Alienware and parent company Dell are both releasing new AMD-based gaming laptops—for the first time in over a decade, in the case of the former.
The marquee product in this lineup is the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5, which will use Ryzen 5000 H-Series processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics. Dell, in its own G family of less expensive gaming notebooks, is also releasing a new G15 machine with both Ryzen and Intel variants.
Back With Ryzen: The m15
Alienware’s last AMD-based laptop launched in 2007, and it’s safe to say its laptop processors have come a long way since then. In particular, the newest wave of Ryzen mobile processors, dubbed “Cezanne” during their development and using the company’s latest Zen 3 architecture, has been delivering stellar performance with a good value proposition. So Dell is leveraging that in the high-end Alienware system and the more scalable Dell-branded G15.
First: the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5. This model will launch in the US on April 20 at a starting price of $2,229.99. In addition to the top-end CPU and GPU offerings from AMD and Nvidia, the m15 will offer user-upgradable 3,200MHz DDR4 memory. Specifics about which exact processors and GPUs will be used are not yet available for this unit.
Alienware will also offer some updated display options in this new model. You can pick among a full HD 165Hz, a full HD 360Hz, or a QHD 240Hz panel. The two higher-refresh options are enabled for G-Sync adaptive sync (to reduce screen tearing) and Advanced Optimus (for switching between the dedicated graphics chip and the CPU’s integrated graphics).
Finally, the system will have an option for a mechanical keyboard. This low-profile keyboard was developed in conjunction with popular key-switch maker Cherry. Additionally, it boasts a refined 2.0 version of the futuristic “Legend” design language that Alienware has employed in the last few go-arounds of the m15 and m17 systems. This includes a new paint formula that Dell says is more stain-resistant, and should feel more premium, though we’ll have to wait until we get our hands on a unit to confirm.
The G Series Also Gets Ryzen
Next up, the G15. The Ryzen Edition will be available on May 7 starting at $899.99, while the Intel-based G15 will launch on April 13 at the same starting price.
On the surface, the G15 is unifying its style a bit with its Alienware kin in the chassis design, particularly with the rear thermal block. This is a sleeker look for a budget-friendly gaming laptop, even if it doesn’t go all the way in on Alienware’s sci-fi aesthetic.
Internally, the G15 Ryzen Edition will also offer Ryzen 5000 processors, GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs, and upgradable memory. You will be able to get it with either a Ryzen 5 5600H or a Ryzen 7 5800H chip, up to a GeForce RTX 3060 graphics processor, and up to 2TB of storage. The display options are both full HD, at either 120Hz or 160Hz screen refresh rates.
The keyboard will feature four-zone backlighting, and the chassis will come in shades that Dell dubs Specter Green or Phantom Grey.
The Intel-based G15 shares most of these features, but it, of course, swaps the processors for Core offerings. Specifically, it will offer the 10th Generation (“Comet Lake”) Core i5-10200H or Core i7-10870H. Otherwise, the GPU, memory, and storage options will be the same as on the Ryzen Edition.
Also New: More Dell-Branded Gaming Displays
To round out the gaming announcements, Dell also revealed new members in the Dell Gaming Monitor family, which will add new models in screen-size classes of 25, 27, 32, and 34 inches. The three largest panel sizes will be curved displays.
These panels are still a ways out from release. The 27- and 32-inch monitors will launch on June 22, while the 25- and 34-inch versions release on May 27. More details and pricing will become available as the launch dates get closer.
