The Alienware m16 R2 isn’t exactly the type of PC I’d expect from Alienware. This 16-inch laptop delivers solid gaming performance, but it’s also focused on being compact and offering long battery life. It doesn’t even offer the highest-end GPUs as an upgrade option. It actually caps out at an RTX 4070, and you’ll have to get another laptop if you want an RTX 4080 or RTX 4090.
The trademark glowing alien head logos are still here, but Alienware told me its target audience for this laptop was gamers who want a PC for more than just gaming—one that can go to school or to the office as well. Alienware delivered, but there’s just one thing I wish was different. Read on to learn more.
SPECS
The Alienware m16 R2 is available in a variety of different hardware configurations. The machine we reviewed is priced at $1,849 and had an Intel Core Ultra 7 155 CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
You can also get a model with Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics for $200 less. Alienware told us that you’ll soon be able to buy models with Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics and that these will be even less expensive.
Additionally, Alienware says it will offer models with the option of an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, up to 64 GB of RAM, and up to 8 TB of storage. On top of that, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 will be available as an option—the base machine comes with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 radios.
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
Memory: 16GB DDR5 5600MHz
Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070
Display: 2560×1600 IPS 240Hz (300 nits)
Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
Webcam: 1080p webcam with HDR
1× Thunderbolt 4/USB-C 4 Gen 2 with 15W Power Delivery and DisplayPort
