At the Consumer Electronics Show, Dell is going all out and revealing both new and updated gaming laptops. The company is introducing the Alienware m17 gaming laptop, an updated m15 variant with up to Nvidia RTX 2080 graphics.
Alienware m17
For 2019, the m17 is being called Alienware’s thinnest and lightest 17-inch gaming laptop ever. At 0.91 inches in thickness, it is designed on an “Epic” industrial design language and is made of magnesium alloy, and copper in its structural components. The laptop comes with an optional 90 watt-hour battery and weighs in at under 6 pounds. You’ll find it in two colors, Epic Silver and Nebula Red. Pricing starts at $1,650, with an availability of January 21st.
Key Specs
- Display: 17.3-inch FHD or UHD Anti-Glare IPS Display 60Hz, 1440p Anti-Glare TN Panel 120Hz
- Processor: Intel Core i5-8300H, Core i7-8750H, or Core i9-8950HK
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1050Ti, RTX 2060, RTX 2070 Max-Q, RTX 2080 Max-Q
- Memory: 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM
- Storage: 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive, 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD, 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD, 1TB PCIeM.2 SSD. Dual Storage also available.
On the inside, the m17 is packing options for Intel’s eighth generation Core i9 8950HK processors, and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q design graphics. It also features Alienware FX customizable lighting across 6 zones, including the keyboard, power button, and LCD cover Alien heard. Elsewhere, the m17 comes with Alienware’s Cryo-Tech 2.0 technology, which keeps the surfaces of the laptop cool, and the performance at its max.
As for the display, it is Alienware’s standard-border screen. The FHD panel delivers up to 300 nits of brightness with 72 percent of the color gamut, and the UHD panel up to 400 nits of brightness with 100 percent of the sRGB color gamut.
Alienware m15
Built with the same materials as the m17, the Alienware m15 packs promises or up to 17 hours of battery life. It comes in at under 5 pounds and comes with a narrow-bezel display with the same graphics options as the Alienware m17, including desktop graphics upgrades. Pricing is a bit different at $1,580 with availability scheduled for January 21st.
Key Specs
- Display: 15.6 inch FHD 60Hz, 15.6 inch FHD 144Hz, 15.6 Inch UHD 60Hz, 15.6 Inch UHD 60Hz HDR-400
- Processor: Intel Core i5-8300H, Core i7-8750H, or Core i9-8950HK
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti, RTX 2060, RTX 2070 Max-Q, RTX 2080 Max-Q
- Memory: 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM
- Storage: 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive, 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD, 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD, 1TB PCIeM.2 SSD. Dual storage available.
We reviewed the previous generation M15 in late 2018 and were happy with its red, soft-touch lid, and solid performance. Fortunately, Alienware promises that the new M15 is now more powerful than its previous Alienware 13 and Alienware 15 laptops. It packs full support for a Graphics Amplifier which enables dedicated PCIe-bandwidth for graphics cards from Nvidia or AMD. At 0.72 inches, and 5.79 pounds, the new gaming laptop is even slightly slimmer, coming in at 18 percent lighter and 5 percent thinner than the Alienware 13. As for comparisons with the previous Alienware 15, the new model edges out at 38 percent lighter, and 17 percent thinner.
