For Dell, a second-generation revision of a product like the Alienware m16 would just be a spec bump highlighted by a new chipset. This year, the "spec bump" aspect of the Alienware m16 R2 is significant, because this great laptop is now powered by Intel's new Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 9 processors. But the changes between the Alienware m16 R1 and the Alienware m16 R2 go far beyond the laptops' internal components. Alienware completely redesigned the Alienware m16 R2, and changed the laptop's target audience along with it. By downsizing the laptop's overall footprint by 15% and ditching the thermal shelf, Dell now sees Alienware m16 R2 as a hybrid laptop that can be used for gaming and productivity.

The Alienware m16 R2 is still a large gaming laptop, and it's big enough that it might not fit in some laptop bags that can hold "most 16-inch laptops." But aside from the subtle RGB elements, Alienware logo, and "16" branding, the Alienware m16 R2 could pass for a workstation laptop. Thanks to software features like "stealth mode" and a solid keyboard and touchpad, the Alienware m16 R2 is usable for productivity tasks. However, due to incredibly loud fans, a mid-tier display, and poor battery life, gaming should still be the primary use case for the Alienware m16 R2. The good performance and accessible $1,500 starting price might make it a worthy buy, though.

About this review: Alienware provided us with an m16 R2 laptop for review. Dell did not have input in this article, and did not see its contents before publishing.

Pricing and availability

The Alienware m16 R2 is available from Dell's website and Best Buy, but you'll need to buy the base model directly from Dell. The laptop starts at $1,500 for an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 discrete graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Our review unit retails for $1,850 and includes the Intel Core Ultra 7 chip, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 discrete graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. The highest-end model of the m16 R2 can be configured with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, 64GB of RAM, and 8TB of SSD storage.

All versions of the m16 R2 feature a 16-inch QHD+ display, an RGB per-key keyboard, and the Dark Metallic Moon colorway.

Specs

Design

Dell overhauled the m16 gaming laptop between R1 and R2

The changes begin with the design, which appears to be totally different to the outgoing Alienware m16 R1. That laptop had a big, bulky design that made it nearly impossible to use for anything outside of gaming. Instead, Dell shifted the Alienware m16 R2 to be a more subtle and discreet gaming laptop. There are some performance dips as a result, but I think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. While the Alienware m16 R2 is still bigger than a productivity laptop, such as a MacBook Pro or a Dell XPS machine, it's around the same size as a workstation laptop with similar specs.

The biggest thing you'll notice about the Alienware m16 R2 is that it's missing the thermal shelf. On the prior version of the laptop, there was a portion of the body that protruded past the laptop's display to make room for a larger cooling system. Though the thermal shelf is gone, Dell's Cryo-tech cooling system is still there. Now, it uses two fans, four copper heat pipes, and four air vents to pull cool air in through the bottom of the Alienware m16 R2 and send hot air out through the back and sides. Dell says that this makes the Alienware m16 R2 more efficient than the m16 R1, but make no mistake, it's still a very loud system that can get very hot.

The design changes are excellent, and the Alienware m16 R2 feels like an entirely different laptop than the R1 as a result. For reference, here's what the m16 R1 looks like:

The RGB loop that was once found around the thermal shelf has now been moved to the touchpad. It's a nice touch if you're a fan of Alienware's unique design language. There's also RGB lighting for the Alienware logo on the back of the laptop and per-key lighting on the keyboard. The cool part is that by pressing one key (F2), you can activate "stealth mode," which tames the fans and turns the RGB lighting off everywhere but the keyboard. Each key will have standard white backlighting while in stealth mode, which will draw a lot less attention in public spaces.

Ports

There's plenty to work with here, including Ethernet, HDMI, and Thunderbolt

Despite the smaller form factor, the Alienware m16 R2 doesn't suffer in terms of ports. There's a 240W barrel connector for charging, and you'll want to use the included power adapter, even though it is quite large. The laptop supports charging via USB-C, but the 160W Nexode Pro USB-C charger I tried couldn't power the Alienware m16 R2 even on efficiency modes. The laptop includes two USB-A ports, a microSD card slot, a headphone jack, an RJ45 Ethernet port, two USB-C ports, and an HDMI port. One of those USB-C ports supports Thunderbolt 4, and can be used for display output with the integrated GPU. The other is USB 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort 1.4 support for the discrete graphics card.

Keyboard and touchpad

Great for a gaming laptop, but a step under productivity laptops

The only reason that the Alienware m16 R2 can even be considered as a hybrid gaming laptop is due to the improvements Dell made to the touchpad and keyboard. The palm rests and the chassis around the keyboard and touchpad feature a soft-touch material that's way more comfortable than typical metal or plastic. Dell centered the keyboard and made the touchpad bigger, and it'll be familiar to most laptop users as a result. I'd still recommend using a mouse with the Alienware m16 R2, but the touchpad is usable. The keyboard is great as well, offering a decent amount of key travel and a standard layout with useful function keys. I wrote a few articles with this keyboard and touchpad, and it wasn't an issue.

Two of those function keys you'll want to take note of are F1 and F2. The F1 key changes your laptop's performance mode, and it's a quick way to turn high performance mode on or off. There are more performance settings in the Alienware Command Center program, but this toggle can be switched on or off with one button press. High performance mode pulls a bit more power out of your system, but makes the Alienware m16 R2 sound like a jet engine — even when idling. F2 is for "stealth mode," and though it takes a few seconds to activate, it's a quick way to cut down the RGB and fan noise while in public spaces.

Display

It's an excellent panel that needs more brightness

Dell put a display panel inside the Alienware m16 R2 that's great on paper, but is a bit lacking in daily use. It's a 16-inch, QHD+ display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate. The screen has a matte finish and a decent bezel size for a gaming laptop, and generally looks good indoors in well-lit rooms. The display is only rated for 300 nits of brightness, though, and the Alienware m16 R2 can be really tough to see in less favorable lighting situations. A dimly-lit coffee shop will be fine, but forget using this machine in direct sunlight. It's perhaps the biggest reason the Alienware m16 R2 can't hold its own as a productivity laptop.

Color accuracy is a problem as well. Gaming laptops don't often prioritize color accuracy, but the Alienware m16 R2 performed particularly poorly in our color testing.

It's important to remember the price of the Alienware m16 R2, especially when evaluating the display. The base model costs just $1,500, and for that price you can look past a few things. The resolution of the Alienware m16 R2 is solid, and so is the refresh rate and response time. The color accuracy isn't a dealbreaker for most people, since it doesn't matter too much for gaming. However, the brightness really needs to be better, especially if the Alienware m16 R2 wants to be taken seriously as a gaming and productivity laptop.

Performance

There's a lot of power in a 16-inch form factor, but battery life is poor

Dell made some trade-offs in terms of performance with the Alienware m16 R2 in order to downsize the laptop's footprint. It can no longer be equipped with an RTX 4080 or 4090 graphics card, for starters. The Intel Core Ultra 7 chip my Alienware m16 R2 came with also has fewer cores than the m16 R1 we reviewed last year with a Core i9-13900HX chip. However, the Alienware m16 R2 does have improvements in some areas. It's powered by the Intel Core Ultra chipset, which means it has a dedicated NPU for handling AI-based tasks. The processor is also more power-efficient than older Intel processors.

You can see the effect these decisions have on performance in synthetic benchmark tests, like Geekbench 6 and 3DMark Time Spy. In graphics-heavy tasks, the RTX 4070 can't keep up with gaming laptops equipped with more powerful graphics cards and bigger cooling systems. For example, in Time Spy, the Alienware m16 R2 scored over 3,000 points lower than last year's Alienware m16 R1. In straight productivity tasks, where core count isn't a massive factor, the Intel Core Ultra 7 chip pushes the Alienware m16 R2 ahead. This laptop not only beat the m16 R1 significantly, but also handled the MSI Prestige AI 16 Evo in a PCMark 10 benchmark.

But benchmarks don't always reflect real-world usage, so it's important to note that the Alienware m16 R2 performed well in all the games we tested with it. You might not be able to run demanding games at the Alienware m16 R2's full native resolution, but bumping the display quality down to 1600p or 1080p will ensure you get playable frame rates. If you want to play games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Alan Wake 2 at higher resolutions, you might want to grab a different laptop with an RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 graphics card. For most games, including Fortnite and Forza Motorsport, you'll have no problem surpassing the frame rates needed for a quality gaming experience.

However, the laptop gets hot when playing demanding games or performing intensive tasks. The fans kick up too, especially on performance and overdrive modes. The Alienware m16 R2's battery life isn't great either, maxing out at only a few hours in most situations. Even while doing light web browsing with efficient power settings enabled, my Alienware m16 R2 lost about half its battery percentage in roughly an hour and 15 minutes. Plan on staying near a power outlet while using the Alienware m16 R2.

Should you buy the Alienware m16 R2?

You should buy the Alienware m16 R2 if:

• You want a 16-inch gaming laptop that has a subtle design and can double as a productivity device in a pinch
• You don't need the brightest or most color-accurate display
• You want to spend between $1,500 and $2,000 on a gaming laptop

You should NOT buy the Alienware m16 R2 if:

• You want the most performance and power you can get out of a 16-inch gaming laptop
• You need a gaming laptop that has a brighter and more color-accurate display
• You need better battery life in a laptop

Dell changed a lot with the Alienware m16 in just one year, and the Alienware m16 R2 is better because of it. But that doesn't mean the company successfully turned the Alienware m16 R2 into an excellent subtle, hybrid gaming laptop overnight. There are still some pitfalls, like a display that's mediocre outside of gaming and battery life that can't hold up against productivity laptops. At well under $2,000, the Alienware m16 R2 is still a solid way to play games at 1080p or higher in a discreet laptop form factor. But the primary use case needs to be gaming, because the Alienware m16 R2 is a step or two behind hybrid laptops like those in the Razer Blade or the Asus Zephyrus lineups.