Alienware M16 R2 evaluate: The brand new gaming laptop computer to beat

It’s refreshing to see a gaming laptop computer that isn’t wholeheartedly set on beating Apple in terms of making the thinnest product doable, and the Alienware M16 R2 is surprisingly thick compared to the vast majority of its rivals. That’s a large boon, maybe extra so than you would possibly suppose, because it provides the M16 R2 a critical benefit in terms of its cooling. In reality it’s so potent, that its Intel Core Extremely 7 processor really outcompetes the Core Extremely 9 present in MSI’s Stealth 16 AI Studio A1V.

Alienware has made a couple of design decisions that appear a bit misplaced within the trendy period, however this that is in any other case among the best gaming laptops on the market proper now. Alienware was maybe one of many first devoted PC gaming producers on the market, and is definitely a subsidiary model of Dell at this level, predominantly specializing in gaming.

The M16 R2 is completely designed round that ethos. From its inside {hardware} to the 240Hz display screen, RGB illumination, and M16 engraving on the again, it’s a laptop computer that’s completely constructed round gaming, and it delivers on that entrance admirably. I’ve been testing the M16 for the final couple of weeks, seeing simply how nicely it performs in video games, and as a day-to-day workbook as nicely, to see if this might nicely be your subsequent gaming laptop computer.

Specs

Alienware’s M16 R2 is very well outfitted for the worth and construct, and the mannequin we’ve examined comes with an Intel Core Extremely 7 155H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, and 32GB of DDR5 RAM, though there are a number of variations of specs out there. The spec we’ve reviewed goes for $1,999 at MSRP, however you possibly can typically discover it discounted as little as $1,599.

The true show-stealer for the M16 R2 is the Intel Core Extremely 7 155H CPU at its coronary heart. It’s based mostly on the Meteor Lake structure that was first introduced in 2023, and in contrast to its desktop counterparts, the Extremely Core chips function a modular processor design, permitting Intel to make use of a mess of various transistor sizes to get essentially the most out of the chip, whereas protecting energy draw low.

This improves battery life once you want it, and permits the CPU to ramp up efficiency when beneath load as nicely. On prime of that, it additionally contains a devoted NPU or Neural Processing Unit, designed particularly to spice up AI efficiency.

What makes the Core Extremely 7 155H attention-grabbing, nevertheless, is that it really contains a just about equivalent spec to the Core Extremely 9 185H, albeit with barely totally different clock speeds and TDPs. You get six P-Cores for efficiency, eight power-efficient E-Cores, and two low-power environment friendly (LPE) cores as nicely, all working at barely totally different frequencies.

Nevertheless, the distinction between the Extremely 7 and the 9 is fleeting, with only a 300 MHz distinction between the efficiency core clock speeds. Every thing else – cache, graphics cores, and even tha max TDP – stays the identical. The Extremely 9 does help extra enterprise-grade safety features, however that’s not vital for gaming.

As for graphics, nicely Alienware has popped an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070l. That is the cellular variant, which options 8GB of VRAM and comes as normal with 4,608 CUDA cores, putting it barely above a desktop RTX 4060 Ti by way of uncooked rasterization output, albeit with decrease clock-speeds on account of a decrease TDP. That’s a unbelievable choose, notably for those who’re desirous about ray tracing and all the advantages that Nvidia’s DLSS and body technology tech can provide you, which we’ll discover later.

This machine may do with a contact extra storage, although. Getting only a 1TB SSD in a $2,000 laptop computer feels a bit stingy, notably given it’s a Samsung PM9A1 OEM PCIe 4.0 drive that may solely write at as much as 5,100MB/s. Ridiculously, specifying the machine with 2TB of storage bumps up the worth by $300 on the Dell configurator too. On the plus aspect, you possibly can add extra storage your self for those who like, and also you’re capable of exchange this SSD as nicely.

Options

Inside {hardware} apart, one of many extra stellar parts of the M16 R2 is its display screen. As normal, you get a 16-inch IPS show, with a 2,560 x 1,600 decision and a 240Hz refresh price, mixed with a 3ms response time. It’s not OLED, no, however its shade accuracy and shade breadth is spectacular nonetheless.

Don’t get me improper, the colours are nonetheless punchy too, and the 240Hz refresh price makes for buttery-smooth gaming and desktop motion. The 3ms gray-to-gray response time isn’t as fast as what you get from an OLED display screen, however the Alienware’s display screen continues to be superb for most individuals’s gaming wants.

It additionally helps G-Sync, so it might probably synchronize the refresh price with the body price output of the GPU, eliminating tearing and stuttering results. Throughout my time testing, ghosting was non-existent even at 240fps, and the Blur Busters MPRT check positioned the panel at a phenomenally fast 3.8ms response time. Not dangerous in any respect.

Alienware’s additionally packed an armada of connections into this rig. On the rear, there are two USB-C ports, supporting DisplayPort output, plus an HDMI output. On the correct, you’ll discover two further USB 3.2 Kind-A ports, and there’s even a full-sized 2.5Gbps Ethernet connection on the left as nicely. When you don’t have a wired community, the M16 additionally packs in Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 help, providing you with some critical wi-fi choices.

The trackpad and keyboard are additionally pretty strong. There’s not an enormous quantity to put in writing residence about right here. Alienware’s key switches present a delicate and {smooth} typing expertise, and so they’re not too tender or spongey. You additionally get per-key RGB lighting and N-key rollover tech as nicely, though there are not any mechanical choices.

One helpful addition, nevertheless, is the inclusion of devoted media keys set off to the correct of the enter button. This frees up among the perform keys, permitting Alienware to chuck in keybindings for quite a lot of fan controls, efficiency modes, and DIY macro keys, that are additionally simple to configure in Alienware’s Command Middle software program.

Dell’s really additionally included a reasonably strong guarantee with the M16 R2. You get 12 months of off-site distant help, adopted by on-site restore if one thing does go improper. Mainly, if it’s lined by the restricted guarantee, and Dell/Alienware can’t restore your system remotely, a technician will likely be despatched out to you to restore your M16. It’s like automotive breakdown cowl, however to your laptop computer.

Design

From a bodily standpoint, the M16 R2 is a little bit of a beast, being rather a lot thicker than your common gaming laptop computer lately. It additionally weighs 2.61kg, which isn’t enormously heavy in comparison with some laptops, however the Asus ROG Zephryus G16 weighs simply 2kg and feels considerably lighter once you’re carrying it in a bag.

There are not any sharp edges both, simply {smooth} well-rounded accents all through. It’s a plastic chassis, however the soft-touch rubber end is extremely satisfying on the fingertips. The monitor bezel can be slim, and total construct high quality feels sturdy with minimal flex.

There’s an outstanding quantity of honeycomb air flow littered in regards to the place too, and all the important thing ports are in best areas. Energy and show outs are positioned on the rear, and all of the USB ports are positioned on both aspect. The Ethernet port even has its personal slim-line cowl, a function I’d like to see on dearer choices.

It’s not completely flawless, although. The overabundance of RGB does lighting really feel considerably dated, the sunshine bar across the trackpad detracts from the general look, and the illuminated Alienware emblem makes it appear dated to me, though that is all down to private style.

Upgradability can be top-tier. Flip over the M16 and also you’ll see a lot of Phillips-head screws, permitting you to disassemble the undercarriage. Take that off, and you may simply entry the SODIMM DDR5 reminiscence slots, and the M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots as nicely – the M16 R2 helps two SSDs complete, with one put in as normal.

Then we get on to the fan noise. Now, this machine is considerably loud. When you’re gaming on inventory settings, you’re going to need to seize among the best headsets you will get, that’s for positive. Nevertheless, the flipside is that this machine is an absolute unit in terms of protecting your CPU and GPU chilled.

In reality, it does so nicely on this regard, that it’s exhausting to criticize it on this level. Alienware has just lately redeveloped its inside cooling within the M16, giving it a 15% smaller footprint total, whereas retaining its effectivity, and that basically does present by within the benchmarks.

Benchmarks

So, how spectacular is that cooling? Properly merely put, in comparison with the MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio A1V, which options the theoretically higher-clocked Core Extremely 9 processor, the M16 R2 runs rings round it. In Cinebench alone, though each laptops have shut scores within the single-core check, within the multi-core situation, the M16 scored 981 in comparison with the Stealth’s 785.

That’s a 25% efficiency enhance from what must be a slower CPU. 3DMark’s CPU Profile benchmark reported related outcomes as nicely, with the M16 touchdown a mean rating of seven,972, versus the Stealth’s 6,329, once more touchdown round 26% extra efficiency.

Relating to gaming, nevertheless, the waters develop into considerably murkier than first predicted. I ran two units of benchmarks for our gaming checks. One set was run at 1080p, and the opposite was run on the laptop computer’s native decision. This supplies a simple option to evaluate laptops no matter decision, and to see how that specific {hardware} combo performs on the display screen’s native decision.

Operating at 1080p, the RTX 4070 performs reasonably, relying on the title. Whole Battle: Warhammer 3 landed a mean of round 93fps, whereas F1 23, hit a mean of 43fps, and Cyberpunk 2077 averaged a disappointing body price of simply 29fps. Nevertheless, the latter was examined on the Extremely ray tracing preset with out DLSS. When you allow DLSS and Nvidia’s body technology tech, the common body price goes all the way in which as much as 102fps.

Leap as much as that 2,560 x 1,600 decision, nevertheless, and the scenario will get murkier. Whole Battle is definitely playable with a mean body price of 56fps, however, Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t playable, even with some assist from DLSS. That isn’t the top of the world, although, as this 16-inch display screen nonetheless will get you a good pixel density at 1080p, and video games look superb at this decision.

Battery

The M16 additionally places in a reasonably spectacular efficiency in terms of battery life. In PCMark 10’s trendy workplace check, it landed an outstanding 387 minutes from 100% down to three% battery life. That’s over six hours of life like real-world use earlier than a flat battery. It beat each the MSI Stealth, and the AMD Ryzen 7-powered Lenovo Legion Slim 5 as nicely.

Nevertheless, it didn’t final anyplace close to as lengthy in our gaming battery check, coming in the place it lasted simply 51 minutes earlier than shutdown. We don’t typically see rather more than an hour in a laptop computer gaming battery check, so it is a typical end result, nevertheless it exhibits that you just’re not going to get a lot gaming energy on the go.

The MSI Stealth did have the sting right here, touchdown a rating of 122 minutes, though this may occasionally very nicely be right down to the CPU itself thermally throttling and decreasing its complete energy draw consequently. By comparability, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840 HS and RTX 4060 discovered within the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 lasted 53 minutes.

Value

With a beginning value of $1,549, and $1,999 for the spec reviewed, the Alienware M16 R2 provides a good spec for the cash, however nothing out of the strange. For a similar MSRP, you should purchase an Asus Zephyrus G16 with an OLED display screen and Core Extremely 9 CPU, for instance, though it solely has 16GB of soldered RAM that you may’t improve.

That’s a giant deal, although. If you’re paying a big sum of money upfront, it is advisable to know that your machine will final a couple of years, and with the ability to improve the reminiscence and storage is a giant tick within the Alienware M16 R2’s field.

Nevertheless, the Alienware M16 R2 is commonly discounted, with this 32GB machine with an RTX 4070 and Core 7 Extremely CPU going for $1,599 for a interval whereas I used to be writing this evaluate, for instance. At this value, it’s a unbelievable deal, providing a well-built and well-balanced laptop computer, with first rate {hardware} and an superior choice of ports.

Options

Razer Blade 16 (2024)

When you have cash to spend, and also you need a really luxurious 16-inch gaming laptop computer, then the Razer Blade 16 (2024) is unbelievable. Its slimline, anodized aluminum chassis is fantastically made, and the 240Hz OLED display screen is simply beautiful.

The Core i9 14900HX CPU can be immensely highly effective in each video games and content material creation software program. It’s a must to pay a hefty sum of cash for it, although (The $3,000 choice nonetheless solely has 16GB of RAM), and its cooling system makes a number of noise when it will get going.

Learn our full Razer Blade 16 (2024) evaluate.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16

Asus’ newest ROG Zephyrus G16 is a beautiful gaming laptop computer, with a superior OLED display screen to the Alienware M16 R2, and a good spec in addition. It’s additionally surprisingly gentle, weighing in at slightly below 2kg, and it’s keenly priced for the standard of its show.

Nevertheless, its use of soldered RAM is a giant mark towards it, with the $1,999 configuration coming with simply 16GB that may’t be upgraded. When you purchase this machine, we advocate getting a spec with 32GB, as you received’t be capable of change it later.

Learn our full Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 evaluate.

Verdict

The Alienware M16 R2 is a unbelievable gaming laptop computer. It’s versatile and nicely constructed, and it provides a well-balanced spec for the cash. Importantly, whereas the cooling system is noisy, it actually works, with this machine providing strong 1080p gaming efficiency from its RTX 4070 GPU and Core 7 Extremely CPU. Not like Asus’ newest ROG Zephyrus fashions, you may also improve the RAM, and it’s nice to have 32GB in a mannequin at this value too.

It’s not flawless, in fact. It could actually make a good bit of noise throughout video games, the keyboard isn’t spectacular, and among the design parts are a bit dated. The RTX 4070 GPU additionally struggles to play video games on the display screen’s native 2,560 x 1,600 decision, though it copes superb at 1,920 x 1,080, and also you don’t get an OLED panel both.

Alienware has nailed the necessities right here, although, and for an affordable value, notably for those who benefit from one of many common offers for this machine on each Finest Purchase and Dell’s personal web site. When you’re searching for a 16-inch gaming laptop computer, the Alienware M16 R2 provides an excellent stability of specs, efficiency, construct high quality, and worth for cash.