Alienware M16 R2 Gaming Laptop Review and Benchmarks
We dive into Alienware's latest offering—the M16 R2. This impressive redesign of its predecessor sheds some old features like the mechanical keyboard and high-end GPU options, but it compensates with a slew of attractive updates. The M16 R2 features a 2560 x 1600 QHC+ resolution display with an impressive 240 Hz refresh rate (surpassing its larger sibling, the M18 R2's 165 Hz). Despite losing the mechanical keyboard option, it boasts a well-designed keyboard with 1.8 mm key travel and an illuminated touchpad with a new ring light perimeter.
Other highlights include its "stealth mode" for office settings and overall understated gamer vibe, characteristic of Alienware's design ethos. As we approach the end of 2024 and look forward to CES 2025, the video addresses whether this upgrade is worth it, considering potential discounts on both the M16 R2 and its predecessor.
So, is this redesign a worthy investment? Find out in Andrew's comprehensive review of the Alienware M16 R2.
Specs & Pricing: The M16 R2 is priced at $899.99 and is available on Dell’s website or at Best Buy. For those considering last year’s model, the M16 R1 is currently on sale for $1599.99. The video emphasizes that while the M16 R2 offers some notable improvements, it might not be a significant upgrade over the R1 for some users.
Design and Build: The Alienware M16 R2 has undergone significant design changes compared to the R1. The most notable change is the removal of the protruding thermal deck at the rear, resulting in a much smaller and more portable footprint. This redesign makes the M16 R2 easier to carry around. Additionally, the RGB LED ring light on the back has been removed, and the keyboard has been pushed upward to allow for a larger palm rest and touchpad.
The M16 R2 is now approximately 17% lighter and 22% smaller than the R1, enhancing its portability. The weight of the M16 R2 is 2.46 kg (5.44 lb), and the power supply weighs 673 g (1.48 lb).
Ports & Connections: The Alienware M16 R2 offers a comprehensive selection of ports to meet various needs. On the left side, you'll find a 2.5 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet port and a 3.5mm microphone/headphone combo jack. The right side features a Micro SD card reader and two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports. On the back, there are two USB Type-C ports (one being a Thunderbolt 4 port and the other a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port), an HDMI 2.1 port, and a power port. Overall, the port selection is robust and versatile, catering to a wide range of connectivity requirements.
Internals & User Upgradeability: The Alienware M16 R2's internals showcase two fans for cooling, along with a robust 90Wh battery. The device includes a 1TB SSD with excellent read and write speeds, and there's an additional m.2 2280 SSD slot for storage expansion, which is always a welcome feature. The RAM is upgradeable with two SODIMM slots; the unit reviewed has 16GB of RAM, but it can be expanded by the user, which is relatively rare in 2024 and a commendable feature for this model.
For wireless connectivity, the M16 R2 is equipped with Killer Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 via a combo card. The combo card is slotted, allowing users to replace it if needed. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have been reported to work perfectly without any issues.
Display: The Alienware M16 R2 boasts a 16-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The display offers a 240 Hz refresh rate, ensuring a smooth gaming experience. While the measured brightness of 309 nits is lower than ideal (closer to or over 400 nits would be preferable), the matte finish helps reduce glare, resulting in a good viewing experience.
The display features good color gamut coverage and color accuracy, making it suitable for content creation in addition to gaming. It has excellent contrast, black levels, and white point. There is no OLED option for this model, but the lack of PWM or screen flickering is a positive aspect.
Overall, the 16-inch screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio provides ample screen real estate for productivity tasks, reducing the need for scrolling while web browsing. Watching content on platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube is enjoyable, although the display does not support HDR; an external display is required for HDR features.
Webcam: The Alienware M16 R2 features a 1080p IR webcam that supports Windows Hello face recognition for easy and secure login. This AI-powered webcam includes various Studio Effects such as background blur and auto framing, thanks to its NPU (Neural Processing Unit). The video quality and audio quality are showcased in the review, and viewers are invited to share their thoughts in the comments section.
Keyboard & Touchpad: The Alienware M16 R2 brings notable changes to its keyboard. Unlike the R1, it no longer offers a mechanical keyboard option. Instead, it features chicklet-style membrane keys with 1.8 mm key travel, which helps keep the weight down. This keyboard is comfortable for typing long documents and emails. A new addition this year is the stealth mode feature tied to the F2 key, allowing users to switch to quiet mode without launching Alienware Command.
The touchpad is slightly larger than last year's model and now includes RGB lighting around its perimeter. While it isn’t a haptic touchpad, it performs well with smooth two-finger scrolling and gesture support. Overall, the touchpad is functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Performance, Benchmarks & Gaming: The Alienware M16 R2 is powered by the Core Ultra 7 1558 processor, part of the Meteor Lake family. This results in about 10-15% less performance compared to last year's model in both single and multi-core tasks. However, for everyday tasks like Microsoft Office, email, and web browsing, the performance is more than adequate.
The device is equipped with the RTX 4070 GPU, which has a 140W TDP. Benchmark tests such as Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Wildlife Extreme demonstrate very good results, making it capable of handling AAA gaming titles with playable frame rates. Some settings adjustments might be necessary for optimal performance, but overall, the gaming experience on the M16 R2 is impressive.
Thermals, Surface Temps & Fan Noise: The Alienware M16 R2 performed excellently in thermal management, achieving a 98.9% score on the Time Spy stress test, indicating virtually no thermal throttling. The cooling system effectively kept surface temperatures manageable, ensuring the keyboard and underside remained relatively cool with only a few warm spots.
In performance mode, the fans can ramp up to 55-56 dB during intensive tasks like gaming or 4K video editing, which is noticeable. However, during everyday tasks in balance mode, fan noise was minimal and not an issue.
Battery Life: The Alienware M16 R2 comes with a 90Wh battery, slightly larger than its predecessor despite the smaller chassis design. In real-world mixed usage, it offers around 8 hours of battery life. For gaming under maximum load, expect about 1 hour of battery life.
Charging is efficient with the supplied 240W power charger: it takes about 90 minutes for a full charge and just under 40 minutes to reach 85%. Additionally, the model supports USB Type-C charging, though at a slower rate.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
- The Alienware M16 R2 is more portable and lighter than its predecessor, the R1.
- It has a comfortable keyboard and a larger touchpad compared to the previous model.
- The 16-inch QHD+ IPS display with 240 Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support offers a smooth and immersive visual experience.
- The all-metal chassis is durable and has a toned-down design, removing the LED RGB lighting from the ledge but adding lighting around the touchpad.
- The stealth mode feature is useful for business environments.
- The cooling system effectively keeps surface temperatures manageable even under load.
Cons:
- The mechanical keyboard option has been dropped.
- The higher-end GPU options, such as the RTX 4080 and 4090, are no longer available.
- It can run hot at times under load.
- The performance is slightly less compared to last year's model with the Core i7-13700HX processor.
Let me give my humble opinion in all honesty.
- Based on everything we've covered, the Alienware M16 R2 for 2024-2025 is a solid choice for those seeking a portable and powerful gaming laptop. Its key highlights include:
- Portable Design: The lighter and more compact design makes it easier to carry around.
- Impressive Display: The 16-inch QHD+ IPS display with a 240 Hz refresh rate is great for gaming and productivity.
- Good Port Selection: A wide range of ports ensures versatile connectivity options.
- Solid Performance: Despite a slight drop in performance compared to last year's model, it handles everyday tasks and gaming well.
- Effective Cooling: The cooling system keeps surface temperatures manageable and minimizes thermal throttling.
- User Upgradeability: The RAM and storage options are user-upgradeable, which is a rare and welcome feature.
On the downside:
- No Mechanical Keyboard: The removal of the mechanical keyboard option might be a letdown for some users.
- Limited High-End GPU Options: Higher-end GPU options like the RTX 4080 and 4090 are not available.
- Can Run Hot: It may run hot under heavy loads, but the cooling system mitigates this effectively.
Overall, the Alienware M16 R2 offers a balanced package with a mix of portability, performance, and user-friendly features. If you prioritize a lightweight gaming laptop with a strong display and good user upgradeability, this could be a great option for you.
Dell Alienware M16 R2 4070 Gaming Laptop
