To help you decide between the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and the Dell Alienware x14 R1, consider that the MacBook Pro is designed with a focus on performance and software integration in a premium package, offering a smooth experience for creative professionals and efficiency for general use, but at a higher price. In contrast, the Alienware x14 R1 is tailored for gaming with high-end graphics capabilities, making it suitable for gaming, 3D tasks, and some engineering applications, but it may be bulkier and have less battery life. If your priority is portability and battery life for productivity tasks, the MacBook Pro is preferable; if you prioritize gaming and demanding graphical tasks, the Alienware is a better fit. 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 (Late 2023)
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
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Alienware x14 R1
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
7.6/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) with its high-refresh-rate Mini LED display and Apple M3 GPU is well-suited for 3D tasks and offers superior screen quality, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a high-refresh-rate IPS screen and a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, making it better equipped for gaming and 3D, especially since it can run many popular games that are not compatible with Macs. Both laptops have capable CPUs, but the dedicated Nvidia GPU and the Windows operating system give the Alienware an edge for mainstream gaming compatibility and graphics-intensive tasks.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
7.9/10
14.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers a high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and color accuracy, making it ideal for everyday tasks like web browsing and video streaming. Engineering and design professionals would appreciate the MacBook's wide color gamut coverage, ensuring precise hues for tasks like photo editing and CAD work. However, for 3D applications and gaming, the Dell Alienware x14 R1, while not as strong as other gaming-focused laptops, still offers a moderate refresh rate and resolution which are important, but its overall screen quality for high-speed content may not satisfy the most demanding gamers or 3D designers.
Battery
17.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 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
14.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Dell Alienware x14 R1 both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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 14 (Late 2023) 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.
Cost
$1,499
$1,201
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has a price of $1,499 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 costs $1,201.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) stands out for general use with its superior screen quality, longer battery life, and lower weight, enhancing portability and convenience for everyday tasks, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1, despite its higher weight, offers a more powerful CPU and double the RAM, which may appeal to those who need more multitasking power and is also well-suited for general use with a good quality screen and decent battery life.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
8.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its proprietary Apple M3 CPU and integrated GPU, offers a balance of power and efficiency complemented by a high-resolution Mini LED screen, making it suitable for engineering and design tasks while maintaining portability. In contrast, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 provides a more robust performance for such tasks through its Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, paired with more RAM and a display tailored for high refresh rates, albeit at the expense of greater weight and potentially more operating noise.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 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
8.2/10
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 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 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 14 (Late 2023) 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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