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MagyarAlienware x15 R1 laptop review: Dell's thinnest UFO has landed
The Alienware x15 R1 kicks off a new generation of 15.6-inch Alienware laptops to replace the older Alienware m15 series. As detailed in the original announcement, the latest model completely revamps the Legend chassis design introduced on the Alienware m15 R2 for a thinner and sleeker look.
Current SKUs range from the 11th gen Core i7-11800H CPU with GeForce RTX 3060 graphics and 165 Hz FHD display for about $2000 USD up to the Core i9-11900H with RTX 3070 and 360 Hz FHD display for about $3000 USD. Dell is planning on launching RTX 3080 options in the months ahead. Our configuration in review is a middle SKU with the i7-11800H, RTX 3070, and 240 Hz QHD display for about $2700 USD.
Competitors to the Alienware x15 R1 include other ultrathin 15.6-inch gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 15, MSI GS66, Asus Zephyrus S15, Acer Predator Triton 700, or Aorus 15G. A larger 17.3-inch version of the x15 R1 is available called the Alienware x17 R1.
More Dell reviews:
potential competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87.2 % | 09/2021 | Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 2.4 kg | 15.9 mm | 15.60" | 2560x1440 | |
| 86.1 % | 06/2021 | Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | 2.4 kg | 20 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 84 % | 02/2021 | MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG i7-10870H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 2.1 kg | 19.8 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 88.9 % | 07/2021 | Razer Blade 15 Advanced (Mid 2021) i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | 2 kg | 16.99 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82.9 % | 09/2020 | Asus Zephyrus S15 GX502L i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile | 2.1 kg | 19 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.8 % | 07/2021 | Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-786B i7-10750H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 2.2 kg | 22.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case — Thinner but Wider
The new chassis can be best described as an Alienware m15 R2 but flatter since the x15 R1 is very nearly the same in terms of length and width and it uses almost the same chassis materials for a similar feel. Gone are the tacky glossy plastic bars along the front edge and bottom bezel for a more uniform matte build. The chassis is quite close to looking like an Ultrabook while maintaining all the original aspects of the m15 R2 Legend design like the honeycomb grilles and rear RGB LED ring.
Chassis rigidity is a slight downgrade from the m15 R2/R3/R4/R5. Both the base and lid flex more readily from their respective corners and with slightly more creaking than on the older thicker design. Applying pressure on the keyboard center or outer lid will result in a bit of flexing as well. We find the overall build to be comparable to the MSI GS66 while being a few steps down from the Razer Blade 15.
Unlike the Alienware x17 R1 which is actually slightly thicker and heavier than the older Alienware m17 R4 that it replaces, the Alienware x15 R1 is thinner than the Alienware m15 R5 while weighing about the same. This also means that the x15 continues to be one of the largest and heaviest ultra-thin gaming laptops in its size category as competing models like the Zephyrus S15 or Razer Blade 15 are smaller and lighter by discernable margins. The large footprint of the x15 is perhaps the price to pay for such a thin profile.
Certain SKUs with the FHD 165Hz panel will be thicker than our QHD SKU by fractions of a millimeter (16.3 vs. 15.9 mm).
Connectivity — More and Less than Before
Port options have been cut from the older Alienware m15 R4. Owners now have just one USB-A port instead of three while RJ-45, mini DisplayPort, and the Graphics Amplifier port have all been dropped. The system gains a second USB-C port which is arguably more versatile depending on the scenario.
Almost all ports are along the rear of the chassis which can make accessibility difficult. Furthermore, these ports can be difficult to see since they do not light up or have easy-to-read symbols.
SD Card Reader
We commend Dell for integrating a MicroSD reader as most ultrathin 15.6-inch gaming laptops don't have one at all including the Asus Zephyrus S15, MSI GS66, or Razer Blade 15. Transfer rates are very fast with our UHS-II test card at around 200 MB/s.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F (AV Pro V60) | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F (AV Pro V60) | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Communication — W-Fi 6E Standard
All SKUs come with the Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675x WLAN module to replace last year's Killer AX1650w. Unlike the Intel AX210, these Killer modules are compatible with the Killer Performance Suite and all of its software features.
Webcam
Camera quality remains poor at only 720p and with no webcam shutter. IR is included for Windows Hello support.
Maintenance
The bottom panel is secured by just six Philips screws for easy servicing and upgrades. RAM is soldered, however, and so users will only be able to upgrade the M.2 SSDs. Competing models like the Razer Blade 15 or MSI GS66 have SODIMM slots for user upgrades in comparison.
Accessories and Warranty
There are no extras in the box other than the AC adapter and paperwork. The usual one-year limited warranty applies with plenty of extras if ordered from Dell.
Input Devices — Crisper keys
Keyboard
The x15 utilizes standard membrane-based keys with per-key RGB backlighting which is an upgrade from the quad-zone lighting on the Alienware m15 R4. Feedback is crisper and firmer than expected with its 1.5 mm key travel to avoid the soft and overly shallow keys on most Ultrabooks. We find the system to be more comfortable for typing than on the Asus Zephyrus series or Razer Blade 15. The Enter and Space keys are significantly louder than the quieter QWERTY keys, however.
Secondary key symbols are annoyingly unlit unlike on the older m15 series. The x17 R1 keyboard has this same issue as well.
Touchpad
Clickpad surface area has not changed from last year's model at only 10.5 x 6 cm. Traction is smooth when gliding at medium or faster speeds while slower speeds will have a bit of sticking for more accurate clicking. Unfortunately, clicking continues to be on the spongy side for a somewhat unsatisfying feedback. Furthermore, the dark gray color will accentuate fingerprints much more readily when compared to the white clickpad on last year's Alienware m15 series.
Display — No More OLED Options
The LG Philips 156QHG 1440p IPS panel is the first to appear in our database. Its attributes are excellent with fast response times of 6 ms, fast 240 Hz refresh rate, wide color coverage at nearly 100 percent of DCI-P3, and a bright 400-nit backlight that's brighter than many other 15.6-inch gaming laptops including the new MSI GS66. Perhaps its biggest drawback is its unexceptional contrast ratio of about 900:1 which is more middle-of-the-road considering the asking price.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 409.5 cd/m²
Contrast: 871:1 (Black: 0.47 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.48 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.95, calibrated: 0.89
ΔE Greyscale 5 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
99.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.16
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F LG Philips 156QHG, IPS, 15.6", 2560x1440 | Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 LG Philips LGD066E (156WFG), IPS, 15.6", 1920x1080 | MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG AU Optronics B156HAN12.0, IPS, 15.6", 1920x1080 | Razer Blade 15 Advanced (Mid 2021) TL156VDXP02-0, IPS, 15.6", 1920x1080 | Asus Zephyrus S15 GX502L B156HAN12.0 (AUOBC8C), IPS, 15.6", 1920x1080 | Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-786B Sharp LQ156M1JW09, IPS, 15.6", 1920x1080 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -14% | -17% | -18% | -15% | -16% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 97.8 | 70.1 -28% | 67.7 -31% | 66.9 -32% | 69.7 -29% | 68.4 -30% |
| sRGB Coverage | 99.9 | 99.8 0% | 98.4 -2% | 97.1 -3% | 99.7 0% | 99.4 -1% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 71.5 | 69.1 | 69 | 71.1 | 70.4 | |
| Response Times | 23% | -16% | 35% | -5% | -8% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 12 ? | 7.6 ? 37% | 14.4 ? -20% | 4.2 ? 65% | 14 ? -17% | 15.2 ? -27% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 10.4 ? | 9.6 ? 8% | 11.6 ? -12% | 10 ? 4% | 9.6 ? 8% | 9.2 ? 12% |
| PWM Frequency | 23580 ? | |||||
| Screen | 19% | -1% | 12% | 9% | 3% | |
| Brightness middle | 409.5 | 347 -15% | 259.5 -37% | 353.4 -14% | 283 -31% | 312 -24% |
| Brightness | 390 | 318 -18% | 264 -32% | 340 -13% | 289 -26% | 290 -26% |
| Brightness Distribution | 88 | 86 -2% | 90 2% | 92 5% | 90 2% | 87 -1% |
| Black Level * | 0.47 | 0.31 34% | 0.25 47% | 0.31 34% | 0.24 49% | 0.32 32% |
| Contrast | 871 | 1119 28% | 1038 19% | 1140 31% | 1179 35% | 975 12% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.48 | 1.68 52% | 2.52 28% | 2.17 38% | 2.26 35% | 3.03 13% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.31 | 3.03 52% | 5.55 12% | 5.69 10% | 5.64 11% | 6.81 -8% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.89 | 1.08 -21% | 1.93 -117% | 1.05 -18% | 1.11 -25% | 0.71 20% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5 | 1.8 64% | 1.7 66% | 3.4 32% | 3.4 32% | 4.7 6% |
| Gamma | 2.16 102% | 2.262 97% | 2.04 108% | 2.2 100% | 2.228 99% | 2.177 101% |
| CCT | 6591 99% | 6592 99% | 6414 101% | 6830 95% | 7249 90% | 6676 97% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 71 | 63.3 | 71 | |||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 94 | 98.8 | 93 | |||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 9% /
15% | -11% /
-6% | 10% /
11% | -4% /
3% | -7% /
-2% |
* ... smaller is better
Dell advertises 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage which we can confirm with our own independent measurements. This 8-bit panel is therefore suitable for both gaming and most graphics editing with its deep colors and fast response times.
The display is decently calibrated out of the box with average grayscale and color deltaE values of 5 and 3.48, respectively. Additional calibration efforts can bring these values down due to the aforementioned wide color coverage as shown by our CalMan results below.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 4.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 24 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.1 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 12 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 21 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.2 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 17348 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Outdoor visibility is better than on many other gaming laptops simply due to the brighter 400-nit backlight when compared to the 300-nit average for the category. The display is usable when under shade much like on the Dell XPS 15, but users should still avoid direct sunlight when possible.
Performance — GPU TGP gets a slight Downgrade
Users can choose between the 11th gen Tiger Lake Core i7-11800H or Core i9-11900H with GeForce RTX 3060, RTX 3070, or RTX 3080 Ampere graphics targeting 90 W, 110 W, or 110 W TGP, respectively. This is actually a downgrade from last year's Alienware m15 R4 where the GPU could reach up to 140 W TGP. It's a Max-Q GPU for all intents and purposes even if "Max-Q" is no longer part of the name.
Dynamic Boost 2.0, WhisperMode 2.0, and Advanced Optimus with G-Sync are all supported. In fact, the Alienware x15 is one of the very few gaming laptops with Advanced Optimus in the first place. Keep in mind that the feature is only available on the 240 Hz QHD and 360 Hz FHD SKUs. Users should also install the latest 1.3.0 BIOS patch which allows for running on discrete GPU mode only.
Our test unit was set to High Performance mode via the Alienware Command Center software prior to running our benchmarks below for the highest possible scores.
Processor — Faster than Expected
Raw CPU performance is excellent with multi-thread results that are 15 percent faster than the average laptop in our database equipped with the same Core i7-11800H CPU including the Razer Blade 15. This puts our system neck-to-neck with the competing Ryzen 9 5900HX which is normally faster than the i7-11800H. Performance sustainability is also excellent as shown by our steady CineBench R15 xT results below.
Upgrading to the Core i9-11900H is only expected to bring very marginal performance benefits over our i7-11800H based on our experiences with the processor on other laptops like the Asus Zephyrus S17.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H (520 - 586, n=47) | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G533QS | |
| Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R1JH | |
| Dell G5 15 SE 5505 P89F | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model Early 2021 | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| SCHENKER XMG Pro 15 | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G533QS | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
| Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R1JH | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H (6508 - 14088, n=48) | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model Early 2021 | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H (1386 - 1522, n=45) | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G533QS | |
| Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R1JH | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model Early 2021 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H (1429 - 1625, n=40) | |
| Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R1JH | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model Early 2021 | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| Dell G5 15 SE 5505 P89F | |
| SCHENKER XMG Pro 15 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H (4655 - 9851, n=40) | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| Dell G5 15 SE 5505 P89F | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R1JH | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model Early 2021 | |
| SCHENKER XMG Pro 15 | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G533QS | |
| Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R1JH | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H (7.38 - 17.4, n=46) | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| Dell G5 15 SE 5505 P89F | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model Early 2021 | |
| SCHENKER XMG Pro 15 | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R1JH | |
| Dell G5 15 SE 5505 P89F | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model Early 2021 | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G533QS | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H (38.6 - 59.9, n=45) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
PCMark 10 scores are excellent with results that are consistently ahead of last year's Alienware m15 R4 save for the productivity category since our m15 R4 was equipped with faster RAID 0 drives.
We experienced an issue with our test unit where the screen would suddenly go black when changing thermal profiles via the Alienware Command Center software and so a hard reboot would be required. Though we're not able to reliably repeat the problem, it is worth mentioning nonetheless especially since our x17 test unit last week had no such issues.
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced (Mid 2021) | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU (6126 - 7311, n=11) | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-786B | |
| Asus Zephyrus S15 GX502L | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced (Mid 2021) | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU (9248 - 10832, n=11) | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| Asus Zephyrus S15 GX502L | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-786B | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU (8571 - 9669, n=11) | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced (Mid 2021) | |
| Asus Zephyrus S15 GX502L | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-786B | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced (Mid 2021) | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU (7627 - 10851, n=11) | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-786B | |
| Asus Zephyrus S15 GX502L | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 7217 points | |
Help | ||
DPC Latency
LatencyMon shows minor DPC latency issues when opening multiple browser tabs on our homepage and when running Prime95 to stress the CPU. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise perfect with no dropped frames on iGPU mode.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Asus Zephyrus S15 GX502L | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced (Mid 2021) | |
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
| Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 | |
| MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-786B | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices — PCIe4 x4 Support
Users can install up to two M.2 drives in RAID 0 configuration. Only one slot is compatible with PCIe4, however, while the other can support up to PCIe3 much like on the Alienware x17 R1. Current x15 R1 SKUs ship only with PCIe3 NVMe SSDs much like the 512 GB WD SN730 on our test unit. Transfer rates are generally comparable to the Samsung PM981a as found on other high-end gaming machines like the Razer Blade series.
| Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G | Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3080 2x WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G (RAID 0) | MSI GS66 Stealth 10UG WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-1T00 | Razer Blade 15 Advanced (Mid 2021) SSSTC CA6-8D1024 | Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-786B Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS SSD | 29% | 37% | 90% | 34% | |
| Seq Read | 2871 | 2888 1% | 2198 -23% | 5739 100% | 2792 -3% |
| Seq Write | 1511 | 2786 84% | 2596 72% | 4201 178% | 2311 53% |
| 4K Read | 44.3 | 41.98 -5% | 43.81 -1% | 53.8 21% | 48.34 9% |
| 4K Write | 162 | 108 -33% | 115.5 -29% | 179.2 11% | 93.9 -42% |
| 4K-64 Read | 1038 | 1396 34% | 1692 63% | 2959 185% | 1516 46% |
| 4K-64 Write | 966 | 1234 28% | 2162 124% | 1891 96% | 1940 101% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.077 | 0.056 27% | 0.056 27% | 0.027 65% | |
| Access Time Write * | 0.066 | 0.035 47% | 0.098 -48% | 0.154 -133% | 0.04 39% |
| Score Read | 1370 | 1727 26% | 1956 43% | 3587 162% | 1843 35% |
| Score Write | 1279 | 1621 27% | 2537 98% | 2490 95% | 2265 77% |
| Score Total | 3288 | 4227 29% | 5513 68% | 7821 138% | 5030 53% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 1962 | 1868 -5% | 2236 14% | 3027 54% | 1921 -2% |
| Copy Program MB/s | 407.9 | 812 99% | 690 69% | 1177 189% | 581 42% |
| Copy Game MB/s | 1105 | 1596 44% | 1546 40% | 2170 96% | 1454 32% |
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -1% | 4% | 81% | -29% | |
| Write 4K | 179.6 | 114.2 -36% | 163.1 -9% | 295.6 65% | 76.2 -58% |
| Read 4K | 49.21 | 43.77 -11% | 48.97 0% | 85.7 74% | 34.32 -30% |
| Write Seq | 2062 | 2607 26% | 4149 101% | 776 -62% | |
| Read Seq | 1849 | 2316 25% | 4203 127% | 2169 17% | |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 462.9 | 464.5 0% | 338 -27% | 715 54% | 357.3 -23% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 470.2 | 546 16% | 475.6 1% | 709 51% | 429.6 -9% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 2702 | 3233 20% | 3090 14% | 4681 73% | 788 -71% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3371 | 3473 3% | 3421 1% | 6905 105% | 3542 5% |
| Write 4K Q8T8 | 1375 | ||||
| Read 4K Q8T8 | 1447 | ||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 14% /
20% | 21% /
25% | 86% /
87% | 3% /
10% |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
Our mobile GeForce RTX 3070 is performing where we expect it to be relative to other laptops with the same GPU. Unfortunately, this is somewhat disappointing because the older Alienware m15 R4 with RTX 3070 would consistently outscore our newer x15 R1 by 10 percent in all 3DMark benchmarks. We suspect that the comparatively lower TGP target of the x15 R1 (110 W vs. 140 W) is responsible for the overall slower graphics performance.
Upgrading to the RTX 3080 SKU is not expected to increase graphics performance significantly over our RTX 3070 especially since it is targeting the exact same 110 W TGP limit. Instead, the larger gains will be between the RTX 3060 and 3070 SKUs.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 26664 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 54226 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 21911 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 9767 points | |
Help | ||
| The Witcher 3 | |
| 1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Razer Blade 15 Advanced (Mid 2021) | |
| MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio | |