Alienware M15 R1 vs. Alienware M15 R6: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware M15 R1 and Alienware M15 R6 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware M15 R1 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R1 is better than Alienware M15 R6.

About 19% lighter

Alienware M15 R1 weighed 4.85 pounds, 19% lighter than the 5.93 pounds Alienware M15 R6.

WeightAlienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Pound
4.85 lbs.
5.93 lbs.
Kilogram
2.20 kg
2.69 kg

Alienware M15 R6 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R6 is better than Alienware M15 R1.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2019

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-11900H inside Alienware M15 R6 has a 66% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-9750H inside Alienware M15 R1.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware M15 R6 - Intel Core i9-11900H
8,121
Alienware M15 R6 - Intel Core i7-11800H
7,908
Alienware M15 R6 - Intel Core i5-11400H
5,592
Alienware M15 R1 - Intel Core i7-9750H
4,880
Alienware M15 R1 - Intel Core i7-8750H
4,470
Alienware M15 R1 - Intel Core i5-8300H
3,269
Supports larger memory

Alienware M15 R6 supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware M15 R1. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware M15 R1.

Max system memory size
Alienware M15 R6
64 GB
Alienware M15 R1
32 GB
Supports faster memory

Alienware M15 R6 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M15 R1. It supports up to 3466MHz versus 2666MHz of system memory on the Alienware M15 R1.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M15 R6 - DDR4 XMP
3,466 MHz
Alienware M15 R1 - DDR4
2,666 MHz

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware M15 R1 and Alienware M15 R6.

Upgradable memory

Both laptops come with available RAM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed.

MemoryAlienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Slots
x2
x2
TypeDDR4DDR4 XMP

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Alienware M15 R1 Price
Alienware X15R1 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) 360Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i7-11800H Processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 DDR6 Graphics, Windows 11 Home- Lunar Light
Alienware X15R1 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) 360Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i7-11800H Processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 DDR6 Graphics, Windows 11 Home- Lunar Light
By Alienware
$1,784.99
$1,899.97 6% OFF
Alienware X16 R1 Gaming Laptop - 16-inch QHD+ 240Hz Display, Intel Core i9-13900HK, 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 12GB GDDR6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Silver
Alienware X16 R1 Gaming Laptop - 16-inch QHD+ 240Hz Display, Intel Core i9-13900HK, 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 12GB GDDR6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Silver
By Alienware
$3,499.99
Alienware m15 R7 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch 240Hz 2ms QHD, Intel Core i9-12900H, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA Geforce RTX 3080 Graphics, Killer AX 1675i with Dell services, Windows 11 Home - Dark
Alienware m15 R7 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch 240Hz 2ms QHD, Intel Core i9-12900H, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA Geforce RTX 3080 Graphics, Killer AX 1675i with Dell services, Windows 11 Home - Dark
By Alienware
$1,376.50
$2,399.00 43% OFF
Alienware M15 R6 Price
Alienware M15 R6 VR Ready Gaming Laptop - 15.6 inch QHD Display, 240Hz Refresh Rate, Intel Core i7-11800H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6, Windows 11- Black
Alienware M15 R6 VR Ready Gaming Laptop - 15.6 inch QHD Display, 240Hz Refresh Rate, Intel Core i7-11800H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6, Windows 11- Black
By Alienware
$1,879.99
Alienware M15 R6 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 1ms 360Hz Display, Intel Core i7-11800H, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA RTX 3070 8GB Graphics, Windows 11 Home - Black
Alienware M15 R6 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 1ms 360Hz Display, Intel Core i7-11800H, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA RTX 3070 8GB Graphics, Windows 11 Home - Black
By Alienware
$2,599.00
Alienware m15 R6, 15.6 inch QHD 240Hz Non-Touch Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-11800H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home- Dark Side of the Moon (Latest Model)
Alienware m15 R6, 15.6 inch QHD 240Hz Non-Touch Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-11800H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home- Dark Side of the Moon (Latest Model)
By Alienware
$1,657.95

Availability

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Released20192021
Release Date
  • Announced at CES 2019
  • Available on January 29, 2019
Announced on May 11, 2021
PricingStarting at $1,379.99
  • $1,299.99
    i7-11800H 8GB 256GB RTX 3050 Ti FHD 165Hz
  • $1,649.99
    i7-11800H 16GB 512GB RTX 3060 FHD 165Hz
  • $1,829.99
    i7-11800H 16GB 1TB RTX 3070 QHD 240Hz
  • $2,079.99
    i7-11800H 16GB 1TB RTX 3070 QHD 240Hz
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Dimensions14.27 x 10.85 x 0.70 - 0.78 in (362 x 275 x 17.90 - 19.99 mm)
Width: 14.27 in. (362 mm)
Depth: 10.85 in. (275 mm)
Height: 0.70 - 0.78 in. (17.90 - 19.99 mm)
14.02” x 10.73” x 0.51 - 0.76” (356.20 x 272.50 x 12.9 - 19.25 mm)
WeightStarting at 4.85 lbs (2.20 kg)5.93 lbs (2.69 kg)
Colors
  • Epic Silver
  • Nebula Red
Dark Moon
Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky Smooth Finish
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Alienware AlienFX mSeries Keyboard with Alphanumeric Keys
  • 4.13 x 2.56 in (105 mm x 65 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
  • Alienware mSeries 4-Zone AlienFX RGB keyboard.
    • 1.7mm key travel
    • Includes anti-ghosting technology
  • Alienware's CherryMX ultra-low-profile mechanical laptop keyboard with per-key AlienFX lighting.
    • 1.8mm key travel
    • Includes N-key rollover technology
  • Touchpad
    • Multi-touch gesture touchpad with integrated scrolling.
    • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.

Display

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Size15.6 Inches15.6 Inches
InfoFull HD with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 35ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% color gamut, 700:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare, 6.20W max power consumption.
Full HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 19ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% color gamut, 800:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare, 7.80W max power consumption.
Full HD with 240Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 8ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% color gamut, 1000:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare, 4.41W max power consumption.
Ultra HD with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 3180 x 2160, 282 PPI, 300 nits, 16:9, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 5.15W max power consumption
Ultra HD OLED with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 3180 x 2160, 282 PPI, 1ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, HDR-400 DCI-P3 color gamut, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, TrueLife, 14.80W max power consumption
All options
  • Wide Viewing Angles on all displays with 85 degrees viewing from all directions
  • 15.6” FHD with 165Hz
    1920 x 1080 141 PPI ComfortView Plus 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 6W
  • 15.6” FHD with 360Hz
    1920 x 1080 141 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 1ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 7.6W
  • 15.6” QHD with 240Hz
    2560 x 1440 188 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 2ms response time 400 nits 16:9 99% DCI-P3 color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 10.15 W

Ports

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Alienware M15 R1 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (4)
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), PowerShare
  • 1 x RJ-45
    1 Gbps, Killer E2500
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
  • 1 x lock slot
Right (2)
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
Back (5)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, DisplayPort
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier port
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x power port
Alienware M15 R6 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    Supports 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4, and PD output 15W (5V/3A).
  • 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 Port
  • 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port with PowerShare
  • 1 x RJ-45
  • 1 x HDMI 2.1
    Supports up to 4K@120Hz display out.
  • 1 x Headset port
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port

Internal Specs

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Processor
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.30 → 4.00 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.20 → 4.10 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.50 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-11400H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.70 → 4.50 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.60 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.50 → 4.90 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1000 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-11400H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    16 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
Memory
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
2666 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
2 x SODIMM slots
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
3200MHz or 3466MHz Dual-channel DDR4 SDRAM.
2 x SO-DIMM slots.
  • Max 32GB of 3200 MHz DDR4 Memory
  • Max 64GB of 3466 MHz XMP DDR4 Memory
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1050 Ti (4GB GDDR5)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1060 (6GB GDDR5)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1070 (8GB GDDR5)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1660 Ti (6GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 (6GB GDDR6) OC Ready
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 (8GB GDDR6) with Max-Q Design
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2080 (8GB GDDR6) with Max-Q Design
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti
    4GB GDDR6 TGP: 80W Max Power: 80W Speed: 1462.5 → 1695 MHz
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060
    6GB GDDR6 TGP: 115W Dynamic Boost: 10W Max Power: 125W Speed: 1387 → 1702 MHz
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 TGP: 115W Dynamic Boost: 10W Max Power: 125W Speed: 1110 → 1560 MHz
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080
    8GB GDDR6 TGP: 115W Dynamic Boost: 10W Max Power: 125W Speed: 1110 → 1545 MHz
StorageSingle Storage Configurations
  • 256 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512 GB Intel Optane M.2 SSD
  • 1 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Dual Storage Configurations
  • 128GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
  • 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
  • 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Triple Storage Configurations
  • 256GB SSD M.2+256GB SSD M.2+1TB HDD
2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)

Connectivity

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Wi-Fi
  • Qualcomm QCA61x4A (DW1820)
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 867 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.
  • Rivet killer 1550
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 1733 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.
Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650
Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth
  • Qualcomm QCA61x4A (DW1820) › Bluetooth 4.2
  • Rivet Killer 1550 › Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.2
Ethernet
  • Killer E2500 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000 Mbps

Battery

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Size
  • 4-cell smart lithium-ion (60 Wh)
  • 6-cell smart lithium-ion (90Wh)
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 17 hours on idle with 90Wh battery.
-
Power Supply
  • 130W (19.50 VDC/6.70A)
  • 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
* Support Hybrid Power
180W 240W
power adapter.

Software

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
  • Alienware Command Center
  • Alienware Adrenlin
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)
  • Alienware Command Center
    Supports AlienFX lighting, Game Library with auto-tune game profile functionality.
  • Alienware Adrenalin
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)

Camera & Audio

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Optional Windows Hello IR support.
Audio
  • Controller
    Realtek ALC3281-CG.
  • 2.0 Speaker configuration
  • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
  • Alienware Sound Center and Audio Recon software
  • Microphone
    Digital-array microphones in camera assembly.
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3254
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 2 x 2W speakers
  • Microphone:
    • Dual-array microphones

Misc

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
Sensors-Windows Hello IR Camera
MoreCHASIS
  • AlienFX Lighting Zones
    6 unique programmable zones with up to 16.8 million distinct colors (Standard).
-

Key Features

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6
At Glance
Released in Early
2019
16:9 FHD
15.6”
1080p 240Hz
Weight
4.85 lb
2.20 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-9750H
6C/12T, 2.60 → 4.50 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,044
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,880
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
2666 MHz DDR4
Alienware M15 R1 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080 SUPER
8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q
Released in Mid
2021
16:9 QHD
15.6”
1440p 240Hz
Weight
5.93 lb
2.69 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-11900H
8C/16T, 2.50 → 4.90 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,430
Single Core
Geekbench 5
8,121
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
3466 MHz DDR4 XMP
Alienware M15 R6 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080
8GB GDDR6 115W TGP

Comparison Summary

Alienware M15 R1 vs. Alienware M15 R6

Dell has released the Alienware M15 R1, a 15.6-inch machine, in early-2019. It is powered by up to a hexa-core Intel Core i7-9750H with a boost clock speed up to 4.50 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER with 8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q.

On the other hand, we have the 15.6-inch Alienware M15 R6 was introduced by Dell about two years later in mid-2021. It comes with up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-11900H with a boost clock speed up to 4.90 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 8GB GDDR6 115W TGP.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware M15 R11
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H93563.78%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H97566.51%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H1,04471.21%
Alienware M15 R61
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-11400H1,32090.04%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H1,466100.00%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H1,43097.54%
01,466

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware M15 R11
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H3,26940.25%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H4,47055.04%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H4,88060.09%
Alienware M15 R61
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-11400H5,59268.86%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H7,90897.38%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H8,121100.00%
08,121

Both Alienware M15 R1 and Alienware M15 R6 have the same 15.6-inch display size. In addition, The Alienware M15 R1 weighs 4.85 lbs. about 22% lighter than the 5.93 lbs. Alienware M15 R6. Moreover, measured at 14.27” x 10.85” x 0.78”, the Alienware M15 R1 is slightly bulkier than the Alienware M15 R6 at 14.02” x 10.73” x 0.76”.

Alienware M15 R1Alienware M15 R6

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware M15 R1 supports up to 32GB 2666 MHz DDR4 memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also comes with two M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device. On top of that, it also has a single SATA slot that users can use to install a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, SSHD, or a hard disk drive to add even more storage.

For Alienware M15 R6, it supports up to 64GB 3466 MHz DDR4 XMP memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also has two M.2 slots that users can easily swap or add an extra SSD to get extra space when needed.

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