It’s that time of the year again. The 2019 edition of Computex brings PC geeks from all corners of the globe to unite and get a taste of the latest and greatest from the leading PC brands out there. While the event might be in Asia, it hasn’t stopped American PC giant Dell in rolling out their wares.
Alienware, Dell’s dedicated gaming vertical, stepped up their slim m gaming series this year, with the 2019 versions of the Alienware m15 and m17.
Though they indeed are the same models from last year, they’ve received a visual overhaul from the Dell labs.
And unlike the 2018 models, these updated versions look way more “alien” than ever, taking inspiration from their new flagship desktop replacement, the mammoth Alienware Area 51m that released in January this year. Not that we’re complaining at all — these just look absolutely gorgeous.
But the revamped looks are only a fraction of the upgrades that the new m15 and m17 have received. Being the thinnest gaming laptops by Alienware, they have gone to the gym and trimmed the excesses, returning this year with a more streamlined look.
This time, the 2019 m15 is approximately 2.13kg (a notch lighter than the 2018 m15’s 2.16kg), while the 2019 m17 is 2.63kg (much lighter compared to 2.8kg on the last year’s m17).
Furthermore, the bezel size on both models has decreased significantly, making the visuals on the screen pop out so much more.
And speaking of screens, the screens on these new models have also been outfitted with awesome new tech that will hope to streamline your gaming experience in new ways.
The m17 has the bragging rights of being the world’s first laptop that comes with Eyesafe technology. Eyesafe technology is designed to stifle harsh blue light on the screen without sacrificing colour integrity. This makes playing AAA titles such as Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 and Mortal Kombat 11 in the dark on the m17 much more eye-friendly, allowing you to slog away for long hours without straining your eyes too much.
The m15 comes with really cool a Tobii eye-tracker, located at the base of the display monitor. The eye tracker comprises of a series of minute cameras and projectors that detect eye movement around the display. This allows for facial recognition when you open your m15, or for the display to instantly light up after the laptop goes to sleep for a while.
With these two new features, we’re wondering why Dell didn’t just include both into their new range of laptops?
Regardless, aside from exterior redesigns and new screens, the new m15 and m17 have revamped keyboards as well. Previously, they only had 4-zone RGB customisation that felt rather limiting to gamers who prefer full customisation. This time, Alienware caved and finally went for the per-key RGB customisation on their AlienFX software that was sorely lacking in previous iterations. Of course, their tactile keys are still as satisfying to type on as ever.
Finally, the new m15 and m17 laptops come equipped with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20 series GPUs as well as Intel eight-core 9th-Gen CPUs, which will certainly turn them into gaming heavyweights that can contend with the likes of the new ASUS ROG STRIX Scar III and the like.
The new Alienware m15 and m17 gaming laptops will be available from July 1 onwards and will both be priced from US$1,499.99 onwards.
Specifications
| Model | Alienware m15 R2 | Alienware m17 R2 |
| Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Up to 9th Generation Intel Core i9-9980HK Processor (8-core, 16MB cache, up to 5.0GHz w/Turbo Boost) | Up to 9th Generation Intel Core i9-9980HK Processor (8-core, 16MB cache, up to 5.0GHz w/Turbo Boost) |
| Graphics | Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q Design | Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q Design |
| Display | Up to 15.6″ OLED UHD (3840 x 2160) 60Hz sRGB 100% colour gamut + Tobii Eyetracking technology | Up to 17.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hzs 72% colour gamut with Eyesafe and Tobii Eyetracking technology |
| Memory | Up to 16GB DDR4 2,666MHz | Up to 16GB DDR4 2,666MHz |
| Storage | Up to 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD | Up to 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD |
| Keyboard | Alienware mSeries keyboard with per-key RGB LED AlienFX lighting Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology 1.7mm key travel 0.2mm-dish conclave key design | Alienware mSeries keyboard with per-key RGB LED AlienFX lighting Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology 1.7mm key travel 0.2mm-dish conclave key design |
| Dimensions | 360.5 x 276 x 19.5mm | 399.8 x 295.5 x 19.5 mm |
| Weight | 2.16kg | 2.63kg |
| Colours | Lunar Light, Dark Side of the Moon | Lunar Light, Dark Side of the Moon |
| Price | From US$1,499.99 | From US$1,499.99 |
| Availability | July 1 | July 1 |
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
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