A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Company ProductName Specs











Alienware X17 R2
Company ProductName Specs











What we think

Chevron down
PerfectRec Logo
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is an excellent premium choice with a high-resolution Mini LED display, long battery life, and stellar build quality, which makes it perfect for demanding tasks like video editing and graphic design, as well as general use. The Dell Alienware X17 R2, on the other hand, has a focus on gaming with its high refresh rate screen and dedicated Nvidia graphics card, which also makes it suitable for 3D rendering and engineering tasks. The MacBook Pro is lighter and has a higher portability score, but the Alienware offers more customization with available RAM and storage slots, plus a full array of gaming-focused features. If portability and display quality are top priorities, and budget is less of a concern, the MacBook Pro is excellent; however, for a focus on gaming or if you're after more affordability, the Alienware X17 R2 might better suit your needs. 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 (2023)
  • Excellent for general use
  • Excellent for engineering and design
  • Excellent for software development
  • Excellent for content creation
  • Excellent overall display quality
  • Best in class overall build quality
  • Good portability
  • Best in class battery life
  • Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
  • Very good for gaming and AI

Key differences

Chevron down

General Use

9.4
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Alienware X17 R2
7.9
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
344.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is good.

Gaming and AI

7.9
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Alienware X17 R2
8.5
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good.

Engineering and Design

9.3
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Alienware X17 R2
8.6
8.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good.

Content Creation

9.3
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Alienware X17 R2
8.0
8.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good.

Software Development

9.2
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Alienware X17 R2
7.5
8.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for software development, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is good.

Screen Quality

9.3
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Alienware X17 R2
8.3
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
344.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen for gaming and AI.

Battery

17.5 Hours
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Alienware X17 R2
2.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 hours of battery life.

Portability

Good
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Alienware X17 R2
Fair
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has 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
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Alienware X17 R2
8.5
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality.

Cost

$3,299
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Alienware X17 R2
$2,250
Product image
Product image

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

$3,500

$4,000

The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a price of $3,299 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,250.
Image of Laptops
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop

Give feedback

We’re constantly working to improve.

How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops

Chevron down

Spec Comparison

Chevron down
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)Dell Alienware X17 R2
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)Dell Alienware X17 R2

GENERAL

Price
$3,299
$2,250
Release Date
January 1, 2023December 1, 2021
Overall Dimensions
14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66''15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82''
Weight
4.7 lbs6.82 lbs
Width
14.01"15.72"
Depth
9.77"11.79"

INTERNAL

Processor
Apple M2 Max (12C)Intel i7-12700H
RAM
32 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
02
Storage
1024 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
17.5 Hours2 Hours
Battery Capacity
99.6 Wh87 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
16.2"17.3"
Display Technology
Mini LEDIPS
Resolution
3456 x 22341920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
120Hz360Hz
Display Brightness
487 nits344 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
10/108.5/10
Portability Score
7.6/106.1/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
YesNo
Fan Noise Score
8.8/107/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
9.5/108.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
10/109.5/10
Webcam
1080p720p
Fingerprint Reader
YesNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
02
USB-C ports
32
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
44
Thunderbolt Version
44

Shopping

Chevron down

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)

See more

Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"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."

Dell Alienware X17 R2

See more

Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Allen Ngo | May 2022
"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 16 (2023) 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.

Give feedback

We're constantly perfecting our model

Laptop guides you might be interested in

Chevron down

FAQs

Chevron down

FAQs about laptops

Questions about PerfectRec >

Why trust us

Chevron down
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
101,895
Recommendations made
22,078
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.

Featured in

Color LTT LogoGeekwire logo9to5 Mac logoPhone Arena LogoColor Daring Fireball logo