![]() ![]() This means game loading times won’t be a problem. The Sandisk 1TB PCIe 4 SSD in my review machine was a solid performer with sequential read and write speeds of 7GB/sec and 5.2GB/sec, respectively. Dell seems parsimonious not to have made this a feature of all models because, inside my review machine, the free space for the two smaller drivers was just that, free. Some Alienware M16 R1 models (those with the AMD, RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 GPUs) come with a second pair of 30mm SSD slots, increasing the potential storage capacity from 8TB to 9TB and adding RAID 5 to the RAID 0/1 configuration of the twin-drive models. Once inside, you will find room for a second SSD and easy access to the two SODIMM RAM mounts and the Qualcomm WCN685x Wi-Fi 6E wireless card. Removing the metal plate from the bottom of the Alienware M16 R1 is easy. It works perfectly well, there just isn’t enough of it. There simply isn’t room for anything larger. ![]() That results in a tiny touchpad, just 112mm wide and 65mm deep. Whichever you choose, you get per-key sRGB lighting and the option to create your own macros.Ī side-effect of the deep vent grille above the keyboard is the reduced space below the keyboard. For an extra £35/$50, the mechanical keyboard is an obvious choice unless noise is an issue. You can specify the M16 R1 with Cherry’s ultra-low profile mechanical keys. A tap of the Fn 1 key toggles the system into and out of high-performance mode. It also lacks a numeric keypad though you get dedicated volume keys on the right and full-sized arrow keys. The keyboard is a basic chiclet affair with no design nods to the gaming community like emboldened WASD keys. This will disappoint anyone who, like me, appreciates Alienware’s striking and ethereal Lunar Light colourway. There’s only one colour option, the gun metal-grey Dark Metallic Moon. The external dimensions of 368.9 x 289.9 x 25.4mm make it wider and deeper, if slightly thinner, than the ROG and Medion machines. Even the hefty Acer Predator Helios 16 is lighter at 2.9Kg. The Alienware M16 R1 is not a light laptop: at 3.25Kg, it’s considerably heavier than the 2.4Kg Medion Erazer X20 or the 2.5Kg Asus ROG Strix Scar 16. The lid is still a bit wobbly, though, a side-effect of it not being fully laminated with a glass cover, something common to most gaming laptops. The metal case lends the M16 R1 a premium feel, and the finish resists greasy fingerprints. The 2022 model M15 R7 wasn’t badly built, but the new M16 R1 feels more solid and durable. This year, Alienware has taken a big step forward with the build quality of the new M-series laptops. This includes the bright, alien head logo on the lid and keyboard deck, the latter doubling up as the power button, the hexagonal exhaust grille above the keyboard and the Stadium LED strip surrounding the rear ports. Design and KeyboardĪlienware laptops have traditionally been aesthetically striking, and the 2023 M16 R1 has all the expected Alienware design cues. If you want the 420Hz FullHD+ or 240Hz QHD+ screen, you must downgrade to the RTX 4080 GPU in the UK, although that’s seemingly not the case in the USA. At the other end of the scale, £5129/$4599 gets you a Core i9 13900HX chip, RTX 4090 GPU, 8TB of storage, and 64GB of RAM, but, oddly, only the entry-level 165Hz display. ![]() That gets you a Ryzen 7 7745HX CPU, RTX 4060 GPU, a 1TB SSD, 16GB of RAM and a 165Hz display. The effect this can have on price is dramatic. These include four CPUs (two Intel, two AMD), five GPUs (four Nvidia, one AMD), two keyboards, three displays, and more memory and storage options than you can shake a stick at. Now we have the Alienware alternative, another 16-inch machine called the M16, powered by one of AMD’s most recent and much-praised Dragon Range CPUs.īeing an Alienware machine means you have access to many options at purchase. ROG was first out of the gates with an RTX 40-series 16-inch gaming laptop in the form of the Strix Scar 16. There are alternatives, but for dyed-in-the-wool thoroughbred gaming, ROG and Alienware are the default choices. If you are in the market for a hard-core gaming laptop and money isn’t an issue, chances are you are looking at something with an Asus ROG or a Dell Alienware badge. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |