Alienware M15 R4 vs. Alienware Area-51m: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for Alienware M15 R4 and Alienware Area-51m models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Alienware M15 R4 image

Alienware M15 R4

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Alienware Area-51m image

Alienware Area-51m

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Alienware M15 R4 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R4 is better than Alienware Area-51m.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2019

Supports faster memory

Alienware M15 R4 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware Area-51m. It supports up to 2933MHz versus 2800MHz of system memory on the Alienware Area-51m.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M15 R4 - DDR4
2,933 MHz
Alienware Area-51m - DDR4 XMP
2,800 MHz
About 46% lighter

Alienware M15 R4 weighed 4.65 pounds, 46% lighter than the 8.54 pounds Alienware Area-51m.

WeightAlienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
Pound
4.65 lbs.
8.54 lbs.
Kilogram
2.11 kg
3.87 kg

Alienware Area-51m Pros

Reasons that Alienware Area-51m is better than Alienware M15 R4.

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-9900K inside Alienware Area-51m has a 21% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-10980HK inside Alienware M15 R4.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware Area-51m - Intel Core i9-9900K
8,543
Alienware Area-51m - Intel Core i9-9900
7,669
Alienware Area-51m - Intel Core i7-9700K
7,192
Alienware M15 R4 - Intel Core i9-10980HK
7,013
Alienware M15 R4 - Intel Core i7-10870H
6,596
Alienware Area-51m - Intel Core i7-8700
5,810
Supports larger memory

Alienware Area-51m supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware M15 R4. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware M15 R4.

Max system memory size
Alienware Area-51m
64 GB
Alienware M15 R4
32 GB
Upgradable memory

Alienware Area-51m comes with four SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the Alienware M15 R4 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryAlienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
Slots
Onboard
x4
TypeDDR4DDR4 XMP
10% larger display

Alienware Area-51m has a 17.3-inch screen size 10% larger than the 15.6-inch Alienware M15 R4.

Display size
Alienware Area-51m
17.3-inch
Alienware M15 R4
15.6-inch

Prices

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

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
$1,740.00
See at Amazon
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
See at Amazon
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
$2,099.99
See at Amazon
Alienware Area-51m Price
Alienware Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3" 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS)
 Alienware Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3" 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS)
By Alienware
$2,299.99
See at Amazon
Dell Alienware Area-51m Elite Gaming Laptop Backpack, 17-Inch, Gray/Black (AWA51BPE17)
 Dell Alienware Area-51m Elite Gaming Laptop Backpack, 17-Inch, Gray/Black (AWA51BPE17)
By Dell
$118.92
$149.99 21% OFF
See at Amazon
Alienware m18 AMD Gaming Laptop - 18-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 480Hz 3ms Display, AMD Ryzen 9-7845HX, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GDDR6, 1-Year Premium Support - Dark Metallic Moon
 Alienware m18 AMD Gaming Laptop - 18-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 480Hz 3ms Display, AMD Ryzen 9-7845HX, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GDDR6, 1-Year Premium Support - Dark Metallic Moon
By Alienware
$2,840.07
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
Released20212019
Release Date
  • Announced on January 12, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available on January 26, 2021
  • Announced at CES 2019
  • Available on January 29, 2019
PricingStarting at $2,149.99Starting at $2,549.99
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
Dimensions
  • 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
15.85 x 12.565 x 1.09 - 1.23 in (402.6 x 319.14 x 27.65 - 31.2 mm)
  • Width: 15.85 in. (402.6 mm)
  • Depth: 12.565 in. (319.14 mm)
  • Height: 1.09 - 1.23 in. (27.65 - 31.2 mm)
WeightStarting at 4.65 lbs (2.10 kg) up to 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg)Maximum at 8.54 lbs. (3.87 Kg)
Colors
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light
  • Dark Side of the Moon
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 TactX keyboard with per-key RGB LED AlienFX lighting.
    • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology.
    • 2.2mm key travel, programmable macro keys, alphanumeric keys
  • Touchpad
    • 4.13 x 2.56 in (105 mm x 65 mm) All-points addressable (APA) trackpad.
    • AlienFX backlit.

Display

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
Size15.6 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 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
Full HD with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 127 PPI, 35ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% color gamut, 600:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare, 8W max power consumption.
Full HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 127 PPI, 19ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% color gamut, 600:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare, 8.5W max power consumption.
  • Tobii Eyetracking
  • Options:
    • Anti-Glare
    • Eyesafe® Display Tech
    • Eyesafe® Display Tech + NVIDIA G-SYNC
All options
  • Wide Viewing Angles on all displays with 85 degrees viewing from all directions

Ports

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
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
Alienware Area-51m Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Jack
  • 1 x RJ-45 Killer E3000 2.5Gbps Ethernet port
  • 2 x Type-A SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Port
  • 1 x Type-A SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Port with PowerShare technology
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 Port (USB Type-C™ with support for SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps, 40Gbps Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort)
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0 Output
  • 1 x Mini-Display Port 1.4 (certified) Output
  • 1 x Headphone / MIC (retaskable)
  • 1 x Global Headset Jack
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately)

Internal Specs

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
Processor
  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
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8700
    6 cores, 12 threads, 3.20 → 4.60 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 65W
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9700K
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.60 → 4.90 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 95W
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9900
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.10 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 65W
  4. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9900K
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.60 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 95W
Integrated Graphics
  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
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8700
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9700K
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9900
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  4. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9900K
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Memory
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
2933 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM
Onboard memory.
  • Memory Slots
    • 4-SODIMMs
  • Memory Configurations
    • 16GB, 2x8GB, DDR4, 2400MHz
    • 32GB, 2x16GB, DDR4, 2400MHz
    • 16GB, 2x8GB, DDR4 XMP 2933MHz
    • 64GB, 4x16GB, DDR4 2400MHz
    • 32GB, 2x16GB, DDR4 XMP 2933MHz
    • 64GB, 4x16GB, DDR4 XMP 2800MHz
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 6GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2080 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
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
  • Two M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 1TB each)
  • One SATA AHCI 6 Gbps (Up to 1TB)
Single Drive
  • 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
  • 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Dual Drives
  • 128GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB (+8GBSSHD) Hybrid
  • 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB (+8GBSSHD) Hybrid
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB (+8GBSSHD) Hybrid
  • 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB (+8GBSSHD) Hybrid
  • 116GB Intel OptaneSSD + 1TB (+8GBSSHD) Hybrid
RAID-0 Drives
  • 512GB RAID0 (2x 256GB PCIe M.2 SSDs)
  • 1TB RAID0 (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSDs)
  • 2TB RAID0 (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs)
  • 236GB RAID0 (2x 116GB Intel OptaneSSDs)
RAID-0 Plus Drives
  • 512GB RAID0 (2x 256GB PCIe M.2 SSDs) + 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
  • 1TB RAID0 (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSDs) + 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
  • 2TB RAID0 (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs) + 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
  • 236GB RAID0 (2x 116GB Intel OptaneSSDs) + 1TB (+8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive

Connectivity

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
Wi-Fi
  • 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.
  • Rivet Killer 1550
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 1733 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.
  • Rivet Killer WiFi 6 AX1650
    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 AX1650i › Bluetooth 5.1
  • Rivet Killer 1550 › Bluetooth 5.0
  • Rivet Killer AX1650 › Bluetooth 5.1
Ethernet
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3100X PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3000 PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
Size86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion with Alienware Battery Defender
  • 6-cell smart lithium-ion (90Wh)
Power Supply240W (19.50 VDC/12.31A)
  • 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 240W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 330W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)

Software

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
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
    Supports AlienFX lighting, Game
    Library with auto-tune game profile functionality.
  • Alienware Adrenalin
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)
  • Alienware Command Center
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)

Camera & Audio

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
CameraFront-facing camera
Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware HD (1280 x 720 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • 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
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3282-CG
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 4-Way Stereo Speaker Design
    • Output: 8-10W
  • Microphone:
    • Dual-array microphones in the camera assembly

Misc

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
Sensors
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
  • Tobii Eye Tracking (Optional)
Security
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
Warranty-1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis
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
  • Exterior Chassis Materials
    • Magnesium Alloy
  • Thermal
    • Cryo-Tech v2.0 Cooling Technology
    • Dual-Intake, Dual-Exhaust Airflow Design
    • High-Voltage Driving Fans
    • Load-balancing Heat Pipes
    • Copper Fin Stacks
    • Thermal Controls
    • Whisper-quiet operation

Key Features

Alienware M15 R4Alienware Area-51m
At Glance
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
Released in Early
2019
16:9 FHD
17.3”
1080p 144Hz
Weight
8.54 lb
3.87 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C/16T, 3.60 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,309
Single Core
Geekbench 5
8,543
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
2800 MHz DDR4 XMP
Alienware Area-51m Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080
8GB GDDR6

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