We adored it for its strong productivity and gaming capabilities, as well as its high refresh rate 240Hz screen; now the m15 R7 must step into some very big shoes left by its predecessor. Thankfully, the new Alienware appears prepared for the challenging task at hand. It is a well-rounded 1440p gaming PC with a bright 12th generation Intel processor and RTX 3070 Ti at its core. The m15 R7 is identical to every previous Alienware laptop released in recent years, including the recessed screen hinge, extended ring of RGB lights at the back edge, and the recognizable alien-head logo illuminated in a vivid blue on the lid.
Alienware m15 R7 review: Design
There are no differences between this and the Alienware m15 R6 from the previous year. The new 2022 model really retains the same chassis from the previous year, which is constructed of an aluminum, magnesium alloy, and plastic alloy. Thoughtfully contoured corners and a pleasant matte texture throughout give it a premium feel. Although we truly wish we could purchase this in white, the dark grey color scheme, or as it’s dubbed the “Dark Side of the Moon,” is also extremely attractive. We particularly admired the honeycomb pattern on every air vent, which gives the laptop its distinctive appearance. Although the lid and keyboard deck may exhibit some slight flexing due to the strong construction, we had no quality issues while using the laptop. Similar to the previous year’s model, the keyboard, power button, wrap-around light bar on the back, and Alienware logo on the lid all have RGB illumination. Using the Command Center app from Alienware, you can manage all of the lighting. Due to the robust cooling system, the laptop is now on the heavier side, weighing in at roughly 2.6kg. You can obviously feel the bulk towards the rear. Additionally, adding the weight of the charger brings the total weight to 3.2 kg, which is not very portable. The laptop is easily repairable, and accessing the inside is made possible by removing a couple of the included standard Phillips screws. Users can upgrade the memory, M.2 SSD, and Wi-Fi module, and there is an additional M.2 slot for added storage capacity.
Keyboard and touchpad
There is a row of function keys on the Dell Alienware M15 R7’s keyboard. The numpad is absent, but there are two separate keys for volume control. The power button, which is on the upper right side and features RGB lighting and the Alienware logo, is there. The M15 R7’s typing experience was good. The keys don’t feel overly clicky while still giving good feedback. Therefore, it makes sense that this keyboard has RGB backlighting that can be coordinated with the LED ring on the rear. Contrarily, the trackpad is somewhat small in comparison to those on other gaming laptops. The click buttons have a great feel to them and are quite sensitive and precise. Modern standards for gaming laptops call for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, which are already included in these devices. Regarding physical connectivity, there are three USB-A ports, RJ-45 Ethernet, an HDMI port, a headphone jack, and a Thunderbolt 4 port; however, the latter is substituted on the least cost 3050 Ti models by a regular USB-C port.
Display
Regarding the display, there are no compromises. Whether playing games or performing daily duties, the 15.6-inch QHD (2,560 x 1,440-pixel) resolution LCD panel feels great. The viewing angles were perfect, and it has a 240Hz refresh rate and a matte finish to minimize reflections. The bezels are fairly narrow, and a 720p webcam with Windows Hello facial recognition is located at the top. you can read our article on Alienware m15 R7 review. The display comes with features like Advanced Optimus, Comfort View Plus, and Nvidia G-Sync for a tear-free experience in addition to having a reaction time rating of 2ms. Given the size and hardware powering this system, having a QHD display is undoubtedly the sweet spot for gaming. The colours appear vibrant and brilliant, and everything is sharp. Even if we must acknowledge that it isn’t the brightest gaming laptop display we have tested, there is still plenty of brightness. Despite this, the overall experience is quite slick, snappy, and visually appealing. We received not a single complaint. Notably, you may get the Alienware m15 R7, which has a 165Hz refresh rate and an FHD (1,920 x 1,080-pixel) resolution display. However, you can only get it if you choose the laptop’s lowest model, which has an RTX 3060 GPU.
Alienware m15 R7 review: Audio
Similar to the m17 R5, the Alienware m15 R7 has two downward-firing speakers near the front of the chassis. They complement both music and movies and are excellent for gaming. We didn’t hear any distortion, even when the volume was turned all the way up. Explosions in Grand Theft Auto V and other games made a quiet thud rather than a loud impact, demonstrating a lack of low-end quality. We performed John Mayer’s song “If we Ever Get Around to Living” live on Letterman, but the sound quality left us unimpressed because it was tinny and missing in bass. The m15 R7 comes with the Dolby Access app, which can be used to modify the sound parameters. Our testing, however, showed that the changes had no impact on the content (music, videos, games). Your results might vary, but at least the programme is accessible to everyone who wants to experiment with modification. You may always choose one of the best gaming headsets if sound quality is crucial to you for enhancing immersion
Graphic and gaming
An AMD Ryzen 7 6800H CPU, 16GB of DDR4-4800 (dual-channel), a 512GB SSD, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, and a 165 Hz, 1920 x 1080 display are all included in our Alienware m15 R7 review unit. This configuration really allowed the laptop to show off its gaming prowess. Before starting our tests, we chose to play a few games on our own to get a feel for the device, including the free-to-play esports title Overwatch 2. It’s a terrific method to push the high-refresh screen because we noticed about 200 frames per second when playing the game at 1080p on the Epic level with V-Sync disabled. The m15 R7 finished third (69 fps) in the Shadow of the Tomb Raider test (1080p Highest), just behind the MSI Sword 15. (70 fps). With 74 frames per second, the Asus TUF Gaming F15 won. The GeForce RTX 3060 GPU is present in each of the gaming laptops in this group. The m15 R7 finished in second place (84 fps) in Much Cry 6 (1080p, Very High), far behind the performance of the Asus TUF Gaming F15 in first place (99 fps). At 60 frames per second and 70 frames per second, the Alienware x14 and Sword 15 lagged behind. Grand Theft V (1080p, Very High) tightened up the benchmark standings, and the m15 R7 won by averaging 95 frames per second. The TUF Gaming F15 and Sword 15 tied for second with 90 frames per second, while the x14 once more came in last with 70 frames per second.
Performance
Your sacrifices in terms of constructing materials start to pay off here. Alienware’s M15 R7 computer can fly. With the i7-12700H processor and RTX 3070 Ti GPU in our test machine, we were able to effortlessly bench well over 60 frames per second on the highest settings for all games used. With Ultra textures and all sliders set to maximum, even stress testing this machine with a demanding Red Dead Redemption 2 run produced amazing results—76 frames per second on average. With an i9 processor in charge, that kind of performance surpasses even that of the RTX 3080 Ti Razer Blade 15. The Fire Strike GPU scores also outperformed the M5 model from the previous year, with an astounding 24,894 score providing a clear lead over the 22,883 figure provided by a build using an RTX 3080 from the previous year. Furthermore, this CPU can undoubtedly keep up. Both the 15,897 Cinebench core score and the 7,623 PC Mark 10 score clearly place this system among the most potent ones available. This results in extremely smooth performance for both productivity and gaming in real life. Even our largest Cities Skylines save files and a crowded Planet Coaster map didn’t phase this machine. Faster action games played without a hitch, and the display’s 360Hz refresh rate served as the icing on an incredibly potent cake. The M7 never felt like it was trying to catch up with itself as everything moved smoothly across the screen, even during the more intense action parts. With headphones, the performance on-screen was faultless.
Alienware m15 R7 review: Battery life
Even if the battery life of gaming laptops isn’t exactly renowned for being long, the 89Whr battery that drives the Alienware M15 R7 is noticeably subpar. In the PCMark 10 battery life test, the laptop lasted little over three hours, and that was with all of the unnecessary RGB lighting turned off to save power. Video playback performed a little better, coming close to four hours, so assuming you start with a full charge, you should be able to watch at least a movie without needing to plug in. However, playing games won’t likely offer you much more than 2 hours before you need to plug in that bulky AC adaptor. Even if many gaming laptops are identical, we’ve still seen better.
Heat
After 15 consecutive runs of our Metro Exodus stress test, we measured heat on the Alienware m15 R7. The vents above the keyboard revealed the greatest temperatures, registering 45.3 degrees Celsius, as you can see in the pictures below (113.54 degrees Fahrenheit). also you can learn our article on Alienware m15 R7 review. The distance between the G and H keys measured at 34.3 degrees (93.7 degrees Fahrenheit), although we didn’t notice any excessive heating of the keyboard while playing games. We recorded a maximum temperature of 56.3 degrees Celsius at the bottom of the chassis (133.3 degrees Fahrenheit). That’s considerably hotter than the Alienware x14 at 44.4 degrees Celsius or the MSI Sword 15, which both reached 46.1 degrees (114.98 degrees Fahrenheit) (111.9 degrees Fahrenheit).
Configuration options
Prior to checking out, US and UK customers can virtually design their ideal Alienware M15 R7 by choosing from a wide variety of available options on the Dell website. The Australian website also has this function, albeit with a much smaller range. The version with the lowest price tag is an Intel Core i9-12700H processor, an RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, 16GB of DDR5, and a half terabyte of SSD storage. This model, which costs $1,499 (£1,399), also boasts a less brisk but still respectable 165Hz refresh rate on its display. For the specifications stated, the price is high. Since the model we received for review costs $2,350 (inexplicably more in the UK at £2,479) and comes with a considerably more potent RTX 3070 Ti, twice as much RAM and storage, and that incredibly fast 360Hz display, we’d actually lean toward saying that it offers better value for money. Although Australia doesn’t carry this specific model, a comparable model with a 1440p screen costs AU$4,505.
Conclusion
One of the greatest gaming laptops we’ve examined so far is the Alienware m15 R7. To be fair, the asking price of roughly $2,000 isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely worth the money. With a potent RTX 3070 Ti GPU, the most recent 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700CPU, 16GB RAM, a quick 512GB SSD, a stylish design, and a brilliant 1440p 240Hz screen, you get more PC than you pay for for the price. Despite our wishes for a quieter fan, a longer-lasting battery, and a smaller power adapter, these compromises are ultimately acceptable for a device that is primarily made for home gaming. Better still if you opt to get an Alienware Graphics Amplifier and utilize the m15 R7 as a makeshift desktop.
