Dell Alienware m15 R3 runs an insane 30 degrees C cooler than the Alienware m15 R2 to address the biggest problem of the series

In our review of the Alienware m15 R2 last year, we criticized the laptop for its extremely high core temperatures when running demanding loads like gaming. Processors are expected to become very warm, of course, but reaching 99 C is unfavorable or even disturbing for PC enthusiasts and gamers who are more accustomed to the 60 C to 80 C range.

Thankfully, it appears that the engineers at Dell were well aware of this key drawback of the Alienware m15 R2 as the new Alienware m15 R3 has brought significant cooling improvements. The twin fans have 25 percent more blades, the copper pipes are 39 percent heavier, and the CPU now incorporates a vapor chamber cooler if configured with an Nvidia GPU. These integral changes have reduced core temperatures significantly by as much as 30 C when gaming according to our own tests without even needing to change the look, size, or thickness of the chassis.

The main drawback to the m15 R3 when compared to the m15 R2 is its slightly heavier weight of about 100 g more, but this is a small price to pay for the more tangible decrease in running temperatures. Fan noise remains about the same gen-to-gen and so the latest model isn't any quieter or louder than its immediate predecessor.

See our full review on the Alienware m15 R3 to learn more about Dell's latest ultra-thin gaming laptop. If you're in the market for a new Alienware, it may be worth skipping the 2019 m15 R2 for the 2020 m15 R3 due to the crucial improvements in cooling.