The time is ideal for gaming computers. With desktop-rivaling CPUs and graphics in addition to batteries that last more than two hours, they are quicker, thinner, and lighter. Alienware has long dominated the market with its reputation for unmatched power and performance, despite the fact that its laptops may not be the slimmest.
With a 6 Core, i9 processor that can be overclocked to 5GHz and an NVIDIA GTX 1080 Max-Q paired to a 4K display, the Dell Alienware 15 R4 that we were sent for testing is a formidable computer. On top of all that, it has a slick appearance and glows as an alien spacecraft might.
Is the Alienware 15 R4 Good for Gaming?
The Alienware m15 R4 has a similar look to its predecessor but, more importantly, it has a GeForce RTX 30 Series GPU, which improves gaming performance and enables 60 frames per second ray tracing on this exceptional gaming laptop.
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All Thing You Need To Know Before Purchasing Dell Alienware 15 r4
Price and Availability:
The Alienware m15 R4 is currently on sale from Dell(opens in new tab), and it will ship in about two weeks. The very least expensive model we could personalise is priced at $2,150. An Intel Core i7-10870H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU, 16 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD, a 1080p panel with a 300 Hz refresh rate, and a four-zone RGB keyboard are all included in this setup.
On the other extreme, you could personalise a $4,140 monstrosity. An Intel Core i9-10980HK processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, 32 GB of RAM, 4 TB and 512 GB of SSD storage, a 4K OLED display with a 60 Hz refresh rate with Tobii eye-tracking, and a per-key RGB keyboard are all included in this model of the m15 R4. There probably isn’t a gaming laptop available right now that is more powerful.
Design:
While most gaming laptops fall somewhere between “plain” and “overdesigned,” the Alienware m15 R4 manages to strike a pleasant balance. Our review machine has a beautiful white chassis with a slight protrusion for vents in the back and hexagonal vents on top, a vibrant Alienware power button, and a nice geometric design on the lid. The m15 R4 doesn’t have the appearance of a standard laptop for the workplace, but it also wouldn’t seem out of place in a little futuristic office.
I also liked how big and heavy the laptop was: 15.3 x 12.0 x 1.0 inches and 5.3 pounds. With a rather low profile for a 15-inch gaming laptop, the device should readily fit in most bags and backpacks. The power brick is rather substantial and weighty.
Keyboard and Touchpad:
The Alienware m15 R4 keeps things simple with a sophisticated membrane design, unlike some gaming laptops that include complete mechanical keyboards (with varying degrees of success). Each key has a respectable feel because to its short travel, quick actuation, and quick spring-back. After finishing my testing of the m15 R4, I was quite delighted to switch back to a full-size mechanical model since the keyboard felt really comfortable.
The keys can be a touch crowded, and substitute mistakes were more often than I preferred. Additionally, the keyboard has a lot of bezel space, which makes me question if the keys might have been spread out a bit better or even if it would have been feasible to incorporate a few programmed keys. The four-zone RGB choices, on the other hand, transmitted a soft rainbow wave across the keys as I typed, and I was quite delighted with those. (In the Alienware software, you may alter the colours or completely remove the RGB.)
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Display and Audio:
The Alienware m15 R4 that we examined has a 4K, 60 Hz screen, but if you prefer greater frame rates, you could alternatively have it with a 1080p, 300 Hz screen. I’m unable to comment on the 1080p screen, but I can say that the 4K screen is really bright and has a vibrant colour range, which is probably not surprise given that it’s an OLED panel.
Average brightness on the screen is 460 nits, which, especially at night, may be plain oppressive. Compare and contrast to the 323 nits of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 or the 276 nits of the Acer Predator Helios 300. Turning down the brightness was the first thing I did after setting up the m15 R4, and now I see why.
Performance:
Performance for gaming is where the Alienware m15 R4 excels. At 1080p, this device is a powerhouse, and when the graphics settings are turned all the way up, it can even compete at 4K. (To end the suspense: Unless several of the secondary graphics options are reduced, it cannot run at 4K/60 frames per second. But I struggle to come up with many computers that can.)
Grand Theft Auto V (108 fps at 1080p; 35 fps at 4K), Red Dead Redemption 2 (68 fps at 1080p; 27 fps at 4K), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider were used by Tom’s Guide to test the performance of the m15 R4 (77 fps at 1080p; 33 fps at 4K). Only Red Dead Redemption 2 of those titles failed to meet our standard for a comfortable 4K experience, although you could always settle for a QHD resolution.
Heat:
The Alienware m15 R4’s ability to regulate heat is one of my main criticisms of the device. The GPU seldom reaches temperatures beyond 60 degrees Celsius, so it’s not too awful in terms of raw temps. The touchpad stays at 81 degrees Fahrenheit when productivity software is running, and the keyboard seldom rises beyond 96 degrees, which is only a little bit above our 95-degree comfort threshold.
However, when you’re gaming, the keyboard may get hotter over 108 degrees Fahrenheit, which might be uncomfortable if you lay your fingers on it in between commands. (The touchpad doesn’t get very warm, but I don’t know many people who use touchpads for gaming.)
Battery Life:
But take note: The battery life is severely sacrificed for this performance. In our tests, we were never able to get the battery to last more than 2-2.5 hours. Running the i9-8950HK, GTX 1080, stunning, brilliant 4K monitor, and all those RGB lights drains that poor thing quickly.
Remember that they are very potent and energy-hungry components. It’s typical to see the battery draining uncomfortably quickly even during non-intensive tasks like online surfing in Chrome while listening to Spotify music.
Playing games while using a battery is not even worthwhile. The Alienware 15 R4 is actually a desktop replacement device that should always be near a power source. Though mobile gaming in general is still a bit of a pipe dream, this isn’t a deal breaker. Having said that, considering the Alienware 15 R4’s physical size, I would have anticipated a battery that might last at least 4-5 hours.
Verdict:
The Alienware 15 R4 is a fantastic computer with faultless productivity and gaming performance. Gaming at 1080p is absurd, but with a little modification, 4K60 gaming is possible. You can make a fantastic laptop by combining a no-compromises construction with programmable RGB lighting, overclocking, and good thermal cooling. But with prices beginning at AUD $4600, it better be. By no means is this a cheap machine, which makes it extremely difficult to recommend. With an i9 9900K Octacore processor, 32GB RAM, an NVIDIA RTX 2080, and 512GB SSD + 4TB storage, we constructed a better desktop PC at this pricing. Even better, we were able to add a HyperX Cloud gaming headset, mechanical keyboard, and 31-inch, 144Hz QHD display!
The Alienware 15 R4 is therefore difficult to justify unless you’re a professional player who requires a portable battle station, even though we truly enjoy it. For everyone else, its dimensions, weight, short battery life, and loud fans make it unsuitable for use in most offices or classrooms. Instead, we advise purchasing the new Alienware m15 and m17. They provide performance parity but are more portable, have better RTX graphics, and have longer battery lives, making them a considerably better investment.
We adore the Alienware 15 R4, which is a crazy computer and a fitting finish to a generation. There will never be another like it, excluding the brand-new Area 51m.
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Pros and Cons of Dell Alienware 15 r4
Pros:
- Powerful
- reasonable battery life
- Choice of ThunderBolt 3 Decent Ports
- outstanding and reliable case
- The new GeForce RTX 3070 GPU can do ray tracing at 60 frames per second.
- Exceptional battery life for a laptop
- outstanding style
- attractive 4K Oled screen in the configuration we’re reviewing.
- SSD storage of 1 TB
- several beneficial ports
- Keyboard (per-key) and chassis illumination customization
Cons:
- inordinately heavy for its size
- The cooling system needs improvement (Rise in Temperature and Fan Noise)
- Choosing a slightly heavy 60Hz 4K panel for gaming is questionable.
- Ray tracing is enabled, yet this GPU is still unable to achieve 60 frames per second at 4K.
Conclusion:
In light of this, we can say that the Dell Alienware 15 R4 is a viable option. Even though it has drawbacks like fan noise and heating difficulties, it also has some fantastic advantages including gorgeous premium design, connectivity choices, and elite gaming performance. This laptop might be a really wise decision, particularly for gamers. This laptop has an excellent battery, which is unusual for laptops of this sort. Now that everything has been clarified and defined, you may decide whether or not this laptop is appropriate for you. Comment on what you think about this laptop.
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