The latest 15in gaming notebook from Alienware line is its slimmest yet
Dell’s Alienware brand is synonymous with powerful – but pricey – gaming hardware. The new m15 laptop fits the bill on both counts, but it also has a unique selling point: it’s Alienware’s lightest ever 15in gaming laptop, billed by Dell as “the lightweight champion of the world”.
I’ve had some hands-on time with the m15 and can confirm that it’s an impressively slim laptop, considering the high-end hardware that’s packed inside. Here’s everything you need to know about the specifications, pricing and features of the new Alienware m15.
Dell Alienware m15 review: Key specifications, price and release date
- Display: 15.6in IPS; up to 3,840 x 2,160; up to 144Hz
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H (8th-gen)
- Graphics: Up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, 8GB DDR5
- Storage: Up to 2TB SSD (on dual storage config)
- RAM: Up to 32GB
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet
- Dimensions: 20.9 x 275 x 362mm
- Weight: 2.16kg
- Audio: 2.0 speaker configuration, Alienware Sound Center
- OS: Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro
- UK price: From £1,322
- UK release: Available now
Dell Alienware m15 review: Design, key features and first impressions
Dell’s launch event for the Alienware m15 took place inside a gritty, no-frills boxing gym in London’s Waterloo. To get toe-to-toe with the laptop, I had to hop up onto the canvas platform and slip through the ropes into the ring – where I watched one of Alienware’s product managers repeatedly whack his creation with his fists. Apparently, gamers have a tendency to get “animated” during heated online sessions and the m15 is built to handle their frustration.
It’s sturdily built, there’s no doubt about that. The chassis is mostly made from magnesium alloy, which explains why it’s so solid, yet so light – well, light compared to previous Alienware gaming notebooks, at least. At 2.16kg, we’re not quite into MacBook Air territory, but the m15 is 20% lighter than the Alienware 13 and very portable. Alienware also promises that the battery will last long enough that you won’t need to carry a heavy power brick along when you’re out and about. I have my doubts on that one, but we’ll see once we have a chance to test it for ourselves.
Inside, all models come with an eighth-gen Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, and more or less everything else is configurable. The base spec starts at a not inconsiderable £1,322, which gets you 8GB of RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics with 6GB of GDDR5 and a 1,920 x 1,080 60Hz display.
Move up to the top-spec Windows 10 Pro model and you’ll get a GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q (with 8GB of DDR5), 32GB of RAM, a 2TB PCIe SSD, a 3,840 x 2,160 60Hz display and Killer Wi-Fi 5.0 – yours for the bargain sum of £2,916. The one thing you don’t get on the top-end model is a 144Hz display: that’s only an option with Full HD panels, not 4K models.
Squeezing all that power into a slim chassis is an impressive achievement, but it does raise questions about heat management. Once we get some time with a review sample, I’ll want to see how hot and noisy it gets while running Triple-A games, as well our more demanding benchmarks.
A common problem I’ve encountered with dedicated gaming laptops is chassis heat, especially around the base, which precludes actually using it on your lap. In truth, many laptops are actually ‘tabletops’ – let’s see which category the Alienware m15 falls into!
When buying the m15 you can choose between two chassis colours – the conservative silver finish you see in my photos, and a much flashier “Nebula Red”. Physical connectors include a USB-C socket with Thunderbolt 3, three regular USB 3 sockets, HDMI 2, mini-DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet and an Alienware graphics amplifier port. As a bonus, all configurations on the Dell website also come with an Alienware AlienFX mSeries Keyboard.
Dell Alienware m15 review: Early verdict
Alienware laptops have always been formidable gaming machines, and the Alienware m15 looks like a solid addition to the range. It’s expensive, but you’re paying for premium build quality and hardware in an impressively compact package. My only concern is whether heat and fan noise might be an issue when playing games at full tilt. We’ll be testing this as part of our in-depth review, which we’ll post as soon as we can.
The competition is steep in the 15in gaming laptop world, however. There are many fine machines on the market right now, but the one to beat is clearly the Razer Blade 15, which effortlessly combines performance and style in a super-portable package.
For those who can’t wait for the full review, the Alienware m15 is available to buy right now from Dell – and it might just be the most desirable gaming laptop Alienware has ever made.
Source: expertreviews.co.uk
