Dell Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 15.6" AMD Gaming Laptop (2021)
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Product Overview
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 QHD panel that refreshes at 240Hz. It also drops the four-speaker setup and instead uses a more conventional two-speaker stereo system.
First the first time, Dell has made available a 360Hz FHD display for the m15 R5. This panel has a response time of just 1ms and is the fastest on the market today.
Another unique feature is the optional CherryMX mechanical keyboard with per-key RGB backlighting, though makes the m15 R5 one of the thinnest laptops on the market with such setup.
To manage this much power in a smaller chassis, Dell has updated the m15 R5's cooling system, including four independent cooper heat pipes.
Ratings
What we found**
Pros
- Powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia 3060 GPU
- Excellent gaming performance
- Good port selection
Cons
- Case is a little chunky
- Lacks RGB lighting
What external reviewers found***
External score 75% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
- Great gaming performance
- Great graphics performance
- Good battery runtime
- Great performance for a gaming laptop
- Good value for money
Cons
- Lackluster battery life
- Mediocre webcam
- No G-Sync support
- No Thunderbolt port
- Dim screen
Price Comparison
Specifications
| FHD | QHD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Connectivity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ports | 3x USB 3.2 Gen1 + 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen2 + 1x HDMI 2.1 + 1x RJ45 (2.5Gbps) + 1x Headphone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wireless Connectivity | WiFi 6 + Bluetooth 5.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Camera | Front | 720p HD or HD IR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colors | Dark Side of the Moon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Material | Magnesium Alloy exterior shell and copper alloy thermal components | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microphone | Digital-array microphones | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speakers | Stereo speakers 2x 2W | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dimensions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Depth | 10.73" (272.5mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Height | 0.8996" (22.85mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Width | 14.02" (356.2mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | From 5.34lbs (2.42kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Display | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Diagonal | 15.6 inch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Type | IPS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Refresh Rate | 165 or 360 Hz | 240 Hz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resolution | FHD (1920x1080) or QHD (2560x1440) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response Time | 3 or 1 ms | 2 ms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Function | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Audio | Realtek ALC3254 with A-Volute Nahimic audio processing software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 or RTX 3070 8GB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Keyboard Backlight | 4-Zone AlienFX RGB lighting or per-key AlienFX RGB keyboard with CherryMX ultra low-profile mechanical keyboard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating System | Windows 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Processor | AMD Ryzen R7 5800H or Ryzen R9 5900HX | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RGB Lighting | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Variable Framerate | NVIDIA G-SYNC available for QHD and 360Hz FHD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Performance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Capacity | 16 or 32 GB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Type | DDR4 3200MHz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Storage | Up to 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Production | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debut | 2021-Q2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Launch Comparison
Clear List
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3rd-Party Review Videos
External Reviews
gizmodo[1]
Reviewer score 76%The Alienware m15 R5 has an AMD 5800H CPU and Nvidia 3060 GPU. It's faster than both the MSI GP66 Leopard and the Razer Blade 15 Advanced. But the G15 Advantage reigns supreme, costing about the same and pumping out even better fps in games.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Great performance for a gaming laptop
- Good battery life
- Good value for money
Cons
- No webcam
- No Thunderbolt 3
laptopmag[2]
Reviewer score 85%The Alienware m15's 720p webcam has great color reproduction. The laptop delivered impressive overall performance and respectable gaming performance. As it stands, it can play games at playable frame rates, but it wasn't blowing out the competition. But if you're a fan of Alienware and AMD, the m15 m15 Edition is a great choice.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek, stylish design
- Comfortable keyboard
- Great gaming performance
Cons
- Lackluster battery life
- No Thunderbolt 3
notebookcheck[3]
Reviewer score 70%The new Alienware m15 (both R5 with AMD CPUs as well as R6 with Intel CPUs) is a bit lower in Alienware’s portfolio. The entry-level price of 1750 Euros is much lower than before (2199 Euros) The new flagship laptop is the Alienware x15 from now on, which also starts at 2199 Euros.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Very good gaming performance
- Fast 360 Hz display
- Very good battery life
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3
- No microSD reader
pcmag[4]
Reviewer score 78%The Alienware m15 R5 offers better bang for your buck than any of the more expensive systems. It's not the most compact gaming laptop in the world, so some use cases away from home won't be practical. The Triton 300 SE remains the best value in the midrange tier, and we love its compact form factor.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek, compact design
- High-end gaming performance
- Good battery runtime
Cons
- Dim screen
- No Thunderbolt 3 port
theverge[5]
Reviewer score 64%The M15 R5's 86Wh battery lasted for about seven hours of mixed use. It's not going to be fast enough for creators to quickly turn around projects. Missing from this model, and all other new models that Alienware recently unveiled, is the proprietary amplifier connector for its external GPU enclosure.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Great gaming performance
- Great battery life
- Great graphics performance
Cons
- No Thunderbolt port
- Expensive for what you get
tomshardware[6]
Reviewer score 75%The Alienware M15 R4 Ryzen Edition's 720p webcam is, like many premium gaming laptops, a bit of an afterthought. This laptop also comes with typical Windows pack-ins like Microsoft Solitaire Collection and Spotify. While it's certainly not the most portable and could do with more power, it's an easy choice over $1,450 Asus TUF Dash F15.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Strong performance
- Comfortable keyboard
Cons
- Mediocre webcam
- No G-Sync support
User Reviews
Comments
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References
- ^ Alienware Picked a Good Time to Get Back on Board With AMD. [gizmodo]. https://gizmodo.com/alienware-picked-a-good-time-to-get-back-on-board-with-1847092683. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
- ^ Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition review. [laptopmag]. https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/alienware-m15-ryzen-edition. 2021-08-21. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ^ Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition Laptop Review - More performance for less money. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Alienware-m15-R5-Ryzen-Edition-Laptop-Review-More-performance-for-less-money.547214.0.html. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/alienware-m15-ryzen-edition-r5. 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
- ^ Alienware M15 R5 Ryzen Edition review: the right parts at a high price . [theverge]. https://www.theverge.com/22518545/alienware-m15-r5-ryzen-edition-review-7-5800h-nvidia-rtx-3060-features-specs-performance. 2021-06-04. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
- ^ Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 Review: Team Red’s Blasting Off Again. [tomshardware]. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/alienware-m15-ryzen-edition-r5r. 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
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These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.
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