Alienware, a premium gaming laptop brand under Dell, has consistently led the way in design trends, albeit at a high price point, making it one of the most expensive gaming laptop brands. For instance, our subject today costs a staggering ….. yuan (guess how much it is, the answer will be revealed at the end of the article 
), equipped with an 8-core, 16-thread i9 processor and an RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics card. With such an exaggerated configuration and price, what are its strengths and weaknesses? This article will answer all your questions.
Configuration and Specifications:
■Screen:17.3-inch FHD 144Hz high refresh rate, high color gamut IPS display
■Processor:Core i9 9980HK (8-core 16-thread, 2.4/5GHz)
■Memory:Onboard 2×8GB dual-channel DDR4 2666 memory
■Graphics:RTX 2080 Max-Q (8GB) + UHD 630
■Storage:2TB Toshiba PCI-E SSD (expandable for a second one)
■Network:Intel AC8265 802.11ac wireless card + Killer Gigabit Ethernet card + Bluetooth
■Ports:Rear: HDMI 2.0, Mini DP 1.4, Thunderbolt 3, Alienware graphics expansion port, power port;
Left side: Gigabit wired RJ-45 port, USB 3.0 port, 3.5mm combo audio port;
Right side: 2× USB 3.0 ports
■Weight:Body 2.62kg; Adapter + cable 0.89kg
■ Service:2 years of advanced service, accidental damage free warranty (including water damage/drop/compression/surge), global warranty, on-site service, 7×24 hours hardware and software phone support, etc.
Appearance and Design Highlights:
Beautiful, lightweight, with meticulous details
What does a top gaming laptop with top configuration mean to you? Many might answer: it must be heavy. Yes, historically, top gaming laptops often came with top weights, and anything under 3kg would make you hesitant to show it off. However, lightness is the trend now, so top gaming laptops are also getting lighter. The Alienware M17 R2 weighs only 2.62kg (a bit lighter than the Mechrevo X9Ti-R i7/RTX 2070 model’s 2.64kg), with a total thickness of around 20mm to 21mm, and the thickness of the main unit is only about 15mm. As a model equipped with an i9 9980HK and RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics card, achieving this weight and thickness is truly impressive!
Additionally, this device does not sacrifice usability details for lightness, featuring a 1.7mm key travel, and both the A/C/D surfaces have a skin-friendly coating (which will be explained later). The port layout is also logical, with thick cables mostly placed at the back, while the ports on the left and right sides are also positioned towards the back to avoid interfering with user operations. Of course, due to the three-sided heat dissipation design with four vents, the ports on the left and right sides, while pushed back, are still relatively central on the body.
▲ M17 R2’s three-sided port diagram shows the honeycomb heat dissipation holes at the back of the body, along with the circular light strip (color adjustable), which is also a signature design of this generation of Alienware. Especially the circular light strip, which has even been included in the newly launched Aurora R9 desktop model ▼. This light strip has a name, called “Infinite”.
▲ This is the Aurora R9 desktop model that Alienware recently launched (Aurora is the second flagship model, with the flagship model being the Area 51 series), which also features the Infinite circular light strip.
▲ M17 R2 comes in two colors, white and black, with the official names being “Starlight/Moonlit Dark Side.” However, we believe the latter is more accurate, as the black version is mostly not truly black; only the large rear part, the front side, and the screen frame are black, while other parts such as the A/C/D surfaces are dark gray.
▲ This photo clearly shows the actual color of the machine.
▲ Now Alienware also allows customization of each key’s color through the Commander Center. In the image, the user has set the commonly used keys for “Overwatch” to blue, while the surrounding keys are set to different colors. However, this method of setting each key is quite cumbersome; why not introduce a “Rainbow” mode directly?
Appearance and Design Drawbacks:
Screen bezels and front sides use glossy paint finish
For a top-tier computer, it is essential to invest effort in design to stand out, and the M17 R2 has achieved this. However, some basic principles should not be forgotten—such as making it easy to take attractive photos for word-of-mouth marketing. From a marketing perspective, there is a design aspect worth discussing: the front side of the body and the bezels around the screen use a mirror finish, which leads to two issues:
1. It particularly highlights dust layers and stains (like fingerprints);
2. During shooting, the image is filled with reflections. The more you want to showcase its design with lighting, the more reflections you get, requiring a specific background studio for better results, and post-editing is also essential. I find it hard to imagine that ordinary users/consumers can take attractive photos of this machine for word-of-mouth marketing.
Of course, if it were a few thousand yuan laptop, I wouldn’t mention these issues separately, but for a model costing tens of thousands, it is indeed a regret that this aspect was not considered. Additionally, the skin-friendly material on the A/C/D surfaces also tends to attract fingerprints and grease, which, although easily wiped off, is indeed troublesome.
Processor Performance Advantages:
Explosive performance at 120W, stable output at 92W+, exceptional performance
With a weight of 2.6kg, the M17 R2 houses an i9 9980HK and RTX 2080 Max-Q, and frankly, I was initially quite nervous, concerned about the performance release level.
Frankly, Intel has provided OEM manufacturers with a relatively relaxed environment; for instance, Core H processors i5/i7 can stably run at 60W/70W (as long as the power supply and cooling are adequate, it is quite easy and not a “challenge to the limit”), yet they only provide a thermal design power (TDP) reference value of 45W—meaning that as long as you reach 45W, it is considered acceptable. Even the i9 9980HK, which is an “8-core 16-thread overclockable high-end processor,” has a TDP of only 45W. OEM manufacturers, pressured by costs, seem to lack the flexibility to enhance performance release; this would increase the cost of the power supply unit, add to the overall cooling burden and cost, and increase the weight and price of the entire machine, making it seem “effortful without reward.” However, if the i9 processor only provides 45W of performance release, it would undoubtedly be a huge disappointment (refer to Apple’s laptops with single heat pipe pressure on i9, where the pitfall is not just limited to Apple).
In this regard, the M17 R2 delivers a satisfactory answer. The i9 9980HK in this machine can reach an explosive power of up to 110W in normal mode, and in preset overclocking mode, it can reach 120W, while under most single-processor load applications (including video editing, 3D rendering, etc.), it can stabilize around 92W. Because of this, its actual performance is quite impressive:
▲ Initially, we used the balanced power mode + balanced cooling mode, and the Cinebench R15 CPU score was around 1730cb. After that, we activated the preset overclocking mode (which can be adjusted in the Alienware Command Center), then turned on the fan’s “full speed” mode and “high performance” power mode (see below) and the CPU score improved to 1847cb, far surpassing the i7 9750H with 6 cores and 12 threads (which usually scores around 1100cb).
▲ In the following performance tests, if it was purely processor load, we enabled the preset overclocking mode, the temperature (fan speed) was set to “full speed,” and the Windows power mode was set to “high performance.” For game testing, the processor overclocking was disabled (as games need to enhance discrete graphics performance).
▲ The i9 9980HK processor in the M17 R2 during the explosive phase had a packaging power of 116W, with a frequency reaching 4.24GHz.
▲ Cinebench R20 score exceeded 4000cb, and the packaging power after testing also reached 98W. What was your previous impression of the highest score for mobile processors? ^__^
Such strong processor performance release will undoubtedly bring great benefits to professional applications that require processor resources. Let’s compare it with a familiar application to see the power of the i9 9980HK in the M17 R2 ▼:
▲ Blender single-frame rendering took 4 minutes and 33 seconds with overclocking mode enabled; without overclocking mode, it took 4 minutes and 43 seconds.
▲ With a more direct comparison, in the field of professional applications targeting processors, the i9 9980HK in the M17 R2 stands out with high-performance release, leaving the i7 9750H, which also has high-performance release, far behind. Compared to standard performance release i7 H processors, the efficiency of i9 9980HK is almost doubled!
Graphics Performance Advantages:
100W output, gaming performance surpasses standard 2070
Having discussed the processor, let’s talk about the discrete graphics. Discrete graphics in laptops are quite fascinating because their frequency/power can vary (OEM manufacturers can adjust them based on the machine’s cooling and power supply conditions). Coupled with the “low power design” (Max-Q), it becomes even more complex. First, let’s look at a specification table ▼:
▲ The RTX 2000 series mobile graphics cards, regardless of the model, can have adjustable frequency and power except for the number of CUDA cores (Shader count), and the adjustable range is very large! For example, the RTX 2060 ranges from 80W to 90W; the RTX 2070’s maximum is 115W, but there are also 100W and 90W versions, with Max-Q designs even going as low as 80W; the RTX 2080 is even more exaggerated, with the lowest configuration of Max-Q design dropping to 80W (with very low frequency), while higher configurations can exceed 150W. Thus, you can see that the higher-end models have a wider frequency fluctuation range.
So the question arises: if my RTX 2080 Max-Q is 80W, it indeed cannot outperform the high-power version of the RTX 2070. In reality, many previous tests have shown that some manufacturers have indeed produced 80W RTX 2080 Max-Q models, and their performance is indeed inferior to the RTX 2070.
A natural question then is: What is the wattage of the RTX 2080 Max-Q in the M17 R2? The answer is: it exceeds 100W without a doubt.
▲ We used Furmark to stress test the discrete graphics, and to fully unleash its performance, we set the resolution to 2560×1440 and enabled maximum 8×MSAA. Under these settings, the RTX 2080 Max-Q can reach a maximum of 1650MHz with a power of 100W. However, this power can only be maintained for a while before gradually dropping to 98W, 95W, with a slight decrease in frequency.
In the dual graphics stage, the stable power of the RTX 2080 Max-Q drops to 90W, but during actual gaming or 3D testing, the core frequency can even rise to 2100MHz.
▲ Unigine Valley scored 7024 points, with 167.9fps. The performance of the Mechrevo X9Ti-R’s i7/RTX 2070 model was 145fps.
▲ Unigine 2 Superposition test scored 16472, with 123.2fps. The Mechrevo X9Ti-R’s i7/RTX 2070 model scored 14489 points/108.38fps.
Now let’s look at actual gaming tests:
▲ In “Final Fantasy XV,” it scored 10553 points, while the Mechrevo X9Ti-R’s i7/RTX 2070 model scored 10348 points, with the M17 R2 winning by a small margin. This game has a unique aspect where “more processor cores might lead to lower test scores.” Thus, the actual difference on the graphics card side is quite significant, but the i9 9980HK’s many cores might have slightly reduced this game’s leading margin.
▲ In “Tomb Raider: Rise of the Tomb Raider,” it can run at 117fps, while the Mechrevo X9Ti-R’s i7/RTX 2070 model scored 104fps, with the M17 R2 leading by 12%.
▲ In “Thief 4,” it scored 114fps, while the X9Ti-R managed 100fps, with the M17 R2 leading by 14%.
▲ In “Shadow of the Tomb Raider,” at high preset quality, it scored 107fps. The X9Ti-R’s score was 91fps, with the M17 R2 leading by 17.5%. In fact, the M17 R2 can even run at 100fps at the highest preset quality!
▲ In “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey,” at high preset quality, it scored 81fps. The X9Ti-R’s score was 66fps, with the M17 R2 leading by 22.7%.
Overall, due to the high-power version of the RTX 2080 Max-Q and the strong performance release of the processor (or rather, the ability to maintain strong performance), the M17 R2 excels in both gaming performance and single-processor professional application performance, significantly surpassing standard RTX 2070 models. The previous claim that “RTX 2080 Max-Q is inferior to the standard RTX 2070” does not apply to the M17 R2!
Cooling Drawbacks:
Processor and C surface temperatures are high; it is advisable to slightly elevate the rear of the body
When it comes to the noticeable shortcomings of the Alienware M17 R2, the high processor temperature, reaching 100℃ is “normal,” even under single-processor load applications, it can easily spike to 100℃. This is not just an issue for Alienware; Dell’s G series gaming laptops also exhibit this. I once consulted Dell about this issue, and the official response was: the designers believe that 100℃ is acceptable. In reality, the opinions of designers or our perspectives are not important; what matters is the consumer’s perspective.
▲ Let’s first look at the temperature graph of the extreme dual-graphics test (room temperature 26℃). Note that the RTX 2080 Max-Q in dual graphics was set to standard FHD resolution, without enabling MSAA. After 30 minutes, the stable conditions were as follows: the graphics card stabilized at 90W, with a temperature of only 69℃, while the processor’s eight cores fluctuated between 88℃ and 100℃, with a frequency fluctuating around 3.22GHz, and the packaging power could stabilize at 60W.
While the performance may seem decent given the extreme dual-graphics test load is actually greater than that of actual gaming, the reason for such performance is that we slightly elevated the rear of the body (using a thick novel). This allows for better airflow at the bottom of the machine, while not raising it too high to make keyboard operation impossible (you would need to use an external keyboard). This slight elevation of the rear helps lower the maximum temperature from 100℃ to around 88℃ for the lower temperature parts, significantly improving the results. The discrete graphics temperature also dropped by 5℃. In other words, without elevating the rear, the discrete graphics temperature would reach 74℃ or even higher, and the processor’s temperature would be around 95℃ to 100℃, with a slight reduction in frequency.
Regardless, we recommend slightly elevating the rear of the body, as this helps extend the processor’s performance burst time while also lowering the lower limit of temperature over long periods.
However, another temperature is not so easy to lower: the C surface temperature.
▲ This is the temperature detail of the C surface after 30 minutes of dual-graphics operation. The highest temperature near the keyboard (in the area close to the screen’s honeycomb holes) reached 61℃, which is uncomfortably hot for extended use. Additionally, the temperature in the main keyboard area reached a maximum of 56℃. At this point, you will understand why the C surface uses a skin-friendly coating—this coating significantly reduces the heat sensation on the hands. Previously, we defined that if it were purely a metal surface, 46℃ would be unbearable; if it were plastic, 53℃ would be the critical temperature. Although the M17 R2’s main keyboard area reaches a maximum of 56℃, the heat sensation is very noticeable but not immediately unbearable. Even in the 61℃ area, if you accidentally place your hand there, as long as you don’t stay there for too long, it’s manageable.
However, we should note that the gaming control area temperatures are not high, including the WASD keys, cursor keys, and the wrist rest areas, which are all perfectly acceptable (don’t forget the skin-friendly coating). Overall, gaming control is not an issue.
Analyzing the processor’s tendency to reach 100℃ and the high C surface temperature, I believe one reason is the differing understanding of “high temperature.” We still recommend that designers listen to the feedback from Chinese users and consider the high indoor temperatures common in China (whether in Taiwan or the U.S., indoor air conditioning temperatures are generally set quite low). Another reason may be the M17 R2’s lightweight design—when I found out this machine weighs only 2.62kg, I was a bit incredulous. From the temperature tests, it is evident that lightweight design comes with certain trade-offs.
However, I want to emphasize a point: unlike models with inadequate cooling where “high temperatures lead to significant throttling, severely affecting performance and gaming experience,” the Alienware M17 R2 merely has high processor temperatures, but its performance remains “exceedingly strong” and has not been substantively affected, with the graphics card temperature being very low and its performance fully released. This machine’s gaming performance is outstanding, and its professional applications are also very robust, making it, strictly speaking, a “high-temperature powerhouse.”
▲ Just because it isn’t too heavy, don’t assume you can use it on your lap—remember, it is a high-performance beast with i9/RTX 2080.
▲ The interior of the M17 R2 features an inverted motherboard design, with heat pipes located beneath the keyboard, making them invisible from the D side. The only components blocked by the plastic mylar are the onboard memory (which does not support expansion) and the motherboard. Note that this machine has two M.2 SSD slots; one supports only PCI-E SSD, while the other supports both SATA and PCI-E SSD, so be sure to check the labels before expansion. Additionally, this machine features a separate irregular battery with a capacity of 76Wh, and there is no 2.5-inch hard drive slot inside the body. However, frankly speaking, for someone who can afford this machine, expanding to a 2TB SSD is hardly an issue (the maximum usable size for a 2.5-inch HDD in laptops is currently only 2TB; 3/4TB models are too thick to fit in laptops and are only used for surveillance equipment)—additionally, trust me, running games on an SSD is incredibly fast, and it is indeed very valuable.
▲ The TOBII eye-tracking device at the screen hinge can assist in operation and can provide quick game assistance in some games; due to space limitations, I will not elaborate further here, and you can check the information yourself.
Purchase Recommendations
● First, it’s essential to clarify: the Alienware M17 R2 is impeccable in terms of performance release and configuration, living up to the title of a top gaming laptop. From the user’s perspective, the only two points you might critique are the relatively high processor temperature (but performance remains robust) and the body being prone to fingerprints and stains.
● Additionally, from a purchasing standpoint, we do not recommend buying low-end versions like the RTX 2060. The value of a top gaming laptop lies in its ability to excel in all aspects, highlighting the advantages over mainstream-priced models. Rather than spending 16999 yuan to 19999 yuan on a mainstream gaming laptop configuration, you might as well step up a level and create a significant configuration gap—importantly, this gap is reflected in application performance, not just “higher configuration, higher price, but underwhelming performance.”
● We suggest focusing on the RTX 2070 Max-Q version, which can handle any game effortlessly at FHD resolution. If you do not have professional application requirements, the i7 9750H version is sufficient. Since all M17 R2 series come with a 144Hz high color gamut screen, 16GB memory, and at least a 1TB SSD for the RTX 2070 Max-Q version, you need not worry about any configuration shortcomings—even the TOBII eye-tracking feature is included.
● The i7 9750H normally does not run as high as 90W, so theoretically, the cooling performance of the i7 version will be even better. Of course, the most important point is that the starting price for the i7/RTX 2070 Max-Q version is only 23999 yuan, about 16000 yuan cheaper than the top configuration version we tested (the official price of the tested machine is 39999 yuan, and it sells for 39699 yuan on JD).
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