Alienware M15 R6 vs. Alienware M15 R4: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware M15 R6 and Alienware M15 R4 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware M15 R6 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R6 is better than Alienware M15 R4.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-11900H inside Alienware M15 R6 has a 15% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-10980HK inside Alienware M15 R4.

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 R4 - Intel Core i9-10980HK
7,013
Alienware M15 R4 - Intel Core i7-10870H
6,596
Alienware M15 R6 - Intel Core i5-11400H
5,592
Supports larger memory

Alienware M15 R6 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 M15 R6
64 GB
Alienware M15 R4
32 GB
Supports faster memory

Alienware M15 R6 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M15 R4. It supports up to 3466MHz versus 2933MHz of system memory on the Alienware M15 R4.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M15 R6 - DDR4 XMP
3,466 MHz
Alienware M15 R4 - DDR4
2,933 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 R4 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryAlienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R4
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR4 XMPDDR4

Alienware M15 R4 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R4 is better than Alienware M15 R6.

About 22% lighter

Alienware M15 R4 weighed 4.65 pounds, 22% lighter than the 5.93 pounds Alienware M15 R6.

WeightAlienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R4
Pound
5.93 lbs.
4.65 lbs.
Kilogram
2.69 kg
2.11 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 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 R6Alienware M15 R4
Released20212021
Release DateAnnounced on May 11, 2021
  • Announced on January 12, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available on January 26, 2021
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
Starting at $2,149.99
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R4
Dimensions14.02” x 10.73” x 0.51 - 0.76” (356.20 x 272.50 x 12.9 - 19.25 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
Weight5.93 lbs (2.69 kg)Starting at 4.65 lbs (2.10 kg) up to 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg)
Colors
Dark Moon
Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky Smooth Finish
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
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.
  • 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 R6Alienware M15 R4
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
  • 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 R6Alienware M15 R4
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 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 R6Alienware M15 R4
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. 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. 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. 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
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 32 GB
2933 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM
Onboard memory.
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 RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
Storage2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)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 R6Alienware M15 R4
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
  • 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.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i › Bluetooth 5.1
EthernetKiller E2600 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000 Mbps
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3100X PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R4
Size
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion with Alienware Battery Defender
Power Supply
180W 240W
power adapter.
240W (19.50 VDC/12.31A)

Software

Alienware M15 R6Alienware 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
    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 R6Alienware M15 R4
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
  • 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 R6Alienware M15 R4
SensorsWindows Hello IR Camera
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
Security-
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
More-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 R6Alienware M15 R4
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 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 R6 vs. Alienware M15 R4

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 R4 was introduced by Dell around the same year 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 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 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H1,15979.06%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK1,22383.42%
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 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H6,59681.22%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK7,01386.36%
08,121

Both Alienware M15 R6 and Alienware M15 R4 have the same 15.6-inch display size. In addition, the Alienware M15 R6 weighs 5.93 lbs. about 27% heavier than the 4.65 lbs. Alienware M15 R4. Moreover, measured at 14.02” x 10.73” x 0.76”, the Alienware M15 R6 is slightly more portable than the Alienware M15 R4 at 14.19” x 10.87” x 0.78”.

Alienware M15 R6Alienware M15 R4

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 R4, it supports up to 32GB 2933 MHz DDR4 memory. Unlike Alienware M15 R6, 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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