-
Alienware x16
Better 16-inch laptopThe Alienware x16 is the better 16-inch gaming laptop of the two, offering a great value for money with a lower starting price. It ticks all the boxes, and even has great configuration options like RAID for the SSD storage.
Pros- More configuration options
- Lower starting price
- Higher storage with RAID configurations
Cons- Polarizing design
- Weaker overall performance
-
Razer Blade 16
A solid alternative optionThe Razer Blade 16 is a great alternative 16-inch laptop, offering a subtle design and a more powerful CPU. It comes with a better ports selection, and performs better overall, making up for its higher price tag.
Pros- Subtle design
- Dual-mode display option
- Better performance
Cons- More expensive
- Battery life isn't great
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Hear that? It's the sound of the last excuse not to buy that Surface Go 2 evaporating into thin air. At $469, this Prime Day deal chops $331 off the retail price of this already-great laptop. Compact, performant, and backed by Microsoft's excellent hardware track record, this Core i5/8GB/256GB SKU is a steal.
Gaming laptops have gotten increasingly better in recent years, and the 16-inch size has become very popular. There are a ton of great gaming laptops in that size, with different price tags and specifications, making it difficult to pick the right one. Case in point — the Razer Blade 16 (2023) and the Alienware x16 (2023).
Both Razer and Alienware are gaming-focused laptop manufacturers and make some of the best laptops out there. The Razer Blade 16 and the Alienware x16 are the latest iterations of the 16-inch gaming laptops from these companies. In our Alienware x16 review, we found the laptop to be impressive, but how does it stack up against the Razer Blade 16 with its brand-new display? Let's take a look and figure out which one comes out on top.
Razer Blade 16 (2023) vs. Alienware x16 (2023): Price, specs & availability
The 2023 versions of the Razer Blade 16 and Alienware x16 both launched in January and are widely available now. The Razer Blade 16 starts at $2,700, while the Alienware x16 comes with a lower starting price of $2,149.
In terms of configurations, the Razer Blade 16 has fewer options than the Alienware x16. The Blade 16 comes with just one CPU option: the Intel Core i9-13950HX. The Alienware x16 gets three different CPU options, all of which are 13th-generation Intel chips: the Intel Core i7-13620H, i7-13700H, and i9-13900HK. The GPU options for the two laptops are similar, with both getting RTX 4060, 4070, 4080, and 4090. However, the Alienware x16 also has an RTX 4050 option for the base variant that'll save customers some money.
Alienware had also announced an AMD version of the x16, with Ryzen 5 7640HS, Ryzen 7 7840HS, and Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU options, back in February 2023. However, these variants aren't available yet, with more details and pricing information expected in the second half of 2023.
The Alienware x16 also offers more RAM and storage. RAM options for both laptops are 16GB or 32GB, but the Alienware has 5200MHz 16GB as the standard for the base model and 6000MHz options in both capacities for the other variants. The Razer Blade 16 has 1TB or 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe, while the Alienware has 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB options and also offers RAID 0 configurations for 2TB and 4TB.
Both laptops are available right now across major retailers, including Amazon, although the Razer Blade 16 has better availability with more configurations available across retailers. The official manufacturer websites, Razer.com and Dell.com, have configuration tools that will let you pick the specifications as per your needs.
Razer Blade 16 Alienware x16 Color Black, Mercury Lunar Silver Storage Up to 2TB SSD (1TB+1TB) Up to 4TB SSD CPU 24-core Intel i9-13950HX processor, up to 5.5Ghz, 36MB of Cache Up to Intel Core i9-13900HK, 14 cores, 20 threads Memory Up to 32GB DDR5 Up to 32GB RAM Operating System Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Battery 95.2WHr 90Wh Ports 1 Thunderbolt 4, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, Full-size card reader, HDMI 2.1 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x HDMI, 1x mini-DisplayPort, 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x microSD card reader Camera 1080p with Windows Hello Full HD 1080p 30FPS webcam with IR facial recognition Display (Size, Resolution) 16” Dual mode mini-LED, 16:10, 100% DCI-P3, DisplayHDR 1000, with both UHD+ 120Hz or FHD+ 240Hz16" QHD+ 240 Hz, 16:10 (2560 x 1600 WQXGA) 16-inch IPS, 2560x1600, 240Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3, up 300 nits Weight 5.40 pounds (2.45kg) Up to 6 pounds (2.72kg) GPU Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop Dimension 13.98x9.61x0.87 inches (355x244x21.99 mm) 14.36x11.41x0.73 inches (364.81x289.98x18.57mm) Network Wireless Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (IEEE 802.11a/b/d/e/g/h/i/k/n/r/u/v/w/ac/ax/az), Bluetooth 5.3 Up to Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E 1690i + Bluetooth 5.3 Speakers 4 speaker array (tweeters x2, sub x2), 2 Smart Amps, THX Spatial Audio Six speaker setup (2x 2W tweeters, 4x 3W woofers) Price Starting at $2,699.99 Starting at $2,099.99 Model Blade 16 Alienware x16 Power Up to 330W GaN power adapter 330W power adapter Finish Anodized T6 CNC aluminum Anodizes aluminum, magnesium alloy
Razer Blade 16 (2023) vs Alienware x16 (2023): Design
The Razer Blade 16 has the nice, clean design the company is known for. It’s a rather minimalist design for a gaming laptop with just a Razer logo on the back, and you get it in Black or Mercury. While it can easily be disguised as a normal laptop, it has a solid amount of RGB lighting in case you want to show it off.
On the other hand, the Alienware x16 leans more into the gamer aesthetic. You get the Alienware logo on the back, with a huge letter X embossed at the corner of the back panel. The back of the hinge gets all the ports and a ring of RGB lighting around it, and the vents have a honeycomb pattern. The x16 is available in Lunar Light (silver) and Dark Side of the Moon (black) colors. The design is good, but it won't blend in as well as the Blade 16 will.
The Razer Blade 16 has the nice, clean design the company is known for.
Since these are both 16-inch laptops, there’s not too much of a size difference. The Alienware x16 is slightly bigger in terms of width and depth, but the Razer Blade 16 is slightly thicker. The added size of the Alienware also reflects in its weight, which can be up to 0.6 pounds (0.27 kg) more than the Razer, depending upon the configuration. This is also likely due to the ultra-low-profile mechanical keyboard option that the Alienware x16 gets, which is not an option on the Blade 16.
The port selection is also superior on the Blade 16. On both laptops, you get one Thunderbolt 4 port, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, one HDMI 2.1 port, and a combo headphone jack. The Razer Blade 16 gets three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, while the Alienware x16 gets two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, which are slower. The Alienware also gets a mini DisplayPort. The Blade 16 gets a full-sized UHS-II SD card reader, while the Alienware x16 gets a microSD card slot. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 are present on both laptops.
Both laptops also get relatively lighter GaN chargers, with a wattage of 330W. The Alienware x16 gets a 240W GaN charger for the lower-end versions. The Blade 16 has a four-speaker array with two smart amplifiers, while the Alienware x16 has a six-speaker spatial surround sound with two tweeters and two dual woofers. Both laptops get Full HD IR webcams.
Razer Blade 16 (2023) vs Alienware x16 (2023): Display
Both these laptops have two screen options. The Alienware x16 has a base QHD 2560x1600 resolution screen option with a 165Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB coverage, 3ms response time, and G-SYNC support. The Blade 16, meanwhile, starts with a QHD+ 2560x1600 resolution display with a refresh rate of 240Hz, 100%DCI-P3 coverage, 3ms response time, and G-SYNC. The other screen option on the Alienware x16 has the exact same specifications as the default Blade 16 display. There’s also an FHD+ 1920x1200 480Hz option for the Alienware x16, with 100% DCI-P3 coverage, but it doesn't appear to be available yet.
The Blade 16 is superior in this department, though, because it also has an option for a dual-mode Mini-LED display. It’s a display that can run in two different modes — at UHD+ WQUXGA 3840x2400 pixels and 120Hz, or at FHD+ WUXGA 1920x1200 pixels resolution at 240Hz. This will help you switch between gaming and productivity modes more efficiently. The Blade 16 does demand a premium for that screen option, of course. It’s not available with the RTX 4060-powered starting option, and you’ll have to pay at least $600 over the base price to get it. You also need to restart your Blade 16 to switch the screen modes.
While the dual-mode screen option is a unique offering that makes the Blade 16 one of the best gaming laptops out there, the Alienware x16 has an overall cost benefit when the screen options are configured similarly.
Razer Blade 16 (2023) vs. Alienware x16 (2023): Performance and battery life
The Razer Blade 16 and Alienware x16 have similar specs, so you'd think they'd have similar performance. But that's not the case. In terms of overall performance, the Alienware x16 is at a disadvantage. This is because while it has three CPU options, even its most powerful option, the i9-13900HK, is still considerably weaker than the i9-13980HX, the only CPU option you get with the Blade 16.
The 13980HX is a 24-core, 32-thread CPU and comes with a higher clock speed and TDP when compared to the 14-core, 20-thread 13900HK. On the GPU side of things, the performance shouldn’t be much different. You get choices between an RTX 4060, 4070, 4080, or 4090. The total graphics power (TGP) is identically configured for both laptops, with a TGP of 140W for RTX 4060 and 4070 and 175W for RTX 4080 and 4090.
The Blade 16 will have slightly better performance, but the Alienware x16 is a better value.
In terms of gaming performance, you’re unlikely to see much of a difference for variants with similar specifications in terms of GPU, RAM, and storage. However, Alienware x16 has an advantage with its price-to-performance ratio. Not only does it give you a base variant that is cheaper, but it also costs less when configured similarly. For example, if you configure the two laptops with an RTX 4080, 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and the QHD+ 240Hz 100% DCI-P3 display, the Alienware comes in at $3,300, a whole $300 cheaper than the $3,700 Razer Blade 16. The Blade 16 will have slightly better performance, but the Alienware x16 is a better value.
In terms of battery life, the two laptops are pretty close. The x16 has a 90WHr battery, compared to the 95.2WHr battery on the Blade 16. However, the x16 runs a CPU that consumes fewer watts, which means that the aforementioned CPU performance difference is compensated by the battery life. Reviews of the two laptops show them having a pretty similar battery life. They're not great for portability, but you can't expect great battery life from a powerful gaming laptop.
Razer Blade 16 (2023) vs. Alienware x16 (2023): Which is right for you?
The Alienware x16 is the better laptop for most people, offering similar specifications at a lower price. It doesn’t go all out with its CPU options, but for the target demographic, that is the right kind of compromise that makes it the more bang-for-buck offering. It also has a lower starting price and AMD CPU options coming later in 2023, making it the more versatile gaming laptop recommendation.
Alienware x16
The Alienware x16 is a powerful gaming laptop with a large 16-inch display and a 16:10 aspect ratio. It has 13th-generation Intel processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series graphics packed into a compact chassis.
However, the Razer Blade 16 is an excellent pick if money is no object. It nails the basics, has a more low-key design, and comes with nearly everything you can ask from a 16-inch gaming laptop. It also gets a rather unique and functional dual-mode Mini-LED screen option. It comes with a cost premium, but that may be acceptable to those that prefer the aesthetic.
Razer Blade 16
The Razer Blade 16 is one of the most powerful laptops on the market, featuring a 24-core CPU and an Nvidia GPU that can use up to a whopping 175W of power.