Alienware M15 R6 vs. Alienware M15 R2: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware M15 R6 and Alienware M15 R2 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware M15 R6 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R6 is better than Alienware M15 R2.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2019

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-11900H inside Alienware M15 R6 has a 24% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-9980HK inside Alienware M15 R2.

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 R2 - Intel Core i9-9980HK
6,504
Alienware M15 R2 - Intel Core i9-9880H
6,100
Alienware M15 R6 - Intel Core i5-11400H
5,592
Alienware M15 R2 - Intel Core i7-9750H
4,880
Alienware M15 R2 - Intel Core i5-9300H
3,308
Supports larger memory

Alienware M15 R6 supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware M15 R2. It supports up to 64GB versus 16GB of system memory on the Alienware M15 R2.

Max system memory size
Alienware M15 R6
64 GB
Alienware M15 R2
16 GB
Supports faster memory

Alienware M15 R6 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M15 R2. It supports up to 3466MHz versus 2666MHz of system memory on the Alienware M15 R2.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M15 R6 - DDR4 XMP
3,466 MHz
Alienware M15 R2 - DDR4
2,666 MHz
Upgradable memory

Alienware M15 R6 comes with two SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the Alienware M15 R2 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryAlienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR4 XMPDDR4

Alienware M15 R2 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R2 is better than Alienware M15 R6.

About 20% lighter

Alienware M15 R2 weighed 4.76 pounds, 20% lighter than the 5.93 pounds Alienware M15 R6.

WeightAlienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2
Pound
5.93 lbs.
4.76 lbs.
Kilogram
2.69 kg
2.16 kg

Prices

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

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
Alienware M15 R2 Price
2019 Dell Alienware m15 R2 Laptop 15.6" - Intel Core i7 9th Gen - i7-9750H - Six Core 4.5Ghz - 1TB SSD + 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
2019 Dell Alienware m15 R2 Laptop 15.6" - Intel Core i7 9th Gen - i7-9750H - Six Core 4.5Ghz - 1TB SSD + 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,006.99
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, WiFi 6, Bluetooth, Windows 11 Home - White
Alienware X15 R2 Gaming Laptop - 15.6-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, WiFi 6, Bluetooth, Windows 11 Home - White
By Alienware
$1,916.69
Dell Alienware m15 R2 Gaming Laptop (2019) | 15.6" FHD | Core i7-256GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM | 6 Cores @ 4.5 GHz Win 10 Home
Dell Alienware m15 R2 Gaming Laptop (2019) | 15.6" FHD | Core i7-256GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM | 6 Cores @ 4.5 GHz Win 10 Home
By Dell
$2,581.77

Availability

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2
Released20212019
Release DateAnnounced on May 11, 2021
  • Announced at Computex 2019
  • Available on June 11, 2019
Pricing
  • $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 R6Alienware M15 R2
Dimensions14.02” x 10.73” x 0.51 - 0.76” (356.20 x 272.50 x 12.9 - 19.25 mm)Base
Width: 14.19 in. (360.50 mm)
Depth: 10.87 in. (276 mm)
Height: 0.70 - 0.77 in. (17.90 - 19.50 mm)
With Tobii Eye Tracking
Width: 14.19 in. (360.50 mm)
Depth: 10.87 in. (276 mm)
Height: 0.720 - 0.807 in. (18.30 - 20.50 mm)
Weight5.93 lbs (2.69 kg)Average at 4.76 lbs (2.16 kg)
Colors
Dark Moon
Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky Smooth Finish
  • Dar Side of the moon
  • Lunar Light
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • 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.
  • 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 R6Alienware M15 R2
Size15.6 Inches15.6 Inches
Info
  • 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
Full 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, OLED, 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

Ports

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2
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
Alienware M15 R2 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port
  • 1 x RJ-45 Ethernet 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 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)

Internal Specs

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2
Processor
  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
  1. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9300H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.40 → 4.10 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.50 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.80 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  4. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  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
  1. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9300H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  4. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Memory
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
  • 8 GB 16 GB
    2666 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
Discrete Graphics
  • 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
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1650 (4GB GDDR5)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1650 Ti (6GB GDDR5)
  • 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
Storage2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)Single 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
  • 2 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Dual Storage Configurations
  • 512 GB RAID0 (2 x 256 GB PCIe M.2 SSDs)
  • 1 TB RAID0 (2 x 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSDs)
  • 512 GB Intel Optane M.2 SSD + 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 2 TB RAID0 (2 x 1 TB PCIe M.2 SSDs)
  • 4 TB RAID0 (2 x 2 TB PCIe M.2 SSDs)

Connectivity

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2
Wi-FiRivet 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
  • Intel 8265, Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 867 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.
  • Rivet killer 1650w, Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 2400 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2
  • Intel 8265 › Bluetooth 4.2
  • Rivet Killer 1650w › Bluetooth 5.0
EthernetKiller E2600 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000 Mbps
  • Killer E2600 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
  • Killer E3000 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (Optional)

Battery

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2
Size
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
6-cell lithium-ion polymer (76Wh) with Alienware Battery Defender technology
Battery Life-
  • Up to 15.5 hours on FHD panel
  • Up to 10.8 hours on UHD panel
Power Supply
180W 240W
power adapter.
  • E4 130W (19.50 VDC/6.70A)
  • E4 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • E4 240W (19.50 VDC/12.31A)
* Support Hybrid Power

Software

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 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 Adrenlin
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)

Camera & Audio

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2
Camera
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Optional Windows Hello IR support.
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware FHD (1920x1080 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
  • Realtek ALC3281-CG
  • 2.0 Speaker configuration
  • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
  • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Microphone:
    • Digital-array microphones in the camera assembly

Misc

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2
SensorsWindows Hello IR Camera
  • Tobii Eye Tracking (Optional)
Security-
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
More-CHASIS
  • AlienFX Lighting Zones Programmable with up to 16.8 million distinct colors
  • Exterior Chassis Materials
    • Magnesium Alloy exterior shell
    • Copper Alloy thermal structures

Key Features

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2
At Glance
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
Released in Mid
2019
16:9 FHD
15.6”
1080p 240Hz
Weight
4.76 lb
2.16 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-9980HK
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,114
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,504
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
2666 MHz DDR4
Alienware M15 R2 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080 SUPER
8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q

Comparison Summary

Alienware M15 R6 vs. Alienware M15 R2

Dell has released the Alienware M15 R6, a 15.6-inch machine, in mid-2021. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-11900H with a boost clock speed up to 4.90 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 8GB GDDR6 115W TGP.

On the other hand, we have the 15.6-inch Alienware M15 R2 was introduced by Dell about two years earlier in mid-2019. It comes with up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-9980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER with 8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

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%
Alienware M15 R21
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9300H94864.67%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H1,04471.21%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H1,06672.71%
4
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK1,11475.99%
01,466

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

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%
Alienware M15 R21
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9300H3,30840.73%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H4,88060.09%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H6,10075.11%
4
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK6,50480.09%
08,121

Both Alienware M15 R6 and Alienware M15 R2 have the same 15.6-inch display size. In addition, the Alienware M15 R6 weighs 5.93 lbs. about 24% heavier than the 4.76 lbs. Alienware M15 R2. Moreover, measured at 14.02” x 10.73” x 0.76”, the Alienware M15 R6 is slightly more portable than the Alienware M15 R2 at 14.19” x 10.87” x 0.77”.

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R2

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware M15 R6 supports up to 64GB 3466 MHz DDR4 XMP 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 R2, it supports up to 16GB 2666 MHz DDR4 memory. Unlike Alienware M15 R6, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it 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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