Alienware x15 R2 overview: A gaming pc stacked with energy and persona

Value When Reviewed

3350

Perfect Costs These days: Alienware x15 R2

The Alienware x15 R2 returns in the similar thrilling design that made the Alienware x15 R1 so distinctive – sharing, amongst different issues, its Lunar White chassis and dazzling RGB Tron Ring lights. Including to the partiality seems to be, it packs a deadly {hardware} aggregate that delivers functionality worthy of elite players, a zippy Twelfth-gen Intel CPU and RTX 3080 Ti GPU.

Small quirks like its hard-to-reach rear ports and middling battery lifestyles are dwarfed through different successful options like the pretty, buttery clean 15.6-inch QHD show. For $3,350, it doesn’t come reasonable, but if the scales tip so closely in prefer of functionality and magnificence, this pc stays a category act price purchasing.

Alienware x15 R2 specs

Our overview unit is packing an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU, an RTX 3080 Ti GPU, 32GB RAM, and 1TB of PCIe NCMe SSD garage. For added spec knowledge, take a look at the listing under.

• CPU: Intel Core i7-12700H
• RAM: 32GB LPDDR5/5200MHz
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
• Show: 15.6-inch QHD (2560×1440), non-touch, 240Hz refresh fee, Complicated Optimus, G-Sync
• Garage: 1TB M.2 PCle NVMe SSD
• Ports: USB 3.2 Gen 1 Sort-A (with PowerShare), USB 3.2 Gen 2 Sort-C, HDMI 2.1, microSD reader, energy adapter, 3.5mm combo jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E (802 11ax), Bluetooth 5.2
• Dimensions: 14.16 x 10.92 x 0.49 – 0.63 inches
• Weight: 5.2 lbs
• Colour: Lunar Mild
• Battery capability: 87 Whr
• Value: $3,350 at Dell

Design and construct

Final 12 months’s Alienware X15 R1 broke new floor in Dell’s top class pocket book line-up introducing an unique design that swapped out its aspect ports for a rear port panel. It additionally introduced players a selection of Intel’s robust Eleventh-gen Tiger Lake processors, which is icing at the cake for the ones in need of a pc with distinctive seems to be in addition to functionality.

The x15 R2 is a chip off the previous block, that includes the similar thrilling design, whilst additionally boasting identical {hardware} upgrades to the music of Intel’s Twelfth-gen Alder Lake cellular processors, the newest Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 Sequence GPUs and sooner DDR5 RAM. I say “thrilling design” for the reason that sloping rear port with Tron Ring and unit’s console-like show glance otherworldly.

The R2’s twin colour scheme may be placing. The outside is composed of a Lunar Mild (light gray), which distinguishes it among an ocean of predominately matte black gaming laptops. However turn the lid open and matte black is used, and to dramatic impact; it covers the entire floor, from the rounded outer edges to the skinny bezels, making sure the lovely QHD show in point of fact pops out.

The outer floor may be with ease covered in a Prime Resistance Transparent Coat to stop stains. Each surfaces additionally cover fingerprints extraordinarily smartly.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Sizing the pc up, the x15 R2 measures 14.16 x 10.92 x 0.63 inches. Relatively, that makes it higher, however thinner than the likes of the 2022 Razer Blade 15 (13.98 x 9.25 x 0.67 inches) and the Dell G15 Gaming Pc (14.07 x 10.74 x 1.2 inches). As Dell’s thinnest 15-inch gaming pc, it slips soundly right into a pc sleeve or a backpack.

The long-lasting Alienware styling we noticed at the 2021 Alienware x15 R1 additionally returns with vengeance. You’ll in finding two RGB-lit alien head emblems embedded within the chassis – one who sits atop the keyboard and doubles because the R2’s energy button, and the opposite positioned inches from the outside most sensible of the lid. Those ship a way of mystique that can be smartly liked through players.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Under the panel that frames up in a 16:9 ratio, the phrase “Alienware” is inscribed in acquainted typography, whilst honeycomb formed perforations, which we’ve observed a large number of in gaming laptops this 12 months, embellish the pc’s base, offering a number of eye-candy from entrance on. In addition they take in place of abode on its underside as helpful air vents for cooling.

The RGB lights additionally units the x15 R2 aside, being somewhat extra delicate than in some gaming laptops. I were given a kick out of the way it’s used to belie a type of alien intelligence befitting the pc’s extraterrestrial theme.

As an example, the per-key lit keyboard lighting fixtures up with complete RGB colours upon start-up after which turns blue, simply as you’d be expecting the cockpit of a few extremely complicated alien spacecraft to do. The alien head embellished energy button additionally flashes from blue to yellow while you insert the AC adapter, two great touches that upload to the pc’s enchantment.

With regards to construct, the x15 R2’s chassis is created from magnesium alloy and feels very forged. Despite the fact that, fairly much less so than every other pc we not too long ago reviewed the 2022 Razer Blade 17, a pc that demonstrated nearly immovable stress all through.

That is unexpected given the x15 R2’s weight, which is 5.2 kilos, noticeably heavier than the 2022 Razer Blade 15 (4.43 lbs) and the 15.6-inch Acer Nitro 5 (4.77 lbs). Is the X15 R2 flimsy? Now not in any respect. However its chassis will have been more difficult.

Keyboard and trackpad

The x15 R2’s Alienware X Sequence keyboard has the entire hallmarks of a top class gaming keyboard. It sports activities per-key RGB Alien FX backlighting that may be custom designed within the Alienware Command Heart app. The keys, which characteristic massive keycaps and a good 1.5mm go back and forth, really feel mild to faucet and reply temporarily. Dell has included N-Key Rollover and Anti-ghosting applied sciences for progressed accuracy within the warmth of fight.

The keyboard format is a mild stability of give and take, in that it omits a numpad however provides complete sized arrow keys that make skipping via menus so much more uncomplicated. You’ll additionally in finding standalone audio keys, together with mute, microphone and quantity keys that simplify regulate of media. Alternatively, part sized serve as keys might take somewhat being used to if you happen to’re a heavy person.

Dominic Bayley / iDG

The backlighting seems to be very good, however all that impressive illumination is reserved for the main symbols on keys handiest. This implies secondary symbols generally is a little tricky to look in low mild prerequisites.

Under the keyboard sits one of the most smallest trackpads I’ve used. It measures simply 4.2 x 2.5 inches. Admittedly, trackpad sizes are a deeply non-public desire, however I’ve continuously discovered massive ones to be somewhat gradual in video games the place I’m now not the use of a mouse. The R2’s diminutive trackpad, then again, permits your finger to traverse all the period so much sooner. It additionally feels silky clean to touch, so it will get complete marks from this reviewer.

Show

Dell gives 3 flavors for the x15 R2’s show, two with FHD 1080p resolutions and both 165Hz or 360Hz refresh charges or a QHD 1440p show with 240Hz refresh fee. All 3 choices recreation Nvidia G-Sync and Complicated Optimus applied sciences.

With the show bench set excessive this 12 months through the Razer Blade 15’s OLED panel, I used to be specifically to look how our overview unit’s QHD 240Hz one would form up. Fortunately, the 100% DCI-P3 IPS panel appeared and carried out a deal with in video games, generating colourful wealthy colours, with strangely crisp element in photographs in addition to textual content.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Armed with Nvidia G-Sync, a 2ms reaction and the 240Hz refresh fee, it nearly obliterated any stuttering, and enter lag, turning in buttery clean animation in video games like A ways Cry 5 and Cyberpunk 2077.

A height brightness ranking of 400 nits additionally supplied very good distinction, appearing up deep blacks and entire bodied gray tones that I used to be glad to blow their own horns in team gaming periods – and that will indisputably be an asset in a content material introduction context.

ComfortView Plus generation is every other neat addition to the x15 R2’s panel that supplied somewhat further convenience for my eyes all over lengthy play periods. It’s a integrated, always-on generation that reduces blue mild emissions. I by no means spotted it operating within the background, however I did in finding my eyes have been rather less blurry after enjoying.

Webcam and audio

Gaming notebooks aren’t identified for the standard in their cameras. The x15 R2 HD 720p Home windows Hi IR appropriate digital camera, then again, does a enough process reproducing what’s in entrance of it.

It handles dimly lit rooms somewhat higher than overhead lighting fixtures that may distort photographs somewhat and convey glary halo results. I discovered this completely appropriate for gaming chats the place I used to be most commonly in a dimly lit rooms anyway.

Trying out the x15 R2’s audio system printed a slightly transparent, crisp audio that used to be altogether unexpected making an allowance for the pc’s pencil skinny 0.63-inch chassis. In addition they treated bass notes remarkably smartly. Not like the R1, the x15 R2 packs a secret weapon within the type of Dolby Atmos spatial audio generation, that delivers a noticeable immersive high quality to sound.

Connectivity

The x15 R2 ticks off a minimum of one port for every of your numerous I/O wishes, together with USB 3.2 Gen 1 Sort-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Sort-C and Thunderbolt 4 ports. Despite the fact that, with such a lot of units to plug into my pc at the present time – mouse, headphones and others – I did in finding myself wishing I had every other USB- C port at my fingertips.

This used to be simply fastened through plugging in a USB-C Hub. The x15 R2’s Sort-C USB may also be was an Ethernet port with the with ease equipped USB-C to RJ45 adapter, so you’ll nonetheless get the quickest connection, if not anything however the most efficient will do.

Just like the R1, the x15 R2’s ports are housed in a panel in the back of the pc. One good thing about that is you’ll discreetly cover unpleasant cords or dongles. Despite the fact that, a small peeve is you’ll want to bodily rise up and lean over the again of your pc, or spin it round to stand you to plug the rest in. Even then, the R2’s Tron Ring RGB mild casts a gloomy shadow, making them tricky to look and not using a lamp.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Nonetheless, I favored how the rear configuration lent itself to a desktop-like setup permitting me to glue a couple of units and now not have to fret about them cluttering up my table. The x15 R2 additionally helps the newest Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 applied sciences, placing it proper up there with the quickest gaming laptops of this 12 months for connectivity.

Efficiency

Trying out the pc’s functionality proved it had a number of energy to check its distinctive seems to be. My $3350 overview unit got here with a 14 Core, 20 Thread Intel Twelfth-gen i7-12700H CPU – the similar as within the $2,150 base unit.

For GPU, it traded out the bottom unit’s vanilla RTX 3060 GPU for a beefier “fanatic elegance” Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, granting it an additional 3584 Nvidia CUDA Cores. Since its release again in January 12, 2021, this cellular GPU has confirmed itself an excellent performer in PCWorld checking out, particularly when paired up with Intel Twelfth -gen CPUs that make the most of Intel’s new hybrid structure. A 1TB forged state pressure and 32GBs DDR5 RAM rounded off the x15 R2’s performance-based specifications.

For charting my benchmark effects I pulled comparisons from a solid of gaming laptops that incorporated the Razer Blade 17 and MSI GE76 Raider either one of which characteristic the similar RTX 3080 Ti GPUs however sportier Intel Twelfth-gen CPUs. I additionally incorporated the Gigabyte Aorus 17, whose similar Intel Core i7-12700H and GeForce RTX 3080 Ti CPU/GPU aggregate allowed me to match apples with apples.

My functionality checking out begun with Maxon’s Cinebench R20 benchmarks. Within the Cinebench multi-threaded benchmark which assessments the entire cores of our pc’s CPU, the x15 R2 positioned a detailed 2nd in the back of our present quickest comparability pc, the mighty MSI GE76 Raider, proving it has a number of CPU energy to tear via high-end video games and CPU-demanding duties like video enhancing and encoding.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The place operating easy techniques and apps is worried, the x15 R2’s Intel i7-12700H additionally delivered considerable dollops of energy, as proven through its high-end rating of 680 within the Cinebench R20 single-threaded benchmark chart under.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Subsequent up, I ran the HandBrake 0.9.9 benchmark, a take a look at that gauges the pc’s talent to regulate thermals sooner than it must throttle functionality. Right here our pc outpaced the likes of the Razer Blade 17 or even completed forward of the Gigabyte Aorus 17, a very good consequence making an allowance for the additional thermal headroom those 17-inch laptops experience compared to a few smaller laptops.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Gaming perfomrance

In our maximum graphically nerve-racking gaming benchmark that measures functionality within the first-person shooter Metro Exodus, the Alienware x15 R2 controlled a median body fee of 48 frames in step with 2nd, which used to be now not too a ways off the tempo of the Razer Blade 17, and with ease forward of the Gigabyte Aorus 17.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Taking a look now on the chart for the Upward thrust of the Tomb Raider benchmark, the x15 R2 as soon as once more scored nearer to the highest of our chart. Despite the fact that, this time the Gigabyte Aorus 17 got here up trumps, it’s sooner i7-12800H CPU most probably gaining the higher hand on this older, extra CPU-skewed take a look at.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

To summarize our checking out effects: Bar two of our benchmarks, the x15 R2 beat the pc that almost all carefully matched its {hardware} specs – the Gigabyte Aorus 17. It additionally saved tempo with {hardware} stacked laptops just like the Razer Blade 17, proving it has sufficient energy to ship the type of top-end gaming revel in players need in 2022.

We anticipated the x15 R2’s 3080 Ti GPU would step as much as the duty in graphically nerve-racking video games, however we have been pleasantly stunned through how smartly its mid-range Twelfth-gen CPU pulled up in CPU assessments and amongst a difficult box of comparisons nevertheless.

Our overview unit’s robust functionality used to be most probably egged alongside through its 32GB subsequent technology DDR5/5200MHz RAM. This RAM supplies two times the bandwidth and density of the slower DDR4 RAM in maximum of our comparisons, which interprets into sooner processing for memory-based packages like high-end gaming. Alternatively, because it comes soldered onto the x15 R2’s motherboard, you’ll wish to be sure you have the correct amount onboard from the get-go.

For functionality diehards, Dell additionally gives an improve to Intel i9-12900H for simply $100 extra – a CPU rated to ship fairly sooner clock speeds than the i7-12700H. However judging through our configuration’s efforts, you gained’t essentially want to drop the additional money to experience functionality proper up there with the quickest laptops we’ve reviewed this 12 months.

Battery lifestyles

The Alienware x15 R2 comes with a 6 Cellular 87 Whr Lithium-Ion battery, a tight capability in a 15-inch gaming pc. Nonetheless, it lasted simply 5 hours and 40 mins in our light-weight battery take a look at that looped a 4K Hollywood film steadily till our overview unit ran out of juice.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Sadly, this places the x15 R2’s battery functionality within the decrease echelons of our functionality team – nearer to that of the Razer Blade 17 than the longer-lasting MSI GE76 Raider. The takeaway? You’ll be expecting roughly 3 hours battery lifestyles when gaming unplugged, which isn’t one thing to rejoice.

Conclusion

The Alienware x15 R2 will get complete marks for the all-important 3 P’s: functionality, image high quality and persona. It includes a zippy Intel i7-12700H CPU and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU {hardware} pairing, gorgeous QHD show, and a design that guarantees to by no means transform dull. This makes it a forged possibility for the ones searching for a extremely flexible and robust gaming pc that attracts out the entire stops to provoke.