Alienware Goes Thin With New m15 Laptop

Alienware is ditching the big and blocky look for something a little more portable than its usual gaming laptops. The Alienware m15, arriving on October 25 starting at $1,299, is the brand’s first thin-and-light gaming notebook, with up to a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU and 8th generation Intel Core CPU.

The system will come either in Alienware’s usual “Epic Silver” or a more standout “Nebula Red.” And at just 0.8 inches thick, it’s Alienware’s thinnest laptop ever. It’s also fairly light at 4.8 pounds.

Alienware m15 Specifications

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CPUUp to Intel Core i7-8750H
GPUUp to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q (8GB GDDR5)
RAMUp to 32GB DDR4 2,666MHz
Display Options15.6 inches FHD 60Hz IPS;FHD 144Hz TN;4K 60Hz IPS
StorageUp to 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD and 1TB hybrid drive
Color OptionsEpic Silver;Nebula Red
Dimensions0.8 x 10.8 x 14.3 inches (20.3 x 274.3 x 363.2mm)
Weight4.8lbs (2.2kg)
Battery60Wh (standard);90Wh (optional)
Starting Price$1,299.99

The company is claiming that its cooling technology, Cryo-tech 2.0, will keep the thin-and-light notebook from overheating. It includes two intake fans and two exhaust vents, dedicated and shared heat pipes and copper fin stacks that are as thin as 0.2 millimeters. And despite the thin profile, Alienware claims it should last, with the optional 90Whr battery offering up to 17 hours of battery life while idle (we'll be sure to give it a more thorough test in our upcoming review).

And while Alienware laptops usually come with traditional-style keyboards, the m15 has chiclet-style keys. It also doesn’t have dedicated click buttons for the mouse; instead the entire keyboard clicks, similar to Dell’s XPS line. It’s unclear if these were aesthetic choices or were necessary in order to achieve this level of thinness.

There is one thing that it appears Alienware couldn’t minimize just yet; that bezel is looking pretty thick, similar to what we’ve seen on the most recent Alienware 15 and 17.

We’re looking forward to putting the Alienware m15 through its paces in our labs. Stay tuned for our review. 

Andrew E. Freedman

Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and Mastodon @FreedmanAE.mastodon.social.

  • MCMunroe
    My ideal laptop would be an XPS 15 (chassis) that is slightly thinker and with a much beefier cooling solution, and real GPUs, like 1070 Max-q.
    The XPS 15 chassis really is top notch, I just had to fight the thermals with liquid metal and installing Dell Command Power Management from the Procession line.
    Reply
  • gaviols
    50 and 155 Hz? Is that a typo?
    Reply
  • zhangsiyan12134
    This is the only reason stop me going to get Pro 6. I will get my next Surface when they decide to have type C port with DP and Thunderbolt support.
    Reply
  • mrmez
    I'll deal with a thicker profile if they get rid of that cheap shiny plastic.
    Reply
  • ajcroteau
    Whose designing these alienware laptops??? They are getting uglier and uglier over time...
    Reply