Nvidia has yet to officially announce the RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3070 Ti, but that hasn’t stopped listings popping up from some partners. Over the weekend, both unannounced GPUs appeared on Razer’s website as an option for pre-built PC orders.
The listings, spotted and shared by @harukaze5719, show that Razer began letting customers choose an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti or RTX 3070 Ti as a configuration option when purchasing a pre-built gaming PC. At the time of writing, adding one of these options doesn’t always work, as it looks like the site has only been partially updated.
The listings don’t detail the full specifications of the graphics cards, but it does confirm that the RTX 3070 Ti will feature 8GB of memory, and the RTX 3080 Ti will come with 12GB.
Image credit: @harukaze5719
The pricing of each card alone can’t be determined, but calculating the price difference between each system can give us a vague idea of it. A Razer system configured with a Ryzen 9 5900X CPU, an X570 motherboard, and an RTX 3090 graphics card is priced at ¥39,999 (£4395), but reducing the GPU option to an RTX 3080 Ti and the motherboard to a cheaper model reduced the price to ¥24,999 (£2747). That’s a £1648 difference.
There are also two RTX 3070 Ti pre-built systems, one costing ¥13,499 (£1483) and the other ¥14,999 (£1648). Nvidia is expected to announce the RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3070 Ti next week.
KitGuru says: Based on the prices of these systems, how much do you think each of these graphics cards will cost?
After almost a decade of total market dominance, Intel has spent the past few years on the defensive. AMD’s Ryzen processors continue to show improvement year over year, with the most recent Ryzen 5000 series taking the crown of best gaming processor: Intel’s last bastion of superiority.
Now, with a booming hardware market, Intel is preparing to make up some of that lost ground with the new 11th Gen Intel Core Processors. Intel is claiming these new 11th Gen CPUs offer double-digit IPC improvements despite remaining on a 14 nm process. The top-end 8-core Intel Core i9-11900K may not be able to compete against its Ryzen 9 5900X AMD rival in heavily multi-threaded scenarios, but the higher clock speeds and alleged IPC improvements could be enough to take back the gaming crown. Along with the new CPUs, there is a new chipset to match, the Intel Z590. Last year’s Z490 chipset motherboards are also compatible with the new 11th Gen Intel Core Processors, but Z590 introduces some key advantages.
First, Z590 offers native PCIe 4.0 support from the CPU, which means the PCIe and M.2 slots powered off the CPU will offer PCIe 4.0 connectivity when an 11th Gen CPU is installed. The PCIe and M.2 slots controlled by the Z590 chipset are still PCI 3.0. While many high-end Z490 motherboards advertised this capability, it was not a standard feature for the platform. In addition to PCIe 4.0 support, Z590 offers USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 from the chipset. The USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 standard offers speeds of up to 20 Gb/s. Finally, Z590 boasts native support for 3200 MHz DDR4 memory. With these upgrades, Intel’s Z series platform has feature parity with AMD’s B550. On paper, Intel is catching up to AMD, but only testing will tell if these new Z590 motherboards are up to the challenge.
The ASUS ROG STRIX Z590-I Gaming WiFi is a compact power house featuring a robust 10-phase VRM with top of the line power stages and a substantial VRM cooling solution. BIOS flashback has also been included, as well as ASUS’s excellent BIOS designed to provide an optimal, stress-free overclocking experience. The ASUS ROG STRIX Z590-I Gaming WiFi also offers great connectivity with WiFi 6, 2.5 Gb/s Ethernet, and Thunderbolt 4. All of this performance is packed into an ITX form factor with some clever engineering to make it all fit.
Let’s take a closer look at what the ASUS ROG STRIX Z590-I Gaming WiFi has to offer.
1x Thunderbolt™ 4 USB Type-C® port 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C® port 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port 4x USB 2.0 ports 1x HDMI™ port 1x ASUS Wi-Fi module 1x Intel® I225-V 2.5 Gb Ethernet 3x Gold-plated audio jacks 1x BIOS FlashBack™ button
Either Newegg’s gone mad with shuffle power or someone’s crossed its wires with Amazon’s, because today’s Newegg Shuffle only has one GPU, but does have kettles, fruit dehydrators and Uber Eats gift cards.
For the unaware, the Newegg Shuffle is a daily raffle event where users can sign up for a chance to buy otherwise sold-out items from Newegg. This was supposedly started so that people could get their hands on hard-to-find components, but it seems like that’s changing.
Today’s selection of 77 items is a pretty sharp departure from the usual dozen or so RTX 3000 series GPUs that we’ve gotten used to seeing in these shuffles. Yes, there are also monitors, RAM and coolers to be found here, but the sheer amount of strange picks has us wondering what Newegg is going for today. Does the Newegg Shuffle still really exist to give people an opportunity to buy rare components, or is there some other goal now?
If you click on today’s offerings, even the strangest ones (we’re looking at you, Rosewill digital infrared halogen convection oven) are still technically listed as otherwise sold out. But we doubt that even scalpers are chomping at the bit for these.
There’s still some utility to be found in today’s Shuffle, of course, although you’ll have to dig for it. Today’s Ryzen CPU offering, the Ryzen 7 5800X, will come in at $379 if you apply the SHUFFLE25MAY54 promo code, although sites like Amazon aren’t too much more expensive and don’t require you to enter a raffle. The Asus ROG Strix RTX 3070 is also up for grabs today at $859. Ouch.
It’s possible that today’s Newegg Shuffle is working as a stress test for the system, so the site can verify how much Shuffle traffic is coming from prospective graphics cards buyers. Alternately, maybe the warehouse has a few old Rosewill appliances that Newegg wants to get rid of, even if their non-shuffle listings say “sold out.”
Either way, you have 3 hours left to sign up for a chance to buy these “hot” items.
AMD Zen 4 Processor (Image credit: ExecutableFix/Twitter)
Hardware leaker ExecutableFix has provided further details on AMD’s next-generation Zen 4 processor. This new information comes in hot on the heels of the recent sneak peek at the AM5 socket.
The AM5 socket has been rumored to shift over to a Land Grid Array (LGA) design, meaning the pins are in the socket instead of on the processor. If true, AM5 would mark a turning point in AMD’s history. Although AMD utilizes the LGA design for its HEDT (High End Desktop) and server platforms, the chipmaker has never employed the layout on a mainstream consumer platform. It’s debatable on whether a LGA design is safer over a Pin Grid Array (PGA) design for the end user. Some might argue that having the pins in the socket means you no longer have to worry about bending the processor pins during installation. On the flipside, it’s not unusual for motherboards to arrive with bent pins or cases of users accidentally dropping a processor into the socket and bending the pins in the process.
According to ExecutableFix, Zen 4 (presumably Raphael) processors will be the first Ryzen mainstream chips to arrive without pins. The markup of how the processor may look appears intriguing. The leaker previously claimed that Zen 4 will employ the LGA1718 package, so the chip should have 1,718 contacts. Curiously, the contacts appear to be divided into two sections. The layout is similar to AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper and EPYC processors. Although we didn’t count the contacts, we can assume that each section holds 859 contacts.
Despite the increased pin count, ExecutableFix stated that the AM5 socket measures 40 x 40mm, so it should still be a square shape. What we don’t know is that if the AM5 socket will retain the locking mechanism or the mounting holes. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess whether consumers will need to invest in a new cooler, or if existing cooling solutions are still viable with a mounting converter kit.
AMD Zen 4 Raphael Specifications
Zen 4*
Alder Lake*
Zen 3
Codename
Raphael
Alder Lake
Vermeer
Branding
Ryzen 6000
Core 12000-series
Ryzen 5000
Lithography
5nm
10nm
7nm
Socket
LGA1718
LGA1700
AM4
Maximum Cores
24
16
16
Memory Support
DDR5
DDR5 / DDR4
DDR4
PCIe Support
PCIe 4.0 x 28
PCIe 5.0 x 16, PCIe 4.0 x 8
PCIe 4.0 x 24
Maximum TDP
170W
?
105W
*Specifications are unconfirmed.
Zen 4 will likely continue to leverage a chiplet design. It wouldn’t surprise us one bit if AMD added another core complex die (CCD) to Zen 4 to offer more cores. Zen 3 maxes out at two CCD with eight cores each, which is how the Ryzen 9 5950X got up to 16 cores. An additional CCD would push the core count up to 24, but that is pure speculation for now. However, it would certainly explain the increased TDP (thermal design power) ratings with Zen 4 chips.
If ExecutableFix’s information is accurate, the Zen 4 processors could debut with a 120W TDP. There’s mention of a special edition 170W SKU, although the leaker didn’t provide any details. The extra pins should help improve power delivery as well as increase I/O connectivity.
As for memory support, Zen 4 will no doubt support DDR5 memory. It seems logical since Intel is already embracing DDR5 with its upcoming 12th Generation Alder Lake processors, and AMD probably doesn’t want to be left in the dust. However, Zen 4 doesn’t seem to carry over support for DDR4, unlike Alder Lake.
While the rumors still have Zen 4 on the PCIe 4.0 interface, ExecutableFix believes that processors will offer 28 PCIe 4.0 lanes. For comparison, existing Zen 3 chips deliver 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes. It’s only a four-lane increase, nevertheless, it should be sufficient enough for motherboard vendors to offer at least some connectivity improvements.
Intel’s Alder Lake is due in late 2021 to early 2022. If leaked roadmaps are to be trusted, Zen 4 might not land until the fourth quarter of 2022. In that case, Zen 4 or Ryzen 6000’s target will probably be Raptor Lake, which is the rumored successor to Alder Lake.
Noted hardware detective @Apisak has dug up another benchmark in a public database, and this time Intel’s latest Core i5-11400H mobile Tiger Lake processor makes an appearance. Intel has officially launched the Core i5-11400H but these chips have yet to land in our labs, so this test result gives us the first taste of the new battle. It does appear that the AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, built on the Zen 3 architecture, is still faster than Intel’s latest and greatest in some types of work, but we have to take the results with a pinch of salt as we could see better performance from the Intel chip in bulkier laptop designs.
The Core i5-11400H is one of Intel’s first hexa-core CPUs to finally be built on the latest Tiger Lake architecture featuring the 10nm SuperFin node and will be a direct replacement for Comet Lake mobile Core i5 parts from Intel. The 11400H is equipped with a rather low 2.4GHz base clock but makes up for that with a respectable 4.6GHz max turbo frequency. Configurable TDPs range from 35W to 45W.
Based on the CPU-Z benchmark, the i5-11400H scores 528 points in the single-threaded test and 3301 points in the multi-threaded test.
CPU-Z Benchmark Results
Single-Threaded
Multi-Threaded
Intel Core i5-11400H
528
3301
AMD Ryzen 5 5600H
547
4228
To put these results in perspective, Intel’s new 11400H matches the single-threaded performance of AMD’s best Zen 2 CPUs like the Ryzen 7 3800XT. However, it falls short in the multi-threaded test, barely beating an old-school desktop Core i7-6800K and is strangely slower than Intel’s previous-generation Core i5-10500H by a few percentage points.
AMD’s current competitor to the Core i5 is the Ryzen 5 5600H, which weighs in with a CPU-Z score of 547 for the single-threaded score and 4228 for the multi-threaded test. That means that the Ryzen 5 5600H could be roughly ~4% faster than the Core i5-11400H in single-threaded work and ~28% faster in threaded work.
Beware that this is an early CPU-Z benchmark and we don’t know the exact specifications of each laptop used to conduct the CPU-Z tests, so take these results with a grain of salt. However, if these results are anywhere close to being accurate, then Intel still has some catching up to do, especially with AMD prepping to release the new Zen 4 architecture sometime next year.
After putting the Mirror Maze system together last fall, I needed a break from all the work that goes into a high-end custom build. Plus, I had plenty of PC cases to review. So when Singularity Computers reached asking if we were interested in checking out its Spectre III chassis, I didn’t immediately jump at the chance. But the more I thought about the case, the more I envisioned just what a system in this stunning case could look like, and the itch to build just wouldn’t go away. So I agreed to take on the case, started getting together a list of other parts I’d need and, well, here we are.
I’ve been planning ‘Blue Shift’ for the last few months, and in contrast to what we would usually do, this build doesn’t use the latest next-gen hardware. I don’t have a Ryzen 5000 CPU or an RTX 3000 GPU, and I’d rather the limited stock of those parts go to one of our readers. With everything going under waterblocks in this build anyway, does it really matter if the silicon is hiding underneath is the absolute latest and greatest?
Because this is a more fun (and far more complex) build than we typically do for case reviews, I’ll slow the pace down and look at each step in detail. I’m also leaving the full parts list till the end, because it’s last-generation hardware, and regardless, this build is all about cooling and aesthetics. So without further ado, lets dig in.
Most cases cost about $100, stepping up to $200 if you’re shopping premium, and $300 if you’re shopping for a premium ITX case. But Singularity Computers’ Spectre III is a jaw-dropping $1400.
That’s expensive. Really expensive. But the Spectre III is also unlike most other cases out there. For one, it’s designed solely for custom liquid cooling. And instead of being a sealed box for your parts, it’s an open chassis meant to show off your hardware as attractively as possible. Featuring CNC-machined, anodized aluminum and an absolutely massive acrylic reservoir/distribution plate, this case really is unlike anything else that’s out there.
The case also comes flat packed. For details on what that looks like and how to assemble the chassis, check out our Assembling Singularity Computers’ Spectre III feature.
Theme Reveal
If you haven’t guessed already from the build’s name (Blue Shift), the central color theme for this build is going to be blue. Red is a color that I feel is overused in gaming product design. I could have chosen green, but settled on blue as a classic choice with oddly calming qualities.
Of course, I could have chosen any number of other colors, or gone with opaque or exotic cooling fluids, but out of respect for the Spectre III’s absolutely stunning, material-focused design I decided to dial the unconventional styling of the Mirror Maze build back and go for a more classic and timeless theme. Because of this, I’ll be sticking to EKWB’s Nickel-plated Torque fittings, paired with transparent blue fluid – a classic color combination that you simply cannot go wrong with.
Yep, you read that right. We have to prepare the CPU block. Not because there’s anything inherently wrong with EKWB’s Magnitude CPU block, but in service of the Blue Shift theme. So, I popped off the top of the block so that I could swap the accent plate from the pre-installed silver color, to blue.
This plate sits below the acrylic cover, which makes it perhaps a bit scary to replace as it requires not only breaking the factory-tested seal of the CPU block’s internal gasket, but also re-tightening the acrylic afterwards. Acrylic can crack easily, so I was careful not to overtighten the block’s top upon re-installation. But you shouldn’t be getting into custom watercooling with this amount of acrylic if you’re aren’t prepared to take things slow and steady.
I already had the 12-Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, 32GB of Corsair memory, and two 1 TB Samsung SSDs installed onto the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula motherboard, but I had two other things I still needed to do here: install the CPU block and disconnect the chipset fan.
You see, as this is an open system, I wanted it to be as quiet as possible. The chipset fan, which sadly shows up on nearly all AMD X570 motherboards, generally isn’t very loud compared to most systems, but I found that in the Mirror Maze system, it was the loudest component, and that was in a closed chassis. So naturally, I did the only sensible thing: tear the board apart so that I could disconnect it. Whether this is wise with regards to thermals remains to be seen, but I’ll be sure to touch on that again in the testing section later on.
Meanwhile, while I had the motherboard’s shroud off anyway, I also routed the EKWB Magnitude CPU block’s D-RGB cable underneath it for a tidier end result.
Dropping the motherboard into the Spectre III case was simple. First, I had to install the standoffs. The holes for these are pre-threaded in the acrylic, so I had no fear of having to work these in. Then, I placed the case on its back, laid the motherboard in place, and fastened it with the required screws. I also connected up the GPU riser cable.
Installation of the GPU was a breeze too. It simply slotted right into the GPU riser I had installed earlier and fastened with a spacer and two screws on the IO bracket. I already had the waterblock installed on the GPU from the last build, but if you’re curious how to go about that, check out our how to install a GPU waterblock feature using this specific card.
I then proceeded to install the radiators. First, I installed the Noctua NF-A12 Chromax.Black.Swap fans onto them, using four black anti-vibration grommets per fan. I made sure to pay careful attention to where I wanted to route my cables: behind the radiators.
Then, I dropped the radiators into place. For the front radiator, I aligned its height to have its ports match the height of the ports on the distribution plate so that I could easily achieve clean tubing runs here later. The top radiator I simply placed in the middle, where I liked it most aesthetically, though I did have to move this later in the build to line up with ports.
Of course, at this point I also had to tidy up the cables for the fans. Luckily, the Spectre III comes with a neat little fan and RGB hub, which has D-RGB and PWM fan inputs, with outputs for six PWM fans and three D-RGB devices. I connected up all six fans here, along with the three RGB strips of the Spectre III.
Then, I shoved all the cables neatly behind the radiators, using zip ties where necessary to keep things in place and looking tidy. These zip ties can be fixed in place using the long screws the fans use to attach to the radiator.
For power, I went with the new be quiet! Dark Power 12 power supply. On-hand we have a 750W unit, which isn’t overly powerful, but it’s perfectly enough for powering our Ryzen 9 3900X and RTX 2080 Super, along with the six fans and RGB devices in our system.
Because I’m planning on using an external power supply when filling time comes, I’m happy to get all the cables installed at this stage already. So, I removed the cover on the rear and got to work.
First, I test-fit the cable combs to ensure I was using the correct ones. They come with an adhesive backing, which I removed to stick them in place. Then, I proceeded to install the custom Cablemod ModFlex cables with Pro aluminum combs, which was an oddly meditative task. It was time-consuming, but with a beautiful end result.
That said, although I’m pleased with the end result, in hindsight I would get cables with more combs. For this set of Cablemod cables, I got three aluminum combs on the 24-pin ATX cable, two on the EPS cable, and five on the PCIe power cable. I’d bump those numbers up by one more just so you can chuck a comb at the bottom of the cable, after the Spectre III’s cable management system near the power supply, as it’s quite a messy view going into there, and one comb on each cable could do wonders to tidy it up without making a lot more work of it.
I also connected up the D-RGB cables of the CPU and GPU blocks using an EKWB D-RGB splitter, connecting it to the bottom D-RGB header of the motherboard. I also hooked up the power button, power LED, and water pump headers at the bottom of the motherboard. The case does not have any front IO, so there was none of that to worry about.
At this point, the system was looking great, and I decided to call it a day. Building the custom loop would have to wait for the next day. But for you, that’s just a click away to the next page.
HP has recently announced the first Radeon RX 6000M-powered laptop, the Omen 16 2021. Aside from being the first laptop with a Radeon RX 6000M GPU, it is also the first 16-inch Omen laptop.
The HP Omen 16 laptop will come with up to an Intel Core i7-11800H processor or 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX. As for memory and storage, it can feature up to 32GB of DDR4-3200 and up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD or up to two 1TB PCIe SSDs in Raid 0, respectively.
The other GPU options are from Nvidia and can go up to an RTX 3070. Taking the RTX 3070 laptop GPU performance into account, we expect to see a similar option from AMD, which would most likely be the RX 6700M.
Alongside the Omen 16, HP also announced a few other laptops. One of them is the new Omen 17, which has been revamped to feature up to an RTX 3080 16GB laptop GPU and up to an Intel Core i9-11900H CPU. The other one belongs to HP new sub-brand called Victus. Designed as an entry-level gaming laptop, it will come with up to an RTX 3060 6GB or Radeon RX 5500M and up to Core i7-11800H or Ryzen 7 5800H.
The announcement didn’t include only laptops. HP introduced the new Omen 25i gaming monitor featuring an 8-bit FHD IPS panel with 165Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, VESA DisplayHDR 400, and DCI-P3 90% coverage. Moreover, it also revealed a new add-on for the Omen Gaming Hub called Omen Oasis, which allows up to 16-person calls and streams.
KitGuru says: If you’re looking for a new gaming laptop, it might be worth waiting a little bit longer as Radeon RX 6000M laptop GPUs are finally starting to roll out.
Following the rumour about an incoming refresh of the Ryzen 5000 series, AMD made a statement confirming its existence and detailing a bit more about them. Unfortunately, it won’t be the kind of refresh we hoped for, as it won’t bring any performance improvement.
When Benchmark.pl asked AMD to comment on the rumour about the Ryzen 5000 “refreshed” processors, an AMD representative stated that the B2 stepping processors result from a revision of the manufacturing process. Moreover, they also stated that there are “no feature, function, or performance enhancements to the B2 revision, and no BIOS update is required”. As per AMD, these processors will be delivered over the next 6 months.
Taking AMD’s statement into account, the two processors that sparked rumours yesterday were probably just a Ryzen 9 5950X and a Ryzen 5 5600X based on the B2 revision. The Ryzen 5000 series processors currently available are based on the B0 revision.
AMD hasn’t shared any details about the new revision of these processors. We know manufacturers do product revisions for numerous reasons, including fixing bugs, optimise manufacturing, or even replacing some components. Currently, the reasoning behind this refresh is unknown. However, one of the most plausible ones would be to fix the Spectre-like exploits in PSF (Predictive Storage Forwarding) or the Spectre vulnerabilities found in Zen-based processors’ micro-op cache.
KitGuru says: Whatever the reason behind the new stepping, most users won’t be able to distinguish between B0 and B2 revisions. As long as performance doesn’t decrease, people will probably be content with whatever revision their CPU is based on.
There’s a new rumour in town suggesting that AMD will refresh the Ryzen 5000 series with B2 stepping. Codenamed ‘Vermeer’, this Zen 3 refresh would pave the way for improved clock speeds up to 5GHz.
The post shared by Patrick Schur includes two SKUs and the respective specifications and OPN codes. The first is a 16/32T processor with a 3.4GHz base clock and a whopping 5.0GHz boost clock, and the second is a 6C/12T CPU with the same base and boost clock as the Ryzen 5600X, which is 3.7GHz and 4.6GHz, respectively.
Before jumping to conclusions, it’s worth comparing them with the original Ryzen 5000 series processors. While there’s a small 100MHz frequency bump in the boost clock of the 16C/32T processors listed, the other one looks to be feature exactly the same clock frequencies as the Ryzen 5600X. The B2 stepping probably means that the processors will receive a refresh, but a performance increase isn’t mandatory.
If AMD releases these two SKUs, the Ryzen 5000 series will feature a total of 8 SKUs.
KitGuru says: Do you think AMD will release refreshed Ryzen 5000 series processors, or will the next desktop processor series jump straight into a new node?
High performance memory kits have evolved over the last few years, both in styling and technology. Styling has shifted to heavier heat sinks, LED light bars, and fancy RGB control software. The technology has done what it inevitably will by producing greater speeds and densities at generally lower cost as DDR4 has matured. The latest processors and graphics cards have been almost impossible to get over the last six months, but memory pricing and availability has remained steady, which makes now the perfect time for Acer to launch a brand-new line of DDR4 memory under their Predator brand. You may recognize the Predator brand from their highly successful gaming monitors or range of gaming laptops and desktops. You may even know the brand because of the Thronos all-In-one gaming chair.
Acer has branched out into a wide variety of gaming products and peripherals. Now, Acer is taking the plunge into core hardware with the aid of business partner BIWIN Storage, a large Chinese OEM with 25 years of experience in the storage and microelectronics business. Acer has granted them permission to produce memory kits under the Predator brand.
The pair of Predator Talos kits I have for testing today each feature 16 GB (2x 8 GB) at 3600 MHz, 18-20-20-42 timings, and 1.35 V. 3600 MHz has become the new gold standard for Ryzen builds, driving new focus into memory kits targeting a previously obscure specification. Let’s see how the Predator Talos holds up in this ultra-competitive segment!
HP is revitalizing its Omen gaming notebooks with a new 16.1-inch size, the latest processors and a new sub-brand called Victus. All of the laptops announced today are scheduled to release next month.
The new laptop competing with the 16.1-inch display is the HP Omen 16, which is very close in size to the older 15-inch model, due to thinner bezels on the top and sides.
Competing for a spot on our
Best Gaming Laptop
list, versions of the Omen 16 with Intel processors will start at $1,149.99, while AMD options will begin at $1,049.99. The machine will go up to 115W with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU (HP also mentions “next-gen” AMD graphics). You will be able to configure it with up to a 1TB
PCIe
Gen 4×4
SSD
, Wi-Fi 6E networking options and an 83WHr battery. The 16-inch screen will go up to
1440p
resolution (2560 x 1440) resolution with a 165 Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time.
Specifications
HP Omen 16
HP Omen 17
HP Victus 16
CPU
Up to Intel Core i7-11800H or AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
Up to Intel Core i9-11900H
Up to Intel Core i7-11800H or AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
GPU
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070, “next-gen” AMD GPUs
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, AMD Radeon RX 5500M
RAM
Up to 32GB DDR4-3200
Up to 32GB DDR4-3200
Not specified
Storage
Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD (Intel) / Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 3×4 SSD (AMD)
Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD
Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD
Display
16.1-inch, 2560 x 1440
17.3-inch, 2560 x 1440
16-inch, up to 2560 x 1440
Networking
Up to Wi-Fi 6E
Up to Wi-Fi 6E
Not specified
Availability
June 2021
June 2021
June 2021
Starting Price
$1,049.99 (AMD), $1,149.99 (Intel)
$1,369.99
$799.99 (AMD), $849.99 (Intel)
The Omen 17 desktop replacement is also getting a refresh, but only with Intel. It will start at $1,369.99 and be slightly smaller than the previous 17-inch Omen, including 2.9mm thinner and 15% lighter. With an improved cooler at more outlets for air, HP claims the keyboard will be 5 degrees Celsius cooler than the older model.
(Image credit: HP)
The bigger laptop will have a keyboard optical mechanical switches featuring 1.7mm of travel and per-key RGB lighting. There will be a specialized panel to easily access the SSD and RAM for upgrades. HP is offering up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD or 2 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs in RAID0. The 17-inch screen will go up to QHD with a 165 Hz IPS panel.
Meet Victus
The new Victus brand is meant to put a focus on performance and graphics at a cheaper price. HP has literally sliced part of the logo out of the Omen mark to show its place in the lineup. As of this announcement, there’s just one Victus laptop, the HP Victus 16. It features the “V” logo, has similar design elements, like the screen size marked on the chassis, and comes in mica silver, performance blue or ceramic white.
Like the 16.1-inch Omen, the Victus’ 16-inch screen will fit in a near 14-inch chassis, thanks to thin bezels on three sides. Its V-patterned speakers, turned by B&O, bear a striking resemblance to HP’s Spectre ultraportables.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: HP)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: HP)
Besides offering both Intel and AMD processors, there will also be configurations up to Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3060 graphics or AMD Radeon RX 5500M. The IPS display goes up to 2560 x 1440 and 165 Hz.
It appears that Victus won’t take over the extreme low-end. HP said that Pavilion Gaming isn’t going away, which suggests we’ll still see the Pavilion name on entry-level laptops.
If you told me you’d found an OLED laptop for just $800, I’d have warned you against refurbished computers and deep-discount closeout sales. The inky blackness and gorgeous colors of OLED have notcome cheap. Dell charges a $300 premium just for the screen. And yet Asus’s new affordable OLED laptop defies those expectations.
The new machine is called the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED, and early reviews are already suggesting it could be a slam dunk for budget buyers. While there’s no headphone jack and some are complaining about a cramped keyboard, the 2.5-pound laptop doesn’t seem to skimp on the specs. In addition to that 13-inch 1080p OLED screen (one of the first 1080p OLEDs I can recall on a laptop) with its 100-percent DCI-P3 color gamut, you can configure it with up to Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processors, 16GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.
The Intel model replaces these USB-C ports with visually identical Thunderbolt 4 ports instead.
Even at the $800 starting price, you get your pick of an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U or an 11th-gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 chip, a backlit keyboard, a Windows Hello ready IR camera, full-size HDMI 2.0 and USB-A ports, a pair of USB-C ports, and a microSD card slot.
There’s a few important differences between the Intel and AMD models, though, according to the company’s spec sheets:
Intel starts with a measly 256GB of storage at the $800 mark instead of 512GB for AMD
The company quotes three additional hours of battery life for the AMD system over Intel (note that both were measured at a fairly dim 150 nits of brightness) from the same 67Wh battery
With Intel, you get a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports instead of plain ol’ USB 3.2 Type-C
AMD models only have Wi-Fi 5, while Intel ones get Wi-Fi 6
As far as I can tell, retailers like Amazon and Newegg quietly put the laptops on sale earlier this month, though the $800 AMD variant doesn’t seem to be shipping quite yet. Here’s a $900 Intel model at Amazon, an $800 AMD model at Newegg, and a whole array of the new laptops at Asus’s own store.
If you’re looking for a 2-in-1 convertible, Asus is sticking its affordable OLED screen in those too, starting at $950, though Intel appears to be your only CPU option there.
We’d heard screen manufacturers were finally going to mass produce laptop-sized OLED panels this year — perhaps Asus’ laptops are just the tip of the iceberg.
XMG has added a new processor option to the company’s existing Neo 15 and Neo 17. Intel’s new Core i7-11800H (Tiger Lake) processor will be powering XMG’s refreshed gaming laptops.
Built on Intel’s 10nm SuperFin process, the Core i7-11800H wields eight Willow Cove cores with Hyper-Threading and up to 24MB of L3 cache. The 45W chip rocks a 2.3 GHz base clock and 4.6 GHz boost clock. In contrast to the Ryzen-powered Neo 15 and Neo 17 models, XMG has outfitted the Intel equivalent with Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut for improved cooling.
It’s not just the processor upgrade. XMG also upped the Neo 15 and Neo 17’s graphics card game. Previously, the GeForce RTX 3080 (Ampere) was limited to 150W (135W plus 15W from Dynamic Boost 2.0). With the Tiger Lake-H model, XMG was able to increase the thermal envelope up to 165W for even more performance. XMG doesn’t force you to roll with the GeForce RTX 3080, either. The company also offers the GeForce RTX 3070 and RTX 3060 as other viable options.
The Neo 15 (359.8 x 243 x 26 mm, 2.2 kg) and Neo 17 (395.7 x 260.8 x 27.45 mm, 2.5 kg) boasts a screen that will make any gamer happy. The devices feature a WQHD (2560×1440) IPS screen with a 165 Hz refresh rate and 95% sRGB color space coverage and a maximum brightness of 350 nits. The Neo 15 comes with a 15.6-inch display, while the Neo 17 arrives with a 17.3-inch screen.
XMG Neo 15 (Image credit: XMG)
The Tiger Lake-H version of the Neo 15 and Neo 17 also offers 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet networking, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 functionality, Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, high-speed PCIe 4.0 M.2 storage and native support for DDR4-3200 memory.
The base configuration for the Neo 15 (XNE15IM21) and Neo 17 (XNE17IM21) starts at €1,949 or $2,380. It model comes with the Core i7-11800H, Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB of DDR4-3200 memory, a 500GB Samsung 970 Evo Plus SSD and the beautiful WQHD 165 Hz IPS panel. There’s ample room for upgrades too. Both gaming laptops support up to 64GB of memory and RAID 0 or 1 arrays, thanks to the presence of two M.2 2280 slots.
Due to the global shortage of components, the pricing could vary. Pre-orders for the Tiger Lake-based Neo 15 and Neo 17 starts at the beginning of June with orders expected to go out by the end of June.
Polish news outlet Benchmark.pl received a statement from AMD that sheds some light on the recent rumor of a Ryzen 5000 refresh. According to the AMD spokesperson, there is indeed a new stepping for Vermeer, but it’s less significant than we initially thought.
Unlike Intel, AMD doesn’t use the term stepping for its processors. Instead, the chipmaker prefers the term “revision,” which is just another word for a similar idea. Current Ryzen 5000 chips are on the B0 revision. Apparently, AMD plans to transition to the B2 revision over the next period of six months. The B2 parts will not offer any new functionality or improved performance, laying to rest the speculation of the XT-series.
AMD has confirmed the statement to Tom’s Hardware, and also provided an English-language translation:
“In continuous efforts to enhance our manufacturing and logistics capabilities, AMD is gradually transitioning the AMD Ryzen 5000 Series desktop processors to a ‘B2’ revision over the next 6 months. There are no feature, function, or performance enhancements to the B2 revision, and no BIOS update is required.”
Normally, chipmakers put out a new stepping or revision when they’ve discovered minor bugs or new ways to improve the design and optimize yields. However, Ryzen 5000’s jump from the B0 revision to the B2 revision suggests that the changes are very minor. Obviously, the AMD spokesperson won’t reveal what has been changed. AMD recently confirmed that its Predictive Store Forwarding (PSF) technology could turn into a security liability for Zen 3 processors. Perhaps the new B2 revision comes with mitigations for PSF, but that’s just speculation on our part.
Although we won’t see faster Ryzen 5000 processors on the market, there is still good news for consumers. The B2 revision will seemingly help AMD improve the production and availability for the company’s Ryzen 5000 processors. This means that we may finally see the pricing for Zen 3 stabilize, and consumers might find the sought-after processors at their MSRP in the not so far future.
Update, May 19, 12:17 p.m. ET: Added confirmation and English-language translation from AMD.
The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 is so good that it makes us wonder why Dell didn’t team up with AMD on a laptop sooner.
For
+ Strong gaming performance
+ Excellent productivity performance
+ Unique chassis
+ Not too costly for it power
Against
– Internals run hot
– Middling audio
– Bad webcam
It’s been 14 years since Alienware’s used an AMD CPU in one of its laptops, but AMD’s recent Ryzen processors have proven to be powerhouses that have generated a strong gamer fanbase. It also doesn’t hurt that AMD-based laptops have frequently undercut Intel in price. Point being, times have changed and now Team Red can easily compete with the best gaming laptops that Intel has to offer.
So it makes sense that Alienware’s finally been granted permission to board Dell’s UFO. And with the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5, it’s getting a first class treatment.
Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 Specifications
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
Graphics
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, 1,702 MHz Boost Clock, 125 W Total Graphics Power
Memory
16GB DDR4-3200
Storage
512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Display
15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080, 165Hz, IPS
Networking
802.11ax Killer Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Ports
USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 x 3, HDMI 2.1, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 x 1 (DisplayPort), RJ-45 Ethernet, 3.5mm combination headphone/microphone port
Camera
720p
Battery
86 WHr
Power Adapter
240W
Operating System
Windows 10 Home
Dimensions(WxDxH)
14.02 x 10.73 x 0.9 inches (356.2 x 275.2 x 22.85 mm)
Weight
5.34 pounds (2.42 kg)
Price (as configured)
$1,649
Design of the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
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Unlike other recent Alienware laptops, the m15 R5 Ryzen Edition only comes in black. The “lunar light” white isn’t an option here. Still, it’s a bold design that puts the emphasis on the laptop’s build quality rather than on decoration, and it pays off. The m15 R5 feels sturdy in the hand and its smooth edges give it a unique premium flare. It’s not too plain, since lighting options for the Alienware logo on the lid plus a circular LED strip along the back rim add a touch of flair. On that note, the stylized “15” on the lid is stylish, though it can look a bit much like a “13” from the wrong angle.
Hexagonal vents that sit above the keyboard and along the back also give the m15 R5 a bit of functional decoration and help make up for the small and well hidden side vents. The keyboard on this model has four-zone RGB, but it can be a little dim in well-lit areas.
This laptop veers on the large and heavy end for systems with an RTX 3060. At 14.02 x 10.73 x 0.9 inches large and 5.34 pounds heavy, it’s generally bulkier than the Asus TUF Dash F15 we reviewed, which has a mobile RTX 3070 and is 14.17 x 9.92 x 0.78 inches large and weighs 4.41 pounds. The Acer Predator Triton 300 SE, which manages to fit a mobile RTX 3060 into a 14 inch device, is also especially impressive next to the m15 R5. Granted, both of those use lower-power processors designed for thinner machines. Specifically, the Acer is 12.7 x 8.97 x .70 inches large and weighs 3.75 pounds.
The Alienware m15 R4, which has a 10th gen 45W Intel Core i7 processor and an RTX 3070, is 14.19 x 10.86 x 0.78 inches large and weighs 5.25 pounds. That leaves it not as bulky as the m15 Ryzen Edition R5, but about as heavy.
Port selection is varied, although distribution differs from my usual preferences. The left side of the laptop only has the Ethernet port and the 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack, which is a shame as that’s where I typically like to connect my mouse. The back of the laptop has a few more connections, including the DC-in, an HDMI 2.1 port, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port that also supports DisplayPort. The right side of the laptop has two additional USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports.
Gaming Performance on the Alienware M15 Ryzen Edition R5
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Our review configuration of the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 came equipped with an 8-core, 16-thread Ryzen R7 5800H CPU and an RTX 3060 laptop GPU. It’s the first time we’ve tested a 45W CPU with an RTX 3060 and, to that end, we’ve decided to compare it to one 35W laptop with an RTX 3070 CPU, the Asus TUF Dash F15 with an Intel Core i7-11370H, and one 35W laptop with an RTX 3060 GPU, the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE with an Intel Core i7-11375H. We’ve also thrown the Alienware m15 R4 into the mix, which has a 45W 10th gen Intel CPU and an admittedly more powerful RTX 3070, plus a significantly higher price tag than any other competitor even on its cheapest configuration (the thing starts at $2,149).
I played Control on the Alienware laptop for a half hour to get a personal feel for gaming on the system. I tended to fall between 60 – 70 fps at high settings throughout, and turning ray tracing on using its high preset dropped that to 30 – 40 fps. The fans are certainly noticeable but aren’t ear-splitting, and the laptop neither got hot-to-the-touch nor did it spray hot air on my hands.
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s benchmark running at highest settings, the m15 Ryzen Edition R5’s CPU seemed to do it a favor, as its 73 fps average only barely fell behind the m15 R4’s 77 fps average. The Acer laptop was next in line with 61 fps, while the Asus laptop was significantly behind all other options at 54 fps.
Scores were a bit more even in Far Cry: New Dawn’s benchmark running at ultra settings. While the m15 R4 hit 91 fps, everything else was in the 70s. The m15 Ryzen Edition R5 had an average of 79 fps, while the Asus scored 74 fps and the Acer reached 73 fps.
The m15 Ryzen Edition R5 fell to third place in the Grand Theft Auto V benchmark running at very high settings, where it hit an 82 fps average and the Asus laptop achieved an 87 fps average. The Acer laptop was significantly behind at 72 fps, while the m15 R4 was significantly ahead at 108 fps.
Red Dead Redemption 2’s benchmark running at medium settings saw the m15 Ryzen Edition R5 once again stay in third place, though by a more significant margin this time. The R5 achieved a 53 fps average, while the Asus led with 61 fps score. The Acer was once again behind at 48 fps, while the m15 R4 stayed ahead at 69 fps.
We also ran the Alienware M15 R5 Ryzen Edition through the Metro Exodus RTX benchmark 15 times in a row to test how well it holds up to a sustained heavy load. During this benchmark, it hit an average 56 fps. The CPU ran at an average 3.63-GHz clock speed while the GPU ran at an average clock speed of 1.82 GHz. The CPU’s average temperature was 90.36 degrees Celsius (194.65 degrees Fahrenheit) and the GPU’s average temperature was 82.02 degrees Celsius (179.64 degrees Fahrenheit).
Productivity Performance for the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
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While Alienware is a gaming brand, the use of a 45W AMD chip does open the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 up to high productivity potential.
On Geekbench 5, which is a synthetic test for tracking general PC performance, the m15 Ryzen Edition R5 hit 1,427 points on single-core tests and 7,288 points on multi-core tests. While its single core score was on the lower end when compared to the Asus TUF Dash F15’s 1,576 points and the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE’s 1,483 points, the Alienware blew those laptops away on multi-core scores. The Asus’ multi-core score was 5,185, while the Acer’s multi-core score was 5,234.
The Alienware m15 R4 was a bit more even with its AMD cousin, scoring 1,209 on single-core Geekbench 5 tests and 7,636 on the program’s multi-core benchmarks.
Unfortunately, the m15 Ryzen Edition R5 couldn’t maintain that momentum for our 25GB file transfer benchmark. Here, it transferred files at a 874.14 MBps speed, while the Asus hit 1,052.03 MBps and the Acer reached 993.13 MBps. The m15 R5 hit speeds of 1137.34 MBps.
The m15 Ryzen Edition R5 was the fastest contender in our Handbrake video encoding test, though, where we track how long it takes a computer to transcode a video down from 4K to FHD. The m15 Ryzen Edition R5 completed this task in 7:05, while the Asus took 10:41 and the Acer was even slower at 11:36. The m15 R5 almost caught up to its AMD cousin with a time of 7:07.
Display for the Alienware M15 R5 Ryzen Edition
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Our configuration for the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 came with a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate. While it boasted impressive gaming performance and strong benchmark results, it still proved problematic for viewing content.
I watched the trailers for Nomandland and Black Widow on the m15 Ryzen Edition R5, where I found the blacks to be shallow and the viewing angles to be restrictive. In my office during the daytime, I couldn’t easily see the screen’s picture unless I was sitting directly in front of it. Turning my lights off and closing my curtain only extended viewing angles to about 30 degrees. Glare also proved to be an issue in the light, although turning lights off did fix this problem.
Colors were bright enough to pop occasionally but not consistently, with bolder tones like reds and whites holding up better than more subdued ones. Here, Black Widow came across a bit more vividly than the naturalistic style of Nomadland, so this screen might be better suited for more colorful, heavily produced films.
Our testing put the m15 Ryzen Edition R4’s color range above its closest competitors, the Asus TUF Dash F15 and Acer Predator Triton 300 SE, though not by much. With an 87.3 DCI-P3 color gamut, it’s only slightly ahead of the Asus’ 80.6% DCI-P3 score. The TUF Dash F15 had a starker difference, with a 78.5% DCI-P3 color gamut.
Our brightness testing saw the Alienware pull a more solid lead. With an average of 328 nits, it easily surpassed the Acer’s 292 nits and the Asus’ 265 nits.
The Alienware m15 R4 blew all of these systems out of the water, although the OLED screen our configuration had makes the comparison more than a bit unfair. Its DCI-P3 gamut registered at 150% while its average brightness was 460.2 nits.
To test the m15 Ryzen Edition R5’’s 165Hz screen, I also played Overwatch on it. Here, I had a much more pleasant experience than I did when watching movie trailers. The game’s bright colors appeared quite vivid and the fast refresh rate was perfectly able to keep up with the 165 fps I was hitting on Ultra settings.
Keyboard and Touchpad on the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 configuration we received has a 4-zone RGB membrane keyboard, though other configurations do offer mechanical switches made in collaboration with Cherry. You can currently get that upgrade for an additional $98.
The membrane nature of this keyboard didn’t mean it wasn’t impressive, though. Keys have a noticeable resistance when pressed and 1.7mm of key travel gives you plenty of tactile feedback. I consistently scored around 83 words per minute on the 10fastfingers.com typing test, which is impressive as my average is usually around 75 wpm.
In an unusual choice, the Alienware’s audio control keys sit on the keyboard’s furthest right row rather than being mapped to the Fn row as secondary functions. Instead, the Page Up and Page Down keys that would normally be found there are secondary functions on the arrow keys.
The 4.1 x 2.4-inch touchpad doesn’t fare as well. While it has precision drivers and is perfectly smooth when scrolling with one finger, I felt too much friction when using multi-touch gestures to pull them off comfortably or consistently. For instance, when trying to switch apps with a three-fingered swipe, I would frequently accidentally pinch zoom instead.
Audio on the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 has two bottom firing speakers that are loud with surprisingly decent bass, but tend to get tinny on higher notes.
I tested the m15 Ryzen Edition R5’s audio by listening to Save Your Tears by The Weeknd, which easily filled up my whole two bedroom apartment with sound. I was also surprised to be able to hear the strum of the song’s bass guitar, as it’s not uncommon for other laptops to either cut it out, make it quiet, or give it a more synth-like quality. Unfortunately, higher notes suffered from tinniness and echo.
Upgradeability of the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 is easy to open and has plenty of user customizability. Just unscrew the four screws closest to the back of the laptop, then loosen the four screws on the front (we used a PH0 Phillips Head bit).
Gently pry the case off, and you’ll see the networking card, two swappable DIMMs of RAM, the M.2 SSD and a second, open M.2 SSD slot (if you don’t buy the laptop with dual SSDs).
The only tradeoff here is that the SSDs are in a smaller, less common M.2 2230 form factor (most are 2280) , so you’ll probably need to buy a specialized drive for this laptop.
Battery Life on the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
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The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 is a power hog, with half the non-gaming battery life of the RTX 3060 and RTX 3070 35W laptops we tested it against. This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, since it also has a 45W CPU, but don’t expect to be able to spend too much time away from an outlet.
In our non-gaming battery test, which continually streams video, browses the web and runs OpenGL tests over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, the M15 Ryzen Edition R5 held on for 3:29. That’s about 3 hours less time than we got out of both the Asus TUF Dash F15, which had a 6:32 battery life, and the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE, which lasted for 6:40.
The Alienware m15 R5, with its 45W Intel chip, also had a shorter battery life than our 35W laptops, though it was slightly longer than the m15 Ryzen Edition R5’s. It lasted 4:01 on our non-gaming test.
Heat on the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5’s surface temperature was impressively cool during non-gaming use but could get toasty in select areas during our gaming benchmarks. For our tests, we measured its temperature both after 15 minutes of streaming video and during the sixth consecutive run of the Metro: Exodus extreme benchmark.
The laptop’s touchpad proved coolest during the video test, registering 81.1 degrees Fahrenheit. This was only slightly behind the center of the keyboard’s temperature, as the typer hit 85.5 degrees Fahrenheit in between the G and H keys. The bottom of the laptop was warmer, hitting 90.9 degrees, although the center-left of the display hinge is where it was hottest, registering 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
Our gaming test saw a mild jump in temperatures in all areas except the bottom and the hinge, where numbers spiked much higher. The touchpad was 83.3 degrees Fahrenheit and the center of the keyboard was 90.9 degrees Fahrenheit. By contrast, the bottom of the laptop was now 121.5 degrees Fahrenheit and the hot zone on the hinge was now 136.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
Despite these higher numbers, though, the laptop never became too hot to touch while gaming. It did feel pleasantly warm, however.
Webcam on the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
The Alienware M15 R4 Ryzen Edition’s 720p webcam is, like many premium gaming laptops, a bit of an afterthought. Regardless of lighting conditions, its shots always have a blocky and fuzzy appearance. Adding light also adds a distracting halo effect to silhouettes, while dimming your surroundings will just bring down detail even further.
Software and Warranty on the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 comes packed with software, although most of it serves a genuinely useful purpose.
Most of these are apps like Alienware Command Center, which lets you customize lighting and thermals as well as set up macros. Some are less useful than others — Alienware Customer Connect simply exists to get you to fill out surveys — but apps like Alienware Mobile Connect, which lets you easily mirror your phone’s screen, transfer its files or take phone calls from your laptop are definitely a standout. It might be easier to navigate these functions if they were all centralized into one hub app rather than being their own standalone programs, though. My Alienware tries to be this hub app, although it’s mostly just a redirect to Alienware Command Center with a bunch of ads on the side.
This laptop also comes with typical Windows pack-ins like Microsoft Solitaire Collection and Spotify. Its default warranty is limited to one year, although you can extend it at checkout.
Configurations for the Alienware M15 R5 Ryzen Edition
Our configuration of the Alienware M15 R5 Ryzen Edition came with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, an RTX 3060 laptop GPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GGB SSD and a 1920 x 1080, 165Hz display for $1,649. That actually puts it towards the lower end of what’s available.
You can upgrade this laptop’s CPU to the Ryzen 9 5900HX, which has the same thread count but boosts up to 4.6 GHz, and its GPU to an RTX 3070 laptop card. Memory options range from 8GB to 32GB, while storage options range from 256GB to 2TB. You can also add on an additional SSD with the same range of options, making for up to 4TB of total combined storage.
There’s also a 360Hz version of the FHD display available, as well as a QHD version with a 240Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support.
Perhaps the most interesting option that wasn’t included on our configuration is the mechanical keyboard, which features physical ultra low-profile switches made in collaboration with CherryMX.
These upgrades can raise your price up to $2,479, with the display and keyboard upgrades being the most costly components in Dell’s customization tool. The Cherry MX keyboard will add $98 to your price at checkout, while the QHD display costs $78. The FHD @ 360Hz display is only available on the highest preset option, which locks you into a Ryzen 9 5900HX chip and starts at $2,332.
By contrast, the low end of this laptop starts at $1,567.
Bottom Line
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The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 proves that Team Red and Alienware make a strong pairing . While it’s not quite the beast that the minimum $2,149 Alienware m15 R4 is, it still manages performance that equates to and sometimes beats peers in its price range on most titles, all while rocking Alienware’s unique premium looks. At $1,649 for our configuration, it’s an easy premium choice over the $1,450 Asus TUF Dash F15. And if you prefer power over size, it’s also a better option for you than the $1,400 Acer Predator Triton 300 SE.
While it’s certainly not the most portable contender and could do with more even port distribution and stronger audio, its 45W CPU lends it just enough of an edge on power to make it a solid first step into Dell’s flagship gaming brand.
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