Alienware’s M15 R5 is the first AMD-based laptop in more than a decade

Alienware has announced the latest revision of its 15-inch Alienware M15 R5. It launches on April 20 in the US, and costs $ 2,229.99 to get started. The company is going big with its messages that it will offer AMD’s fast Ryzen 5000 H series processors (up to the octa-core Ryzen 9 5900HX) and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3070 graphics chip. Dell says it’s the first Alienware laptop since 2007 with an AMD processor.

If you haven’t noticed, AMD’s processors have shed a tear over the past year, delivering excellent performance without sacrificing efficiency when not playing. It’s just the latest company to join forces with Asus, Lenovo and even Dell with its G5 15 SE, to name a few. AMD touting laptops are all some of the best gaming laptops you can buy. Yet Alienware is possibly the most well-known game brand that AMD has yet acquired.

The base configuration of the M15 R5 has the Octa-core Ryzen 7 5800H processor and Nvidia’s RTX 3060. You can upgrade to the Ryzen 9 5900HX octa-core processor and the RTX 3070. Both the RTX 3060 and 3070 have a total 115 W graphics power level with 10 W extra boost available for up to 125 W maximum graphics power. Interestingly, the 3060 has a higher base and boost clock (base: 1.387MHz, boost: 1.702MHz) than the 3070 option (base: 1.110MHz, boost: 1.560MHz).

Either way, these are some of the highest clock speeds we’ve ever seen on a fairly thin 2021 laptop. Alienware pushes the boost clocks almost to the ceiling, and it’s amazing that it’s transparent about these power specifications, as Nvidia now requires manufacturers to share it.

Speaking of dimensions, the R5 is thicker and heavier than the previous R4 generation. The base configuration weighs 5.24 pounds (up to 5.93 pounds, depending on the components inside). The R4’s base configuration weighed 4.65 pounds in comparison. The R5 is 19.25 mm thick at its front (up to 22.85 mm thick near the hinge), 272.5 mm deep and 356 mm wide. Each setup is powered by an 86Wh battery, as shipped in the M15 R4 and R3.

Screen-wise, the R5 can be set with a range of screens with a high refresh rate. The basic FHD screen has a 3 ms response time screen with a 165Hz refresh rate, and your upgrade options are either a dimmer 300-nit 1080p panel with a faster 360Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time and only 100 percent sRGB color coverage, or a brighter 400-nit QHD screen with a 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut, plus G-Sync, which should deliver the smoothest experience, even when the frame drops.

If you want to run a separate monitor, the HDMI 2.1 port of the laptop means that it can display up to 120 frames per second with 4K resolution if your monitor (or TV) supports it. This laptop also has a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port and a headphone jack. There is no Thunderbolt port, but Intel technology may later find an Intel-based version.

Dell says it’s the first Alienware laptop with fast 3,200 MHz DDR4 RAM, and it can also be configured through two SO-DIMM slots. This is a move in the right direction as the RAM M15 R3 and R4 are both soldered to the board, making it impossible to upgrade after you buy it. There are two M.2 slots inside, so you can also upgrade the storage after purchase.

According to the company, the paint of the laptop is designed for increased stain resistance and an excellent feel of the surface. ‘This model can be configured to contain Cherry’s ultra-low profile mechanical switches. Dell has announced this keyboard collaboration for the M15 R4, and it will also be available as an additional $ 150 price tag for this new model.

If you’re looking for a more budget – friendly laptop with a new Ryzen 5000 H series processor, check out Dell’s $ 899 G15 which has also just been announced.