Dell Alienware m17 R4 17.3" Gaming Laptop
Product Gallery
Product Overview
Dell Alienware m17 R4 is the early-2021 iteration of the 17.3-inch Alienware gaming laptop. It adds RTX 30-series graphics but shares its chassis with the R3 model from 2020.
Like the m17 R3, the m17 R4 is still powered by 10th-gen Intel Comet Lake H-series processors, and the three display options are carried over, including a 360Hz FHD panel and a 4K panel with 100% Adobe RGB coverage.
The premium magnesium alloy chassis of the Alienware m17 R4 is significantly lighter than the R2 model while being stiffer and sturdier. Inside the thin chassis, the same thermal and power-delivery solutions, including Vapor Chamber Technology, from the R3 are retained.
Ratings
What we found**
Pros
- Powerful gaming performance with 360Hz refresh rate
- Cherry MX keyboard
- Comfortable keyboard
- Good battery life
Cons
- Nothing in particular
What external reviewers found***
External score 77% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
- Incredible gaming performance
- Good performance
- Excellent build quality
- Great trackpad
- Great keyboard
Cons
- Poor trackpad
- Poor speakers
- Poor battery life
- Lackluster webcam
- Poor webcam quality
Price Comparison
Specifications
| FHD | 4K | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Connectivity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ports | 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 + 1x HDMI 2.1b + 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4 + 1x Thunderbolt 3 + 1x RJ45 (Killer Networks E3100x) + 1x USB 3.2 Gen1 + 1x Headphone + 1x MicroSD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wireless Connectivity | Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2x2) 802.11ax Wireless and Bluetooth 5.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Camera | Front | 720p HD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colors | Dark Side of the Moon or Lunar Light | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Material | Magnesium Alloy exterior shell and copper alloy thermal components | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microphone | Digital-array microphones | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speakers | 4-Way (Woofer/Tweeter) Stereo Speaker Design, 8W in total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dimensions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Depth | 11.585" (294.26mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Height | 0.87" (22mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Width | 15.74" (399.8mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg) - 6.55 lbs (2.97 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Display | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brightness | 300 nits | 500 nits | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Diagonal | 17.3 inch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Type | IPS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gamut | 72% NTSC or 100% sRGB | 100% Adobe RGB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Refresh Rate | 144 or 360 Hz | 60 Hz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resolution | FHD (1920x1080) or 4K UHD (3840x2160) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response Time | 5 or 7 ms | 25 ms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Function | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 or RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Keyboard Backlight | 4-Zone AlienFX RGB lighting or per-key AlienFX RGB keyboard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Processor | Intel Core i7-10870H or i9-10980HK | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RGB Lighting | Programmable with up to 16.8 million distinct colors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Variable Framerate | NVIDIA G-SYNC available for IPS 144Hz panel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Performance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Capacity | 16 or 32 GB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Type | DDR4 2933MHz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Storage | Up to 4TB (2x 2TB) + 512MB PCIe M.2 SSD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Production | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debut | 2021-01 (CES 2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Related Products
Dell Alienware m15 R4 15.6" Gaming Laptop
71% External
Dell Alienware m15 R4 is the early-2021 iteration of the 15.6-inch Alienware gaming laptop. It adds RTX 30-series graphics but shares its chassis with the R3 model from 2020. Further, the 300Hz IPS panel becomes the standard, with the 144Hz panel dropp...
Dell Alienware x15 15.6" Gaming Laptop (2021)
76% External
Dell Alienware x15 is a powerful 15.6-inch gaming laptop that supersedes the m15 series. It resembles the m15 R4 unveiled at CES earlier this year; however, unlike the case with the m15 and m17 series, Dell is now making an effort to distinguish the x1...
Dell Alienware m15 R3 Gaming Laptop
77% External
Dell Alienware m15 R3 is the mid-2020 iteration of the storied gaming laptop. The thinnest 15-inch laptop released by Alienware, it offers a broad set of I/O and graphics options as well as 10th-gen Intel Core i7 or i9 H- or HK-series processors. Thank...
Dell Alienware m17 R3 Gaming Laptop
71% External
Dell Alienware m17 R3 is the mid-2020 iteration of the 17-inch flagship in Dell's gaming laptop lineup. Its premium magnesium alloy chassis encases up to 10th-gen Intel Core i9K processor and NVIDIA RTX 2080 SUPER graphics. Like the 15.6-inch m15 R3, t...
Dell Alienware x17 17.3" Gaming Laptop (2021)
78% External
Dell Alienware x17 is a flagship-level 17.3-inch gaming laptop. A refinement of the m17 series that supersedes the m17 R4 unveiled at CES this year, the x17 is powered by 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake processors up to i9-11980HK. Compared to the m17 R4, th...
Dell Alienware Area-51m R2 Gaming Laptop
Dell Alienware Area-51m R2 is the bigger brother of the Alienware m17 R3: By sacrificing portability, this beast of a gaming laptop offers components and upgradability similar to a desktop computer. Intel's 10th-gen Core i9 K-series desktop processors,...
Dell G7 17 7700 Gaming Laptop
58% External
G7 17 7700 is the flagship of Dell's 2020 G-series gaming laptop lineup. A step below the Alienware m17 R3, the G7 17 7700 shares much of the design elements and feature set with the G7 15 7500. Like the G7 15 7500, the G7 17 7700 comes in an aluminum ...
Dell Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 15.6" AMD Gaming Laptop (2021)
75% External
Dell Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 is the first gaming laptop by Dell powered by AMD. Sharing much of the same design with the Intel-powered m15 R4, the R5 is more compact. Unlike the m15 R4, the m15 Ryzen Edition omits the 4K OLED option but adds a Q...
Razer Blade 15 (Early 2021) Gaming Laptop
80% External
Razer Blade 15 (early 2021) is a premium gaming laptop that improves upon the previous model with the addition of RTX 30-series graphics. Also new is the QHD option. Like before, the early 2021 Blade 15 remains to be powered by 10th-gen Intel Core i7 H...
MSI Stealth 15M A11UX Gaming Laptop (2021)
67% External
The 2021 MSI Stealth 15M A11UX is a slim 15.6-inch gaming laptop powered by 11th-gen Intel Core i7-11375H CPU and NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU. It improves upon the A11SX unveiled in 2020 primarily in offering H-series Tiger Lake processor and RTX 30-series gra...
MSI GF75 Thin 10UX 17" Gaming Laptop (2021)
58% External
The 2021 MSI GF75 Thin is 17.3-inch gaming laptop powered by up to 10th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU. It improves upon the 2020 model by adding the latest RTX 30-series graphics. While the update is mostly limited to this GPU update, t...
MSI GP66 Leopard 10UX 15" Gaming Laptop (2021)
73% External
The 2021 MSI GP66 Leopard is a 15.6-inch gaming laptop powered by up to 10th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 3080 GPU. It improves upon the 2020 GP65 by adding the latest RTX 30-series graphics. Apart from the GPU update, the GP66 takes on a diffe...
Launch Comparison
Clear List
Related Articles
Guide to Dell's Late-2020 Laptop Lineup
Our guide to choosing a laptop in late 2020 in terms of Form Factor, Display, and Power from Dell’s Alienware, XPS, Inspiron, and Dell Gaming lineups.
Guide · 30 Nov 2020
3rd-Party Review Videos
External Reviews
laptopmag[1]
Reviewer score 84%'s faster than the Raider (7:24, Intel Core i7-10870H) and the 7:42 category average. During the File Transfer test, the m17 R4 duplicated 25GB of multimedia files for a transfer rate of 1,303.7 megabytes per second. While a gaming laptop will never run as cool as an ultraportable, the Cryo-Tech does help things from getting too hot.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Gorgeous 16:10 display
- Comfortable keyboard
- Excellent performance
Cons
- Lackluster webcam
- No Thunderbolt 3
laptopmag[2]
Reviewer score 87%Alienware has updated its Cyro-Tech cooling solution. The laptop lasted only 2 hours and 5 minutes on the Laptop Mag Battery Test. During our File Transfer test, the m17 R4's dual SSDs wrangled a transfer rate of 711.4 megabytes per second.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Gorgeous 360Hz display
- Good battery life
- Comfortable keyboard
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3
notebookcheck[3]
Reviewer score 61%The Alienware m17 R4 delivers tremendous graphics performance, but it's unable to dissipate system heat adequately. Significant screen flickering was seen during the stress test, which could be a sign of overheated components. Even for a powerful gaming laptop, battery life is extremely poor. The case has a stylish design that is enhanced by many RGB LEDs.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- High-quality case
- Excellent build quality
- Good performance
- Good battery life
Cons
- High CPU and GPU temperatures
- Display flickering
- High operating temperatures
pcmag[4]
Reviewer score 81%The Alienware m17 R4 is an all-around improvement on its predecessor. The potent components and fast screen are power hogs, even with relatively forgiving test settings. Getting only a couple of hours off the charger makes the m17 a poor travel partner, though setting up a 17-inch laptop in a cafe or on a plane is a stretch.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- High-refresh-rate display
- High-quality Cherry MX keyboard and Cherry MX touchpad
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Battery life could be better
- Unplugged runtime could be longer
techadvisor[5]
Reviewer score 79%The Alienware 2020 R3 is the fastest gaming laptop on the market. It can play anything on the 1080p display, including tough single-player games and top eSports titles at 300fps and beyond. The Core i9 CPU is undoubtedly powerful, but Alienware will soon be selling its m15 with AMD processors. Battery life is poor, but this machine will stay rooted to a desk. It's loud and hot, but thermally it's no worse than other high-end machines.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Incredible gaming performance
- Great keyboard
- Great trackpad
Cons
- Mediocre battery life
- Poor trackpad
techradar[6]
Reviewer score 90%The Alienware m17 R4 is packed with an Intel Core i9-10980HK, 32GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 – it goes fast. This is an absolute powerhouse of a gaming laptop, pushing the silicon on offer to its absolute limit, which is probably why that fan gets so loud. You're definitely going to want to wear headphones when you're gaming here, because while benchmarking or playing games, this laptop can sound like a jet engine.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek, lightweight design
- Excellent gaming performance
- Excellent keyboard and touchpad
Cons
- Loud fans
- Loud speakers
tomshardware[7]
Reviewer score 71%The Alienware m17 R4 comes preloaded with a handful of useful first-party utilities. There's also a small amount of preloaded bloatware, including a trial of Microsoft Office. The 360 Hz screen is more than capable, but unless you're a competitive gamer, you can go with the default screen or, better yet, go for the 4K panel.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Gorgeous design
- Unique 360 Hz display
- Strong cooling system
Cons
- Short battery life
- Poor webcam quality
trustedreviews[8]
Reviewer score 64%Alienware m17 uses the Nvidia RTX 3080 laptop GPU. Processing power comes from Intel’s eight-core i9-10980HK. It has 32GB of memory and a 1TB RAID array built from two SSDs. An equivalent Razer Blade 17 Pro uses many of the same components, but it has a weaker Core i7-10875H processor.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Gorgeous 360Hz screen
- Powerful gaming performance
- Comfortable keyboard
Cons
- Poor battery life
- Poor speakers
User Reviews
Comments
Please login before adding comments.
References
- ^ Alienware m17 R4 review. [laptopmag]. https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/alienware-m17-r4. 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ^ Alienware m17 R4 review. [laptopmag]. https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/alienware-m17-r4-review. 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Alienware m17 R4 laptop review: Burning up into the atmosphere. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Alienware-m17-R4-laptop-review-Burning-up-into-the-atmosphere.533137.0.html. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
- ^ Alienware m17 R4 Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/alienware-m17-r4. 2021-05-21. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ Alienware m17 R4 (2021) review. [techadvisor]. https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/review/alienware-m17-r4-2021-3803773/. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ Alienware m17 R4 (2021) review. [techradar]. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/alienware-m17-r4-2021. 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Alienware m17 R4 Gaming Laptop Review: Can’t Get Much Faster. [tomshardware]. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/alienware-m17-r4. 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Alienware m17 R4 Review. [trustedreviews]. https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/alienware-m17-r4-2. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
The MSRP provided on this page may not apply to all regions equally. For the current price, please refer to the Price Comparison section.
This page contains affiliate links to third-party merchants such as Amazon, eBay, and Rakuten. When you make a purchase using the supplied links, we will receive a commission.
These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.
<
>
x