The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is typically less expensive than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and offers better portability, longer battery life, and higher scores in build quality, speaker quality, and screen quality for general use, colors, and fast motion. It is optimal for general use, has an excellent backlit keyboard, and operates with MacOS. However, for more intensive 3D, machine learning, and gaming activities, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 excels with its higher-performing hardware, including a superior GPU, which makes it suitable for engineering and gaming, though at the cost of heavier weight and shorter battery life. The Alienware is also equipped with a higher refresh rate display, which is ideal for gaming, and runs on Windows 11 Home. Both laptops have similar storage and RAM, bright, color-accurate displays without touchscreens, and offer a range of modern ports including USB-C and Thunderbolt. 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 14 (2021)
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
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 m15 R7
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) boasts superior screen quality, keyboard quality, and speaker quality alongside a longer battery life and greater portability compared to the Dell Alienware m15 R7, making it very good for general use, while the latter's strengths like a high-performance CPU and GPU lend it more towards gaming, thus categorized as good for general use despite its bulkier build and shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
7.8/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
8.3/10
7.3/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.2/10
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has an exceptional Retina display with high resolution and brightness, delivering vivid colors and sharp details that are essential for general use and professional engineering and design work, further enhanced by wide color gamuts ensuring accurate color reproduction. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 also offers a high-quality display with ample brightness and resolution, providing a strong visual experience for general activities and design tasks, but lacks the advanced color range of the MacBook. However, for 3D applications where motion smoothness is critical, both laptops do not prioritize high refresh rates, making them less suitable for gaming or complex 3D rendering compared to models with faster screen refresh capabilities.
Battery
13.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
Fair
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$2,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 costs $2,200.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful Apple M1 Pro CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality GPU, which work seamlessly with its premium screen, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 combines a robust AMD Ryzen 9 CPU with a high-end Nvidia RTX GPU, providing exceptional power for demanding software, alongside a quality IPS display. Both models offer substantial performance for engineering tasks, but the MacBook Pro is known for its sleek design and quiet operation, whereas the Alienware m15 R7 offers a more gamer-oriented design and may have higher operating noise.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 compare to other laptops
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
"The Alienware M15 offers solid gaming and leading endurance. It makes the most of its CPU and GPU while delivering stellar battery life for a gaming laptop. Opening the lid presents a full-size keyboard with honeycomb cutouts above it on the deck. An oblong RBG lightning element surrounds the entire rear panel and can be color-synced with the other lights on the laptop. There’s not a lot to dislike about the M15 Its productivity performance lagged in some areas, particularly in the storage benchmark, and it’s a bit heavy. Alienware has a clear winner here with the M15 based on its strong overall performance and endurance."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Dell Alienware m15 R7
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.