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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Build Quality
    3. Hinge
    4. Portability
    5. Serviceability
    6. In The Box
  5. Display
    1. Screen Specs
    2. Refresh Rate
    3. Contrast
    4. Brightness
    5. Reflections
    6. Black Uniformity
    7. Horizontal Viewing Angle
    8. Vertical Viewing Angle
    9. Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
    10. Color Gamut
    11. Flicker
  6. Interface
    1. Keyboard
    2. Touchpad
    3. Speakers
    4. Webcam & Microphone
  7. Connectivity
    1. Ports
    2. Wireless Communication
  8. Configuration
    1. CPU
    2. GPU
    3. RAM
    4. Storage
  9. Performance
    1. Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
    2. Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
    3. Blender (3D Rendering)
    4. Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
    5. Storage Drive Performance
    6. Battery
    7. Borderlands 3
    8. Civilization VI
    9. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
    10. Counter-Strike 2
    11. Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
    12. Thermals And Noise
    13. Performance Over Time
  10. Additional Features And Software
    1. Software
    2. Extra Features
  11. Comments

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020)
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Jan 12, 2024 04:04 PM

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Tested using Methodology v0.8.2

Updated Apr 26, 2024 07:12 PM

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Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Picture
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Picture

Variants

  • Alienware m15 R3 (ALW15M-D5510B) (Dark Side of the Moon - FHD/144Hz/i5/GTX 1650Ti/8GB/512GB)
  • Alienware m15 R3 (ALW15M-D5715B) (Dark Side of the Moon - FHD/144Hz/i7-10750H/GTX 1650Ti/16GBG/512GB)
  • Alienware m15 R3 (‎AWM15-7593BLK-PUS) (Dark Side of the Moon - FHD/300Hz/i7-10750H/RTX 2070/16GB/512GB)
  • Alienware m15 R3 (ALW15M-D5725W) (Lunar Light - FHD/144Hz/i7-10750H/GTX 1660Ti/16GB/512GB)
  • Alienware m15 R3 (AWM15-7272WHT-PUS) (Lunar Light - FHD/144Hz/i7-10750H/RTX 2060/16GB/512GB)
  • Alienware m15 R3 (AWM15-7302WHT-PUS) (Lunar Light - FHD/144Hz/i7-10750H/RTX 2070/16GB/1TB)
  • Alienware m15 R3 (AWM15-7418WHT-PUS) (Lunar Light - FHD/300Hz/i7-10750H/RTX 2070/16GB/1TB)
  • Alienware m15 R3 (ALW15M-D5746W) (Lunar Light - FHD/300Hz/i7-10750H/RTX 2070/16GB/1TB)
  • Alienware m15 R3 (ALW15M-D5758W) (Lunar Light - FHD/300Hz/i7-10750H/RTX 2070/32GB/1TB)
  • Alienware m15 R3 (ALW15M-D5858W) (Lunar Light - FHD/300Hz/i7-10875H/RTX 2070/32GB/1TB)
  • Alienware m15 R3 (‎AWM15-7590WHT-PUS) (Lunar Light - FHD/300Hz/i7-10875H/RTX 2080/32GB/1TB)
  • ‎‎MacBook Pro 14 (‎MKGT3LL/A) (Silver - M1 Pro/10‑core CPU/16‑core GPU/16GB/1TB)
  • ‎‎MacBook Pro 14 (MKGR3LL/A) (Silver - M1 Pro/8‑core CPU/14‑core GPU/16GB/512GB)
  • ‎MacBook Pro 14 (‎MKGQ3LL/A) (Space Gray - M1 Pro/10‑core CPU/16‑core GPU/16GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MKGP3LL/A) (Space Gray - M1 Pro/8‑core CPU/14‑core GPU/16GB/512GB)

Our Verdict

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020)

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) are very different laptops. The MacBook Pro 14 is a productivity-focused mobile workstation that runs macOS, whereas the Alienware m15 R3 is a gaming laptop that runs Windows. If you only plan on using the laptop for work, the MacBook Pro is a better choice because it has longer battery life, it's more portable, and its M1 SoC is better for tasks like video editing due to its specialized media encoders. The MacBook Pro also has a sharper display with wide gamut support, making it suitable for content creators. However, the Alienware m15 R3 is a better option for gaming because you can configure it with a more powerful GPU, and there are more games optimized for Windows on an x86 platform than for macOS running on an ARM-based chip. Also, you can configure the Alienware m15 R3 with a much faster 300Hz display, giving you a significantly smoother and more responsive gaming experience.

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Main Differences for
School

Threshold 

0.10

School 

6.6
8.7

Battery 
 

2.9
9.2

Portability 
 

5.6
8.4

Touchpad 
 

7.6
9.2

Vertical Viewing Angle 
 

9.3
6.6

Webcam & Microphone 
 

7.0
9.1

Full Comparison

Design

Style 
 

Style Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Style Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Style Photo

Form Factor 
 

Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.5
9.5

Build Quality Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Build Quality Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Build Quality Photo
Show Text 

Hinge 
 

9.1
9.1

Hinge Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Hinge Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Hinge Photo

Range 
 

135°
135°

Stability 
 

Good
Good

One Finger Lift 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Portability 
 

5.6
8.4

Dimensions Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Dimensions Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Dimensions Photo

Size 
 

15"
14"

Thickness 
 

0.9" (2.2 cm)
0.6" (1.6 cm)

Width 
 

14.2" (36.1 cm)
12.3" (31.3 cm)

Depth 
 

10.7" (27.2 cm)
8.7" (22.1 cm)

Volume 
 

131.8 in³ (2,160.2 cm³)
67.5 in³ (1,106.8 cm³)

Weight 
 

4.9 lbs (2.2 kg)
3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)

Charger Size 
 

32.3 in³ (529.3 cm³)
9.6 in³ (157.5 cm³)

Charger Weight 
 

2.2 lbs (1.0 kg)
0.7 lbs (0.3 kg)
Show Text 

Serviceability 
 

7.8
3.5

Internals Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Internals Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Internals Photo

Ease Of Access 
 

9.5
6.0

RAM Slots 
 

0
0

Storage Slots 
 

3
0

Replaceable Battery 
 

Yes
Yes

Replaceable Wireless Adapter 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) In The Box Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Display

Screen Specs 
 

Display Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Display Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Display Photo

Resolution 
 

1920 x 1080
3024 x 1964

Aspect Ratio 
 

16:9
16:10

Pixel Density 
 

142 PPI
255 PPI

Panel Type 
 

IPS
IPS

Touch Screen 
 

No
No

Screen-To-Body Ratio 
 

83%
89%
Show Text 

Refresh Rate 
 

8.6
8.7

Motion Blur  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Motion Blur
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Motion Blur

Refresh Rate 
 

300 Hz
120 Hz

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

No
Apple ProMotion
Show Text 

Contrast 
 

7.0
10

Contrast Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Contrast Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Contrast Photo

Native Contrast 
 

1,123 : 1
50,850 : 1
Show Text 

Brightness  
 

6.6
8.6

Maximum Brightness 
 

267 cd/m²
476 cd/m²

Minimum Brightness 
 

13 cd/m²
4 cd/m²
Show Text 

Reflections 
 

7.0
8.8

Reflections Photo Off  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Reflections Photo Off
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Reflections Photo Off

Reflections Photo Max  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Reflections Photo Max
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Reflections Photo Max

Screen Finish 
 

Matte
Glossy

Total Reflections 
 

5.97%
1.92%

Indirect Reflections 
 

4.31%
0.18%

Calculated Direct Reflections 
 

1.66%
1.74%
Show Text 

Black Uniformity 
 

6.6
10

Black Uniformity Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Black Uniformity Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Black Uniformity Photo

Uniformity (Std. Dev.) 
 

1.591%
0.350%
Show Text 

Horizontal Viewing Angle 
 

7.3
6.9

Horizontal Viewing Angle Video  

Horizontal Chroma Picture  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Horizontal Chroma Picture
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Horizontal Chroma Picture

Color Washout From Left 
 

27°
26°

Color Washout From Right 
 

28°
29°

Horizontal Hue Picture  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Horizontal Hue Picture
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Horizontal Hue Picture

Color Shift From Left 
 

60°
38°

Color Shift From Right 
 

60°
44°

Horizontal Lightness Picture  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Horizontal Lightness Picture
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Horizontal Lightness Picture

Brightness Loss From Left 
 

30°
29°

Brightness Loss From Right 
 

32°
32°

Black Level Raise From Left 
 

60°
60°

Black Level Raise From Right 
 

60°
60°

Gamma Shift From Left 
 

30°
33°

Gamma Shift From Right 
 

30°
37°
Show Text 

Vertical Viewing Angle 
 

9.3
6.6

Vertical Viewing Angle Video  

Vertical Chroma Picture  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Vertical Chroma Picture
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Vertical Chroma Picture

Color Washout From Below 
 

45°
27°

Color Washout From Above 
 

45°
31°

Vertical Hue Picture  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Vertical Hue Picture
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Vertical Hue Picture

Color Shift From Below 
 

45°
37°

Color Shift From Above 
 

45°
42°

Vertical Lightness Picture  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Vertical Lightness Picture
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Vertical Lightness Picture

Brightness Loss From Below 
 

42°
31°

Brightness Loss From Above 
 

40°
34°

Black Level Raise From Below 
 

45°
45°

Black Level Raise From Above 
 

45°
40°

Gamma Shift From Below 
 

45°
31°

Gamma Shift From Above 
 

45°
33°
Show Text 

Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy 
 

6.7
9.8

White Balance Screencap  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) White Balance Screencap
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) White Balance Screencap

Gamma Curve Screencap  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Gamma Curve Screencap
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Gamma Curve Screencap

Color Screencap  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Color Screencap
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Color Screencap

Avg. White Balance dE 
 

4.2
1.63

Avg. Gamma 
 

2.33
2.22

Avg. Color dE 
 

3.119
1.05

Avg. Color Temperature 
 

6,192 K
6,675.1 K
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

8.6
9.4

Gamut SDR  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Gamut SDR
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Gamut SDR

sRGB xy 
 

99.87%
99.97%

sRGB uv 
 

99.58%
99.88%

Adobe RGB xy 
 

78.09%
88.88%

Adobe RGB uv 
 

87.08%
94%

Gamut HDR  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Gamut HDR
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Gamut HDR

DCI P3 xy 
 

79.94%
99.82%

DCI P3 uv 
 

85.84%
99.43%

Rec. 2020 xy 
 

57.56%
72.75%

Rec. 2020 uv 
 

63.51%
73.82%
Show Text 

Flicker 
 

10
10

Flicker Graph  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Flicker Graph
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Flicker Graph

Flicker-Free 
 

Yes
No

Flicker Frequency 
 

No Flicker
> 1000Hz

Flicker Active Below 
 

0%
0%
Show Text 
Interface

Keyboard 
 

8.8
8.0

Keyboard Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Keyboard Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Keyboard Photo

Typing Quality 
 

8.5
8.0

Numpad 
 

No
No

Backlighting 
 

Per-Key RGB
Adjustable

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Operating Force 
 

69 gf
66 gf

Actuation Force 
 

33 gf
41 gf

Pre-Travel 
 

1.22 mm
0.75 mm

Total Travel 
 

1.84 mm
0.86 mm
Show Text 

Touchpad 
 

7.6
9.2

Touchpad Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Touchpad Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Touchpad Photo

Tracking Quality 
 

8.0
9.5

Size 
 

9.7 in² (62.8 cm²)
16.1 in² (104.0 cm²)

Material 
 

Glass
Glass

Dedicated Buttons 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Speakers 
 

7.8
8.0

Frequency Response Plot  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Max Volume 
 

76 dB SPL
74 dB SPL

Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

6.1 dB
3.9 dB

Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

1.5
0.6

Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.) 
 

217 Hz
102 Hz

Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.) 
 

19 kHz
20 kHz

Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol. 
 

0.7 dB
3.3 dB
Show Text 

Webcam & Microphone 
 

7.0
9.1

Webcam Video Sample  

Video Quality 
 

7.0
9.5

Resolution 
 

720p
1080p

Position 
 

Top Center
Top Center

Privacy Cover 
 

No
No

Face Unlock 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Ports 
 

9.5
8.5

Ports Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Ports Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Ports Photo

USB-A Ports 
 

3
0

USB-C Ports 
 

1
3

Thunderbolt 
 

Thunderbolt 3
Thunderbolt 4

USB-C Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

USB-C Display Out 
 

Yes
Yes

HDMI 
 

2.0
2.0

DisplayPort 
 

Mini DisplayPort 1.4
No

3.5mm Jack 
 

Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone

Card Reader 
 

MicroSD UHS 2
SD UHS 2

Ethernet 
 

Yes
No

Proprietary Port 
 

Alienware Graphics Amplifier
Apple MagSafe 3

Security Lock 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

Wireless Communication 
 

Wi-Fi 
 

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)

Bluetooth 
 

5.1
5.0
Show Text 
Configuration

CPU 
 

Brand 
 

Intel
Apple

Model 
 

Core i7-10750H
M1 Pro

Core Count 
 

6
8

Thread Count 
 

12
8
Show Text 

GPU 
 

Brand 
 

NVIDIA
Apple

Model 
 

GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Max-Q
M1 Pro

Dedicated/Integrated 
 

Dedicated
Integrated

VRAM Size 
 

8 GB
N/A
Show Text 

RAM 
 

Capacity 
 

32 GB
16 GB

Modules 
 

2 (Soldered)
Unknown

Type 
 

DDR4
LP-DDR5

Speed 
 

2,666 MHz
6,400 MHz
Show Text 

Storage 
 

Advertised Capacity 
 

1,000 GB
512 GB

Usable Capacity 
 

950 GB
463 GB

Drive 1 
 

PC611 NVMe SK Hynix 1TB
Apple SSD AP512R

Drive 1 Type  

SSD
SSD

Drive 2 
 

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive

Drive 2 Type  

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Show Text 
Performance

Geekbench 5 (Synthetics) 
 

9.0
9.4

Geekbench Image  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Geekbench Image
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Geekbench Image

CPU Single-Thread 
 

1,263 points
1,766 points

CPU Multi-Thread 
 

6,122 points
10,004 points

GPU Compute 
 

109,357 points
38,523 points
Show Text 

Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering) 
 

8.7
9.5

Cinebench R23 Photo  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Cinebench R23 Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Cinebench R23 Photo

Single-Thread 
 

1,202 points
1,532 points

Multi-Thread 
 

7,328 points
9,576 points
Show Text 

Blender (3D Rendering) 
 

8.6
7.2

Blender Image  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Blender Image
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Blender Image

CPU Render Time 
 

4.6 min
5.5 min

GPU Render Time 
 

1.1 min
N/A

GPU Render Time (Optix) 
 

34 s
N/A
Show Text 

Basemark GPU (Game Scene) 
 

9.5
8.3

Basemark Image  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Basemark Image
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Basemark Image

Overall Score 
 

101,365
62,548
Show Text 

Storage Drive Performance 
 

9.2
9.5

Storage Performance Image  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Storage Performance Image
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Storage Performance Image

Sequential Write Speed 
 

1,639.2 MB/s
4,513.3 MB/s

Sequential Read Speed 
 

2,584.1 MB/s
4,831.8 MB/s

Random Write Speed 
 

85.3 MB/s
54.2 MB/s

Random Read Speed 
 

46.1 MB/s
57.5 MB/s
Show Text 

Battery 
 

2.9
9.2

Capacity 
 

86 Wh
70 Wh

Battery Life (Web Browsing) 
 

3.1 hrs
12.5 hrs

Battery Life (Video Playback) 
 

2.4 hrs
9.6 hrs

Battery Life (Gaming) 
 

0.9 hrs
1.8 hrs

Charge Time 
 

3.0 hrs
2.2 hrs
Show Text 

Borderlands 3 
 

7.6
4.4

Borderlands 3 Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

92 fps
32 fps

1% Low 
 

54 fps
18 fps

0.1% Low 
 

36 fps
9 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

8 ms
25 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

17 ms
78 ms

Avg. FPS On Very Low 
 

177 fps
53 fps
Show Text 

Civilization VI 
 

8.1
5.8

Civilization VI Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

145 fps
44 fps

1% Low 
 

79 fps
29 fps

0.1% Low 
 

57 fps
21 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

6 ms
12 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

11 ms
25 ms

Avg. FPS On Minimum 
 

208 fps
59 fps

Avg. Turn Time 
 

8.63 s
10.7 s
Show Text 

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 
 

9.5
8.8

CS:GO graph  

See details on graph tool
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) CS:GO graph

Avg. FPS 
 

361 fps
107 fps

1% Low 
 

177 fps
N/A

0.1% Low 
 

96 fps
N/A

1% Low Delta 
 

3 ms
N/A

0.1% Low Delta 
 

8 ms
N/A

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

524 fps
144 fps
Show Text 

Counter-Strike 2 
 

CS2 Graph  

Avg. FPS 
 

1% Low 
 

0.1% Low 
 

1% Low Delta 
 

0.1% Low Delta 
 

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider 
 

8.1
6.6

SOTTR Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

108 fps
50 fps

1% Low 
 

68 fps
36 fps

0.1% Low 
 

41 fps
27 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

5 ms
8 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

15 ms
18 ms

Avg. FPS On Lowest 
 

120 fps
69 fps
Show Text 

Thermals And Noise 
 

6.7
7.5

Keyboard Temps Picture  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Keyboard Temps Picture
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Keyboard Temps Picture

Keyboard Temp While Idle 
 

37 °C (99 °F)
26 °C (78 °F)

Keyboard Temp Under Load 
 

44 °C (111 °F)
48 °C (118 °F)

Fan Noise While Idle 
 

25.0 dBA
25.0 dBA

Fan Noise Under Load 
 

51.5 dBA
42.1 dBA

Power & Fan Control App 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

Performance Over Time 
 

9.8
9.3

Performance Over Time Graph  

See details on graph tool

Performance Over Time Image  

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) Performance Over Time Image

CPU Temp (Cinebench) 
 

98 °C
93 °C

CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench) 
 

1% loss
4% loss

GPU Temp (Heaven) 
 

71 °C
88 °C

GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven) 
 

0% loss
0% loss
Show Text 
Additional Features And Software

Software 
 

Operating System 
 

Windows 10
macOS

Additional Software 
 

Yes
None
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

RGB Illumination 
 

Yes
No

Touch Pen 
 

No
No

Secondary Display 
 

No
No

Biometrics 
 

No
Fingerprint Sensor
Show Text 

Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020)

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

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