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amazon Alienware M15 R6 reviews
The Alienware M15 R6 shares the design with its predecessor but essentially adds 11th Gen Core i7 power and a GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, delivering improved gaming performance to an outstanding gaming laptop.
In addition to an interplanetary reputation for producing large and powerful gaming desktops, Alienware now offers more portable machines that can still get the job done for enthusiasts and ‘hardcore’ gamers. The Alienware m15 is the Dell subsidiary’s 15-inch gaming laptop, and the latest Alienware M15 R6 is the most up-to-date version.
It has the same look and feels as the Dell Alienware m15 R5, but our configuration increases the memory to 32GB, refreshes the processor to Intel’s 11th Gen Core i7 processors, and delivers the power of Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 at very fair selling price.
With this feature set, it’s no doubt a premium laptop, but its value is the best we’ve seen among systems that cost a little over two thousand dollars. The new Tiger Lake processor is more efficient than Comet Lake’s Alienware m15 R4 predecessor, but Dell applies a pause to the R6’s 3D performance making the R4 a better value – more on that below.
Overall, it’s a great premium package at a very reasonable price, with a solid set of supportive features like a 165Hz display and long battery life. It doesn’t quite win the Editors’ Choice award among gaming laptops.
Design
Dell’s Alienware gaming laptops were once behemoths, and we’re glad they’ve undergone a thorough overhaul in terms of visuals and design over the past few years. We’ve seen some design and power maturation, changing from flamboyant to an appearance that gamers who live by RGB will more easily appreciate.
The Dell Alienware m15 R6, like its predecessor, the Alienware m15 R5 tends to the middle. There are no colored keyboard keys and from the inside, it has the character of a stylish ultraportable if it weren’t for the hexagonal grille and the power button on top of the glowing alien.
On the back, there’s a great large exhaust, but it only catches the eye if you leave the LED ambient light ring on. The cool thing is that you can adjust its color and intensity.
The entire body is crafted from a combination of aluminum, magnesium alloy, and plastic. You’ll have to trust the design, but we believe the lid is made from magnesium alloy aluminum on the underside and keyboard plate plastic. You can blame Alienware for cutting corners in making the part you touch the most plastic, and sure, using plastic for the most intricately carved part cuts down on manufacturing costs.
However, the soft finish feels good, and the plastic keyboard plate is the worst conductor of heat on the base. There’s a lot of meaning, right? Elsewhere, the Alienware m15 R6 lacks the keyboard stiffness we’d expect in a laptop as expensive as this, with some flexibility on the keyboard deck. You simply do not see such a design flaw in the Lenovo Legion 5 or even in the Alienware m15 R4.
Build quality is excellent but not as sophisticated as some older Alienware models.
Screen
Our review model of the Dell Alienware m15 R6 (AWM15R6-7729BLK-PUS) has a QHD LCD, but it also has a Full HD (1080p) resolution panel available, which is what a laptop should be. This powerful deserved it.
A couple of years ago we considered ultra-high-res gaming laptops a bit of a no-brainer, but since this kit features an RTX 3080 it’s pretty powerful. We hope that Alienware’s high-end gaming laptops will soon start with displays with 1440p resolution.
Even at 1080p resolution, though, this is no ordinary laptop display. It has strong color reproduction, and the refresh rate has been pushed from 165Hz in previous models to 240Hz (a 360Hz refresh model is also available). This is fast enough, allowing for accurate rendering of frame rates so high that they have to go beyond the limits of human perception.
The R6’s maximum brightness is very good, and like every other gaming laptop, the screen is matte rather than glossy. Again, the M15 R6’s resale QHD option is very appealing. If the lower-spec 1080p is sharper, the upgrade won’t be as appealing.
Keyboard And Trackpad
As always, we approach gaming laptops in search of the best possible performance, but in a rather unique twist, the Alienware M15 R6 delights us with its luxurious keyboard. It delivers deep key actions with a subtle combination of elasticity and a strong feel at the launch point.
The result is a gaming laptop with a keyboard that feels responsive and fast at the same time. This is one of the most satisfying keyboards we’ve seen on a gaming laptop to date, better than most of the competition. That said, you don’t notice the bow effect we mentioned earlier during use unless you type with some degree of fury.
However, in a surprising twist, this laptop doesn’t have per-key illumination. Instead, there are four areas, spread horizontally across its keys. This limits the kind of ‘wow’ effects you can create, but each region can be animated and set to any color of the rainbow, via the Alienware Command Center app.
Below the keyboard is the trackpad, which is much less interesting than the keyboard. It’s just the classic school gaming laptop pad that looks crammed in like it won’t be used very often. Don’t expect it to be as intuitive as what you get on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4.
The Alienware M15 R6 is a bad gaming and productivity laptop, with enough raw power to run modern games at the highest settings. However, there is an important part you need to consider which we will address in a moment.
We are looking at the high-end specs of this laptop. It has an Intel Core i7-11800H CPU, 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD storage. It has twice the RAM and storage capacity of mid-range gaming laptops commonly found there, but in most use cases the performance will be similar.
However, the Nvidia RTX 3080 (8GB DDR6) is the main highlight here. It is so powerful that even in its mobile version many recent games will play with abruptness even at maximum settings – thanks in part to the QHD screen resolution. Witcher 3 pushes at 101 fps with everything maxed out. You can also play Control with ray tracing enabled, all eye candy on, and you won’t even need to use performance-enhancing DLSS to get the best frame rates.
That said, the Alienware M15 R6’s RTX 3080 seems to be limited to 125W power consumption including 10 watts of dynamic boost. That is the problem we are talking about. Considering that some RTX 080 laptops are configured up to 165 watts, this seems pretty low, especially for an Alienware laptop. Even the R6 with the optional RTX 3070 is better with 130 watts.
However, in many games, the difference in actual frame rates may not be too great. However, the lower TGP is still a real hit for a gaming laptop this powerful, just be aware that some rival gaming laptops of similar size and weight may have a performance advantage.
For example, the Lenovo Legion 7 and Asus ROG Strix Scar deliver better scores in some games, and the 17-inch Alienware M17 R4 also uses the most powerful laptop version available.
Other than that, the M15 R6’s cooling system is excellent – it brings in cold air from above, through the top left part of the keyboard, and then blows hot air out of the grille at the back. Heat doesn’t spread throughout the keyboard quite quickly as you play, making the entire laptop feel a bit warm.
Battery life
The Alienware M15 R6 we’re reviewing has a sizable battery, but you’ll probably notice it drains quickly unless you put the laptop in the right mode. Just stream YouTube at medium brightness and you’ll see it go from full charge to zero in less than 3 hours and 41 minutes.
However, adjusting the refresh rate to 60Hz and using the Nvidia Control Panel tool to set the integrated graphics to the main processor as the main GPU improves battery life, with the same playback time being longer 7 hours and 9 minutes. Crossed fingers; you don’t need to do all the tweaking as it looks like the Nvidia GPU is draining the battery.
Elsewhere, the Alienware M15 R6 doesn’t offer the best when it comes to connectivity but is probably enough to satisfy most of its target audience. All you get is an Ethernet port on the left side next to the headphone jack. Two USBs are on the other side.
The rest of the connections are spread across the back: one USB Type-C with Thunderbolt, one additional USB 3.2 Gen 2, and one classic HDMI. This is an HDMI 2.1 connector, which is pretty good.
Audio and Webcam
The Alienware M15 R6 is equipped with a stereo speaker system that provides clear and loud audio. The speakers deliver a balanced sound with good bass and clear highs, making it suitable for gaming, music, and movies. The laptop also supports Dolby Atmos, enhancing the audio experience with spatial sound effects.
The laptop comes with a 720p HD webcam, which is adequate for video conferencing and casual streaming. The image quality is decent, but it would have been nice to see a 1080p webcam in a premium gaming laptop. The webcam also features an IR sensor for Windows Hello facial recognition, providing a secure and convenient way to log in.
Thermals and Noise
Managing heat is crucial for maintaining performance in high-end gaming laptops, and the Alienware M15 R6 does a commendable job in this regard. The laptop features an advanced cooling system with dual fans, multiple heat pipes, and extensive venting to ensure efficient heat dissipation.
During extended gaming sessions, the laptop’s fans can get quite loud, especially when running demanding games. However, this is a trade-off for keeping the powerful hardware cool. The keyboard and palm rest areas remain relatively cool, thanks to the efficient cooling system.
In terms of thermal performance, the CPU and GPU temperatures remained within acceptable limits during our stress tests. The CPU temperature peaked at around 90°C, while the GPU temperature stayed below 80°C. These temperatures are typical for high-performance gaming laptops and do not indicate any thermal throttling.
Software and Additional Features
The Alienware M15 R6 comes with Windows 10 pre-installed, with an option to upgrade to Windows 11. Alienware also includes its Command Center software, which provides a suite of tools for optimizing performance, monitoring system resources, and customizing the keyboard backlighting and RGB lighting zones.
The Command Center software is user-friendly and offers various performance profiles, allowing users to balance performance and battery life according to their needs. The software also includes a thermal management tool, which provides detailed information about the system’s temperatures and allows for manual fan control.
Another noteworthy feature is the inclusion of AlienFX lighting technology, which allows users to customize the RGB lighting on the keyboard, power button, and rear light bar. This adds a personalized touch to the laptop and enhances the overall gaming experience.
Conclusion
The Alienware M15 R6 is a top-tier gaming laptop that excels in almost every aspect. Its combination of powerful hardware, stunning display, and iconic design makes it an excellent choice for gamers and content creators alike. The high-refresh-rate, color-accurate display is perfect for gaming and creative tasks, while the powerful CPU and GPU can handle demanding applications with ease.
The laptop’s build quality and design are also commendable, offering a premium feel and a distinctive look. The keyboard and touchpad provide a comfortable and responsive user experience, and the selection of ports ensures that users have the connectivity options they need.
While the battery life could be better, it is still decent for a high-performance gaming laptop. The cooling system does a good job of managing heat, although the fans can get loud under heavy load.
Overall, the Alienware M15 R6 is a versatile and powerful machine that caters to the needs of gamers and professionals. Whether you’re looking to dominate the latest AAA titles or create high-quality content, this laptop has the performance and features to help you achieve your goals.
where can you get a Alienware M15 R6 online
Alienware M15 R6 Gaming Laptop – 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 1ms 360Hz Display, Intel Core i7-11800H, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA RTX 3070 8GB Graphics, Windows 11 Home – Black: Buy it now
Alienware M15 R6 VR Ready Gaming Laptop – 15.6 inch QHD 2K 240Hz Display, Intel Core i7-11800H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, HDMI, WiFi ,512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 11-Black: Buy it now
Dell Alienware M15 R6 (Latest Model) I5-11400H 6-CORE 256GB SSD 8GB RAM 15.6″ FHD (1920 X 1080) 165Hz RTX 3060 6GB Dark Moon Win 10 (Renewed): Buy it now
Dell Alienware m15 R6 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 15.6″ FHD | Core i7 – 512GB SSD – 16GB RAM – RTX 3060 | 8 Cores @ 4.6 GHz – 11th Gen CPU – 12GB GDDR6: Buy it now