performance settings."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Dell Alienware X17 R2
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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