Alienware – m16 QHD+ 165Hz Gaming Laptop – Intel Core i7 – 16GB Memory – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 – 1TB SSD -Windows 11 Pro – Dark Metallic Moon

Really impressed with this laptop after having it for a few months. Has one of the best laptop keyboards I’ve used, and the QHD+ 165hz panel is fantastic for gaming and watching movies when I’m on the road. The RTX 4070 mobile does a decent job with gaming when hooked up to my 165hz 34″ ultrawide monitor as well. The amount of ports included is fantastic. I loved the inclusion of the SD card reader, the lack of ports on the right side (I’m right handed so this is great when using a mouse), and both type-c ports work as display ports as well. Also, I picked this laptop up during the Cyber Monday sales, so the price to performance if I paid full retail may have dropped my overall rating to a 4/5. A few things I’ve found that some people may want to be aware of: 1) when using the second M.2 slot on the mobo, the included screw bottoms out before fully securing the drive, so I used an insulating washer to remove any slop. I had a few issues where the drive would completely disappear after restart, or even in the middle of use. I’m assuming the slop from the M.2 screw is what was causing this. 2) If you use this laptop as a primary computer, and download a lot of different software, definitely upgrade the memory to 32gb from the included 16. After upgrading the memory, the laptop was a lot snappier when opening games, Adobe Illustrator, and Fusion, where the 16gb felt like it would hesitate comparatively. Also, don’t freak out if you do upgrade the memory, and it doesn’t boot automatically. The system needs to retrain to the new memory kit, and may go through a few power cycles before completely turning on (just need to reconfirm settings in the BIOS once it’s done). 3) From the beginning, the battery life is not the greatest. When off of the power brick, i need to turn on battery saver to be able to get 2-3 hours of work out of it. Though while at school or at work, I’m almost always near an outlet, so this hasn’t been too much of an issue for me, but I also never expected the battery life to be good.

This version of the Alienware m16 R1 is a great laptop! In comparison to my previous m15 R6, this laptop runs quieter, cooler, and faster than the previous generation. I had originally considered purchasing a 17-inch laptop because when working with two applications side by side on these laptops outside of gaming, it felt like the screens might be too small; however, the small difference from a 15.6-inch laptop screen to a 16-inch size laptop screen, it is a nice increase. Pros: – The QHD+ screen is bright, crisp, and clear, and there is no stuttering or lag on the screen under heavy loads. – The 4070 paired with the i7 in this laptop, alongside the 16GB of DDR5 RAM, performs very well across all games I have tested. – The 1TB SSD has become the norm and should be the minimum when purchasing a gaming laptop. This hard drive performs very well. The added bonus of Windows 11 Pro is nice, as most computers typically come standard with Windows 11 Home. – Both the RAM and M.2 Drives are expandable in these laptops, and Dell provides an easy-to-follow guide to upgrade these parts. – Worth every penny if bought on sale. I purchased this laptop on sale and used it to replace an ASUS TUF book I bought on sale. The ASUS TUF book was terrible, and I started getting blue screens one to two times a week before replacing it. – Dell customer service is amazing, I have used them before in the past year for another Alienware laptop and had a very positive experience. The Dell Premium Support + is worth every penny if anything happens, and Dell’s customer service is easy to work with. https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/alienware-m16-r1-amd-laptop/alienware-m16r1-amd-service-manual/solid-state-drive?guid=guid-42a997f5-329d-4712-8018-6c6114c5255f&lang=en-us Cons: – Alienware laptops can be pricey; however, in the past five years I have owned two. Both Alienware laptops are solid, and my previous generation, m15, is still running well. – Alienware Premium Support + coverage can be expensive if you are looking for an extended warranty outside of BestBuy. – 16GB of RAM, in my opinion, is the minimum for quality gaming and multitasking. However, Dell does offer parts through their store to upgrade their laptops, or you can go through third parties like Crucial (Note: If you buy the laptop on sale, it is way cheaper to upgrade the parts yourself post-purchase). – This laptop is a little on the heavy side when carrying it around for long periods of time; however, what it lacks in portability, it makes up for in performance and cooling. Overall, this Alienware laptop is well worth the price both on and off sale. If you are lucky enough to purchase this laptop on sale and you are in the market for a new gaming laptop, this is the laptop you want!