Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Svenska
Chinese
MagyarAlienware m16 R2 laptop review: Big and risky changes
The Alienware m16 R2 succeeds the m16 R1, but not in the way you might expect. The new model is a complete redesign and rethinking of the m16 series in an attempt to attract both gamers and general users whereas other Alienware products are catered towards hardcore gamers. This alone makes the m16 R2 one of the most interesting Alienware laptops in years since it sacrifices some higher-end CPU and GPU options that were otherwise available on the m16 R1 in favor of a smaller design.
Our review unit is higher-end configuration with the Meteor Lake-H Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, and 1600p 240 Hz IPS display for approximately $1850 USD. Lower-end SKUs can be configured with the RTX 4050 or 4060 instead and higher-end SKUs include the Core Ultra 9, but all configurations are otherwise limited to the same 1600p240 IPS display and up to the RTX 4070 only.
Alternatives to the Alienware m16 R2 include other high-performance 16-inch laptops like the Razer Blade 16, HP Omen Transcend 16, Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, or Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16.
More Alienware reviews:
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90.2 % | 03/2024 | Alienware m16 R2 Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU | 2.5 kg | 23.5 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 88.3 % | 09/2023 | Alienware m16 R1 Intel i7-13700HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU | 3 kg | 25.4 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 88.4 % | 06/2023 | Alienware x16 R1 i9-13900HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU | 2.6 kg | 18.57 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 88.4 % | 02/2024 | HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng i9-14900HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU | 2.3 kg | 20 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 92.3 % | 02/2024 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU | 1.8 kg | 16.4 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 90.4 % | 11/2023 | Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 R7 7840HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU | 2.1 kg | 20 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 |
Case — Legend 3.0 Redefined
The Alienware m16 R1 isn't even a year old and Dell is already introducing a revised chassis design with the m16 R2. The most notable change involves the removal of the protruding thermal deck along the rear for a much smaller footprint than before. The RGB LED ring on the back is now gone and the keyboard has been pushed upwards to make room for both larger palm rests and a larger clickpad.
Chassis materials are otherwise the same as before for similar textures and impressions. Rigidity hasn't changed by any notable degree and so the unit still feels quite strong from top to bottom with no major creaking or obvious weak points.
The significant chassis changes have resulted in significant cuts to both weight and dimension. The m16 R2 is approximately 17 percent lighter and 22 percent smaller than the m16 R1 for improved portability. The smaller footprint also helps the system fit inside of smaller backpacks as the wider dimensions of the original m16 R1 would require larger bags.
The size reduction isn't quite enough to make the m16 R2 the smallest in its category as both the Razer Blade 16 and Asus Zephyrus G16 are still lighter and smaller.
Connectivity — All The Basics Are Here
All ports from last year's m16 R1 have returned sans the mini-DisplayPort. Port positioning has changed with RJ-45 and the audio jack moved to the left edge whereas most of the ports on the m16 R1 were inconveniently along the rear.
Keep in mind that only one of the two USB-C ports supports Power Delivery. Both are otherwise compatible with external monitors.
SD Card Reader
Whereas the m16 R1 had a full-size SD reader, the m16 R2 has sadly retreated to a MicroSD reader instead which may irk some content creators. Transfer rates are nonetheless about the same as what we recorded on the m16 R1 despite the swap to MicroSD.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Alienware m16 R2 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Alienware x16 R1 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Alienware x16 R1 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Alienware m16 R2 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Communication
The Intel Killer AX1675 comes standard for Wi-Fi 6E connectivity with an option to upgrade to the BE202 for Wi-Fi 7 compatibility. We experienced no issues when paired to our Asus AXE11000 test router.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
Webcam
A 2 MP webcam comes standard with IR for Windows Hello support. There is no integrated privacy shutter.
Maintenance
The bottom panel is secured by 8 Phillips screws for easy servicing. RAM and WLAN continue to be removable, but storage configuration has changed; the system now supports two M.2 2280 SSDs instead of one M.2 2280 and two M.2 2230 SSDs on last year's design.
Accessories And Warranty
The retail box includes a few Alienware logo stickers alongside the usual AC adapter and paperwork. A standard one-year limited manufacturer warranty comes standard if purchased in the US.
Input Devices — No Need For Mechanical
Keyboard
The system uses membrane-based keys with 1.8 mm travel and no more mechanical option to keep weight low and to appeal to wider audiences beyond gamers. They're nonetheless comfortable and clickier than expected when compared to the keyboards on most other gaming laptops including the MSI Raider GE68 or HP Omen Transcend 16. The Space and Enter keys in particular are much louder and sharper than the main QWERTY keys when pressed.
New to the keyboard this year is a handy "Stealth mode" feature tied to the F2 key which toggles the system to Quiet mode without needing to first launch Alienware Command Center. Otherwise, keyboard layout remains the same as it was on the original m16 R1.
Touchpad
The clickpad is slightly larger than on last year's model (11.5 x 7 cm vs. 11.3 x 6.6 cm) and it includes new RGB lighting around the perimeter. However, feedback when clicking continues to be spongy and very shallow for an unsatisfying feel. It works reliably enough for basic pointing and clicking, but a mouse is still recommended for tighter actions like dragging and dropping.
Annoyingly, the RGB lighting can only be enabled or disabled via Alienware Command Center as there is no hotkey to toggle it. Adjusting the brightness of the RGB keys does not affect the lighting around the clickpad.
Display — 240 Hz And Full sRGB Now Standard
The model utilizes a BOE NE16NYH panel in contrast to the BOE NE16NYB on last year's m16 R1. The newer panel has a faster native refresh rate (240 Hz vs. 165 Hz) while all other attributes remain essentially the same including the fast black-white response times, ~1000:1 contrast ratio, full sRGB coverage, and 300 to 350 nit maximum brightness. The display is fit for both gaming and amateur editing purposes.
As smooth as the new panel may be, it still lacks DCI-P3 colors and Windows variable refresh rate. The former would have appealed to more professional graphics editors while the latter would have improved battery life. Full DCI-P3 colors are available on the x16 R1, HP Omen Transcend 16, and Asus ROG Zephyrus G16. HDR is not supported either since the display is not bright enough to meet HDR400+ prerequisites.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 345.8 cd/m²
Contrast: 1153:1 (Black: 0.3 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.99 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 0.62
ΔE Greyscale 2.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
71.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
71% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.32
| Alienware m16 R2 BOE NE16NYH, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Alienware m16 R1 Intel BOE NE16NYB, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Alienware x16 R1 BOE NE16NZ4, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng ATNA60DL02-0 (SDC41A4), OLED, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M ATNA60DL01-0, OLED, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 BOE NE160QDM-NZ3, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -3% | 21% | 26% | 26% | 0% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 71 | 67.7 -5% | 99.2 40% | 99.8 41% | 99.9 41% | 70.3 -1% |
| sRGB Coverage | 100 | 97.2 -3% | 100 0% | 100 0% | 100 0% | 99.6 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 71.4 | 70 -2% | 88.6 24% | 97 36% | 96.9 36% | 72.4 1% |
| Response Times | 23% | -4% | 97% | 97% | -45% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 5.7 ? | 4 ? 30% | 5.1 ? 11% | 0.2 ? 96% | 0.22 ? 96% | 12.6 ? -121% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 8.7 ? | 7.3 ? 16% | 10.3 ? -18% | 0.2 ? 98% | 0.25 ? 97% | 5.9 ? 32% |
| PWM Frequency | 120 ? | 960 ? | ||||
| Screen | -20% | -13% | 129% | 14% | 5% | |
| Brightness middle | 345.8 | 306 -12% | 302.2 -13% | 390 13% | 416 20% | 545 58% |
| Brightness | 337 | 302 -10% | 285 -15% | 392 16% | 418 24% | 502 49% |
| Brightness Distribution | 87 | 89 2% | 89 2% | 98 13% | 96 10% | 82 -6% |
| Black Level * | 0.3 | 0.3 -0% | 0.26 13% | 0.02 93% | 0.48 -60% | |
| Contrast | 1153 | 1020 -12% | 1162 1% | 19500 1591% | 1135 -2% | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.99 | 2.57 -29% | 1.63 18% | 1.94 3% | 1.6 20% | 1.36 32% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.52 | 4.26 -21% | 4.13 -17% | 4.26 -21% | 2.1 40% | 3.11 12% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.62 | 0.85 -37% | 1.17 -89% | 4.21 -579% | 1.04 -68% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.1 | 3.3 -57% | 2.5 -19% | 1.5 29% | 2.7 -29% | 1.4 33% |
| Gamma | 2.32 95% | 1.997 110% | 2.23 99% | 2.221 99% | 2.16 102% | 2.253 98% |
| CCT | 6369 102% | 6895 94% | 6590 99% | 6395 102% | 6331 103% | 6631 98% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 0% /
-10% | 1% /
-4% | 84% /
102% | 46% /
32% | -13% /
-3% |
* ... smaller is better
The display comes well-calibrated out of the box with average grayscale and color deltaE values of just 2.1 and 1.99, respectively. Results would improve even more to <1 each when calibrated further with our X-Rite colorimeter, but this shouldn't be necessary for most users. Our calibrated ICM profile is available to download above for free.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8.7 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 4.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 4.1 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 19 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 5.7 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3.1 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 13 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17903 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Outdoor visibility remains about the same as before and so it's recommended to stay under shade whenever possible to reduce glare and preserve colors. The lighter weight and smaller size do make the system easier to handle, though.
Performance — From Raptor Lake-HX To Meteor Lake-H
Testing Conditions
We set Alienware Command Center (ACC) to Overdrive mode and Nvidia Control Panel to dGPU mode prior to running the benchmarks below. ACC has been updated to run much more smoothly and without many of the issues we experienced on the m16 R1. For example, it now launches almost immediately upon boot up while the fan profile modes and AlienFX RGB lighting no longer change automatically without first notifying the user.
Nonetheless, we still experienced a bug where the system would sometimes not enter Sleep mode correctly when the lid is closed even after double-checking the Windows Power settings. This led to a very warm laptop and a completely drained battery just a few hours later.
Both Advanced Optimus and G-Sync are supported meaning users can switch between iGPU and dGPU modes without a soft reboot. Note that the system must be set to dGPU mode in order for G-Sync to work.
Processor
Our Core Ultra 7 155H is about 10 to 15 percent slower than the Core i7-13700HX on last year's m16 R1 in both single- and multi-threaded operations. It is essentially on par with the recent Ryzen 9 8945HS. Much like on other Meteor Lake CPUs, the Core Ultra 7 155H integrates an NPU to accelerate AI tasks like Microsoft Co-Pilot. Most AI applications at the moment are cloud-based and with no options to run locally, however, and so the integrated AI capabilities of the new CPU are very limited at the moment.
Despite the performance deficit against the Core i7-13700HX, the m16 R2 is able to run the Core Ultra 7 155H noticeably faster than other laptops equipped with the same processor. For example, the Core Ultra 7 155H in the recent MSI Prestige 16 runs almost 20 percent slower.
Dell says it plans to offer an Ultra 9 185H SKU in the near future which should help narrow the performance gap against the Core i7-13700HX. The more demanding Core i7-14700HX or Core i9-14900HX are not offered due to thermal limitations; Dell prioritized maximizing GPU TGP rather than CPU TDP.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.2: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| Geekbench 6.2 / Multi-Core | |
| Lenovo Legion 9 16IRX8 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Razer Blade 14 RZ09-0508 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 AMD | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (10696 - 13656, n=27) | |
| Geekbench 6.2 / Single-Core | |
| Lenovo Legion 9 16IRX8 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware m16 R1 AMD | |
| Razer Blade 14 RZ09-0508 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (2287 - 2458, n=27) | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.2: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (6670 - 18470, n=25) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (43630 - 93181, n=25) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (1940 - 4436, n=25) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (64698 - 93266, n=25) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (5639 - 10641, n=25) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (21052 - 47685, n=25) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (45713 - 152179, n=25) | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (557 - 1250, n=25) | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (3569 - 9802, n=25) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (32719 - 54223, n=25) | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
Stress Test
When running Prime95 stress on Overdrive mode, the CPU would boost to 4.6 GHz and 115 W for several seconds before steadily falling and eventually stabilizing at 3.4 GHz and 102 W. Core temperature, however, would be extremely warm at 100 C to suggest that the CPU is already pushing the cooling solution to its limits.
Interestingly, there are almost no changes to GPU clock rates or board power draw when running Witcher 3 on Balanced, Performance, or Overdrive modes which correlate with our findings below in the GPU Performance section. Instead, GPU temperature tends to decrease when on Performance or Overdrive mode due to the louder fan ceilings on these modes. In other words, clock rates and real-time TGP would remain constant while fan noise would change. There may be some small changes to CPU performance between the modes, but most games are not CPU bound anyway.
It's worth noting that while the GPU is rated at 140 W TGP according to Nvidia Control Panel, it tends to stabilize at 106 W when gaming. We're able to reach a temporary maximum of 121 W.
| CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | Average GPU Temperature (°C) | |
| System Idle | -- | -- | 46 | 27 |
| Prime95 Stress | 3.4 | -- | 100 | 47 |
| Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 2.5 | 2520 | 78 | 71 |
| Witcher 3 Stress (Balanced mode) | ~1.8 | 2502 | 93 | 80 |
| Witcher 3 Stress (Performance mode) | ~1.8 | 2520 | 91 | 77 |
| Witcher 3 Stress (Overdrive mode) | ~2.0 | 2520 | 92 | 69 |
System Performance
PCMark 10 results are comparable to the m16 R1 except for our lower Digital Content Creation subtest score since the m16 R2 is equipped with the slower RTX 4070. System performance is otherwise very similar to show no significant gains in most day-to-day loads despite the newer generation CPU.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
WebXPRT 3: Overall
WebXPRT 4: Overall
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (7084 - 7761, n=3) | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (10038 - 10393, n=3) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (9192 - 9422, n=3) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (10100 - 13035, n=3) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (1721 - 1848, n=3) | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (1624 - 1750, n=3) | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (1913 - 2014, n=3) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (1424 - 1683, n=3) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| WebXPRT 3 / Overall | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (283 - 294, n=3) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| WebXPRT 4 / Overall | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (254 - 257, n=3) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (546 - 548, n=2) | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
* ... smaller is better
| PCMark 10 Score | 7761 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (62397 - 95631, n=25) | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (60544 - 90647, n=25) | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (64852 - 93451, n=25) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (125.8 - 173, n=25) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
LatencyMon reveals DPC issues when opening multiple tabs of our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise perfect with no dropped frames recorded.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
Our unit ships with the Samsung PM9A1 PCIe4 x4 NVMe SSD instead of the Kioxia on last year's m16 R1. The drive would exhibit no issues maintaining its maximum transfer rate of 7000 MB/s over extended periods. A heat spreader is included for each of the two M.2 2280 slots.
| Drive Performance Rating - Percent | |
| Alienware x16 R1 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 Intel | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M | |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
Graphics performance from our 140 W GeForce RTX 4070 is about 10 percent faster than the average laptop in our database equipped with the same GPU. While a downgrade from the m16 R1 by as much as 30 to 45 percent due to the lack of RTX 4080 or 4090 options, it's at least good to see that the RTX 4070 here is performing better than expected. Users who want the RTX 4080 or 4090 will have to consider the older m16 R1 or the pricier Alienware x16 series instead.
Interestingly, the performance differences between Overdrive, Performance, and Balanced modes are minor at best. This is surprising because dropping to Balanced mode would typically entail a 10 to 30 percent performance loss on most other gaming laptops, but Fire Strike scores would remain almost constant on our Alienware m16 R2. Dell has definitely altered the fan noise profiles and consequent performance behaviors during the development of this model.
| Power Profile | Graphics Score | Physics Score | Combined Score |
| Overdrive Mode | 30932 | 27306 | 12414 |
| Performance Mode | 31012 (-0%) | 28306 (-0%) | 12236 (-0%) |
| Balanced Mode | 30603 (-0%) | 28281 (-0%) | 12448 (-0%) |
| Battery Power | 24398 (-21%) | 24684 (-10%) | 10088 (-19%) |
Downgrading to the RTX 4060 configuration is expected to impact performance by 10 to 15 percent.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 34267 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 26458 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 12861 points | |
Help | ||
* ... smaller is better
| F1 22 | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Lenovo Legion 9 16IRX8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 AMD | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (39.2 - 88.7, n=29) | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 16IRX G9 | |
| HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| 2560x1440 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Lenovo Legion 9 16IRX8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 AMD | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (10.6 - 58.8, n=28) | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 16IRX G9 | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| 3840x2160 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Alienware m16 R1 AMD | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (4.7 - 27.6, n=14) | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| The Witcher 3 | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
| Lenovo Legion 9 16IRX8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 AMD | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Lenovo Legion 7 16IAX7-82TD004SGE | |
| HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (69.8 - 133.7, n=50) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 GU603Z | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 16IRX G9 | |
| HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 16ARHA7 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 GU603H | |
| Dell G16 7620 | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| 3840x2160 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off) | |
| Alienware m16 R1 AMD | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (26.5 - 83.5, n=13) | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| Tiny Tina's Wonderlands | |
| 1920x1080 Badass Preset (DX12) | |
| Lenovo Legion 9 16IRX8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 AMD | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (58.6 - 115.9, n=13) | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| 2560x1440 Badass Preset (DX12) | |
| Lenovo Legion 9 16IRX8 | |
| Alienware m16 R1 AMD | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (49.8 - 79.5, n=13) | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| 3840x2160 Badass Preset (DX12) | |
| Alienware m16 R1 AMD | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (28.3 - 39.7, n=10) | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra Preset | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (71.3 - 128.5, n=12) | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| 2560x1440 Ultra Preset | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (54.4 - 89.6, n=11) | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| 3840x2160 Ultra Preset | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (34.2 - 45.2, n=5) | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 Phantom Liberty | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra Preset (FSR off) | |
| Lenovo Legion 9 16IRX8 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 16IRX G9 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (64.3 - 89.5, n=16) | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| 2560x1440 Ultra Preset (FSR off) | |
| Lenovo Legion 9 16IRX8 | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (39.6 - 57.1, n=16) | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 16IRX G9 | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
| 3840x2160 Ultra Preset (FSR off) | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (21 - 24, n=5) | |
| Alienware m16 R2 | |
| Framework Laptop 16 | |
Witcher 3 FPS Chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | QHD | 4K | |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 399.6 | 344.6 | 240.5 | 121.3 | 72 | |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 166.8 | 149 | 149.5 | 139.7 | 130.6 | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 184.6 | 165.1 | 119.3 | 85.2 | 48.5 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 132.3 | 116 | 90.8 | 78.2 | ||
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 146 | 134 | 123 | 115 | 61 | |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 427 | 308 | 255 | 219 | 141.7 | 73.8 |
| Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (2022) | 244 | 202.8 | 138.3 | 107.6 | 74.6 | 34.8 |
| F1 22 (2022) | 235 | 225 | 217 | 83.6 | 52.9 | 26.6 |
| Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 168.7 | 148.9 | 129.3 | 128.5 | 88.3 | 44.3 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 Phantom Liberty (2023) | 125.7 | 114.1 | 95.6 | 83.1 | 52.7 | 21 |
Emissions
System Noise
Fan noise behavior has improved significantly from the m16 R1. When running 3DMark 06 on Balanced mode, for example, the m16 R2 would remain quieter for longer at 32 dB(A) whereas the m16 R1 would be unnecesarily loud as 52 dB(A) throughout the first benchmark scene. This makes the m16 R2 more comparable to competitors like the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 when under similar conditions.
Fan noise when gaming is tied closely to the power profile selected. For example, fan noise would settle at 52 dB(A), 54 dB(A), and 62 dB(A) when running Witcher 3 on Balanced mode, Performance mode, and Overdrive mode, respectively. Since the performance deltas between these three modes are very minor as mentioned above, we recommend gaming on Performance mode and avoiding Overdrive mode for most scenarios. The 62 dB(A) maximum is much louder than what we recorded on even the more powerful Alienware x16 R1, but this mode is primarily for end-user overclocking purposes; Performance mode is sufficient for stock settings.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 25.3 / 25.3 / 25.3 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 31.7 / 62 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.7 dB(A) | ||
| Alienware m16 R2 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Ultra 7 155H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR | Alienware m16 R1 Intel NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, i7-13700HX, Kioxia KXG70ZNV512G | Alienware x16 R1 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, i9-13900HK, SK hynix PC801 HFS001TEJ9X101N | HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, i9-14900HX, Kioxia XG8 KXG80ZNV1T02 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Ultra 7 155H, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00 | Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, R7 7840HS, WDC PC SN810 1TB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -8% | 1% | -8% | 2% | 0% | |
| off / environment * | 24.7 | 25 -1% | 22.7 8% | 24 3% | 23.9 3% | 24 3% |
| Idle Minimum * | 25.3 | 25 1% | 23.1 9% | 29 -15% | 23.9 6% | 25 1% |
| Idle Average * | 25.3 | 26 -3% | 25.8 -2% | 30 -19% | 27.8 -10% | 28 -11% |
| Idle Maximum * | 25.3 | 27 -7% | 25.8 -2% | 31 -23% | 30.1 -19% | 31 -23% |
| Load Average * | 31.7 | 52 -64% | 39.3 -24% | 45 -42% | 34.2 -8% | 33 -4% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 53.8 | 51 5% | 49.9 7% | 44 18% | 46.4 14% | 47 13% |
| Load Maximum * | 62 | 53 15% | 54.8 12% | 47 24% | 46.4 25% | 49 21% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Hot spots when running demanding loads like games are concentrated toward the rear of the chassis where hands are unlikely to touch. The palm rests and keyboard would remain reasonably cool in the mid 20 C and 30 C range, respectively, while the rear can approach 50 C. Average surface temperatures are warmer than what we recorded on the Blade 16 but still cooler than on the HP Omen Transcend 16 where certain areas can reach over 60 C.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.8 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 48 °C / 118 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.9 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.7 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.2 °C / 81 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+1.7 °C / 3 F).
| Alienware m16 R2 Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU | Alienware m16 R1 Intel Intel Core i7-13700HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU | Alienware x16 R1 Intel Core i9-13900HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU | HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng Intel Core i9-14900HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU | Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU | Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | -3% | 3% | 3% | 10% | 8% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 44.8 | 49 -9% | 47.2 -5% | 49 -9% | 50.3 -12% | 46 -3% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 48 | 48 -0% | 47.8 -0% | 63 -31% | 48 -0% | 46 4% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 37.2 | 40 -8% | 36.8 1% | 30 19% | 28.8 23% | 33 11% |
| Idle Bottom * | 42 | 39 7% | 35.8 15% | 29 31% | 29.8 29% | 34 19% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
Alienware m16 R2 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 15% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 9% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | bass is linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (4.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 0% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 0% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy Management — Leaner And Less Power-Hungry
Power Consumption
Idling on desktop can be as low as 8 W when set to minimum brightness on Quiet mode and iGPU mode or up to 40 W when set to maximum brightness on Overdrive mode and dGPU mode. You'll want to be on Balanced mode and iGPU mode when the extra horsepower isn't needed to extend battery life as shown in the next section.
When gaming or running CPU-heavy loads, overall consumption becomes about the same as what we recorded on the RTX 4060-powered m16 R1 for slightly higher performance-per-watt.
The m16 R2 can be configured to ship with a small (~15.2 x 7.7 x 2.3 cm) 240 W GaN AC adapter whereas the m16 R1 ships with a larger (~20 x 10 x 4.5 cm) 330 W one to accommodate the RTX 4080 and 4090 configurations. Some SKUs like ours may ship with a 280 W AC adapter instead.
| Off / Standby | 0.04 / 0.06 Watt |
| Idle | 8.1 / 13 / 40.3 Watt |
| Load |
79 / 254.9 Watt |
   
| |
| Alienware m16 R2 Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Alienware m16 R1 Intel i7-13700HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, Kioxia KXG70ZNV512G, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Alienware x16 R1 i9-13900HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, SK hynix PC801 HFS001TEJ9X101N, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng i9-14900HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Kioxia XG8 KXG80ZNV1T02, OLED, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00, OLED, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 R7 7840HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, WDC PC SN810 1TB, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -10% | -77% | -13% | 24% | -67% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 8.1 | 10 -23% | 25.2 -211% | 10 -23% | 8.3 -2% | 33 -307% |
| Idle Average * | 13 | 14 -8% | 29.9 -130% | 18 -38% | 12.5 4% | 35 -169% |
| Idle Maximum * | 40.3 | 21 48% | 49.8 -24% | 32 21% | 12.8 68% | 45 -12% |
| Load Average * | 79 | 119 -51% | 105.4 -33% | 128 -62% | 71.3 10% | 59 25% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 188.1 | 186.7 1% | 263 -40% | 148.4 21% | 127.5 32% | 131 30% |
| Load Maximum * | 254.9 | 323 -27% | 313.8 -23% | 242 5% | 169.1 34% | 177 31% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Witcher 3 / Stresstest
Power Consumption external Monitor
Battery Life
Battery capacity is actually slightly bigger this year at 90 Wh despite the smaller chassis design. It also appears that Dell has fixed the battery life issues we experienced on many older Alienware laptops; web browsing on Balanced and Optimus mode would last a whopping 8 hours compared to almost half that on the Alienware m16 R1. The system can even outlast the latest Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605M by almost an hour.
Charging from empty to full capacity takes about 90 minutes. Alternatively, charging to 85 percent would take just under 40 minutes. The model can also be recharged via generic USB-C adapters albeit much more slowly.
| Alienware m16 R2 Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, 90 Wh | Alienware m16 R1 Intel i7-13700HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, 86 Wh | Alienware x16 R1 i9-13900HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, 90 Wh | HP Omen Transcend 16-u1095ng i9-14900HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, 97 Wh | Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 GU605M Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, 90 Wh | Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 R7 7840HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, 99.9 Wh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -29% | -46% | -40% | 4% | -12% | |
| Reader / Idle | 758 | 383 -49% | 436 -42% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 483 | 286 -41% | 149 -69% | 292 -40% | 435 -10% | 424 -12% |
| Load | 60 | 62 3% | 44 -27% | 71 18% | ||
| H.264 | 336 | 671 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict — Striking A New Balance Between Gaming And Hybrid Work
The Alienware m16 R2 was created with one clear goal in mind: to be smaller than the Alienware m16 R1 even if it means compromising performance. The model is definitely much more portable than before, but users lose out on GeForce RTX 4080/4090 graphics, Core HX CPUs, and mechanical keys in the process. Dell is hoping that by removing these enthusiast-level features in favor of a smaller design, the leaner m16 R2 can attract a larger audience of hybrid workers, students, and mainstream gamers who may have skipped over the more "hardcore" and less travel-friendly m16 R1 or x16 R1.
The end result is a system that balances all fronts extremely well from performance to battery life and portability whereas the m16 R1 focused almost entirely on performance at the cost of weight and runtimes. Even fan noise levels and behavior have improved to be more appropriate in classroom or office settings where the extra horsepower isn't needed. This is definitely the most well-rounded Alienware laptop we've tested due to all the hardware and software changes.
If you're content with GeForce RTX 4060 or 4070 graphics, then the Alienware m16 R2 is easily the best jack-of-all-trades option you can choose in the series. If you need more power and want to preserve portability, then the pricier Blade 16 is still the way to go.
While impressive and oftentimes surprising, the m16 R2 still faces stiff competition in the 16-inch category. The Razer Blade 16, for example, is still lighter, smaller, and faster than the m16 R2 and with deeper DCI-P3 colors. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is similarly lighter and with more display options, but GPU performance is slightly behind. In this scenario, Dell has priced the Alienware m16 R2 to be less expensive than both the Razer and Asus systems.
Price and Availability
Dell is now shipping the Alienware m16 R2 starting at $1650 for the RTX 4060 or up to $1850+ for the RTX 4070 configuration. The entry-level RTX 4050 configuration is also available for $1500.
Alienware m16 R2
-
02/24/2024 v7
Allen Ngo
Transparency
The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.
Pricecompare
