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Good-bye, Max-Q: Dell Alienware m17 R3 GeForce RTX 2080 Super Laptop Review

3 kg of power.

The Alienware m17 R3 may look the same as the m17 R2 from the outside, but it has been completely redesigned on the inside. The system swaps out GeForce Max-Q GPUs for full-fledged GeForce Super options for even faster gen-over-gen performance.
Comet Lake Gaming Geforce Laptop

Much like the jump from the Alienware m15 R2 to the m15 R3, the jump from the Alienware m17 R2 to the m17 R3 includes mostly internal changes to address the super-high core temperatures that plagued previous models. Most notably, Dell has added vapor chamber cooling to the m17 R3 series to allow for faster GeForce 2070 Super and 2080 Super GPU options whereas the m17 R2 was limited to "only" the GeForce 2070 Max-Q or 2080 Max-Q.

Our unit today has been fully configured with the Core i9-10980HK CPU, GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU, 32 GB of RAM, and 300 Hz 1080p display for about $4000 USD. Lesser SKUs are available starting for about half the price. We recommend taking a look at our Alienware m17 R2 review since the m17 R3 shares the same physical features.

Competitors in this space include other high-performance ultra-thin 17.3-inch gaming laptops like the MSI GS75, Razer Blade 15, Asus ROG GX701, or the Acer Predator Helios 700

More Dell reviews:

Alienware m17 R3 P45E (m17 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i9-10980HK 8 x 2.4 - 5.3 GHz, Comet Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1365 MHz, RAM: 1750 MHz, GDDR6, 442.94
Memory
32 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 19-19-19-43, Dual-Channel
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, AU Optronics B173HAN, IPS, AUOBE8E, Dell P/N: 7783G, glossy: no, 300 Hz
Mainboard
Intel HM470
Storage
2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0), 1024 GB 
Soundcard
NVIDIA TU104 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20Gbps, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: MicroSD reader
Networking
Killer E3000 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000/2500MBit/s), Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650w (ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 20.7 x 399.8 x 294.3 ( = 0.81 x 15.74 x 11.59 in)
Battery
86 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Quad speakers, Alienware Command Center, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.988 kg ( = 105.4 oz / 6.59 pounds), Power Supply: 1.488 kg ( = 52.49 oz / 3.28 pounds)
Price
4000 USD
Links
Alienware homepage
Alienware notebook section
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Price
85.3 %
v7 (old)
09 / 2020
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile		3 kg20.7 mm17.30"1920x1080
84.3 %
v7 (old)
08 / 2020
Eluktronics RP-17
R7 4800H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile		2.6 kg30 mm17.30"1920x1080
83.7 %
v7 (old)
07 / 2020
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q		2.3 kg18.9 mm17.30"1920x1080
82.7 %
v7 (old)
07 / 2020
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile		2.9 kg26.5 mm17.30"1920x1080
85.1 %
v7 (old)
07 / 2020
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
i7-10750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile		2.6 kg27.5 mm17.30"1920x1080
87.4 %
v7 (old)
06 / 2020
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q		2.7 kg19.9 mm17.30"1920x1080

Case

The chassis remains nearly identical to the Alienware m17 R2 and so all of our previous comments apply here on the m17 R3. A notable difference is that the m17 R3 is roughly 400 g heavier (3 kg vs. 1.6 kg) without being any larger meaning that this is a very dense system. The weight gain is largely attributed to the new vapor chamber cooler that was not present on last year's model.

Same white ABS plastic and metal materials as the m15 R2, m15 R3, and m17 R2
Same white ABS plastic and metal materials as the m15 R2, m15 R3, and m17 R2
The matte look and slightly roughened surfaces hide fingerprints well
The matte look and slightly roughened surfaces hide fingerprints well
No Tobii on our configuration. The eye-tracking feature remains optional on some SKUs
No Tobii on our configuration. The eye-tracking feature remains optional on some SKUs
Maximum lid angle is limited because of the extended rear
Maximum lid angle is limited because of the extended rear
At nearly 3 kg, the Alienware m17 R3 is heavier than most other ultra-thin gaming laptops
At nearly 3 kg, the Alienware m17 R3 is heavier than most other ultra-thin gaming laptops
Both the hexagonal cooling grilles and circular LED light along the rear return
Both the hexagonal cooling grilles and circular LED light along the rear return
❌
399 mm / 15.7 in 293 mm / 11.5 in 26.5 mm / 1.043 in 2.9 kg6.37 lbs395 mm / 15.6 in 261 mm / 10.3 in 30 mm / 1.181 in 2.6 kg5.63 lbs397 mm / 15.6 in 269 mm / 10.6 in 27.5 mm / 1.083 in 2.6 kg5.78 lbs399.8 mm / 15.7 in 294.3 mm / 11.6 in 20.7 mm / 0.815 in 3 kg6.59 lbs396 mm / 15.6 in 259 mm / 10.2 in 18.9 mm / 0.744 in 2.3 kg5.11 lbs395 mm / 15.6 in 260 mm / 10.2 in 19.9 mm / 0.783 in 2.7 kg5.99 lbs297 mm / 11.7 in 210 mm / 8.27 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

An easy way to distinguish the Alienware m17 R3 from the m17 R2 is by looking at the right edge of the system. If you see a MicroSD slot, then it is the m17 R3 as the m17 R2 has no SD card reader at all.

All other physical ports remain the same gen-to-gen including the Graphics Amplifier Port. The practicality of such a port is questionable when the internal GPU is already a GeForce 2080 Super.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: MicroSD reader, 2x USB-A Gen. 1
Right: MicroSD reader, 2x USB-A Gen. 1
Rear: HDMI 2.0b, mini-DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C w/ Thunderbolt 3, Graphics Amplifier, AC adapter
Rear: HDMI 2.0b, mini-DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C w/ Thunderbolt 3, Graphics Amplifier, AC adapter
Left: Noble lock, RJ-45 2.5 Gbps, USB-A Gen. 1, 3.5 mm combo
Left: Noble lock, RJ-45 2.5 Gbps, USB-A Gen. 1, 3.5 mm combo

SD Card Reader

The new SD card reader offers very fast transfer rates similar to the XPS series. It's just too bad that it isn't a full-size SD reader when considering the large 17.3-inch screen size.

Fully inserted MicroSD card sits flush against the edge
Fully inserted MicroSD card sits flush against the edge
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
212 MB/s
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
208.5 MB/s -2%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
204.8 MB/s -3%
Eluktronics RP-17
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.2 MB/s -83%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.4 MB/s -87%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
236.8 MB/s
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
209.7 MB/s -11%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
208.3 MB/s -12%
Eluktronics RP-17
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.8 MB/s -84%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
31.5 MB/s -87%

Communication

The Killer AX1650w comes standard on all configurations. Unlike the Intel AX200/201 on most other gaming laptops, the AX1650W is compatible with certain gaming-specific network features from Killer.

WLAN module is integrated and not removable
WLAN module is integrated and not removable
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1468 (1308min - 1587max) MBit/s +24%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1283 (1089min - 1413max) MBit/s +9%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1270 (1080min - 1388max) MBit/s +7%
Eluktronics RP-17
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1223 (1026min - 1365max) MBit/s +3%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650w
1182 (613min - 1213max) MBit/s
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1150 MBit/s -3%
iperf3 receive AX12
Eluktronics RP-17
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1453 (1227min - 1527max) MBit/s +5%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650w
1384 (1313min - 1423max) MBit/s
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1338 (743min - 1500max) MBit/s -3%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1270 MBit/s -8%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1182 (1085min - 1338max) MBit/s -15%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1177 (773min - 1353max) MBit/s -15%
050100150200250300350400450500550600650700750800850900950100010501100115012001250130013501400Tooltip
Alienware m17 R3 P45E; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1383 (1313-1423)
Alienware m17 R3 P45E; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1162 (613-1213)

Webcam

ColorChecker
9.1 ∆E
11.6 ∆E
9.2 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
12.4 ∆E
14.4 ∆E
7.5 ∆E
6.3 ∆E
13.8 ∆E
6.2 ∆E
12.5 ∆E
12.2 ∆E
7.4 ∆E
3.7 ∆E
13.5 ∆E
8 ∆E
12.1 ∆E
9.7 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
7.7 ∆E
5.5 ∆E
2 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
11.7 ∆E
ColorChecker Alienware m17 R3 P45E: 8.93 ∆E min: 2 - max: 14.38 ∆E

Maintenance

The bottom panel is easy to remove for quick access to the drives and battery. Note the completely different motherboard design and internal features when compared to the Alienware m17 R2. RAM, however, remains soldered.

Accessories and Warranty

There are no extras in the box outside of the AC adapter and paperwork. The standard one-year limited warranty applies with many extension options as is common from Dell.

Input Devices

Keyboard and Touchpad

Key layout and feedback haven't changed from the m17 R2 which is a good thing since we find the quiet clatter and firm feedback comfortable for typing. The dense base makes for a smoother typing experience when compared to most Ultrabooks and some ultra-thin gaming laptops like the MSI GS65.

Per-key RGB lighting. All symbols are lit unlike on some European Razer Blade SKUs
Per-key RGB lighting. All symbols are lit unlike on some European Razer Blade SKUs
Clickpad is decent in size (10 x 8 cm) with a firmer and louder click than on the new XPS 15
Clickpad is decent in size (10 x 8 cm) with a firmer and louder click than on the new XPS 15
Key travel is deeper and with stronger feedback than on the Razer Blade series
Key travel is deeper and with stronger feedback than on the Razer Blade series
Full-size NumPad keys with smaller directional keys
Full-size NumPad keys with smaller directional keys

Display

The high quality AU Optronics B173HAN IPS panel here is similar to the one on the Dell G7 17 7790 but at a higher 300 Hz native refresh rate. It's difficult to move back to 60 Hz once you spoil yourself with monitors capable of both fast refresh rates and fast response times. Dell recently announced 360 Hz options coming to future Alienware laptop models.

Choose between 1080p 144 Hz, 1080p 300 Hz, or 4K 60 Hz with Tobii eye-tracking or G-Sync on certain SKUs. There are no touchscreen options
Choose between 1080p 144 Hz, 1080p 300 Hz, or 4K 60 Hz with Tobii eye-tracking or G-Sync on certain SKUs. There are no touchscreen options
Very narrow side bezels
Very narrow side bezels
The screen and subpixels appear slightly grainy due to the matte overlay when compared to glossy
The screen and subpixels appear slightly grainy due to the matte overlay when compared to glossy
Moderate uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom corners. We expected better from a laptop at this price range
Moderate uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom corners. We expected better from a laptop at this price range
332.7
cd/m²		335.4
cd/m²		330.8
cd/m²
309.6
cd/m²		338.3
cd/m²		324.8
cd/m²
308.2
cd/m²		327
cd/m²		321.7
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B173HAN tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 338.3 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 325.4 cd/m² Minimum: 15.52 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 338.3 cd/m²
Contrast: 1253:1 (Black: 0.27 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.88 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86, calibrated: 1.32
ΔE Greyscale 2.4 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
97.8% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
71.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
69.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.39
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
AU Optronics B173HAN, IPS, 17.3", 1920x1080		Eluktronics RP-17
BOE NV173FHM-N44, IPS, 17.3", 1920x1080		MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Sharp LQ173M1JW05, IPS, 17.3", 1920x1080		Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
LQ173M1JW03 (SHP14DC), IPS, 17.3", 1920x1080		MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Chi Mei N173HCE-G33, IPS, 17.3", 1920x1080		Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Sharp LQ173M1JW02, IPS, 17.3", 1920x1080
Display
-7%
5%
1%
-3%
2%
Display P3 Coverage
69.2
64.7
-7%
75.6
9%
71
3%
65.6
-5%
72.2
4%
sRGB Coverage
97.9
92
-6%
99.8
2%
99
1%
98.1
0%
98.5
1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
71.4
65.8
-8%
75.1
5%
71.6
0%
67.8
-5%
73
2%
Response Times
-10%
62%
53%
49%
49%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
16.8 ?(11.6, 5.2)
22.4 ?(10.8, 11.6)
-33%
5 ?(2.2, 2.8)
70%
5.8 ?(2.4, 3.4)
65%
6.8 ?(3.4, 3.4)
60%
5.6 ?(2.6, 3)
67%
Response Time Black / White *
14 ?(7.6, 6.4)
12 ?(7.2, 4.8)
14%
6.6 ?(2.6, 4)
53%
8.4 ?(4.4, 4)
40%
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
37%
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
31%
PWM Frequency
943
25000 ?(18)
Screen
-43%
-10%
-33%
-5%
-59%
Brightness middle
338.3
311.5
-8%
299.4
-11%
310
-8%
337.9
0%
328
-3%
Brightness
325
301
-7%
299
-8%
311
-4%
305
-6%
329
1%
Brightness Distribution
91
91
0%
84
-8%
82
-10%
81
-11%
78
-14%
Black Level *
0.27
0.31
-15%
0.31
-15%
0.41
-52%
0.29
-7%
0.35
-30%
Contrast
1253
1005
-20%
966
-23%
756
-40%
1165
-7%
937
-25%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.88
4.13
-120%
1.82
3%
2.41
-28%
2.18
-16%
4.74
-152%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.23
7.32
-127%
3.91
-21%
8.59
-166%
3.9
-21%
8.99
-178%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.32
2.93
-122%
1.59
-20%
1.13
14%
0.69
48%
2.12
-61%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.4
3.3
-38%
2.7
-13%
4.3
-79%
3.1
-29%
6.8
-183%
Gamma
2.39 92%
2.17 101%
2.18 101%
2.149 102%
2.07 106%
2.2 100%
CCT
6572 99%
7157 91%
6837 95%
7059 92%
6882 94%
6446 101%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
64.7
59.5
-8%
67.1
4%
72
11%
62
-4%
64.8
0%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
97.8
91.6
-6%
99.8
2%
94
-4%
98.2
0%
98.6
1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-20% / -32%
19% / 2%
7% / -16%
14% / 2%
-3% / -34%

* ... smaller is better

Color space covers almost all of sRGB and 65 percent of AdobeRGB not unlike most other high refresh rate 1080p panels out there. The costlier 4K UHD configuration promises full AdobeRGB coverage but with slower response times and a slower refresh rate than the 1080p option.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

X-Rite colorimeter measurements show a well-calibrated display out of the box with very low grayscale and color deltaE values. Calibrating the panel ourselves would improve these values only marginally meaning that an end-user calibration is not really necessary.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
   ↔    Response Time Black to White
14 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7.6 ms rise
↘ 6.4 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. » 32 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
16.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 11.6 ms rise
↘ 5.2 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. » 28 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.4 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
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 8439 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

Display brightness hasn't changed by all that much from the m17 R2 and so outdoor visibility remains essentially the same. You're going to want to avoid sunlight to reduce glare as much as possible.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles. Only minor shifts in colors and contrast from extreme angles
Wide IPS viewing angles. Only minor shifts in colors and contrast from extreme angles

Performance

Alienware laptops target enthusiasts and the m17 R3 is no different as even the lowest-end configuration comes with a 10th gen Core i7-10750H CPU and Radeon RX 5500M graphics. However, keep in mind that the vapor chamber cooling is only available on the GeForce SKUs.

There are a couple of things to remember when configuring your m17 R3. Unlike on most other gaming laptops, RAM is soldered meaning that you'll have to choose between 16 GB or 32 GB DDR4-2666 very carefully. Secondly, Optimus is not included which will impact battery life and power consumption as we will demonstrate below.

We set the system to Turbo mode via Dell Command Center prior to running any performance benchmarks for the best possible scores.

Processor

CPU performance is excellent and faster than the average Core i9-10980HK in our database by about 15 percent. This is due to the excellent Turbo Boost sustainability of the Alienware m17 R3 as CineBench R15 xT scores remain relatively consistent even after 50 consecutive loops as shown by our graph below.

Still, raw performance is only a bit better than the Core i9-9980HK on the older Alienware m17 R2 by about 12 percent.

See our dedicated page on the Core i9-10980HK for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

01002003004005006007008009001000110012001300140015001600170018001900Tooltip
Alienware m17 R3 P45E GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0); CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1826 (1770.85-1836.46)
Eluktronics RP-17 GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H, Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1923 (1913.23-1932.18)
MSI GS75 10SF-609US GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1620 (1596.04-1713.21)
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Super Max-Q GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1366 (1323.8-1373.01)
Alienware m17 R2 P41E GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-9980HK, 2x SK Hynix PC601 NVMe 512 GB (RAID 0); CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1640 (1625.22-1699.96)
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 -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 (Multi Core)
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
6381 Points +42%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
4926 Points +10%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
4552 Points +1%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
4487 Points
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
4288 Points -4%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
4136 Points -8%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (3526 - 4487, n=13)
3933 Points -12%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
3885 Points -13%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
3712 Points -17%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
3178 Points -29%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
2924 Points -35%
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
2308 Points -49%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
532 Points +14%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
509 Points +9%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
498 Points +7%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
495 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (465 - 507, n=13)
488 Points +5%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
484 Points +4%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
478 Points +3%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
475 Points +2%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
465 Points
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
460 Points -1%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
441 Points -5%
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
421 Points -9%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
2620 Points +43%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
2022 Points +10%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
1932 (1913.23min - 1932.18max) Points +5%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
1863 Points +1%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1836 (1770.85min - 1836.46max) Points
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
1754 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (1606 - 1862, n=15)
1739 Points -5%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
1721 Points -6%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
1713 (1596.04min - 1713.21max) Points -7%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
1347 (1253.05min - 1347.16max) Points -27%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1217 Points -34%
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
1116 (974.99min - 1115.73max) Points -39%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
224 Points +8%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
212 Points +2%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
208 Points
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (198 - 219, n=15)
207 Points 0%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
203 Points -2%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
198 Points -5%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
195 Points -6%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
193 Points -7%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
189 Points -9%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
189 Points -9%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
187 Points -10%
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
173 Points -17%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
466 Seconds * -95%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
347 Seconds * -45%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
297 Seconds * -24%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
293 Seconds * -23%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
280 Seconds * -17%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (239 - 299, n=13)
277 Seconds * -16%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
248 Seconds * -4%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
239 Seconds *
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
167.3 Seconds * +30%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
5954 MIPS +8%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
5493 MIPS
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (5081 - 5542, n=13)
5386 MIPS -2%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
5232 MIPS -5%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
5026 MIPS -9%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
4924 MIPS -10%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
4634 MIPS -16%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
4634 MIPS -16%
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
4580 MIPS -17%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
70968 MIPS +52%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
50428 MIPS +8%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
48577 MIPS +4%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
48397 MIPS +4%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (43786 - 49275, n=13)
47126 MIPS +1%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
46659 MIPS
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
46591 MIPS 0%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
36370 MIPS -22%
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
29342 MIPS -37%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
1449 Points +7%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1351 Points
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (1283 - 1401, n=12)
1339 Points -1%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
1300 Points -4%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
1271 Points -6%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
1219 Points -10%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
1218 Points -10%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
1176 Points -13%
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
1117 Points -17%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
11414 Points +43%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
8845 Points +11%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
8363 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (7634 - 8666, n=12)
8175 Points +2%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
7991 Points
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
7864 Points -2%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
7675 Points -4%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
6298 Points -21%
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
4897 Points -39%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
21 fps +44%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
14.6 fps
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
13.1 fps -10%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (12 - 14.6, n=13)
13 fps -11%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
12.8 fps -12%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
12.19 fps -17%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
11.86 fps -19%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
10.5 fps -28%
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
8.2 fps -44%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
76 s * -54%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
57.7 s * -17%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
55.3 s * -12%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (44 - 89, n=13)
53.7 s * -8%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
50.2 s * -1%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
49.5 s *
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H
0.679 sec * -20%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
0.617 sec * -9%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.589 sec * -4%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
0.582 sec * -3%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK
  (0.561 - 0.596, n=13)
0.576 sec * -2%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK
0.564 sec *
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K
0.528 sec * +6%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1836 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
154 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
208 Points
Cinebench R20 CPU (Multi Core)
4487 Points
Cinebench R20 CPU (Single Core)
465 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks are similar to last year's m17 R2 except in Digital Content Creation where the faster Core i9-10980HK and GeForce RTX 2080 Super can really shine.

We experienced issues with the pre-installed Alienware Command Center software. Not only does it load very slowly upon startup, but it would sometimes hang or not fully load at all. It's not very fast to start especially for a system of this caliber.

PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 | PCMark 8
PCMark 10
Score
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0)
6594 Points
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
6582 Points 0%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
6290 Points -5%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-10750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6268 Points -5%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (5556 - 6594, n=2)
6075 Points -8%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8 (RAID 0)
5556 Points -16%
Eluktronics RP-17
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H, Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD
5454 Points -17%
Essentials
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8 (RAID 0)
10183 Points +5%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
10064 Points +4%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-10750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
10047 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (9689 - 10183, n=2)
9936 Points +3%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
9831 Points +1%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0)
9689 Points
Eluktronics RP-17
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H, Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD
9125 Points -6%
Productivity
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
8469 Points +7%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8 (RAID 0)
8307 Points +5%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-10750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8219 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (7927 - 8307, n=2)
8117 Points +2%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
8028 Points +1%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0)
7927 Points
Eluktronics RP-17
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H, Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD
7221 Points -9%
Digital Content Creation
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0)
10130 Points
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
9082 Points -10%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
8560 Points -15%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-10750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8094 Points -20%
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (5504 - 10130, n=2)
7817 Points -23%
Eluktronics RP-17
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H, Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD
6681 Points -34%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8 (RAID 0)
5504 Points -46%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0)
5881 Points
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (n=1)
5881 Points 0%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
5217 Points -11%
Eluktronics RP-17
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H, Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD
4816 Points -18%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
4780 Points -19%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-10750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4515 Points -23%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0)
6589 Points
Average Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (n=1)
6589 Points 0%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
6317 Points -4%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
6191 Points -6%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-10750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5928 Points -10%
Eluktronics RP-17
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H, Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD
5742 Points -13%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
5881 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
6589 points
PCMark 10 Score
6594 points
Help

DPC Latency

LatencyMon shows minor DPC latency issues when opening multiple tabs on our homepage. 4K60 video playback is otherwise smooth and with no dropped frames during our minute-long Youtube test video.

DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8 (RAID 0)
5066 μs * -695%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-10750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
1218 μs * -91%
Eluktronics RP-17
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H, Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD
1120 μs * -76%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
1030 μs * -62%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0)
637 μs *
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
364 μs * +43%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

(November 11, 2020 update: We previously stated that the laptop came with an internal M.2 2242 slot. However, the correct M.2 slot type is 2230. This error has been corrected.)

There are three internal storage options (2x M.2 2280, 1x M.2 2230) compared to just two on last year's M17 R2. Our unit comes with two 512 GB Micron 2200S SSDs in RAID 0 for a performance level rivaling a single Maixduino: A sub-US$25 Arduino Uno-sized single board computer that supports AI workloadsSamsung PM981. It's difficult to know exactly what SSD you will get since Dell likes to source from a handful of manufacturers including Toshiba, Micron, and SK Hynix.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
Dell includes a copper heat spreader on each configured SSD
Dell includes a copper heat spreader on each configured SSD
New M.2 2230 slot that wasn't available on the m17 R2 for even more storage
New M.2 2230 slot that wasn't available on the m17 R2 for even more storage
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0)		Eluktronics RP-17
Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD		MSI GS75 10SF-609US
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G		Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
2x Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8 (RAID 0)		MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ		Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Lite-On CA5-8D512
AS SSD
23%
17%
-2%
21%
-10%
Seq Read
2060
1689
-18%
2327
13%
2450
19%
2036
-1%
2019
-2%
Seq Write
2297
1695
-26%
2479
8%
1436
-37%
1835
-20%
1314
-43%
4K Read
35.39
50
41%
45.46
28%
49.48
40%
60.6
71%
46.61
32%
4K Write
63.1
182.9
190%
157.4
149%
119.4
89%
127.2
102%
90.2
43%
4K-64 Read
1337
1043
-22%
1050
-21%
1032
-23%
1601
20%
665
-50%
4K-64 Write
1307
1841
41%
938
-28%
1229
-6%
1734
33%
813
-38%
Access Time Read *
0.057
0.04
30%
0.076
-33%
0.145
-154%
0.049
14%
0.058
-2%
Access Time Write *
0.411
0.102
75%
0.071
83%
0.036
91%
0.09
78%
0.167
59%
Score Read
1578
1262
-20%
1328
-16%
1327
-16%
1865
18%
913
-42%
Score Write
1600
2194
37%
1343
-16%
1492
-7%
2045
28%
1034
-35%
Score Total
3997
4112
3%
3366
-16%
3456
-14%
4863
22%
2392
-40%
Copy ISO MB/s
1728
2124
23%
3092
79%
1900
10%
1715
-1%
Copy Program MB/s
727
579
-20%
733
1%
205.5
-72%
622
-14%
Copy Game MB/s
1585
1304
-18%
1683
6%
1419
-10%
1506
-5%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
21%
25%
8%
12%
11%
Write 4K
68
226.1
233%
177.9
162%
125.8
85%
139.2
105%
119
75%
Read 4K
42.04
54.7
30%
47.42
13%
52.9
26%
53
26%
51.9
23%
Write Seq
2221
1868
-16%
2707
22%
1795
-19%
1950
-12%
2258
2%
Read Seq
2202
1648
-25%
2369
8%
2315
5%
2328
6%
2283
4%
Write 4K Q32T1
494.5
429.9
-13%
427.8
-13%
407.1
-18%
408.9
-17%
491
-1%
Read 4K Q32T1
540
521
-4%
543
1%
411.9
-24%
551
2%
540
0%
Write Seq Q32T1
2623
2248
-14%
2703
3%
2844
8%
1938
-26%
2253
-14%
Read Seq Q32T1
3159
2484
-21%
3387
7%
3130
-1%
3467
10%
3172
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
22% / 22%
21% / 20%
3% / 2%
17% / 18%
1% / -2%

* ... smaller is better

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
DiskSpd
hddimg
2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0)
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3159 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2623 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 540 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 494.5 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 2202 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2221 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 42.04 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 68 MB/s

Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance

Graphics performance is only about 7 to 12 percent slower than a standard desktop GeForce RTX 2080. When compared to the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q in last year's Alienware m17 R2, the RTX 2080 Super in our m17 R3 is about 15 percent faster.

The performance benefit may become larger in very demanding games. Final Fantasy XV, for example, shows our m17 R3 outperforming many Core i7-powered RTX 2070 Max-Q and RTX 2080 Max-Q laptops by wider margins of 20 to 40 percent.

See our dedicated page on the mobile GeForce RTX 2080 Super for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Time Spy (Balanced power profile)
Time Spy (Balanced power profile)
Time Spy (Turbo power profile)
Time Spy (Turbo power profile)
3DMark | 3DMark 11
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
27620 Points +8%
Asus ROG Mothership GZ700GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9980HK
26009 Points +2%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK
25597 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (24211 - 25597, n=4)
24932 Points -3%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
23649 Points -8%
MSI RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop), R7 2700X
22999 Points -10%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-9980HK
22391 Points -13%
Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G532LWS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK
22183 Points -13%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-9900K
20901 Points -18%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
20831 Points -19%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
19338 Points -24%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
18517 Points -28%
Eluktronics RP-17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
16694 Points -35%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H
15334 Points -40%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 4800H
12753 Points -50%
Asus ROG Strix G15 G512LI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10750H
10663 Points -58%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9537 Points -63%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
11294 Points +14%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (9638 - 10938, n=4)
10301 Points +4%
Asus ROG Mothership GZ700GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9980HK
10149 Points +2%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK
9908 Points
MSI RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop), R7 2700X
9236 Points -7%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
8906 Points -10%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-9980HK
8479 Points -14%
Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G532LWS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK
8389 Points -15%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
7891 Points -20%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
7732 Points -22%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
7057 Points -29%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-9900K
6907 Points -30%
Eluktronics RP-17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
6374 Points -36%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H
5744 Points -42%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 4800H
4331 Points -56%
Asus ROG Strix G15 G512LI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10750H
3841 Points -61%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
2805 Points -72%
2560x1440 Time Spy Score
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
10820 Points +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (9629 - 11211, n=4)
10443 Points +5%
Asus ROG Mothership GZ700GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9980HK
10150 Points +2%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK
9921 Points
MSI RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop), R7 2700X
9145 Points -8%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
8883 Points -10%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-9980HK
8604 Points -13%
Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G532LWS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK
8531 Points -14%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
8052 Points -19%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
7878 Points -21%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
7392 Points -25%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-9900K
7260 Points -27%
Eluktronics RP-17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
6680 Points -33%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H
6045 Points -39%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 4800H
4712 Points -53%
Asus ROG Strix G15 G512LI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10750H
4131 Points -58%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
2949 Points -70%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
37989 Points +8%
Asus ROG Mothership GZ700GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9980HK
35882 Points +2%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (34021 - 36838, n=4)
35153 Points 0%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK
35128 Points
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
32995 Points -6%
MSI RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop), R7 2700X
31260 Points -11%
Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G532LWS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK
30568 Points -13%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-9980HK
29220 Points -17%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
28678 Points -18%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-9900K
28606 Points -19%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
26413 Points -25%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
24066 Points -31%
Eluktronics RP-17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
23409 Points -33%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H
20793 Points -41%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 4800H
16937 Points -52%
Asus ROG Strix G15 G512LI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10750H
14231 Points -59%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
12193 Points -65%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (16243 - 21954, n=4)
19180 Points +18%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
17603 Points +8%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i9-9900K
16949 Points +4%
Asus ROG Mothership GZ700GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9980HK
16358 Points +1%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK
16243 Points
Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G532LWS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK
15465 Points -5%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
15345 Points -6%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-9980HK
14894 Points -8%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
14000 Points -14%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13742 Points -15%
MSI RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13644 Points -16%
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13644 Points -16%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H
13311 Points -18%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 4800H
13223 Points -19%
Asus ROG Strix G15 G512LI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10750H
12993 Points -20%
Eluktronics RP-17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
12972 Points -20%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9459 Points -42%
3DMark | 3DMark 11
3DMark 11 Performance
27300 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
54828 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
21102 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
9921 points
Help
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark | The Witcher 3
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1920x1080 High Quality
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K, NVIDIA Titan RTX
142 (88min - 220max) fps +38%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
103 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (95.7 - 107, n=3)
101.9 fps -1%
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop)
96.1 fps -7%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
95.7 (49min) fps -7%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
83.7 fps -19%
MSI RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8G
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop)
83.5 (36min - 125max) fps -19%
MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
74 fps -28%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop)
72.6 (31min - 114max) fps -30%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
67 fps -35%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
66.1 fps -36%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
62.4 fps -39%
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Intel Core i9-10900K
Intel Core i9-10900K, NVIDIA Titan RTX
139 (129min - 151max) fps +42%
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop)
109 (94min - 120max) fps +12%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
  (93.4 - 113.2, n=4)
103.3 fps +6%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
100 fps +2%
Asus ROG Mothership GZ700GX
Intel Core i9-9980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
98.3 (83min) fps +1%
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
97.7 (93min - 103max) fps
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
95.3 fps -2%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
93.4 (78min) fps -4%
MSI RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8G
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop)
89.9 (81min - 101max) fps -8%
Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G532LWS
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile
85.7 (80min - 91max) fps -12%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
82.6 (69min) fps -15%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
80.9 (75min - 90max) fps -17%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
78 fps -20%
MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
76.9 fps -21%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
74 (70min - 78max) fps -24%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop)
72.7 (61min - 82max) fps -26%
MSI GS75 10SF-609US
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
67.5 (61min - 75max) fps -31%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
65.9 (61min - 72max) fps -33%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
63.6 fps -35%
Eluktronics RP-17
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
62.1 (56min - 70max) fps -36%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Coffee Lake Refresh
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
61.7 fps -37%
SCHENKER XMG Pro 17 PB71RD-G
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
58.5 (40min) fps -40%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
58.4 fps -40%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
55.6 (53min - 60max) fps -43%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, AMD Radeon RX 5500M
45.4 (38min) fps -54%
Asus ROG Strix G15 G512LI
Intel Core i7-10750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
40.1 (37min - 44max) fps -59%
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark | The Witcher 3
05101520253035404550556065707580859095Tooltip
Alienware m17 R3 P45E GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0): Ø90.5 (85-99)
lowmed.highultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 389.7 274.2 186.2 97.7
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 150 140 134 127
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 193 134 103
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 128 114 93.8

Emissions

System Noise

Is fan noise any quieter from the overhauled cooling solution? Not really, because even a 90-second long run on 3DMark 06 will bump the fans to over 50 dB(A). Fan noise tops out at 51.8 dB(A) when running Witcher 3 on the Performance power profile while Turbo mode will cause the fans to jump to 59.1 dB(A). This is still a loud laptop when gaming no matter how you look at it.

The good news is that fan noise is barely audible when running undemanding loads like browsing or video streaming. The fans hover around 27.8 dB(A) when set to Quiet mode with no annoying pulsing behavior to speak of.

We can notice slight electronic noise or coil whine from our test unit when running on battery power. Strangely, this goes away when running on AC adapter power.

The twin ~60 mm fans are larger than the ones on the Alienware m17 R2, but they aren't any quieter
The twin ~60 mm fans are larger than the ones on the Alienware m17 R2, but they aren't any quieter
The processors are on the other side of the motherboard much like on the MSI GS75
The processors are on the other side of the motherboard much like on the MSI GS75
Fan noise profile (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark 06, Orange: Witcher 3, Green: Turbo mode)
Fan noise profile (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark 06, Orange: Witcher 3, Green: Turbo mode)
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0)		Eluktronics RP-17
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H, Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD		MSI GS75 10SF-609US
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G		Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, i9-10980HK, 2x Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8 (RAID 0)		MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-10750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ		Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
Noise
7%
-6%
-15%
-0%
1%
off / environment *
26.5
26.2
1%
26.2
1%
25
6%
28.4
-7%
28.2
-6%
Idle Minimum *
27.8
26.2
6%
31.2
-12%
33
-19%
30.2
-9%
28.2
-1%
Idle Average *
27.8
26.2
6%
31.4
-13%
38
-37%
30.2
-9%
28.2
-1%
Idle Maximum *
27.8
30
-8%
34
-22%
45
-62%
32
-15%
30.5
-10%
Load Average *
52.1
38.5
26%
49.5
5%
54
-4%
33.2
36%
42.2
19%
Witcher 3 ultra *
51.8
47.2
9%
50.6
2%
50
3%
55
-6%
53
-2%
Load Maximum *
59.1
54.6
8%
60.7
-3%
55
7%
55
7%
55.5
6%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
27.8 / 27.8 / 27.8 dB(A)
Load
52.1 / 59.1 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
  
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 26.5 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.235.63836.238.12537.437.137.137.837.73125.427.325.525.426.54028.528.925.926.228.55027.126.823.922.725.76329.226.923.121.226.38026.425.723.121.630.510026.326.922.321.829.612528.628.419.520.13216030.229.617.417.533.820032.832.216.717.236.125033.333.41616.838.831535.234.516.816.74040036.436.116.515.942.550036.235.715.915.74163035.535.61514.641.280035.335.114.514.439.8100036.336.214.514.242125039.439.814.614.144.7160039.539.814.414.345.6200040.240.514.614.446.5250042.242.91713.848.831504343.41913.950400043.843.815.714.350.3500039.24014.914.249.163003636.914.714.249.1800032.733.315.41445.41000027.828.414.613.9421250023.824.314.513.837.61600020.520.313.713.233.6SPL51.852.127.826.559.1N7.77.90.90.812.8median 35.5median 35.6median 15.4median 14.3median 42Delta5.45.71.41.15hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAlienware m17 R3 P45E

Temperature

Surface temperatures aren't all that different from the m17 R2 despite the processor and cooling changes. The keyboard center hot spot can be as warm as 52 C when gaming while the sides and palm rests remain cooler and more comfortable at about 30 C to 35 C.

The system is much warmer than most other gaming laptops when idling on desktop or running low loads because the fans are rather lethargic. In other words, the laptop would rather be as quiet as possible when not running games even if it means having warmer surface temperatures as a result.

Four sets of exhaust vents
Four sets of exhaust vents
AC adapter after running Witcher 3 for over an hour
AC adapter after running Witcher 3 for over an hour
Max. Load
 42.6 °C
109 F		54 °C
129 F		44.6 °C
112 F		 
 34.8 °C
95 F		51 °C
124 F		35.6 °C
96 F		 
 29.2 °C
85 F		28.8 °C
84 F		30.6 °C
87 F		 
Maximum: 54 °C = 129 F
Average: 39 °C = 102 F
45.8 °C
114 F		46.4 °C
116 F		46.8 °C
116 F
36.6 °C
98 F		58.4 °C
137 F		35.2 °C
95 F
32 °C
90 F		36.2 °C
97 F		32 °C
90 F
Maximum: 58.4 °C = 137 F
Average: 41 °C = 106 F
Power Supply (max.)  46.2 °C = 115 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 54 °C / 129 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 58.4 °C / 137 F, compared to the average of 43.3 °C / 110 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.2 °C / 92 F, compared to the device average of 33.9 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 39.1 °C / 102 F, compared to the device average of 33.9 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 31.2 °C / 88.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-2.3 °C / -4.2 F).
System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)

Stress Test

When running Prime95, the unlocked Core i9 CPU would stabilize at 4.3 GHz and at a high core temperature of 98 C even when running in Turbo mode. We suspect that the slower Core i7 configurations would stabilize at lower clock rates and temperatures.

When gaming in Turbo mode, CPU and GPU temperatures would stabilize at 88 C and 70 C, respectively, compared to 74 C and 57 C on the m17 R2. Clock rates drop only slightly if on Performance mode at the cost of even higher GPU temperatures.

Running on battery power will limit Performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries would return Physics and Graphics scores of 14498 and 17180 points, respectively, compared to 16444 and 35128 points when on mains.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Witcher 3 stress (Performance mode)
Witcher 3 stress (Performance mode)
Witcher 3 stress (Turbo mode)
Witcher 3 stress (Turbo mode)
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 35 33
Prime95 Stress 4.3 -- 98 47
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.1 - 3.2 ~1605 86 70
Witcher 3 Stress (Performance mode) 4.1 - 4.3 1635 89 78
Witcher 3 Stress (Turbo mode) 4.2 - 4.3 1665 88 70

Speakers

Quad speaker setup consists of two regular speakers and two tweeters
Quad speaker setup consists of two regular speakers and two tweeters
Pink noise at maximum volume. The lack of a dedicated subwoofer is apparent by the poor bass reproduction for a 17.3-inch gaming laptop
Pink noise at maximum volume. The lack of a dedicated subwoofer is apparent by the poor bass reproduction for a 17.3-inch gaming laptop
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.13834.12537.837.137.83124.425.524.44024.425.924.45023.323.923.36325.723.125.78031.123.131.110037.222.337.212543.119.543.116054.817.454.82005416.75425055.71655.731560.116.860.140061.216.561.25006115.96163066.81566.880070.614.570.6100072.614.572.6125073.314.673.3160075.814.475.8200078.814.678.8250077.61777.63150791979400079.215.779.2500069.514.969.5630068.714.768.7800068.515.468.51000064.314.664.31250072.914.572.9160007313.773SPL87.527.887.5N670.967median 68.7median 15.4median 68.7Delta6.31.46.335.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAlienware m17 R3 P45EApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Alienware m17 R3 P45E audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.6% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 39% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 55% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 24% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 91% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Idling on desktop will demand at least 33 W on Power Saver mode to as much as 59 W when on Turbo mode compared to almost half that on most other 17.3-inch gaming laptops. Consumption jumps to 242 W when running Witcher 3 which is even more than the competing Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS equipped with the same CPU and GPU. Note that power consumption when gaming is 30 percent higher than the Alienware m17 R2 even though the mobile GeForce RTX 2080 Super offers just 15 percent faster graphics performance than the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the system ships with a large and heavy (~20 x 10 x 4.4 cm) 330 W AC adapter to accommodate the power-hungry internals. The AC adapter for last year's m17 R2 is such smaller.

Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06
Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06
Constant consumption when running Witcher 3
Constant consumption when running Witcher 3
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 205 W before stabilizing at 175.7 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 205 W before stabilizing at 175.7 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 320 W for about three minutes before dipping to 261.3 W thereafter
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 320 W for about three minutes before dipping to 261.3 W thereafter
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.07 / 0.7 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 33.6 / 43.9 / 59 Watt
Load midlight 134.9 / 320 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, 2x Micron 2200S 512 GB (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3"		Eluktronics RP-17
R7 4800H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Phison PS5013 PRO-X-1TB-G2R NVMe SSD, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3"		MSI GS75 10SF-609US
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3"		Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, 2x Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8 (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3"		MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
i7-10750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3"		Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Lite-On CA5-8D512, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3"
Power Consumption
36%
35%
21%
41%
35%
Idle Minimum *
33.6
20.2
40%
19.2
43%
16
52%
14.7
56%
19.6
42%
Idle Average *
43.9
24.5
44%
22.4
49%
25
43%
20.4
54%
21.7
51%
Idle Maximum *
59
28.7
51%
34.7
41%
35
41%
26.9
54%
36.1
39%
Load Average *
134.9
110.4
18%
106.7
21%
177
-31%
93.2
31%
115.6
14%
Witcher 3 ultra *
242
166.3
31%
160.5
34%
227
6%
185.4
23%
157
35%
Load Maximum *
320
217.4
32%
248.7
22%
280
12%
237.8
26%
219.9
31%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Alienware laptops have some of the shortest runtimes of any gaming laptop and the Alienware m17 R3 is no different. Battery capacity is actually larger than on the m17 R2 (86 Wh vs. 76 Wh), but battery life remains flat. Simply idling on desktop at the lowest brightness and power profile settings possible would result in a runtime of just over 3.5 hours likely due to the high power consumption measured above and lack of Optimus graphics switching. 

Charging from empty to full capacity takes about 2.5 hours. Unlike on the m17 R2, it's possible to recharge the m17 R3 with a USB-C adapter (albeit more slowly) if you don't want to carry the heavy primary AC adapter around for long trips.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
3h 41min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 11min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 43min
Alienware m17 R3 P45E
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, 86 Wh		Eluktronics RP-17
R7 4800H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, 62 Wh		MSI GS75 10SF-609US
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 80.25 Wh		Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile, 66 Wh		MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
i7-10750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, 65 Wh		Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 70 Wh
Battery Runtime
48%
217%
122%
16%
55%
Reader / Idle
221
513
132%
602
172%
WiFi v1.3
191
263
38%
295
54%
356
86%
222
16%
296
55%
Load
43
68
58%
243
465%
89
107%

Pros

+ firm per-key RGB keyboard keys with quiet clatter
+ excellent CPU Turbo Boost sustainability
+ very high performance-per-volume
+ Thunderbolt 3 and MicroSD reader
+ quiet during low processing loads
+ 3x internal storage bays
+ can recharge via USB-C
+ vapor chamber cooling

Cons

- moderate uneven backlight bleeding on our unit
- loud fans when under medium to high loads
- non-upgradeable RAM and WLAN
- short battery life; no Optimus
- no G-Sync for internal display
- large and heavy AC adapter
- no 2.5-inch SATA III bay
- very heavy for the size
- large footprint

Verdict

In review: Dell Alienware m17 R3 P45E. Test unit provided by Dell
In review: Dell Alienware m17 R3 P45E. Test unit provided by Dell

Unlike the MSI GS75 or Razer Blade Pro which rely on Max-Q GPUs, the Alienware m17 R3 manages to fit a full-power mobile GeForce RTX 2080 Super for noticeably faster performance in games. Enthusiasts looking for 1080p gaming at 60+ FPS or 4K60 will appreciate the extra horsepower that the Alienware is able to provide over most other ultra-thin gaming laptops. Turbo Boost clock rates are consistent over time which is impressive for such a thin chassis sporting both an unlocked Core i9 CPU and a GeForce Super GPU.

Major drawbacks include the heavy weight and loud fans even for a 17.3-inch gaming laptop. The m17 R3 isn't any quieter, cooler, longer-lasting, or lighter than the m17 R2 despite their identical chassis. It's definitely faster, but all existing disadvantages are amplified as a result. To some hardcore gamers, however, that may be well worth the price.

The Alienware m17 R3 is the fastest 17.3-inch gaming laptop you can get at this thickness as most others in the category come with slower Max-Q options only. It's a "performance at all cost" approach that works so long as you are aware of the heavy weight and loud fans.

Alienware m17 R3 P45E - 09/04/2020 v7 (old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
82 / 98 → 83%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
63 / 80 → 79%
Weight
57 / 10-66 → 83%
Battery
53 / 95 → 56%
Display
88%
Games Performance
98%
Application Performance
94%
Temperature
80 / 95 → 84%
Noise
65 / 90 → 72%
Audio
75%
Camera
40 / 85 → 46%
Average
74%
85%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Good-bye, Max-Q: Dell Alienware m17 R3 GeForce RTX 2080 Super Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2020-09- 4 (Update: 2024-11- 4)