I can provide general advice on choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Dell Alienware x14 R1.
The MacBook Pro is known for its high-quality build, long battery life, and excellent display, which makes it a good option for professionals like graphic designers or video editors who prioritize these features and can benefit from macOS-specific applications. However, it might not be the best choice for gaming or highly specialized tasks that require a Windows environment or specific ports not available on MacBooks.
On the other hand, the Alienware x14 R1 is a gaming laptop with a robust cooling system and powerful components that allow it to handle intensive gaming and applications. It will likely have a higher refresh rate and be optimized for performance over battery life. If you need a laptop that can manage demanding 3D, machine learning, or gaming tasks, the Alienware might be the better pick, despite its higher price point. However, it will likely be heavier and less portable than the MacBook Pro.
Ultimately, your decision should be based on what you prioritize the most: if you value a sleek design, weight, and battery life for everyday use and creative work, the MacBook Pro may suit you. If you need top performance for specialized tasks and gaming, and don't mind the extra cost and weight, consider the Alienware. 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 16 (Late 2019)
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall build quality
Very good 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
Very good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
7.6/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
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 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The MacBook Pro 16 is less suited for 3D applications due to its less powerful GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, limiting its ability to render complex graphics smoothly. The Alienware x14 R1 is superior for gaming and 3D tasks with its high-performance GPU, faster screen refresh rate, and runs popular games that are often not available on macOS.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers a more powerful CPU, the Intel i7-12700H, and a higher-performance GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3060, compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 16's Intel i7-9750H and AMD Radeon Pro 5300M, making it very good for demanding engineering and design tasks.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 for general use, engineering and design, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a high-resolution display with excellent brightness, providing sharp and clear visuals for tasks like browsing and document editing, while also covering a wide color gamut, crucial for precision in engineering and design work. However, its refresh rate is not as high as specialized gaming machines, making it less suitable for 3D applications where smooth motion is key. The Dell Alienware x14 R1, while also having a high-quality display for everyday tasks and adequate color coverage for engineering and design, falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate, which can hinder the fluidity of fast-moving visuals.
Battery
12.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
$540
$1,201
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 costs $1,201.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) offers a larger, high-resolution screen and a good battery life making it suitable for general use, though it's less portable due to its size and weight; on the other hand, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a high-performance CPU and a quality graphic card perfect for both general use and gaming, with the tradeoff being shorter battery life and a smaller screen.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.9/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
7.9/10
7.7/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware x14 R1 to have very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"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 16 (Late 2019) 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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