Alienware M15 R5 vs. Alienware Area-51m R2: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for Alienware M15 R5 and Alienware Area-51m R2 models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

Alienware M15 R5 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R5 is better than Alienware Area-51m R2.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

About 41% lighter

Alienware M15 R5 weighed 5.34 pounds, 41% lighter than the 9.04 pounds Alienware Area-51m R2.

WeightAlienware M15 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
Pound
5.34 lbs.
9.04 lbs.
Kilogram
2.42 kg
4.10 kg

Alienware Area-51m R2 Pros

Reasons that Alienware Area-51m R2 is better than Alienware M15 R5.

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-10900K inside Alienware Area-51m R2 has a 40% better multi-core CPU performance score than the AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX inside Alienware M15 R5.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware Area-51m R2 - Intel Core i9-10900K
10,800
Alienware M15 R5 - AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
7,663
Alienware M15 R5 - AMD Ryzen 7-5800H
7,098
Supports larger memory

Alienware Area-51m R2 supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware M15 R5. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware M15 R5.

Max system memory size
Alienware Area-51m R2
64 GB
Alienware M15 R5
32 GB
10% larger display

Alienware Area-51m R2 has a 17.3-inch screen size 10% larger than the 15.6-inch Alienware M15 R5.

Display size
Alienware Area-51m R2
17.3-inch
Alienware M15 R5
15.6-inch

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware M15 R5 and Alienware Area-51m R2.

Upgradable memory

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

MemoryAlienware M15 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
Slots
x2
x2
TypeDDR4DDR4 XMP

Prices

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

Alienware M15 R5 AMD Ryzen Price
Alienware M17R5 Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 480Hz Display, AMD Ryzen 9-6900HX, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GDDR6, Windows 11 Home, 1 Year Support - Dark Side of the Moon, Black
Alienware M17R5 Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 480Hz Display, AMD Ryzen 9-6900HX, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GDDR6, Windows 11 Home, 1 Year Support - Dark Side of the Moon, Black
By Alienware
$1,979.97
Dell Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition Gaming Laptop (2021) | 15.6" FHD | Core Ryzen 9-1TB SSD - 32GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 12 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 8GB GDDR6
Dell Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition Gaming Laptop (2021) | 15.6" FHD | Core Ryzen 9-1TB SSD - 32GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 12 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 8GB GDDR6
By Dell
$1,999.99
Dell Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition Gaming Laptop (2021) | 15.6" 360Hz FHD | Core Ryzen 7-512GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 4.4 GHz - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition Gaming Laptop (2021) | 15.6" 360Hz FHD | Core Ryzen 7-512GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 4.4 GHz - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,466.07
Alienware Area-51m R2 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
Alienware 2021 Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3-inch 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS) (Renewed)
Alienware 2021 Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3-inch 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS) (Renewed)
By Alienware
$3,999.00
Dell Alienware 51M R2 Gaming Laptop (Intel i7-10700 8-Core, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD, RTX 2070 Super, 17.3" Full HD (1920x1080), WiFi, Bluetooth, Webcam, 2xUSB 3.0, 1xHDMI, Win 10 Home) (Renewed)
Dell Alienware 51M R2 Gaming Laptop (Intel i7-10700 8-Core, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD, RTX 2070 Super, 17.3" Full HD (1920x1080), WiFi, Bluetooth, Webcam, 2xUSB 3.0, 1xHDMI, Win 10 Home) (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,483.98

Availability

Alienware M15 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
Released20212020
Release DateAnnounced on April 20, 2021Announced on June 22, 2020.
Pricing-$2,569.99
i7-10700 RTX 2060 16GB 256GB
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M15 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
Dimensions14.02” x 10.73” x 0.47 - 0.76” (356.20 x 272.50 x 12 - 19.25 mm)15.85 x 12.565 x 1.089 - 1.7 in (402.60 x 319.14 x 27.65 - 44 mm)
Weight5.34 - 5.93 lbs (2.42 - 2.69 kg)
  • 9.04 lb (4.10 Kg)
    Alienware Area-51m R2 with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.
  • 10.36 lb (4.70 Kg) 
    Alienware Area-51m R2 with other graphics cards.
ColorsDark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky Smooth Finish
Lunar Light Dark Side of the Moon
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware mSeries 4-Zone AlienFX RGB keyboard.
    • RGB per-key backlit Cherry mechanical keyboard.
    • AlienFX lighting
    • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology
    • 1.8mm key travel
    • 0.2mm-dish concave key design
  • Touchpad
    • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
  • Alienware mSeries Keyboard
    • Alienware TactX keyboard with per-key RGB LED AlienFX lighting.
    • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology.
    • 1.7mm key travel, programmable macro keys, alphanumeric keys.
  • Touchpad
    • 3.94 x 2.20 in (100 mm x 56 mm) All-points addressable (APA) trackpad.
    • AlienFX backlit.

Display

Alienware M15 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
Size15.6 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 15.6” FHD with 165Hz
    1920 x 1080 141 PPI 9ms 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 5ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 8W
  • 15.6” QHD with 240Hz
    2560 x 1440 188 PPI 9ms response time 400 nits 16:9 99% DCI-P3 color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 10W
  • 17.3” FHD 144Hz with Tobii
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 9ms response time 300 nits 16:9 72% NTSC 600:1 contrast ratio Anti-glare Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3” FHD 144Hz with NVIDIA-GSYNC
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 7ms response time 300 nits 16:9 72% NTSC NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology 600:1 contrast ratio Anti-glare WVA
  • 17.3” FHD 300Hz with Tobii
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 700:1 Anti-glare Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3” FHD 360Hz with Tobii & NVIDIA-GSYNC
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 5ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology 700:1 Anti-glare Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3” UHD 60Hz with Tobii
    3840 x 2160 255 PPI 25ms response time 500 nits 16:9 100% Adobe RGB 1 200:1 contrast ratio Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA

Ports

Alienware M15 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
Alienware M15 R5 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort
  • 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
Alienware Area-51m R2 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 
    supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 and DisplayPort 1.2
  • 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
  • 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 with Powershare.
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0
    Output with HDCP 2.2 Output Port (Supports direct-drive VR interfaces).
  • 1 x mini DisplayPort™ 1.4
    Output Port (supports NVIDIA® G-Sync™).
  • 1 x RJ-45
    Killer™ Ethernet E3000 2.5Gbps Port.
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
  • 2 x power adapter Ports
  • 1 x Global Headset Port
  • 1 x Audio Out 1/8" Port
    Compatible with inline mic headset.
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately)

Internal Specs

Alienware M15 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
Processor
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.20 → 4.40 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 65W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700K
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.80 → 5.10 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 125W
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900
    10 cores, 20 threads, 2.80 → 5.20 GHz, 20MB SmartCache, 65W
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K
    10 cores, 20 threads, 3.70 → 5.30 GHz, 20MB SmartCache, 125W
Integrated Graphics
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2000 MHz
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700K
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Memory
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
3200MHz Dual-channel DDR4 SDRAM.
2 x SO-DIMM slots.
  • Memory Slots
    • 2 x SoDIMM slots
  • Memory Configurations
    • 8 GB, 2 x 4 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 32 GB, 2 x 16 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 64 GB, 2 x 32 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 3200 MHz, dual-channel, Intel XMP
    • 32 GB, 2 x 16 GB, DDR4, 3200 MHz, dual-channel, Intel XMP
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti
    4GB GDDR6 VRAM.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060
    6GB GDDR6 VRAM.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
NVIDIA® GeForce®
  • GTX™ 1660 Ti - 6GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • RTX™ 2060 - 6GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • RTX 2070 SUPER™ - 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • RTX 2080 SUPER™ - 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
AMD® Radeon™
  • RX 5700M - 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
Storage2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)Available Slots
  • 2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 1TB each)
  • One SATA AHCI 6 Gbps (Up to 1TB)
Single Drive
256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB
NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD.
Dual Drives
  • 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
RAID-0 Drives
  • 512GB RAID 0 (2x 256GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
  • 1TB RAID 0 (2x 512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
  • 2TB RAID 0 (2x 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
  • 4TB RAID 0 (2x 2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
RAID-0 Plus Drives
  • 512GB (2x 256GB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive [Storage]
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive [Storage]
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID 0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB (2x 512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD) Non-Raid [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID 0 [Boot] + 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) Non-Raid [Storage]

Connectivity

Alienware M15 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
Wi-FiRivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x
Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Rivet Killer WiFi 6 AX1650i 
Up to 2212Mbps Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi-6 (802.11ax)
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.1
EthernetGigabit 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 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
Size
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
6-cell smart lithium-ion (90Wh)
Power Supply
180W 240W
power adapter.
  • 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 240W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 330W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)

Software

Alienware M15 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
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 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
CameraFront-facing camera
Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware HD (1280 x 720 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • 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
  • 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 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
Sensors-
  • Tobii Eye Tracking (Optional)
Security-
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
Warranty-1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis

Key Features

Alienware M15 R5Alienware Area-51m R2
At Glance
Released in Early
2021
16:9 QHD
15.6”
1440p 240Hz
Weight
5.34 lb
2.42 kg
Up to
AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
8C/16T, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,416
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,663
Multi-Core
With integrated
AMD Radeon™ Graphics
8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
3200 MHz DDR4
Alienware M15 R5 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3070
8GB GDDR6
Released in Mid
2020
16:9 FHD
17.3”
360Hz w/ Tobii
Weight
9.04 lb
4.10 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-10900K
10C/20T, 3.70 → 5.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,392
Single Core
Geekbench 5
10,800
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
3200 MHz DDR4 XMP
Alienware Area-51m R2 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080 SUPER
8GB GDDR6

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