Alienware M15 R3 vs. Alienware M15 R4: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware M15 R3 and Alienware M15 R4 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware M15 R3 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Alienware M15 R3 over Alienware M15 R4.

Alienware M15 R4 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R4 is better than Alienware M15 R3.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

Supports faster memory

Alienware M15 R4 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M15 R3. It supports up to 2933MHz versus 2666MHz of system memory on the Alienware M15 R3.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M15 R4 - DDR4
2,933 MHz
Alienware M15 R3 - DDR4
2,666 MHz

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware M15 R3 and Alienware M15 R4.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Alienware M15 R3
32 GB
Alienware M15 R4
32 GB

Prices

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

Alienware M15 R3 Price
Dell Alienware m15 R3 Gaming Laptop (2020) | 15.6" FHD | Core i7-512GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - 2070 Super | 6 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Pro
Dell Alienware m15 R3 Gaming Laptop (2020) | 15.6" FHD | Core i7-512GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - 2070 Super | 6 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Pro
By Dell
$1,913.06
2020 Dell Alienware m15 R3 Laptop 15.6" - Intel Core i7 10th Gen - i7-10750H - Six Core 5Ghz - 512GB SSD + 512GB SSD - 32GB RAM - Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 (Renewed)
2020 Dell Alienware m15 R3 Laptop 15.6" - Intel Core i7 10th Gen - i7-10750H - Six Core 5Ghz - 512GB SSD + 512GB SSD - 32GB RAM - Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,000.99
Dell Alienware m15 R3 Gaming Laptop (2020) | 15.6" FHD | Core i7-1TB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - 2070 Super | 6 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home
Dell Alienware m15 R3 Gaming Laptop (2020) | 15.6" FHD | Core i7-1TB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - 2070 Super | 6 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home
By Dell
$1,939.18
Alienware M15 R4 Price
Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3070 Gaming Laptop Full HD (FHD), 15.6 inch - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light
Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3070 Gaming Laptop Full HD (FHD), 15.6 inch - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light
By Dell
$1,750.00
$1,849.00 5% OFF
Alienware - m15 R4-15.6" FHD Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-16GB Memory - Nvidia RTX3070-512GB Solid State Drive - Dark Side of The Moon
Alienware - m15 R4-15.6" FHD Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-16GB Memory - Nvidia RTX3070-512GB Solid State Drive - Dark Side of The Moon
By Dell
$1,999.99
Alienware m15 R4 Gaming Laptop, 15.6 inch Full HD (FHD) - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light
Alienware m15 R4 Gaming Laptop, 15.6 inch Full HD (FHD) - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light
By Alienware
$1,299.95

Availability

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4
Released20202021
Release DateAvailable on May 2020
  • Announced on January 12, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available on January 26, 2021
PricingStarting at $1,499.99Starting at $2,149.99
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4
DimensionsBase
Width: 14.19 in. (360.30 mm)
Depth: 10.87 in. (276.20 mm)
Height: 0.72 - 0.78 in. (18.30 - 19.70 mm)
300 Hz Refresh Rate Models
Width: 14.19 in. (360.30 mm)
Depth: 10.86 in. (275.90 mm)
Height: 0.70 - 0.78 in. (17.90 - 19.70 mm)
  • 14.19” x 10.879” x 0.724 - 0.807 - 0.776” (360.3 mm x 276.32 mm x 18.39 - 20.5 - 19.7 mm)
    Alienware M15 R4 with OLED display models
  • 14.19” x 10.863” x 0.701 - 0.783 - 0.776” (360.3 mm x 275.92 mm x 17.8 - 19.9 - 19.7 mm)
    Alienware M15 R4 with 300Hz display models
WeightStarting at 4.65 lbs (2.10 kg) up to 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg)Starting at 4.65 lbs (2.10 kg) up to 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg)
Colors
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware mSeries 4-Zone AlienFX RGB keyboard.
    • Alienware mSeries keyboard with per-key RGB LED.
  • AlienFX lighting
  • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology
  • 1.7mm key travel
  • 0.2mm-dish concave key design
  • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware mSeries 4-Zone AlienFX RGB keyboard.
    • Alienware mSeries keyboard with per-key RGB LED.
  • AlienFX lighting
  • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology
  • 1.7mm key travel
  • 0.2mm-dish concave key design
  • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.

Display

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4
Size15.6 Inches15.6 Inches
InfoFull HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 7ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% NTSC  color gamut, Anti-glare.
Full HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 7ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% NTSC color gamut with NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology, Anti-glare.
Full HD with 300Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 3ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 100% sRGB color gamut, Anti-glare.
Ultra HD with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 3180 x 2160, OLED, 282 PPI, 1ms response time, 400 nits, 16:9, HDR-400 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 100,000:1 contrast ratio, TrueLife, 14.80W max power consumption
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology
All options
  • Wide Viewing Angles on all displays with 85 degrees viewing from all directions
  • 15.6” FHD with 300Hz
    1920 x 1080 141 PPI 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut Anti-glare WVA 6.3W
  • 15.6” UHD with 60Hz
    3840 x 2160 OLED 282 PPI 1ms response time 400 nits 16:9 HDR-400 100% DCI-P3 color gamut 100000:1 contrast ratio TrueLife Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA 14.8W

Ports

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4
Alienware M15 R3 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port
  • 1 x RJ-45 Killer™ Ethernet E3000 10/100/1000Mbps/2.5Gbps Port
  • 2 x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port
  • 1 x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1 port with PowerShare technology
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 Port (USB Type-C™ with support for USB 3.1 Gen 2 10Gbps, 40Gbps Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort 1.2)
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0b with HDCP 2.2 Output Port
  • 1 x Mini-Display Port 1.4 (certified) Output Port
  • 1 x Audio Out 1/8" Ports (Compatible with inline mic headset)
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately)
  • 1 x microSD 5.1, UHD-II HD312 Card Reader
Alienware M15 R4 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 Port
    Supports USB Type-C™ with support for USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps, 40Gbps Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort 1.2.
  • 2 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port
  • 1 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with PowerShare technology
  • 1 x RJ-45 Killer™ Ethernet E3000 10/100/1000Mbps/2.5Gbps Port
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
  • 1 x HDMI 2.1
    Supports up to 4K@120Hz display out.
  • 1 x Mini-Display Port 1.4 (certified) Output Port
  • 1 x Audio Out 1/8" Ports (Compatible with inline mic headset)
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately)
  • 1 x microSD 5.1, UHD-II HD312 Card Reader
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port

Internal Specs

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4
Processor
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 4.50 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 5.00 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.20 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Memory
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
2666 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
Onboard memory.
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
2933 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM
Onboard memory.
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1650 Ti (4GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1660 Ti (6GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 (6GB GDDR6) OC Ready
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 (8GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 SUPER (8GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2080 SUPER (8GB GDDR6) with Max-Q Design
  • AMD RX5500M (4GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
StorageAvailable Slots
  • One M.2 2230 slot (Up to 512GB)
  • Two M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)
Single Drive
  • 256 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 1 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 2 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
RAID-0
  • 512GB (2x256 PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 1TB (2x 512 PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
RAID-0 Plus
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
Available Slots
  • One M.2 2230 slot (Up to 512GB)
  • Two M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)
Single Drive
  • 256 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 1 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 2 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
RAID-0
  • 512GB (2x256 PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 1TB (2x 512 PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
RAID-0 Plus
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]

Connectivity

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4
Wi-Fi
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 2400 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 2400 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
Bluetooth
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 › Bluetooth 5.1
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i › Bluetooth 5.1
Ethernet
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3000 PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3100X PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4
Size
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion
86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion with Alienware Battery Defender
Power Supply
  • E4 130W (19.50 VDC/6.70A)
  • E4 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • E4 240W (19.50 VDC/12.31A)
* Support Hybrid Power
240W (19.50 VDC/12.31A)

Software

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4
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 R3Alienware M15 R4
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
Front-facing camera
Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3281-CG
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 4-Way (Woofer/Tweeter) Stereo Speaker Design
    • Output: 4-5W
    • Introduces Discrete Smart Amp Woofer technology
    • Delivers 2.5x bass improvement over the previous generation
    • Delivers 2x treble improvement over the previous generation
    • Delivers 30% loudness improvement over the previous generation for full-range performance
  • Microphone:
    • Digital-array microphones in camera assembly
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3281-CG
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 2-Way (Woofer/Tweeter) Stereo Speaker Design
    • Includes Discrete Smart Amp Woofer technology
  • Microphone:
    • Digital-array microphones in the camera assembly

Misc

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4
Sensors
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
Security
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
MoreCHASIS
  • Based on Alienware's Legend industrial design language
  • Engineered with Alienware's Advanced Cryo-Tech Cooling technology
  • Engineered with HyperEfficient Voltage Regulation
  • Constructed with a Magnesium Alloy exterior shell and copper alloy thermal components
CHASIS
  • Based on Alienware's Legend industrial design language
  • Engineered with Alienware's Advanced Cryo-Tech Cooling technology
  • Engineered with HyperEfficient Voltage Regulation
  • Constructed with a Magnesium Alloy exterior shell and copper alloy thermal components

Key Features

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4
At Glance
Released in Mid
2020
16:9 FHD
15.6”
1080p 300Hz
Weight
4.65 lb
2.11 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-10980HK
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,223
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,013
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
2666 MHz DDR4
Alienware M15 R3 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080 SUPER
8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q
Released in Early
2021
16:9 FHD
15.6”
1080p 300Hz
Weight
4.65 lb
2.11 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-10980HK
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,223
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,013
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
2933 MHz DDR4
Alienware M15 R4 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080
8GB GDDR6

Comparison Summary

Alienware M15 R3 vs. Alienware M15 R4

Dell has released the Alienware M15 R3, a 15.6-inch machine, in mid-2020. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-10980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.30 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 R4 was introduced by Dell about a year later in early-2021. It comes with up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-10980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.30 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 8GB GDDR6.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware M15 R31
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H1,06186.75%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H1,13492.72%
3
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK1,223100.00%
Alienware M15 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H1,15994.77%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK1,223100.00%
01,223

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware M15 R31
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H3,74753.43%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H5,41277.17%
3
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK7,013100.00%
Alienware M15 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H6,59694.05%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK7,013100.00%
07,013

Both Alienware M15 R3 and Alienware M15 R4 have the same 15.6-inch display size. In addition, they both have the same weight at 4.65 lbs. Moreover, measured at 14.19” x 10.87” x 0.78”, the Alienware M15 R3 share the same chassis as the Alienware M15 R4.

Alienware M15 R3Alienware M15 R4

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware M15 R3 supports up to 32GB 2666 MHz DDR4 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with three M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install additional SSDs to expand the storage on the device.

For Alienware M15 R4, it supports up to 32GB 2933 MHz DDR4 memory. Like Alienware M15 R3, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has three M.2 slots that users can easily swap or add an extra SSD to get extra space when needed.

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