Dell Alienware launches its first AMD-powered gaming laptop since 2007 | GeekComparison

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  • See: the all-important top-down keyboard view.

  • She may not look like much, but she does the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.

    Dell

  • The rear view reminds us of the Millennium Falconbut this three-quarter profile is all Star Destroyer.

    Dell

  • The alien main logo and exhaust trim ring are done in glowing LED, not paint – we’ve seen them in both blood red and this aqua/cyan. Look out for USB-A, USB-C, full-size HDMI and DC power ports on the back.

    Dell

  • The left side of the m15 shows off a 2.5Gbps wired Ethernet port, alongside a 3.5mm audio jack.

    Dell

  • On the right side we have two type-A USB 3.2 ports.

    Dell

Last year around this time, we covered one of the first Ryzen 9 gaming laptops: Asus’ ROG Zephyrus G14. A year later, Dell joins the Ryzen-powered laptop gaming party with its new Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition.

Last year, the Achilles heel of Ryzen-powered gaming laptops was a mediocre GPU selection — for whatever reason, most manufacturers didn’t specify RTX 3000 series GPUs along with Ryzen processors. Fortunately, that will no longer be the case in 2021: the new Alienware m15 combines Ryzen 7 5800H or Ryzen 9 5900HX with up to 32GiB RAM and a choice of RTX 3060 or RTX 3070 graphics. (Asus is also offering high-end GPUs this year – we’re doing hands-on testing this week on a ROG Zephyrus G15 with Ryzen 9 5900HS and RTX 3070.)

You can get a quick look at the Alienware m15 in this short hype video.

The new m15 offers three screen choices: 1080p at 165Hz or 360Hz, or 1440p at 240Hz, and an optional keyboard upgrade to Cherry MX. There’s a standard 2.5Gbps wired Ethernet adapter to go with the Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi 6 – and unlike ROG Zephyrus gaming laptops, the Alienware m15 has an integrated 720p webcam.

RAM is fully user upgradeable with two DDR4 sockets, supporting DIMMs up to 3200 MHz. Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition will be available in the US on April 20 in select configurations starting at $1,800.

Dell G15 Ryzen Edition

If you're looking for a cheaper entry into gaming laptops - or you just don't like Alienware branding - check out the Dell G15 range.
enlarge † If you’re looking for a cheaper entry into gaming laptops – or you just don’t like Alienware branding – check out the Dell G15 range.

If you’re looking for a solid gaming laptop at a lower price, the Dell G15 Ryzen Edition might be more your speed. The G15 combines a Ryzen 5 5600H or Ryzen 7 5800H with a GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, up to 32GiB DDR4-3200 RAM, and up to 2TB PCIe NVMe storage.

You don’t get a Cherry MX keyboard upgrade option on the G15, and the G15 only offers two display options – both 1080p, at 120 Hz/250 nits and 165 Hz/300 nits. But G15 configurations start at just $900, half the cost of the lowest Alienware m15 spec. The G15 Ryzen Edition will be available in the US starting May 4, or if you’re an Intel fan, you can pick up the 10th Gen Intel processor configurations as early as April 13, also starting at $900.

List image by Dell

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