Alienware M16 assessment | TechRadar – TechToday

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Alienware M16: Two-minute assessment

If there’s one factor the Alienware M16 can do and do nicely, it’s to make your desk look extremely cool. I want to say I bought loads of stares of awe and approval touting this factor round city, but it surely’s heavier than a spaceship and trekking from the workplace again residence was sufficient train for not less than two weeks.

Nonetheless, it’s among the finest gaming laptops round, to not point out one of many best-looking. The design of the laptop computer is glossy however fashionable, albeit somewhat…massive. The matte end on the plastic chassis ties the entire thing collectively, making certain the RGB of the keyboard and the funky Alienware brand energy button are by no means an excessive amount of, a lure gaming laptops typically fall into. 

It’s nearly retro-futuristic and strikes a neat steadiness between intuitive design and the basic gamer vibe. Due to the location of the show and the way thick the chassis is, the laptop computer might go for a a lot older gadget. In truth, when the lighting on the keyboard and energy button are off, it sort of seems to be like one of many laptops my dad used to work on again after I was a child. 

The Alienware M16 is way from being the most effective skinny and lightweight gaming laptops in the marketplace. However when you’re searching for a desktop alternative laptop computer, that is the unhealthy boy for you. This laptop computer is likely to be one of many heaviest I’ve needed to lug round for some time, however the laptop computer runs demanding video games at spectacular body charges and is massive sufficient to work on sat on a desk in consolation. 

I might advocate the Alienware M16 to anybody who doesn’t need the trouble of a complete PC arrange of their room however nonetheless needs to reap the advantages of comparable competent energy. 

(Picture credit score: Future)

For the reason that Alienware M16 is fitted with an AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 laptop computer GPU, you’re just about assured a flawless gaming expertise now and sooner or later. The associated fee for this sort of future-proofing is of course slightly steep, with the laptop computer retailing at $2,099.99 / £2,119.00 / AU$ 3,270, so it actually gained’t be topping our greatest finances laptops checklist anytime quickly.

That being stated, in case you are trying to put down some critical money as soon as and never have to fret about something concerning your gaming set-up ever once more, this is likely to be the most effective laptop computer on your gaming wants. It’s highly effective, it seems to be the half with out wanting too foolish, and also you’ll be gaming on it for fairly a very long time.

Alienware M16: Worth & availability

How a lot does it price? $2,099.99/ £2,119.00/ AU$ 3,270  
When is it out there? Accessible now
The place are you able to get it? Accessible within the US, the UK and Australia

The Alienware M16 begins at round $2,099.99 / £2,119.00 / AU$ 3,270 for the configuration we’ve examined. You may undoubtedly discover different gaming laptops for lots much less, and when you’re wanting particularly for a finances gaming laptop computer, you may as nicely click on away from this assessment proper now. 

That being stated, you’re in all probability not going to search out a whole lot of gaming laptops that can give you these sorts of specs for any cheaper, and if you wish to spend money on a desktop alternative that’ll take you an extended and much, this can be a fairly good selection for you. 

Alienware M16: Specs

The Alienware M16 is available in a couple of configurations, with the bottom mannequin beginning with the Nvidia RTX 4060 and AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX, with 1TB of storage. 

(Picture credit score: Future)

Alienware M16: Design

Chunky however funky 
Comfy keyboard 
Aesthetic design with patterned speaker plate

The Alienware M16 is charming however on the identical time, it’s a little lacklustre. Sure, it’s aesthetic at first look and holds a little bit of character, however while you absorb thoughts the sort of processing energy packed into it in addition to the steep price ticket, it’s a little bit of a disappointing package deal. When you scan our checklist of finest gaming laptops, you’ll discover much more aesthetically pleasing and far more transportable laptops. 

Take the Razer Blade 14. It has very related specs to the Alienware M16, with an RTX 4060 GPU and operating on the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU. Its worth does go somewhat greater than the Alienware M16 however nonetheless affords a a lot slimmer chassis and sleeker, extra fashionable look. 

The Alienware M16 solely is available in one shade: matte black. That’s disappointing because the hexagonal grille and quirky LED energy button might result in a singular design that might set the gadget aside from the common gamer aesthetic. Hopefully, we’ll see the M16 launched in additional thrilling colours within the close to future. 

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(Picture credit score: Future)

(Picture credit score: Future)

(Picture credit score: Future)

The show is a 16-inch display screen with glorious efficiency that provides a refresh fee of 165HZ and 100% sRGB. As for ports you’ve bought a strong choice to choose from, together with an HDMI 2.1 port, loads of USB ports and apparently an SD card slot. The addition of the slot does lend this laptop computer in direction of photographers who need a highly effective gaming gadget they will use in direction of their hobbies or passions. 

(Picture credit score: Future)

The keyboard might be my favorite a part of the Alienware M16, because the keys are massive sufficient to keep away from any frequent mishaps when gaming and supply a softer, extra quiet typing expertise that I actually recognize. It might not have the uber-satisfying clicky suggestions many individuals wish to get from their keyboards, but it surely does minimise any annoying distractions while you’re attempting to focus and works nicely in environments the place quiet is vital. 

The trackpad does supply good clicky suggestions, and whereas I usually hate gaming laptop computer trackpads for being too stiff, the Alienware M16 has the nicest trackpad I’ve used on any gaming laptop computer. 

Alienware’s design decisions appear to fall within the center between creating one thing distinctive and enjoyable, and but clinging to some slightly boring aspects of typical gaming laptop computer design. 

Alienware M16: Efficiency

Spectacular gaming efficiency 
Runs heat however not scorching 
Followers kick in nearly immediately

Alienware M16 (2023): Benchmarks

Right here’s how the Alienware M16 (2023) carried out in our suite of benchmark assessments:

3DMark: Night time Raid: 51,538; Fireplace Strike: 27,355; Time Spy: 11,730; Port Royal: 7,184
GeekBench 5: 2,000 (single-core); 9,124 (multi-core)
Cinebench: 14,038 (multi-core)
Whole Conflict: Warhammer III (1080p, Extremely): 85.5 fps; (1080p, Low): 228 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Extremely): 57 fps; (1080p, Low): 125 fps
Grime 5 (1080p, Extremely): 84 fps; (1080p, Low): 115fps
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 3 hours and 13 minutes 

Regardless of the large chassis and unimaginable weight, the Alienware M16 carried out beautifully throughout our benchmarks and was general a pleasure to work on. The testing rating outcomes boast a few of the highest I’ve seen testing laptops, which is to be anticipated with the sort of processing energy packed into the thick beast.

By way of gaming, it glides by means of demanding video games like Cyberpunk 2077, boasting excessive body charges always and displaying vibrant colours. The framerates in Cyberpunk 2077 and Stray don’t drop beneath 70fps even underneath the very best settings, and due to the refresh charges of the show, gameplay is clean and uninterrupted. That is undoubtedly the laptop computer of selection for players taking part in AAA titles {and professional} gamers. Whereas the portability could knock off some factors on the laptop computer in my e-book, the efficiency undoubtedly picks up the place the design slacks off. 

The laptop computer’s air flow is well-designed, and as soon as the followers kick in you’re unlikely to really feel the chassis very popular. Nevertheless, the followers do kick in as quickly as you boot up a sport, no matter how intense your gaming session is likely to be. That being stated, I’m but to expertise any freezing or stuttering.

(Picture credit score: Future)

Efficiency rating: 4.5 / 5

Alienware M16: Battery life

Fast cost
Poor battery life even for a gaming laptop computer

Gaming laptops aren’t well-known for his or her very good battery life, however the Alienware M16 is loads worse than most.  In our basic battery assessments, it lasts simply over 3 hours, which isn’t what you wish to hear when you’re dedicated to taking this factor on a long-haul commute or out and about with you. With the hassle you’re placing into carrying it, round 3 hours isn’t actually sufficient. 

When you intend to sport with the laptop computer unplugged, you may get simply round an hour, perhaps fifteen minutes on prime earlier than the gadget begins letting you understand the battery is on its final leg. This may not be an enormous drawback when you’re planning to maintain the laptop computer at residence. Although that could be a widespread thread with gaming laptops, you don’t purchase one to take it on the highway with you. 

Do you have to purchase the Alienware M16?

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Alieware M16

Attributes
Notes
Score

Worth
It’s costly, however when you’re comfortable to maintain it at residence it’s efficiency makes the value price it
4 / 5

Design
The potential to design an implausible aesthetic was there, although extra might have been executed.
4/ 5

Efficiency
That is an extremely highly effective laptop computer with prime notch efficiency.
4.5 / 5

Battery
Poor even for a gaming laptop computer, however once more when you’re utilizing this as a desktop alternative then you need to’t be too disturbed.
3 / 5

Common ranking
The Alienware M16 is an unimaginable little bit of package that’ll maintain you gaming nicely into the long run, even when it’s fairly an preliminary funding. The idal laptop computer for hardcore players.
4 / 5

Purchase it if…

Don’t purchase it if…

Alienware M16: Additionally take into account

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Lenovo Legion Professional 5i
Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 (2023)

Worth:
$1,449.99 / £1,840 / AU$3,599
$3,499.99 / £3,299.99 / round AU$5,218

CPU
Intel Core i7-13700HX
Intel Core i9-13900H

GPU
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB GDDR6
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090

RAM
16GB DDR5
32GB DDR5

Show
16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600), IPS, Anti-Glare, Non-Contact, 100% sRGB, 300 nits, 165Hz, LED Backlight
16-inch QHD+ 16:10 (2560 x 1600, WQXGA) Mini-LED, 1,100 nits brightness, HDR, DCI-P3: 100%, Refresh Fee 240Hz

Storage
512GB SSD
2TB SSD

Ports
3x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort 1.4), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort 1.4), 1x HDMI, 1x Ethernet, 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack, 1x Energy connector
1x 3.5mm combo audio jack, 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-C, 1x Thunderbolt 4, microSD reader, Kensington Lock

Wi-fi
Wi-Fi 6E 2×2 AX, Bluetooth 5.1 or above
Wi-Fi 6E(802.11ax) (Triple band) 2 x 2 + Bluetooth 5.2

Digital camera
FHD 1080p with E-shutter
1080p FHD IR

Weight
5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)
5.07 kilos (2.30kg)

Dimensions
14.31 x 10.25 x 0.88-1.05 inches (363.4 x 260.35 x 22.45-26.75mm)
13.98 x 9.69 x 0.83 ~ 0.90 inches / 35.5 x 24.6 x 2.11 ~ 2.29 cm (W x H x D)

If the Alienware M16 has you contemplating different choices, listed here are two extra laptops to think about…

How I examined the Alienware M16

Examined the laptop computer for about three weeks
Used it for work and gaming 
Stress-tested it utilizing our suite of benchmarks

I examined the Alienware M16 over a couple of weeks, utilizing it to sport within the evenings and dealing on it in the course of the day for a couple of weeks or so. I took it from the workplace and again residence as a lot as I might to get a really feel for a way simple it could combine into my each day routine. 

Learn extra about how we take a look at

First reviewed August 2023

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