It’s been a while since we last took a look at a 15-inch gaming notebook, but today we are excited to take a look at the new and improved Alienware M15 R7, equipped with the latest 12th generation Intel processors. This notebook features 64 GB of DDR5 RAM at 4800 MHz, a 3070TI with a TDP of 140 W, a 1080P display at 360 Hz, and an Intel i7 12700H processor. Dell’s Alienware gaming notebooks can be very different from each other.
With an almost ridiculously wide selection of models, there is always some chaff that needs to be separated from the wheat. Fortunately, the new Alienware M15 R7 falls into the chaff category: it’s a nicely finished 1080p gaming laptop equipped with a 12th-generation Intel processor. At first glance, the M15 R7 looks like almost every other Alienware notebook that has hit the market in recent years: a notched screen hinge, a long RGB lighting ring along the back edge, and the iconic Alien head logo in bright blue.
This is a proven design for which we cannot blame Dell, because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Alienware M15 R7 has taken root on the shelves and will replace the M5/M6 model in Dell’s line of mid-range gaming laptops. The previous generation was widely regarded as one of the best gaming laptops on the market because of its affordable design and focus on performance rather than luxury features.
Design
The Alienware M15 R7 has the same design language as the previous generation, with a plastic chassis and a heavier profile. Dell’s emphasis on component value in these devices means that you will have to sacrifice some of the more durable build qualities of the X series: the Alienware x14, for example, offers a luxurious aluminum and magnesium chassis, but must accept a much lower performance score in return. This means that the R7 does not have the same solid feel as these premium devices, but unless you plan to take it everywhere, you will appreciate this rugged weight.
However, if you are looking for a portable device, this is not the case. The Alienware M15 R7 weighs just under 6 pounds and comes with an absolutely monstrous power supply. This device is huge and therefore takes up a lot of space in your backpack. Sure, there is a lot going on under the hood and the R7 needs all the juice it can get, but seriously this brick is a pain.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard of the m15 R7 makes a very good impression. The keys have a nice fall and good feedback when you hit them. This makes it possible to type quickly and without errors. As mentioned, a mechanical keyboard with Cherry switches is also available, but we did not get a chance to see it. The touchpad is relatively small and somewhat offset to the left, but it reacts accurately and with pleasant feedback to clicking. However, a mouse is preferred for gaming.
The keyboard is quite good, with good key travel (about 1.8 mm), which means that typing errors are minimized. The keyboard does give a little when you press the middle keys hard, but this is not surprising given the plastic construction. The trackpad is a bit smaller, but it is very responsive and you will probably plug in a mouse for gaming anyway.
Display
When you open the lid, you see a 15.6-inch (2560×1440) QHD LCD screen. This is not an OLED or mini-LED display, but it looks excellent and is ideal for gaming, content consumption, and video editing. The display has excellent color reproduction and a 240 Hz refresh rate. Serious gamers, the target audience for this laptop, will appreciate the display’s incredibly fast response time and high refresh rate. In the center of the screen is a 720p webcam with two microphones. It is a pity that such an expensive notebook does not come with a 1080p webcam. The speakers on the m15 R7 are excellent. The sound is great for occasional music listening, movie watching or video game use.
Audio
The speakers on the Alienware m15 are powerful and capable of providing clear audio. That is, of course, as long as you avoid anything that might block them and muffle the sound. I discovered this while listening to H.E.R.’s “Damage,” and the already spacey synths sounded distant and underwater. After realizing that the pillow on my lap was in the way, the sound filled my small living/dining room space. The rich alto told a melancholy love story that was music to my ears.
The bass did not have the expected tone, but few laptops can do that. During the battle with Howl, the huge wolf boss of Ori and the Will of the Wisp, the monster’s growl was intense. As it chased me into the combat zone, the crunch of dry wood was thunderous and the strings were taut and tenuous, further increasing the anxiety. Six audio presets designed to provide the best sound depending on the situation are available in Alienware Command Center.
Graphics and Gaming
The Alienware m15 is equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 with 6 GB of VRAM, allowing the laptop to play most AAA titles at medium settings with a high frame rate. We made our way through the dark forest in Ori and the Will of the Wisps, finally defeating Howl with a flaming stick at 172 frames per second on High at 1080p.
The m15’s RTX 3060 GPU held its own in our benchmarks, starting with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, where the gaming laptop achieved 57 fps. This is below the average for premium gaming laptops of 64 fps, but better than the 49 fps of the Strix (AMD Radeon 6800M GPU). Neither could compete with the Blade 15 (RTX 3080), which achieved 74 fps.
When we ran the Shadow of the Tomb Raider test, the m15 achieved 73 fps, missing the average of 81 fps. The Blade 15 and the Strix remained tied at 88 fps. During Grand Theft Auto V, the m15 produced a respectable 82 fps. However, it failed to match the 95 fps average of either the Strix or the Blade 15, which achieved 98 and 107 fps, respectively.
Performance
The m15 R7 has an impressive set of specifications. The base model is priced at $2088.24 and features a 12th generation Intel Core i7-12700H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX3060, a 512 GB solid-state drive, 16 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 165 Hz display. The unit I reviewed, priced at $3378.12, has the same Core processor but features 1 TB of internal SSD storage, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 3080 Ti GPU, and 240 Hz display.
This model is designed to play the most demanding games on the market. That is why it is so expensive. To test its performance, this notebook was used for both work and play. The m15R7 provided a smooth frame rate while playing Red Dead Redemption 2 or Doom Eternal. Each game had different performance, but we were able to get incredible frame rates on some of the more difficult games.
This notebook has the best hardware available, including 32 GB of DDR5 RAM and 12th generation Intel Alder Lake processors. This configuration is not necessary for many people, including casual gamers. We tried to push our m15 R7 as hard as we could. This notebook is not for me. The m15 R7 is more of a portable studio. It is an extremely powerful workstation that a creative professional should buy.
Battery Life
We have seen gaming notebooks like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 last well over 8 hours on a single charge, but the Alienware m15 R7 maintains the same poor battery life. The 89 Wh battery barely lasts more than three hours in tests, and this is despite turning off the RGB lighting to conserve power.
Things are a little better in video playback: It lasts nearly four hours, which means you can at least watch a movie without having to recharge the battery, provided you start from a full charge. For games, however, you are unlikely to get more than 2 hours on full power before having to plug in the thick AC adapter. Of course, many gaming laptops are the same, but we have seen better ones.
Heat
Overall, however, the cooling does a decent job. Only under extreme load do the brakes fail due to temperatures. The CPU temperature sometimes reaches 100 degrees, apparently the sweet spot for slowing performance. The GPU stays below 80 degrees all the time and is thus fully in the green zone. This should not be the case during normal operation and gaming. Temperatures in the keyboard area remain just within the acceptable range and do not exceed 50 degrees. However, one should not park the stylus on the ventilation shafts above it because it becomes relatively uncomfortable.
Price and Availability
Dell’s Web site allows buyers in the United States and United Kingdom to choose their preferred Alienware M15 R7 from a range of possible configurations before checking out. This feature is also available on the Australian site, although with a much more limited selection. The cheapest option features an Intel Core i9-12700H, RTX 3050 Ti, 16 GB of DDR5 and half a terabyte of SSD storage. This model costs $1,499 (1,399 euros) and has a lower, yet respectable, refresh rate of 165 Hz. This is a high price for the given specifications.
Conclusion
Comparing the gaming laptops of the past with those of today shows a significant change. Although high-end gaming laptops still offer incredible performance, they are lighter and more versatile. The Alienware R7 m15 R7 is a powerful notebook that brings performance to a form factor that was previously limited to a desktop. Now we can see a high-end gaming notebook with a high refresh rate display and significant processing power. All in a compact case that can be carried in a backpack. It’s not cheap. But that’s okay. The m15 R7 is intended for professional gamers and podcast editors.
