Dell Alienware m15 R2 15.6" Gaming Laptop
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Product Overview
Dell Alienware m15 R2 is a high-end 15.6-inch gaming laptop powered by up to 9th-gen Intel Core i9 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 2080 GPU in a sleek magnesium alloy chassis. Like the m17 R2 launched at the same time, the m15 R2 adopts Alienware's new Legend Industrial design language.
The thinnest 15.6-inch Alienware gaming laptop ever, the m15 R2 nevertheless offers 1.7mm key travel from its newly-engineered keyboard backlit by AlienFX per-key RGB lighting. It also features a precision-point glass touchpad.
Also like the m17 R2, the m15 R2 can be optioned with Tobii Eye Tracking technology. Unlike the 17.3-inch model, however, the m15 R2 is available with a 4K OLED display.
With Alienware's unique Graphics Amplifier interface, the m15 R2 can be boosted by an eGPU via dedicated PCIe bandwidth.
Ratings
What we found**
Pros
- Elegant design
- Beautiful OLED display
- Excellent keyboard and touchpad
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Not as powerful as the Alienware Area-51m
- High CPU temperatures
What external reviewers found***
External score 78% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Excellent gaming performance
- Gorgeous 4K OLED display
- Good battery life
Cons
- Lacks full-size arrow keys
- Dim display
- No Thunderbolt 3 port
- No Thunderbolt 3
- Only two PCIe M.2 SSDs
Price Comparison
Specifications
| LCD | OLED | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Connectivity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ports | 3x USB 3.1 Gen1 + 1x Thunderbolt 3 + 1x Alienware Graphics Amplifier + 1x RJ45 (Gigabit or 2.5Gbps) + 1x HDMI 2.0b + 1x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4 + 1x Audio out + 1x Headset | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wireless Connectivity | WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battery | Capacity | 76 Wh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Camera | Front | Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera with | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colors | Lunar Light or Dark Side of the Moon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Material | Magnesium alloy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microphone | Dual array integrated microphones | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speakers | 2.0 speakers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dimensions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Depth | 276 mm / 10.9 inch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Height | 20.1 mm / 0.791 inch | 20.5 mm / 0.807 inch w/ Tobii Eyetracking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Width | 360.5 mm / 14.19 inch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 2.16 kg / 4.75 lbs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Display | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contrast Ratio | 800:1 or 1000:1 | 100000:1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Diagonal | 17.3 inch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Type | LCD or OLED | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gamut | 72% or 100% sRGB | 100% DCI-P3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz or 144Hz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resolution | FHD (1920x1080) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response Time | 7 or 25 ms | 1 ms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Function | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chipset | Mobile Intel HM370 Chipset | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5, GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6, RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6, RTX 2070 Max-Q 8GB GDDR6, or RTX 2080 Max-Q 8GB GDDR6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Keyboard Backlight | Keyboard with per key RGB LED AlienFX lighting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating System | Windows 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Processor | 9th-gen Intel Core i5-9300H, i7-9750H, i9-9880H, or i9-9880HK | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Performance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Key Travel | 1.7 mm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Capacity | 8 or 16 GB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Type | DDR4 2666MHz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Supply | 130, 180, or 240 W | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Storage | 2x PCIe M.2 up to 4TB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Production | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debut | 2019 Computex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3rd-Party Review Videos
External Reviews
cnet[1]
Reviewer score 77%Alienware's m15 R2 is the company's thinnest 15.6-inch laptop yet at 18.3 mm (0.7 inch) Modeled after the giant Area-51m announced at CES 2019 and its Legend industrial design. Thenew m15's base price is $1,500, essentially starting where Dell's G5 15 starts to top out.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Extremely thin and light
- Tobii eye-tracking system is cool
Cons
- Very expensive for what you get
- Only two PCIe M.2 SSDs
digitaltrends[2]
Reviewer score 85%The Alienware m15 finally feels like a gaming laptop with its own identity. The new m15 features 9th-gen Intel Core processors, ranging from the quad-core Core i5-9500H up to the Core i9-9980HK. There's a legion of graphics options, though the bottom ones aren't as appealing. Unless you're only interested in casual gaming, you won't love the performance.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek, attractive design
- Excellent gaming performance
- Solid battery life
Cons
- Lacks full-size arrow keys
- No Thunderbolt 3
notebookcheck[3]
Reviewer score 74%Fan noise and behavior remain essentially identical to the m15 R1 despite the small changes to the cooling solution. Idling on desktop can range from completely silent to as loud as 49 dB(A) if set to Maximum Fan mode. The Razer Blade 15 with the same Core i7 CPU as our Alienware settles at a much cooler core temperature of 63 C when subjected to the same Prime95 load.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Extremely thin and light
- Quiet fan noise when gaming
- Very good battery life
Cons
- Very high Core i7 CPU temperatures
- No dedicated subwoofer
pcmag[4]
Reviewer score 88%The Alienware m15 R2 is an excellent rework of the company's more compact gamer. It's only slightly pricier than Acer's Predator Triton 500 for equal or better power, while offering a far superior display. The battery life isn't much to write home about, but it does fall in line with the rest.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Gorgeous 4K OLED display
- Excellent battery life
- Sleek design
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3 port
techradar[5]
Reviewer score 73%The Alienware m15 is packed front to back with RGB lighting, all of which can be controlled and customized through this software. The laptop also includes Tobii eye tracking technology, which will track eye movement to enhance certain gaming experiences. Unfortunately, there are a ton of Dell-provided programs loaded onto the laptop that will likely be all but useless to the vast majority of users.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Extremely bright display
- Excellent build quality
- Excellent keyboard
Cons
- Bloatware takes up hard drive space
tomshardware[6]
Reviewer score 72%The Alienware m15 R2 is a gaming laptop that looks mature enough for serious play. The 720p camera is serviceable, but not excellent. Most of the rest of the system is covered in a thin shielding, including the RAM. The Razer Blade 15 Raider makes for the most likely alternative of the group.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Strong performance
- Comfortable keyboard
- Good battery life
Cons
- Slightly dim display
- Dim display
wired[7]
Reviewer score 80%The Alienware M15 R2 is a gaming laptop that's actually stylish. Powerful hardware paired with an ultrathin (if wide) profile makes it a great semi-portable laptop. It's one of few gaming laptops with the power to get games to the 240 frames per second you need to get the most out of this kind of display.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek, stylish design
- Excellent battery life
- Built-in Tobii eye tracker
Cons
- Loud fans
- Battery life could be better
User Reviews
Comments
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References
- ^ Alienware m15 R2 review: Sublime style and speed for gamers on the go. [cnet]. https://www.cnet.com/reviews/alienware-m15-r2-review/. 2019-09-14. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Alienware m15 R2 hands-on review. [digitaltrends]. https://www.digitaltrends.com/laptop-reviews/alienware-m15-r2-review/. 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ The Area-51m mini-me: Dell Alienware m15 R2 Laptop Review. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/The-Area-51m-mini-me-Dell-Alienware-m15-R2-Laptop-Review.433556.0.html. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Alienware m15 R2 (2019, OLED) Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/alienware-m15-r2-2019-oled. 2019-09-27. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Alienware m15 R2 review. [techradar]. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/alienware-m15-r2. 2020-01-22. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Alienware m15 R2 Review: Spartan Spaceship. [tomshardware]. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/alienware-m15,5873.html. 2019-10-04. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Review: Alienware M15 R2. [wired]. https://www.wired.com/review/alienware-m15-r2/. 2020-07-09. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
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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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