Alienware Launches its First AMD Laptop Since 2007

Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
(Image credit: Dell)

Alienware is releasing its first laptop with an AMD CPU since 2007. Its parent company, Dell, today announced the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5, alongside a lower-end Dell G15 Ryzen Edition and a Dell G15 refresh with Intel chips.

The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 will use AMD's Ryzen 5000 H-series chips paired with Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs. Like the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 SE, it will go up to a Ryzen 9 5900HX, which might give it enough power for consideration on our list of the best gaming laptops (we'll have to review it first, of course). 

The last Alienware laptop to pair with an AMD CPU and an Nvidia GPU was the Aurora mALX, last seen in 2007. That line went up to 19 inches and featured an AMD Turion 64 ML-44 and two Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX cards in SLI.

The new m15 Ryzen Edition R5 will also be the first 15-inch Alienware laptop going to DDR4 memory at 3,200 MHz, and that memory will be user-replaceable.

Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5Dell G15 Ryzen EditionDell G15
CPUUp to AMD Ryzen 9 5900HXUp to AMD Ryzen 7 5800HUp to Intel Core i7-10870H
GPUUp to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
RAMUp to 32GB DDR4-3200MHz, user-replaceableUp to 32GB DDR4-3200Up to 16GB DDR4-2933
StorageUp to 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD)Up to 2TB (PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD)Up to 2TB (PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD)
Display15.6-inches: FHD at 165 Hz, QHD at 260 Hz or FHD at 360 Hz15.6 inches: FHD at 120 Hz or 165 Hz15.6 inches: FHD at 120 Hz or 165 Hz
Release DateApril 20 (United States), April 7 (China), May 4 (Global)May 4 (Global), April 30 (China)April 13 (Global), March 5 (China)
Starting Price$1,793.98$899.99 $899.99

The m15 Ryzen Edition will come only in the black "dark side of the moon paint job," as Dell put it, and feature a new two-toned finish, marking the first real change to Alienware's "Legend" design language. Inside, the laptop uses what Alienware refers to as "Silky-Smooth High-Endurance" paint, which it claims reduces stains and feels like a more premium product. 

Alienware’s AMD machine will also benefit from the option of the Cherry MX keyboard it introduced recently on the m15 R4. Additionally, the m15 Ryzen Editionfeatures Alienware's proprietary cooling, dubbed "Cryo-Tech."

There are three display options on the new Alienware: A 1080p (1920 x 1080), 360 Hz display for eSports aficionados, a 1440p (2560 x 1440) 240 Hz panel and a 1080p screen at 165 Hz. 

The Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 will start at $1,793.98 and go on sale first in China on April 7, in the U.S. on April 20 and with a global release on May 4.

New Dell G15 Gaming Laptops  

The two new Dell G15 models use the redesigned chassis that the company introduced in China in March, with more aggressive angles and some new colors. The  Dell G15 Ryzen Edition model will go up to an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, while the Intel version will go up to a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10870H (the Ryzen version uses the faster RAM, while the Intel version does not).

Both G15s will offer 15.6-inch displays with 1920 x 1080 resolution at either 120 Hz or 165 Hz.

(Image credit: Dell)

The two Dell G15 laptops will start at $899.99, with the Intel version launching globally on April 13 and the AMD option hitting on May 4.  

Update, April 14, 2:48 p.m.: Dell has updated the pricing on the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 to $1,793.98. We have updated the pricing in this article accordingly.

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.

  • NightHawkRMX
    Interesting.

    I hope we don't have another disaster like happened with MSI's first Ryzen 4000 based gaming laptop.
    Overall, I am not a fan of the looks of this Alienware, but It looks to have decent cooling.
    Reply
  • ginthegit
    With Intel's furnace heat processors as the only other option for top spec Chips, I think Alienware had to go with the AMD chip on form factor and cooling alone.

    Price is Ridiculous though.
    Reply
  • g-unit1111
    Good to see more laptop manufacturers migrating towards mobile Ryzen!
    Reply
  • Heat_Fan89
    Alienware seems to put a lot more effort into their laptops than they do their desktops. Strange how they do things. Their Aurora chassis has been recycled for at least two generations and it's not the best chassis for heat mgmt.
    Reply