Dell Alienware m17 R3 Gaming Laptop

71% External
Keywords: alienwaredellflagshipgamingintellaptopmagnesiumnvidia

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Product Overview

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, the m17 R3 features Alienware Cryo-Tech that includes Vapor chamber Technology, dual-intake, dual-exhaust airflow, and dense copper fin stacks, broadening the thermal envelop for performance of the laptop. The Hyper-Efficient Voltage Regulation includes a 12-phase graphics voltage regulation circuitry and a 6-phase CPU voltage regulation. Together, them ensure sufficient power is delivered to those demanding components that the computer can be configured with.
The Alienware m17 R3 is also available with four display options, including a 300Hz FHD panel and a UHD panel with Tobii Eyetracking technology.

Ratings

What we found**

Pros
  • Fast performance for a 17.3-inch gaming laptop
  • Powerful GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU
  • Fast Turbo Boost clock rates
  • Good battery life
Cons
  • High power consumption when gaming
  • Thick bezels

What external reviewers found***

External score 71% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
  • Superb gaming performance
  • Excellent build quality
  • Excellent speakers
  • Great battery life
Cons
  • Poor battery life
  • Lackluster battery life
  • Dull screen
  • Average battery life
  • No full-size SD reader
  • No Thunderbolt 3
Read More

Price Comparison

Specifications

FHDUHD

Connectivity

Ports1x RJ-45 Killer Ethernet E3000 2.5Gbps + 3x USB 3.1 Gen1 + 1x Thunderbolt 3 + 1x Alienware Graphics Amplifier + 1x HDMI 2.0b + 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4 + 1x Audio out + 1x microSD
Wireless ConnectivityKiller Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2x2) 802.11ax Wireless and Bluetooth 5.1

Construction

ColorsDark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
MaterialMagnesium Alloy exterior shell and copper alloy thermal components
Speakers4-Way (Woofer/Tweeter) Stereo Speaker Design

Dimensions

Size | Depth11.59" (294.3 mm)
Size | Height0.866" (22.0 mm)
Size | Width15.74" (399.8 mm)
Weight5.51 lbs (2.50 kg) - 6.55 lbs (2.97 kg)

Display

Aspect Ratio16:9
Brightness300 nits500 nits
Display Diagonal17.3"
Display TypeIPS
Gamut72% NTSC or 100% sRGB100% sRGB
Refresh Rate144 or 300 Hz60 Hz
ResolutionFHD (1920 x 1080) or UHD (3840 x 2160)
Response Time9 or 3 ms25 ms

Function

GraphicsAMD Radeon RX 5500M 4GB, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB, RTX 2060 6GB, 2070 8GB, 2070 SUPER 8GB, 2080 SUPER 8GB w/ Max-Q
Keyboard Backlight4-Zone AlienFX RGB lighting
Operating SystemWindows 10
ProcessorIntel Core i7-10750H, 10875H, or i9-10980HK
RGB LightingYes
Variable FramerateNVIDIA G-SYNC available for FHD 144Hz panel

Performance

Memory | Capacity16 or 32 GB
Memory | TypeDDR4 2666MHz
StorageUp to 4TB (2x 2TB) + 512MB PCIe M.2 SSD

Production

Debut2020-05

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Clear List

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3rd-Party Review Videos

External Reviews

notebookcheck[1]

Reviewer score 64%
Reviewers from notebookcheck have found the following***:
The chassis remains nearly identical to the Alienware m17 R2. The new SD card reader offers very fast transfer rates similar to the XPS series. There are no extras in the box outside of the AC adapter and paperwork. The standard one-year limited warranty applies with many extension options.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • High-contrast 4K UHD panel
  • Very good battery life
  • Fast SD card reader
Cons
  • Very heavy for a 17.3-inch gaming laptop
  • No full-size SD reader
  • No Thunderbolt 3

pcmag[2]

Reviewer score 78%
Reviewers from pcmag have found the following***:
The Alienware m17 R3 is a uniquely styled gaming laptop with an extreme high-refresh screen. It's a pricey but top-quality package with plenty of power and options for hardcore players. The laptop is nicely designed, both physically and aesthetically, and highly configurable. Battery life is a definite weakness of this laptop.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Powerful performance for a 17-inch laptop
  • Strong keyboard and touchpad
  • High-quality build quality
Cons
  • Poor battery life
  • Loud fans

techadvisor[3]

Reviewer score 70%
Reviewers from techadvisor have found the following***:
The Alienware m17 R3 is one of the most expensive UK-based models. You'll only have to spend more for an RTX 2080 Super, and prices rise to £3,649. Core i9-10980HK is superb – it'll handle content creation and tough multi-tasking easily. However, this chip and the 32GB of memory are actually overkill for gaming, and AMD's Ryzen 7 4800H is better for productivity.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Superb gaming performance
  • Excellent build quality
  • Excellent speakers
Cons
  • Overkill for gaming
  • Average battery life

techradar[4]

Reviewer score 69%
Reviewers from techradar have found the following***:
Alienware M17 R3 for 2020 looks near identical to the 2019 model. However, on closer inspection you'll find the soft-touch chassis finish has been superseded by a harder-wearing coating that Alienware says is more resistant to marks and stains. The keyboard also benefits from a longer 1.7mm travel, though the bed of the M17's keyboard isn't quite as firm as we would like.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Great gaming performance
  • Improved cooling system
  • Great battery life
Cons
  • Dull screen
  • No Thunderbolt 3

tomsguide[5]

Reviewer score 73%
Reviewers from tomsguide have found the following***:
The Alienware m17 R3 has built-in Tobii eye tracking. Tobii touts a list of more than 150 games, including Hitman, Far Cry 5, Valkyrie Warzone and Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Even more impressive than the keyboard is the extra large touchpad, which measures 4.1 x 3.1 inches.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Gorgeous design
  • Tobii eye tracking
  • Sleek design
Cons
  • Lackluster battery life

User Reviews

Comments

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References

  1. ^ Good-bye, Max-Q: Dell Alienware m17 R3 GeForce RTX 2080 Super Laptop Review. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Good-bye-Max-Q-Dell-Alienware-m17-R3-GeForce-RTX-2080-Super-Laptop-Review.490825.0.html. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  2. ^ Alienware m17 R3 Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/alienware-m17-r3. 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  3. ^ Alienware m17 R3 review. [techadvisor]. https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/review/alienware-m17-r3-3795879/. 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  4. ^ Alienware M17 R3 (2020) review. [techradar]. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/alienware-m17-r3-2020. 2020-09-15. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  5. ^ Alienware m17 R3 review. [tomsguide]. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/alienware-m17-r3. 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2021-03-22.

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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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