that includes me, performance requirements to just far higher than what this laptop can provide, and that means only 4080/4090 max p laptops are ever in my consideration last year when I bought my legion Pro 7i(4090), my work use up the entire vram capacity of even the 4080, and several instance of said work require hx cpu to not lag the laptop out
I learned my lesson the hard way. $3k down the hole. If you love a laptop that crashes even when it's idle and is only 3 months old, and you want to spend time troubleshooting instead of playing games after a long day at work, this is the laptop for you. 3 separate calls to tech support, reinstalling Windows on my laptop each time. I thought the Blue Screen of Death got left behind in the 90's. But Alienware is bringing it back in style with their new "gaming" laptops.
@@chinmay6144 Alienware - x16 FHD+ 480Hz Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i9 13900HK - 32GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 - 1TB SSD It is not fixed. Still taking me back to the 90's with the Blue Screen of Death and gets hot enough to cook a steak even when it's idle. Apparently, Alienware was once a great brand until it was acquired by Dell, and it's been downhill ever since. I was happy with my Asus and regret switching brands. Go with Asus.
@@chinmay6144 YT deleted my review. But short answer: don't buy Alienware. It'll start having problems after the 30-day return period and you'll be stuck. Apparently, they were great once upon a time. Things when downhill when they were acquired by Dell. Buy Asus. I was happy with my Asus.
@@techondeckproductions242, how old is it? This is a problem that can't really become overcome, so I suspect it's just recent enough it hasn't happened yet.
All the performance related hardware of computers needs to continually advance because software demands keep advancing. But screen brightness doesn't. The world isn't getting brighter, eyes aren't getting worse at detecting light. If 300 nits was fine 3 or 4 or 5 years ago ... its still fine today. I had 0 issues living with a 300 nits laptop before, and a week into owning a M16 R2 I have no issues now.
This is a G series Dell gaming laptop with a misleading alienware logo and inflated price. It looks cheap and dated and loses the alienware aesthetic and build quality. You should not laud a core ultra laptop of this thickness and weight when competing brands have full fat hx processors.
@@JustJoshTech Price should be under $1500 for its build quality and performance. But who am I to say Dell (or any company) shouldn't rip people off trying to make a profit? Hence garbage laptop :)
Thanks for the review. Just purchased the laptop for college (robotics engineering major). I got a really good deal on the computer but I have noticed that the battery life isn't the best. Any recommendations for how to extend the battery life to the max so I never run out during class? Thank you!
Alienware laptops are really competitive in some aspects but even if all the other flaws were fixed I still wouldn’t buy one due to the fact dell products aren’t reliable long term
My Alienware X14 is not even a year old and has been to the depot 3 times, has had the motherboard replaced, and generally seems a lemon. I would recommend looking elsewhere if you need the laptop to be reliable.
Man this is close to a perfect laptop. I like that the footprint is smaller and am happy to sacrifice a hair of thinness for how much that trunk from last year's version being removed takes off the footprint. Finally, we get a premium(ish) laptop with a full-powered 4070. I do like that its cooling is good enough to easily justify paying for the upgraded Ultra 9 version. The thing is -- if this performs as well in balanced as it does in performance mode, I agree the lack of a 4080 as an option is quite disappointing. Even more so, however, is the display. Sorry but that display is unacceptable in this machine. Maybe at the base it would be okay, but there really needs to be an oled or mini led option. I don't get why we don't get to choose that option, even if we're willing to pay for it. If you're already paying over $2k, why not pay an extra couple hundred for a much better display, particularly when many of us would argue that the display on a laptop is its most important feature.
Minor mention - the overdrive option might be very good if you're in a very warm/hot environment. Like, in the summer in some places with no AC, getting to 40 degrees Celsius. Having the fan go full throttle might allow the laptop to still reach near max performance.
@JustJoshTech is this worth $1,649.99 for the 4060 model? Trying to decide between that and the asus g14 2024 with 4060? If u could recommend one over the other would u say get the Alienware or g14.
Josh you shouldn't really be giving God reviews for any laptop with a 300 nit screen in 2024. The entire alienware lineup this year is a big fu to customers
Loved Alienware since the M9700, but wow they are behind. 300 nit IPS displays in 2024? Where is the mini LED and OLED displays? I went with the MSI Titan 18 this year because Alienware is no longer at the bleeding edge and pushing new limits
6:18 I kind of wonder if a Ryzen 8040HS CPU would get even better battery life... And 8 hours should be a minimum for portable laptop that isnt a desktop replacement.
I'm going to chime in before your Dell XPS review before you release it. I ordered a 4070 with an ultra 9 intel processor. I know it's too expensive, lack of full SD card slot. I know it's not as powerful as the great Mac Book m3 max. I know about its controversial design. But, I love the style, screen, haptic touchpad, keyboard, speakers and large battery. I hate Mac Os and it's disappointing keyboard that looks discusting after a month. So pile on it in your review, I'm still buying it. I love your videos any way.
Ha ha, I think everyone knows that that review will be an absolute colossal disaster... in a comedic way (out Wednesday). BUT I do acknowledge there is a small segment of buyers for whom the laptop is great.
@JustJoshTech I know the G 16 gets a 4080 for less and Lenovo Yoga 9 is a much better value and the Mac Book Pro 16 is God's laptop. But none of those inspire me to do work. So looking forward to watching it get trashed. Maybe I'm the only one it's for, so at least it will stand out. Even one reviewer loved it Andrew Marc David, he must have been drunk 🥴
The Alienware x16 r2 is the better and ultimate version of this… the m16 is like the mid tier of dell products… the x16 or X series of Alienware is the ultimate versions of their laptop lineups….
Thanks for touching on one of the main issues with Dell's gaming laptops... Alienware Command Center.... If they would put forth the required effort to make it a solid offering, it would be pretty good... but seeing as it still will ignore any custom fan curves you setup even in the "new" version tells me Dell just put a new coat of paint on the same old crumbling infrastructure.... shame really...
Can confirm that the fan noise is somewhat loud, but less obnoxious than others. Its more of a woosh, rather than a whine, if that makes sense. My biggest complaint after a week ownership is the page up/down keys are Fn up/down -a 2 handed operation.
@@cameronbosch1213 The current leaks are suggesting that the RTX 50 series (except for possibly the RTX 5090) is going to have the same memory bus at the RTX 40 series. If they do that, they're going to have to have a RTX 5070 Ti with 12gb VRAM option as a MINIMUM otherwise I think they'll be in trouble selling units.
you are the greatest upcomming tech review channel out there. i really enjoy your videos. the only down side is, that no matter how many videos i watch, i can't seem to find my perfect laptop. i'll wait some other years for it to be designed.
@@gowthamrd that would be a great choice. i was going for the legion slim 7(amd) or the yoga pro 9i. But im still holding my horses. i won't be jumping the gun soon, not until there is a great marge of power in the new upcomming laptop. (btw: i have a legion 5 pro r5, rtx 3060)
Too bad this cost like 10 grand in my countries currency. No way I'm spending that many money on this machine. I do say it looks very good for what it is. I just can't justify buying something this expne for my next purchase. Yet 😂.
I had just got this for 2 days, and this how i felt, the performance of the laptop was good, but overall, u sacrifice the rgb light at the back along with the cooler, which will make thermals not good, and replace the rgb light in the the edge of the touchpad, but m16 r2 using core ultra 7 to reduce the heat was also a great way, im a graphic designer and i felt this laptop was enough for me to use, how should i say... you gonna have a less attractive laptop this time, but the performance was there and even cooler a little bit compares to the m16 r1, i do love the design of alienware m16 r1, but this version was more of convinient and easier for traveling, not saying the design was bad this time, but the lost was not nessesary, like its okay with m18 r2, like they still keep the design and develope the performance at the same time and that was perfect, this version was more like close to what you actually need a gaming laptop to belike depends on your budget, like how its looks as a gaming laptop and how its works as a gaming laptop.
Excellent review Josh. A real shame Alienware is still selling that dim 300 nit screen in 2024. They did it last year too; and somehow didn't notice a drop in sales.
Despite the flaws, Alienware has made the case for me to seriously consider it as an upgrade to my current machine (2022 Acer Predator Triton 500 SE). If not the m16 R2, a future iteration of it down the road.
Design is very subjective. Heck, I think the new XPS laptops look ugly. That being said, I can't argue about AWCC being terrible. Jarrod's Tech also hates it for good reason.
Always spot on with your summarized opinion on a laptop, Josh. I kept hoping for the gotchas to not bother me because this is the best-looking alienware I have ever seen. However, as you mentioned it is a shame how they ignored the screen and speakers when they can obviously nail the most difficult jobs of power, cooling and battery life. Your reviews always help me reach a verdict, and I don't feel like I need to look elsewhere for more information. Thank you, Josh and the team.
10:12 I had that exact issue on Windows 10 on a Legion 7 while playing Spider-Man Remastered. The laptop would literally shut off but not BSOD and then restart, as if there was a hardware issue.
Hey Josh, i need some help. I'm starting my cybersecurity journey, and looking to buy a laptop that is portable and powerful for its size, the budget is around $1200. It would be great to have your opinion on this. Thank you in advance
Im so upset! How does a laptop of this caliber not Easily work for DJ's using serato Dj pro. The only program i installed on it! I missed out on money tonight because the sound kept distorting and cutting out after 10 minutes or so of playing and other DJs apparently have had the same issue which i had no idea because i looked at positive reviews but didnt look specifically for any dj issues as i didn't think to upgrade from an old 2016 asus to this! It's such a widely used software. Like WTF!
Alienware is absolute trash. I was a loyal customer for over a decade, then DELL took over. Buying an Alienware today is like buying a turd wrapped in a pretty box. Dell's components' in their "Alienware" are cheaply built in house knockoffs of high end components. Do yourselves a HUGE favor, avoid Alienware and DELL like the plague. Build your own PC, its very easy and much, much cheaper than an "Alienware" made by DELL.
Hey, Josh what do u think the best 14 and 16 inch laptop of 2024? And how it compares to best laptop of 2023? How do you compare omen transcend 14 to Spectre 14(400$ off)? I am planning to buy a laptop, it will be much appreciated if u can answer these questions. Thank you. I hope I am not bothering you too much. I don’t know if I should buy 2024 laptop over the 2023 laptops.
Hi, I'm sorry your question is way too vague. You are comparing significantly different screen sizes, and laptops with and without a dedicated gpu. I also don't know what you are using the laptop for. I'm sorry but you'll have to watch my videos to make that determinaiton.
@@JustJoshTech hi Josh! I have watched most of your recent video but still couldn’t make my choice. I am looking for the best laptop that can handle gaming while also able to do various of stuff like coding. This is also for my school. The laptop I’m really looking for is an all around laptop without much noise and heat that Handle various of tasks like gaming,coding, etc. the perfect scenario would be a portable laptop that can handle all kind of stuff but I know this is unrealistic. Gaming and pricing is also reason I decided to not consider MacBooks. I am willing to sacrifice some portability and I believe 16 inch laptop is not that bad to carry around. Thank you, I hope u can reply to this message one more time. Battery is also a concern.
Found this config (4070, ultra 7 cpu, 16GB ram, 1TB SSD) new at bestbuy for $1300.00. Stoked to have it. Thing is I also found the M18 R1 (AMD 7900m GPU, 32GB ram, 1TB SSD and Ryzen 9 7945HX) for $1450.00. Not sure which one to keep because both are so nice. BTW love the content!
Got a M16 last year, had nothing but problems since the first week. 2 motherboard and 1 HD replacement in the first 3 months. Ended up sending it back, ended up with a replacement with a flickering screen. After a long process got a refund. Will never buy Alienware (or Dell) again lol.
it is perhaps funny to think what gaming laptop you wanna play today?! this? Nah, haven't mood, maybe this it has more softy keys and smooth sutlrface, nah, wanna every key RGB change. maybe this one ? YES. this one, he he he. if electricity turned off in hole city or your district, you can play days in video games on yours laptops.
@@aidenscar6733 yeah it was either excellent or good but it was basically brand new, still had the box and everything. It’s a cool little laptop but just like most gaming laptops be prepared for the fans to kick on like a jet engine during games, and updates too
I'm a little bit disapointed. I mean, people say Alienware are overrated and just too expensive and I think they are right. My friend got an Asus with similar specs and similar performances results at more less $$.
Looking at buying this directly from Dell with Ultra 9, 4060, 32 gb ram, 1tb ssd, and windows pro for 1499.99, still considering the M18 r2 though for a couple hundred dollars more.
In your review you said the m16 R2 supports USB-C charging but that doesn't seem to be the case. I bought it based on this however, and I somewhat regret as have to haul this massive power brink around. While I knew USB-C Charging would never provide full charging I was expecting at least something but that is not case. What were you using to the charge the unit on USB-C, charger brand name and wattage so I can get one of those to use.
@@JustJoshTech Yes it does. It is an Anker which is quality unit. The thing is you can plug this units and they can appear to be charging but unless you actually query the battery subsystem it may not actually be doing anything. The Anker is rated for 100w and the cable is rated for 240w. If you are not aware the way you can query the battery subsystem to see how much or if it is charging at all is to go into Powershell and type the following command: gwmi -Class batterystatus -Namespace root\wmi This will tell you everything about whether it is actually charging or discharging and by how much. I would note the bios does detect the Anker charger and the cable and says it is a lower power device and you can continue to use your system but recommends you use the supplied megabrick charger. What rate did your testing show the USB-C was charging and what we were you using?
@@JustJoshTech The charger is an Anker 100w and the cable is rated for 240w. The bios does see the usbc charger and says it is a lower power device but you can keep using the system but recommends pluging in the big brick. The thing is you can plug in a usbc charger and it will appear to be doing something when it really isn't. If you query battery subsystem with following command you can see what is actually happening. In Powershell the command is: gwmi -Class batterystatus -Namespace root/wmi Using this command you can see the charge and discharge rate. What I see with this Usb-c charger and cable is the power level of the battery consistently does down even when the system is just sitting idle. I see no actual sign the Usb-c Charging works at all.
@@JustJoshTech The charger is an Anker 100w and the cable is rated for 240w. The bios does see the usbc charger and says it is a lower power device but you can keep using the system but recommends pluging in the big brick. The thing is you can plug in a usbc charger and it will appear to be doing something when it really isn't. If you query battery subsystem with following command you can see what is actually happening. In Powershell the command is: gwmi -Class batterystatus -Namespace root/wmi Using this command you can see the charge and discharge rate. What I see with this Usb-c charger and cable is the power level of the battery consistently does down even when the system is just sitting idle. I see no actual sign the Usb-c Charging works at all.
Thank you for your review. Great info. I have one question, can i install more internal harddrive in alienware m16 r2. Like I want to keep applications and windows file on One drive so when I reinstall window. I do not want to format everything. So I want to install another 1 TB of internal drive for file storage.
Um... I am thinking of buying a latop. Which one should I buy: Acer predator helios neo 16 i7(2024) or Dell alienware m16 r2 intel ultra 9? Please guide me.
I take that maxing out at 4070 is a good thing. 4080 and 4090 mobile GPUs really need that 175W in order to justify their costs. And the laptop to justify its cost, it should also be able to use more than 25-35W when the GPU is used too. Which most (all?) of 14 to 16" fail to do. Also those that have gigantic power usage in a tiny form factor... I really doubt how long they can last. All in all, I'd say that 4080 and 4090, with some minor exceptions, should only be in 17-18" laptops. With proper cooling. And (near) max W. Including something like 50-65W for the CPU too when the GPU is maxed.
is the legion Pro 7i(what I am using) or Asus scar 16 some of the exceptions? they both cool 175w gpu and 65w+ cpu simultaneously pretty well thanks to their beefy cooling solution, and is not that much bigger than standard 16 inch laptop, a little deeper and noticeably thicker and that's it, and can still fit inside many bags designed to carry even 15 inch laptop
0:35 How's gaming on the Yoga Pro 9i compared to this Alienware, by all counts it should be a better performing laptop so how come you prefer gaming on this?
What an excellent question. I find the screen refreshes faster on the Alienware than the Yoga Pro 9i (not specifically refresh rate but Grey to Grey) . I also like the 2.5g ethernet port for gaming, and use it. But if I could only own one laptop, it would be the Yoga Pro 9i 16 for sure. Hands down. It is far more versatile
@@JustJoshTechhey Josh, I know I might be bother you, but it would much appreciated if u answer my question since I am planning to buy a laptop, it right after this comment.
I use the quiet mode most of the time, even for gaming. It’s very quiet compared to my older Helios 300 2019 even on balanced mode. It’s dead silent on stealth mode when doing office work. Doesn’t get better than that IMO.
I have a G15 5530 i7 13650HX/4050. The system is thermal throttling right at the begining of the game or cinebench. Should I keep or return it? Dell says it's how the system is designed to work. Kindly suggest what should I do.
Most laptops do thermal throttle right at the beginning of the test because it takes a while for the laptop cooler to understand that a task is going on. The thing to watch out for is that the system should not thermal throttle during the test if you see it throttle then it's time for you to diagnose it.
Hmm, you're mentioning that the Ultra Core 7/9 are properly cooled in a chasis height of 0.93 in. (23.50 mm), but meanwhile the Lenovo Legion 7 (non-pro) 2024 model has a i9 14900HX in a 17.6-19.8 mm chasis. I was wondering why, after 2 months or so since release there is NO review of that laptop, I guess it overheats like crazy and Lenovo only sends it to reviewers who accept to just do an AD segment on it, without proper benchmarks and temps tests. I wish that model had a Ultra Core CPU and a more appropriate screen (the 3.2K display they sell in most regions is too much for an RTX 4070 + that hungry CPU...1600p would be ideal ). Perhaps you'll have a review soon on it, thanks for the video!
Thats not the reason. 1) That laptop is not available to reviewers yet. 2) Even if we bought it ourselves, which we often do, we can really only produce 2 detailed reviews per week. We need time to properly test and use the laptops. There are alot of laptops to get to.
@@JustJoshTech I totally understand that, but it's strange it's not yet available for all reviewers when it's been available since early February in EU. Also it's available for reviewers, just not real reviewers, look at austin's "review" :)
any sort of eta for the legion 7i review? a lot of the reviews currently out there felt very biased, and i would like to see your opinions on the laptop.
Josh mate I am looking forward to your videos about macbook air m3 line so that I can decide which to buy as my first mac ever! Config, screen size etc.
