The Alienware’s flagship 17.3-inch gaming laptop hasn’t been released for a year, and Dell is already pushing for a new, glossy version that naturally packs the latest hard-to-find GPUs.
The new Alienware x17 R1 is a full-fledged RTX 3080 laptop underneath its sleek chassis, backed by a powerful octa-core Intel processor and all other internal hardware. Of course, its performance comes at a price. Our review model breaks the $ 3,000 barrier, and the overall option price starts at around $ 2,200.
For detailed review: Dell Alienware X17 R1
Years after Dell released the Alienware laptop with an AMD processor; the new Ryzen Edition M15 R5 promises to return to the busy era of pairing AMD chips with Nvidia GPUs. Our review model comes with a new glossy Ryzen 7 5800H processor and one of the mythical RTX 3060 GPUs you’ve been looking for on eBay, making it a full-fledged RTX 3060 laptop. The desires of many.
The M15 R5 is an Alienware gaming laptop, so the price is relatively high. This model clocks in at around $ 1,500, but the highest spec version efficiently clears the two grand marks. Gaming laptops aren’t that expensive, but it might be worth it if you have the best graphics card and CPU for a gaming laptop.
For detailed review: Dell Alienware M15 R5
General Info
| Dell Alienware X17 R1 | Dell Alienware M15 R5 | |
| CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE | |
| Released | 1st June 2021 | 7th April 2021 |
| Brand | Dell | Dell |
| Model | Alienware X17 R1 | Alienware M15 R5 |
| Dimensions | 299.49 x 399.23 x 20.90 mm | 310 x 209.35 x 15.55 mm |
| Weight | 3.02 kg | 2.54 Kg |
| Colours | Lunar Light | Black |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-11800H | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H |
| Display | 17.3 inches | 13.3 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 Pixels | 1920×1080 pixels |
| Graphics | GeForce RTX 3080 | GeForce RTX 3070 |
| RAM | 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4 3200 MHz (64 GB), 2 slots (occupied) | 16 GB DDR4-3200 (2×8 GB DIMMs upgradeable) |
| Storage | 512 GB M.2 SSD (NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4) | 512GB M.2 NVMe (Samsung PM991a) |
| OS | Windows 10 Home 64-bit | Windows 10 Home 64-bit |
| Connectivity | 2x USB 3.2 2x USB 3.2 Thunderbolt 4 1x HDMI 2.1 | 3x USB 3.2 1x USB 3.2 Thunderbolt 3 1x HDMI 2.1 |
| Network | Wi-Fi ax (2×2, Wi-Fi 6 Killer AX1675), Gigabit Ethernet (2.5 Gb / s Killer E3100G) | Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x, Realtek 2.5Gb Ethernet |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Audio | 2 speakers (2 x 4W) | 2.0 Speakers |
| Numeric keypad | No | Yes |
| Battery | 4 hours / 87WHr | 6 Cell / 86 W |
| Type | Laptop | Laptop |
| Detailed Review | Dell Alienware X17 R1 | Dell Alienware M15 R5 |
Design & Features
Dell Alienware X17 R1- The iconic Alienware laptop design, the x17 R1 has one unique hook that catches the eye as soon as it boots. The trackpad (a dull black rectangle on previous models) is now a vibrant RGB quadrilateral! Surprisingly, this doesn’t improve the game’s performance, but it does look good.
Elsewhere, the RGB lighting seen in the old iterations is still kicking. In addition to the per-key RGB of the entire keyboard, the Alienware logo glows gently, and a large ring of lights surrounds the port on the back of the chassis. The exterior is clean and familiar Lunar Light, and when you open the lid, the interior turns black; you can introduce all of RGB and look at the actions on the screen.
The hexagonal vents above the keyboard are also back from the previous version, but hidden underneath is a new and unique cooling system. Dell thinks this is a pretty big problem. The four internal fans and the specially designed thermal interface material mean that the x17 R1 needs to operate cooler than its ancestors-although the bar is undoubtedly lower.
Although available for purchase on a traditional 1080p display, the x17 R1 review model has a 4K panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 4ms latency. And what a gorgeous screen it is! The colours are incredibly bright and vibrant, and the game landscape looks stunning with the power of one of the best graphics cards behind it, the RTX 3080.
In addition to the impressive display, Dell also offers customers a variety of keyboard options. Our unit has a traditional laptop membrane keyboard that’s pretty comfortable for typing and gaming. Still, for an additional $ 100, it’s excellent gaming mechanical with the Cherry MX ultra-thin switch.
The GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card is an Intel Core i7-11800H CPU, 16GB of high-speed RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The latter two of these can be upgraded to 64GB and 2TB, respectively, but of course, will lead to further price increases.
A powerful redesign of the flagship Alienware line, the x17R1 offers excellent performance but with a stunning price tag.
Dell Alienware M15 R5- The new M15 R5 has some tweaks to the chassis design that may highlight that this is the new Ryzen-equipped version of the M15. The overall aesthetic is still well known. The RGB light ring on the back is still present, as are the recessed hinges and hexagonal vents on the keyboard. The overall design shows some rounded edges and a new keyboard layout than previous models.
This R5 is only available under the fancy name “Dark Side of the Moon” in “Matte Black”. It looks great and complements bright RGB lighting. The Alienware logo, there is a customizable 4-zone LED lighting under the keyboard. The matte finish is a dirty fingerprint magnet, but be careful.
We mentioned the new keyboard layout isn’t excellent, even if the keys themselves feel good to use. The volume control keys are shunted in the vertical column on the right, shifting and truncating the keys in the lower right corner to make the new layout feel a little unfamiliar. The trackpad is also a bit small to our liking, but it’s handled well and has a satisfying click feel. Sure, it’s safer to add one of the best gaming keyboards and the best gaming mouse candidates.
When it comes to building quality, the M15R5 is compliant with industry standards. Like the Razer laptop, it’s by no means flimsy or crude, but you’ve seen a laptop with a more rugged design. Here, a slightly more sturdy hinge works mysteriously.
The M15 R5 features a snappy 1080p display with a refresh rate of 165Hz, making it ideal for jerking shooters like Valorant. The colour reproduction here isn’t the best we’ve seen, but it’s certainly above average. The screen is reasonably bright and has a tiny bezel (for a 15-inch gaming laptop) that houses a 720p webcam. Sound is processed by a pair of integrated speakers that perform well, but of course, not in gaming PC headsets or some of the best computer speakers.
The review models 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM aren’t the most exciting components globally, but I’m happy to know that users can easily replace them with a simple screwdriver. Too many gaming laptops will solder parts to the motherboard and prevent future upgrades. The existing RAM operates at high speeds of 3,200MHz, an excellent advantage for Ryzen processors.
The Alienware Command Center is also pre-installed on the M15 R5, but you can save time and ignore it. The wacky proprietary software for fine-tuning your system is nothing new, but it certainly takes guts to do this well. ACC offers many features, but it’s slow, clunky, and unintuitive. It’s a nightmare for inexperienced technicians trying to create fan speed profiles and adjust RGB lighting.
The solid return to the AMD processor in the Alienware laptop series was slightly disappointed by some weird design choices.
