Alienware m15, m17 bring high-end ray tracing to mobile laptops

Alienware M15 Lede
Alienware M15 Lede (Image credit: Dell)

What you need to know

  • Dell announced the Alienware m15 and Alienware m17 gaming laptops.
  • The laptops come with up to a 10th Gen Intel Core i9 processor and either AMD Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce graphics.
  • The Alienware m15 starts at $1,500 and the Alienware m17 starts at $1,550.
  • Both laptops are set to launch on May 21, 2020.

Dell announced a pair of Alienware laptops alongside several other pieces of hardware today. The Alienware m15 and Alienware m17 are gaming laptops with options for high-end and powerful gaming specs. Both laptops are available with up to 10th Gen Intel Core i9 processors and have options for either AMD Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce graphics. The Alienware m15 starts at $1,500 and the Alienware m17 starts at $1,550.

The Alienware m15 and Alienware m17 share many specs, including their processor options, storage options, and set of ports. Each is available with an 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10300H, 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H, or a 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980H processor. They each have a microSD card reader, a Thunderbolt 3 port capable of fast charging, and several other ports for connectivity.

One notable difference between the Alienware m15 and Alienware m17 is the highest graphics option available. The Alienware m15's highest option is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Max-Q while the Alienware m17 has an option for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Max-P. The Max-Q has a lower power limit than the Max-P, though both cards are powerful.

While the laptops have different display sizes, the options for the displays are similar. Each laptop has an option for an FHD display without G-Sync, an FHD display with G-Sync, an FHD display with 100 percent sRGB color gamut, and a UHD display. Notably, the Alienware m15's UHD display is OLED while Dell doesn't list the Alienware m17's UHD display as OLED. The Alienware m15 also has slightly faster refresh rates on some of the FHD models.

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CategoryAlienware m15
Operating systemWidows 10 HomeWindows 10 Pro
Display15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 144Hz, 7ms, 300-nits15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) with G-Sync, 144Hz, 7ms, 300-nits15.6-inch with 100 percent sRGB, 300Hz, 3ms, 300-nits15.6-inch OLED UHD (3840 x 2160), 60Hz, 1ms, 400-nits
Processor10th Gen Intel Core i5-10300H10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980H
GraphicsUp to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Max-QAMD Radeon RX 5500M
Memory8GB DDR4 2666MHz16GB DDR4 2666MHz32GB DDR4 2666MHz
StorageUp to 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD single storageUp to 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0Up to 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 Plus
Battery56WHr86WHr
PortsPower/DC-inRJ-45 Killer Ethernet E3000 10/100/1000Mbps/2.5Gbps2x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 11x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 with Powershare technology1x Thunderbolt 3 Port1x Alienware Graphics AmplifierHDMI 2.0b with HDCP 2.2 OutputMini-Display Port 1.4 (certified) OutputAudio Out 1/8"microSD 5.1 UHS-II HD312 Card Reader
WirelessKiller Ethernet E3000 10/100/1000Mbps/2.5Gbps NICKiller Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i 802.11ax 2x2 Wireless LANBluetooth 5.0
Camera720p

The Alienware m17 has mostly identical options and specs, but there are a few key differences, such as the maximum graphics option and display options.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
CategoryAlienware m15
Operating systemWidows 10 HomeWindows 10 Pro
Display17.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 144Hz, 9ms, 300-nits17.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) with G-Sync, 144Hz, 9ms, 300-nits17.3-inch with 100 percent sRGB, 300Hz, 3ms, 300-nits17.3-inch UHD (3840 x 2160), 60Hz, 25ms, 500-nits
Processor10th Gen Intel Core i5-10300H10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980H
GraphicsUp to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Max-PAMD Radeon RX 5500M
Memory8GB DDR4 2666MHz16GB DDR4 2666MHz32GB DDR4 2666MHz
StorageUp to 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD single storageUp to 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0Up to 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 Plus
Battery56WHr86WHr
PortsPower/DC-inRJ-45 Killer Ethernet E3000 10/100/1000Mbps/2.5Gbps2x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 11x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 with Powershare technology1x Thunderbolt 3 Port1x Alienware Graphics AmplifierHDMI 2.0b with HDCP 2.2 OutputMini-Display Port 1.4 (certified) OutputAudio Out 1/8"microSD 5.1 UHS-II HD312 Card Reader
WirelessKiller Ethernet E3000 10/100/1000Mbps/2.5Gbps NICKiller Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i 802.11ax 2x2 Wireless LANBluetooth 5.0
Camera720p

Both laptops are set to launch on May 21, 2020.

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Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.