If portability and battery life are crucial alongside general use, then the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is the optimal choice as it is lighter with a longer battery life. However, for high-performance needs such as gaming, 3D rendering or machine learning, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 provides a more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card, but this comes with added bulk and significantly reduced battery life. The Dell also offers a much larger storage capacity and higher RAM, which is beneficial for intensive tasks, but at the cost of a less vivid screen as compared to the MacBook Pro. 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 (2022)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class 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
6.5/10
7.7/10
4.3/10
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 Pro 13 (2022) is only fair.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 outperforms the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) in gaming and 3D due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a very high screen refresh rate, which are key for smooth visuals and detailed graphics rendering. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro, with its integrated M2 GPU, is less suitable for these tasks and its ecosystem is limited for gaming since many popular games don't run on macOS, despite having a high-quality display.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
4.3/10
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 Pro 13 (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) offers a balance between performance and portability with its efficient M2 chip and high-resolution screen, making it suitable for engineering and design tasks, while remaining lightweight and quiet during operation.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.1/10
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
Apple's MacBook Pro 13 (2022) features a high-resolution display and excellent brightness, ensuring sharp and vibrant visuals for general use and design tasks, while its wide color gamut covers more colors, crucial for precision in engineering and design work; however, its typical refresh rate limits its performance in 3D applications, where smoother motion is key. Dell's Alienware m17 R5, while offering a good resolution and brightness for general use and engineering, may not have the same color range breadth, affecting color-sensitive work, and its lower-than-optimal refresh rate for gaming and 3D content means less fluid motion in those scenarios. Overall, the MacBook Pro excels in visual fidelity and color accuracy important for professional creative work, while the Alienware's display, though adequate for general tasks, falls short in areas requiring high refresh rates.
Battery
20.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 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
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) 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 Pro 13 (2022) 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
$1,219
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has a price of $1,219 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is valued for general use due to its powerful Apple M2 CPU, sufficient RAM for everyday tasks, high-resolution screen, light weight for easy portability, and long battery life, complemented by its silent operation.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
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 Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
7.4/10
6.7/10
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 Pro 13 (2022) 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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."
"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 Pro 13 (2022) 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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,095
Recommendations made
22,338
Consumer hours saved
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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.