Alienware M15 R5 vs. Alienware M15 R7: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware M15 R5 and Alienware M15 R7 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware M15 R5 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Alienware M15 R5 over Alienware M15 R7.

Alienware M15 R7 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R7 is better than Alienware M15 R5.

Newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2021

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-12700H inside Alienware M15 R7 has a 53% better multi-core CPU performance score than the AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX inside Alienware M15 R5.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware M15 R7 - Intel Core i7-12700H
11,774
Alienware M15 R5 - AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
7,663
Alienware M15 R5 - AMD Ryzen 7-5800H
7,098
Supports faster memory

Alienware M15 R7 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M15 R5. It supports up to 4800MHz versus 3200MHz of system memory on the Alienware M15 R5.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M15 R7 - DDR5
4,800 MHz
Alienware M15 R5 - DDR4
3,200 MHz

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware M15 R5 and Alienware M15 R7.

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 R5
32 GB
Alienware M15 R7
32 GB
Upgradable memory

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

MemoryAlienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7
Slots
x2
x2
TypeDDR4DDR5

Prices

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

Alienware M15 R5 AMD Ryzen Price
Alienware M15 R5 Gaming Laptop, 15.6 inch FHD 360Hz 1ms G-SYNC Display, AMD Ryzen R9 5900HX, GeForce RTX 3070, 64GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, Killer WiFi, RGB Keyboard, Windows 11, Dark Side of The Moon
Alienware M15 R5 Gaming Laptop, 15.6 inch FHD 360Hz 1ms G-SYNC Display, AMD Ryzen R9 5900HX, GeForce RTX 3070, 64GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, Killer WiFi, RGB Keyboard, Windows 11, Dark Side of The Moon
By Dell
$2,659.00
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
$2,584.00
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
$1,755.99
Alienware M15 R7 Price
Alienware m15 R7 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch QHD 240Hz 2ms Display, Intel Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB GDDR6, HDMI, USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home - Black
Alienware m15 R7 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch QHD 240Hz 2ms Display, Intel Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB GDDR6, HDMI, USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home - Black
By Alienware
$1,639.99
Alienware M15 R7 Gaming Laptop, 15.6 inch QHD 240Hz 2ms Display, AMD Ryzen R7 6800H, GeForce RTX 3070Ti, 64GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, RGB LED Lighting, Windows 11, Black
Alienware M15 R7 Gaming Laptop, 15.6 inch QHD 240Hz 2ms Display, AMD Ryzen R7 6800H, GeForce RTX 3070Ti, 64GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, RGB LED Lighting, Windows 11, Black
By Dell
$1,899.99
Dell Alienware m15 R7 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 15.6" QHD | Core i7 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware m15 R7 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 15.6" QHD | Core i7 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,141.99

Availability

Alienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7
Released20212022
Release DateAnnounced on April 20, 2021Announced on February 25, 2022.
Pricing-
  • $1,499.99
    i7-12700H 16GB 512GB RTX 3050 Ti FHD 165Hz
  • $1,699.99
    i7-12700H 16GB 512GB RTX 3060 FHD 165Hz
  • $2,049.99
    i7-12700H 16GB 512GB RTX 3070 Ti FHD 165Hz
  • $2,649.99
    i7-12700H 16GB 512GB RTX 3080 Ti FHD 165Hz
  • $2,699.99
    i7-12700H 16GB 512GB RTX 3080 Ti QHD 240Hz
  • $2,749.99
    i7-12700H 16GB 512GB RTX 3080 Ti FHD 360Hz
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7
Dimensions14.02” x 10.73” x 0.47 - 0.76” (356.20 x 272.50 x 12 - 19.25 mm)14.02” x 10.73” x 0.51 - 0.81” (356.20 x 272.50 x 12.9 - 20.60 mm)
Weight5.34 - 5.93 lbs (2.42 - 2.69 kg)5.34 ~ 5.93 lbs (2.42 ~ 2.69 kg)
ColorsDark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky Smooth Finish
Dark Moon
Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky Smooth Finish
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 1-Zone AlienFX RGB keyboard.
  • Alienware mSeries Per-Keyy AlienFX RGB keyboard.
  • Alienware's CherryMX ultra-low-profile mechanical laptop keyboard with per-key AlienFX lighting.
  • Touchpad
    • Multi-touch gesture touchpad with integrated scrolling.
    • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 60 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.

Display

Alienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7
Size15.6 Inches15.6 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
  • 15.6” FHD with 165Hz
    1920 x 1080 141 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync FreeSync 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 FreeSync 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 FreeSync Advanced Optimus 2ms response time 400 nits 16:9 99% DCI-P3 color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 8.55 W

Ports

Alienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7
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 M15 R7 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left
  • 1 x LAN Port
    RJ-45 2.5Gbps Ethernet.
  • 1 x Headset port
Right
  • 2 x USB-A
    1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps).
    1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) with PowerShare.
Rear
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4, and PD output 15W (5V/3A).
    Supports Thuderbolt™️ 4 on models with RTX 3060 and above.
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps).
  • 1 x HDMI 2.1
    Supports up to 4K@120Hz display out with HDCP 2.3 support.
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port
    Barrel-type plug.

Internal Specs

Alienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7
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. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.30 → 4.70 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
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. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1400 MHz
Memory
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
3200MHz Dual-channel DDR4 SDRAM.
2 x SO-DIMM slots.
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
4800 MHz Dual-channel DDR5 SDRAM.
2 x SO-DIMM slots.
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 RTX™ 3050 Ti - 4GB GDDR6
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 - 6GB GDDR6
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Ti - 8GB GDDR6
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 Ti - 16 GDDR6
Storage2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)

Connectivity

Alienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7
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
  • Intel AX201
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
  • Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675i
    Triple Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz/6 GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.2
EthernetGigabit Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
  • Realtek RTL8111H-CG PCI-e 2.5 Gigabit ethernet controller
    Models with RTX 3050 Ti.
  • Killer E3100 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
    Models with RTX 3060 and above.

Battery

Alienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7
Size
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
Power Supply
180W 240W
power adapter.
180W 240W
power adapter.

Software

Alienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Windows 11
Home Pro
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
    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 R5Alienware M15 R7
CameraFront-facing camera
Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Optional Windows Hello IR support.
    Available only on models with FHD 360Hz or QHD display
    Not available on FHD 165Hz display.
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 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 R5Alienware M15 R7
Sensors-Windows Hello IR Camera
Warranty-1 Year Premium Support

Key Features

Alienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7
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 Early
2022
16:9 QHD
15.6”
1440p 240Hz
Weight
5.34 lb
2.42 kg
Powered By
Intel Core i7-12700H
14C/20T, 2.30 → 4.70 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,658
Single Core
Geekbench 5
11,774
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1400 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
4800 MHz DDR5
Alienware M15 R7 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080Ti
16GB GDDR6
Starting at
$1500
i7-12700H, 16GB, 512GB, FHD 165Hz
Featuring
Alienware Cryo-tech™
Cooling System
Legendary Design with
AlienFX Lighting for Logo & Rear Stadium
Customization via Alienware Command Center.
Optional
Per-Key AlienFX RGB
Keyboard
Optional Ultra low-profile
CherryMX Mechanical
With Per-Key AlienFX RGB Keyboard

Comparison Summary

Alienware M15 R5 vs. Alienware M15 R7

Dell has released the Alienware M15 R5, a 15.6-inch machine, in early-2021. It is powered by up to an octa-core AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX with a boost clock speed up to 4.60 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 with 8GB GDDR6.

On the other hand, we have the 15.6-inch Alienware M15 R7 was introduced by Dell about a year later in early-2022. It comes with 14-core Intel Core i7-12700H with a boost clock speed up to 4.70 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti with 16GB GDDR6.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware M15 R51
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H1,33480.46%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX1,41685.40%
Alienware M15 R71
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H1,658100.00%
01,658

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware M15 R51
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H7,09860.29%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX7,66365.08%
Alienware M15 R71
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H11,774100.00%
011,774

Both Alienware M15 R5 and Alienware M15 R7 have the same 15.6-inch display size. In addition, they both have the same weight at 5.34 lbs. Moreover, measured at 14.02” x 10.73” x 0.76”, the Alienware M15 R5 is slightly more portable than the Alienware M15 R7 at 14.02” x 10.73” x 0.81”.

Alienware M15 R5Alienware M15 R7

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware M15 R5 supports up to 32GB 3200 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.

For Alienware M15 R7, it supports up to 32GB 4800 MHz DDR5 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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