Dell announces Alienware m15 R6, x17 and G15

As part of its announcement of the powerful Tiger Lake H45, PC manufacturer Dell has surprised industry experts and fans with a small new edition. The US company wants to refresh its popular Alienware gaming notebook lineup with a new device. But besides the m15 R6, the in-house G15 is also supposed to get an update. The company has already revealed some exciting details about the m15 R6. Especially the use of the new Ampere series from Nvidia sounds more than promising. On the other hand, Dell is still a bit cautious with first information about the G15. We take a look at what has leaked out so far.

Extravagant gaming power

If you’ve been living behind the moon so far or don’t have much in the way of PC gaming, you might not have heard of the Alienware brand. This is Dell’s gaming division, which primarily specializes in high-priced and extravagant desktop PCs, but also gaming notebooks. Not only in terms of looks, but also in terms of performance, the company has been able to score points with its fans over the years. For example, the m15 has been oriented towards a kind of alien spaceship for years. Alienware doesn’t deviate from this design decision in the new edition, the m15 R6, either. Already the name of the only available color, “Dark Side of the Moon”, makes it clear that the gaming experts want to offer an otherworldly gaming notebook here.

Not only the spaceship design, but also the lighting ensure that the gaming notebook is anything but inconspicuous. Thus, there are matching RGB LEDs on the back as well as in the logo itself and of course in the keyboard. The dimensions are no longer too bulky as it was the case with the predecessors, but Alienware cannot keep up with a sleek Blade 15 from Razer. The m15 R6 measures 356.2 mm x 272.5 mm x 19.25 mm (back) and 12.5 mm (front). Including the feet, the maximum thickness is 22.85 mm. The notebook’s weight is between 2.42 kg and 2.69 kg depending on the features.

Many different equipment options

As we are used to from the gaming behemoths from Alienware, you can also choose between different equipment options for the upcoming m15 R6. Intel’s Tiger Lake H45 makes a start. Alternatively, you can also choose the Intel Core i5-11400H, the Intel Core i7-11800H or the Intel Core i9-11900H. The freedom of choice continues with the working memory. Alienware offers you the choice between 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB RAM. You can not only choose how much storage space the SSD has. Alienware also offers the option of equipping both drives with an SSD. If you decide on an occupied slot, you can choose between 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB. In case of both occupied slots, you decide for the sizes 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB or 4 TB.  You can also choose between different GPU models. However, all of them are from the brand-new Ampere family from Nvidia.

The basic version is Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti. Alternatively, you can also opt for the RTX 3060, RTX 3070 or RTX 3080. The display size on the other hand is not optional. It always measures 15.6 inches. The basic version has a Full HD resolution and a refresh rate of 165 Hz. If this is too low, you can also get the Full HD display with 360 Hz. G-Sync and Advanced Optimus are of course also on board. However, Alienware goes one step further. The best possible display in the m15 R16 has a QHD resolution and a refresh rate of 240 Hz. Of course, G-Sync and Advanced Optimus are also included here. Users who opt for one of the Full HD displays can look forward to a color space coverage (sRGB) of 100% and a maximum brightness of 300 cd/m². The top model with QHD resolution even manages 400 cd/m².

Extremely slim RGB keyboard from Cherry

The core of every good gaming notebook is, of course, a reliable and first-class gaming keyboard in addition to the powerful hardware. The standard keyboard offers AlienFX lighting with a total of four zones. The key drop is 1.7 mm. However, Alienware also offers a first-class input device from the expert par excellence as an option. If you don’t want to make any compromises, you should go for the Cherry MX. It comes with mechanical keys, but still offers a key drop of just 1.8 mm. Furthermore, the RGB lighting is not possible in four zones, but for each individual button.

Although Alienware m15 R6 comes across as surprisingly slim, it still offers plenty of ports, according to Dell. This is essential for gaming notebooks. On the back of the device there is 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A, 1x HDMI 2.1 as well as the power plug. On the right side you will find 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type. On the left side, Alienware installs 1x Ethernet port as well as 1x 3.5 mm jack. While up to 1 GB/s is supposed to be possible via the Ethernet port thanks to the Killer E2600, WiFi 6 (Killer AX1650) is supposed to enable blazing fast internet without a network cable. Also on board are an HD webcam and a battery with a capacity of 86 watt hours.

Price and availability

The new m15 R6 is scheduled to launch this summer. Initially, however, the powerful gaming notebook will only find its way to the US market. The MSRP overseas is supposed to start at $1,299.99. It is still uncertain when the flagship will hit the shelves in Germany. But that’s not all. The new Alienware x17 is also supposed to go on sale in the summer. This 17-inch gaming notebook is supposed to impress with its thin design, among other things. It is also based on the Intel Tiger Lake H45 and Nvidia Ampere family.

Dell G15 gets an update

The manufacturer also wants to upgrade the Dell G15. The notebook is supposed to get new CPUs as well as a new cooling system. However, the company is still holding back with exact information. The much lower MSRP starting at $949.99 already makes it clear that this is an entry-level gaming laptop in contrast to the m15 R6. According to Dell, the upcoming G15 is supposed to be a kind of refresh of the previously available model.

Intel’s Tiger Lake H45 is also working under the hood here. Nvidia’s Ampere series is supposed to be supported up to the GeForce RTX 3060 at most. On the other hand, there are supposed to be major improvements in the cooling components. In this area, the high-performance hardware from Alienware is to be used. The new G15 is supposed to go on sale on June 3. You can choose between the three colors Specter Green, Dark Shadow Grey and Phantom Grey.