Alienware M17 R3 vs. Alienware M17 R5: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for Alienware M17 R3 and Alienware M17 R5 models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Alienware M17 R3 image

Alienware M17 R3

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Alienware M17 R5 image

Alienware M17 R5

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Alienware M17 R3 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M17 R3 is better than Alienware M17 R5.

About 11% lighter

Alienware M17 R3 weighed 6.55 pounds, 11% lighter than the 7.3 pounds Alienware M17 R5.

WeightAlienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Pound
6.55 lbs.
7.3 lbs.
Kilogram
2.97 kg
3.31 kg

Alienware M17 R5 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M17 R5 is better than Alienware M17 R3.

Newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2020

Supports faster memory

Alienware M17 R5 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M17 R3. It supports up to 4800MHz versus 2666MHz of system memory on the Alienware M17 R3.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M17 R5 - DDR5
4,800 MHz
Alienware M17 R3 - DDR4
2,666 MHz
Upgradable memory

Alienware M17 R5 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 M17 R3 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryAlienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Slots
Onboard
x2
TypeDDR4DDR5

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware M17 R3 and Alienware M17 R5.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Alienware M17 R3
32 GB
Alienware M17 R5
32 GB

Prices

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

Alienware M17 R3 Price
Dell m17 R3 17.3 inch FHD Gaming Laptop (Luna Light) Intel Core i7-10750H 10th Gen, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, Nvidia Geforce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home
 Dell m17 R3 17.3 inch FHD Gaming Laptop (Luna Light) Intel Core i7-10750H 10th Gen, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, Nvidia Geforce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home
By Dell
$1,230.00
See at Amazon
2020 Dell Alienware m17 R3 Laptop 17.3" - Intel Core i7 10th Gen - i7-10750H - Six Core 5Ghz - 256GB SSD + 256GB SSD - 20GB RAM - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
 2020 Dell Alienware m17 R3 Laptop 17.3" - Intel Core i7 10th Gen - i7-10750H - Six Core 5Ghz - 256GB SSD + 256GB SSD - 20GB RAM - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,313.76
See at Amazon
2020 Dell Alienware m17 R3 Laptop 17.3" - Intel Core i7 10th Gen - i7-10750H - Six Core 5Ghz - 256GB SSD + 256GB SSD - 16GB RAM - Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
 2020 Dell Alienware m17 R3 Laptop 17.3" - Intel Core i7 10th Gen - i7-10750H - Six Core 5Ghz - 256GB SSD + 256GB SSD - 16GB RAM - Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,313.76
See at Amazon
Alienware M17 R5 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
See at Amazon
Dell Alienware m17 Ryzen Edition R5 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core Ryzen 7 - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | 8 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
 Dell Alienware m17 Ryzen Edition R5 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core Ryzen 7 - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | 8 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,059.99
See at Amazon
Dell Alienware m17 Ryzen Edition R5 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core Ryzen 9 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | Cores - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
 Dell Alienware m17 Ryzen Edition R5 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core Ryzen 9 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | Cores - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,090.99
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

Alienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Released20202022
Release Date
  • Available on May 2020
  • Announced on January 4, 2022 (CES 2022)
  • Available starting in Spring 2022.
PricingStarting at $1,549.99Starting at $1,599
Applicable Models-
  • Alienware m17 R5
  • Alienware m17 R5 AMD
  • 2022 Alienware m17
  • 2022 Alienware m17 AMD
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Dimensions15.74 x 11.59 x 0.89 in (399.80 x 294.30 x 22.50 mm)
  • Width: 15.74 in. (399.80 mm)
  • Depth: 11.59 in. (294.30 mm)
  • Height: 0.89 in. (22.50 mm)
15.64 x 11.76 x 0.5756 ~ 1.05 ~ 0.89 inches (397.3 x 298.71 x 14.62 ~ 26.7 ~ 22.6 mm)
WeightStarting at 6.55 lb (2.97 kg)7.3 lbs. (3.3 kg)
Colors
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
Dark Side of the Moon
With High Endurance Clear Coat.
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard
    • Type:
      • 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
    • 1.7 mm key travel and alphanumeric keys
    • 0.2 mm-dish concave key design
  • Touchpad
    • Size: 4.13” x 3.15” (105 mm x 80 mm)
    • Premium Precision-Point glass touchpad
Keyboard
  • Alienware M Series 1-Zone AlienFX keyboard
    • 1.8mm key travel
    • Includes Anti-ghosting technology
  • Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB keyboard
    • 1.8mm key travel
    • Includes N-key rollover 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 Premium Precision glass touchpad with integrated scrolling.
  • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
Chasis Information-Chassis Features
  • Based on Alienware's Legend 2.0 industrial design language
  • Engineered with Alienware Cryo-Tech™Cooling technology
  • Constructed with copper alloy thermal components
  • Vapor chamber cooling technology
    Only found in configurations using AMD Ryzen 9 processors and Radeon RX 6850M XT graphics.

Display

Alienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Size17.3 Inches17.3 Inches
InfoFull HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 9ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% NTSC  color gamut, 600:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare.
Full HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 9ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% NTSC color gamut with NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology, 600:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare.
Full HD with 300Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 141 PPI, 3ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 100% sRGB color gamut, 700:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare.
Ultra HD with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 3180 x 2160, 282 PPI, 25ms response time, 500 nits, 16:9, 100% sRGB color gamut, 1,200:1 contrast ratio, 12W max power consumption
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology
All options
  • Wide Viewing Angles on all displays with 85 degrees viewing from all directions
  • 17.3” FHD 165Hz
    1920 x 1080, 16:9, 127 PPI, 165Hz 3ms, 300 nits, 100% sRGB, AMD FreeSync, NVIDIA G-SYNC, Advanced Optimus, ComfortView Plus, Dolby Vision.
  • 17.3” FHD 360Hz
    1920 x 1080, 16:9, 127 PPI, 300Hz 1ms, 300 nits, 100% sRGB, AMD FreeSync, NVIDIA G-SYNC, Advanced Optimus, ComfortView Plus, Dolby Vision.
  • 17.3” UHD 120Hz
    3840 x 2160, 16:9, 255 PPI, 300Hz 3ms, 500 nits, 100% Adobe RGB, AMD FreeSync, AMD SmartAccess, ComfortView Plus, Dolby Vision.

Ports

Alienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Alienware M17 R3 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port
  • 1 x RJ-45 Killer™ Ethernet E3100 10/100/1000Mbps/2.5Gbps 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 with HDCP 2.2 Output Port
  • 1 x Mini-Display Port 1.4 (certified) Output Port
  • 1 x Audio Out 0.125" 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
Left
  • 1 x RJ-45
    2.5Gb Ethernet standard.
    1Gb Ethernet on models with RTX 3050 Ti.
  • 1 x Headset 
    3.5mm jack.
Right
  • 2 x USB-A 
    1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps).
    1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) with PowerShare.
Back
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 4 Gen 2 (40Gbps), 15W PD-out, DisplayPort 1.4 standard.
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), 15W PD-out, DisplayPort 1.4 on models with RTX 3050 Ti.
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps).
  • 1 x HDMI 2.1
    Supports up to 4K@120Hz display out.
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port

Internal Specs

Alienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Processor
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 4.50 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 5.00 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 6800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.20 → 4.70 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 9 6900HX
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.30 → 4.90 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 9 6980HX
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.30 → 5.00 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 6800H
    AMD Radeon™ 680M Graphics
    12 Graphics Cores, 2200 MHz
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 9 6900HX
    AMD Radeon™ 680M Graphics
    12 Graphics Cores, 2400 MHz
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 9 6980HX
    AMD Radeon™ 680M Graphics
    12 Graphics Cores, 2400 MHz
Memory
  • 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
    • 2666 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
    • Soldered-on.
  • 8GB 16GB 32GB
    Dual Channel DDR5 4800MHz
Memory Slots
  • 2 x DDR5 SODIMM slots.
Memory Configurations
  • Speed: 4800MHz
  • Memory Type: Dual-channel DDR5
  • Minimum Memory: 16 GB
  • Maximum Memory: 32 GB
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1650 Ti (4GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1660 Ti (6GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 (6GB GDDR6) OC Ready
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 (8GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 SUPER (8GB GDDR6)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2080 SUPER (8GB GDDR6) with Max-Q Design
  • AMD RX5500M (4GB GDDR6)
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™
  • 3050 Ti - 4GB GDDR6
    TGP: 80W, Dynamic Boost: 10W, Max Power: 90W, Speed: 1462.5 → 1695 MHz.
  • 3060 - 6GB GDDR6
    TGP: 115W, Dynamic Boost: 25W, Max Power: 130W, Speed: 1387 → 1702 MHz.
AMD Radeon™ RX
  • 6700M - 10GB GDDR6
    Max Power with AMD SmartShift MAX: 135W.
  • 6850M - 12GB GDDR6
    Max Power with AMD SmartShift MAX: 175W.
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]
  • Storage slots: 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe slots
Single Storage Configuration
  • 256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB
    PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Dual Storage Configuration
  • 512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB
    RAID-0 (2 x PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD)

Connectivity

Alienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Wi-Fi
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 2400 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
  • Mediatek Wi-Fi 6 MT7921
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz , WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
  • Qualcomm Wi-Fi 6E WCN6856
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz , WiFi 6E 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
Bluetooth
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 › Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth 5.2
Ethernet
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3000 PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
  • Realtek RTL8111H-CG Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000 Mbps
  • Realtek RTL8125BGS 2.5Gb ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

Alienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Size
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion
64Wh 97Wh
Power Supply
  • 130W (19.50 VDC/6.70A)
  • 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 240W (19.50 VDC/12.31A)
  • 330W (19.50 VDC/16.92A)
180 240W
Barrel type power adapter.

Software

Alienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Windows 11
Home Pro
Built-in Apps
  • Alienware Command Center
  • Alienware Adrenalin
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)
Alienware Command Center
  • Dashboard navigates all features, including themes, system performance, and overclocking
  • Game Library to manage titles from multiple services
  • FX supports full RBG values up to 16.8 million colors
  • Power Management adjusts power plans with a game
  • Overclocking controls system performance and overclocking profiles
  • Sound Center dials in the perfect sound by managing sound profiles, audio effects, and Audio Recon

Camera & Audio

Alienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Optional Windows Hello IR support.
Audio
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3281-CG
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 2-Way Stereo Speaker Design
    • Output: 4-5W
  • Microphone:
    • Digital-array microphones in the camera assembly
  • Dolby Atmos-certified audio.
    • 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 M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
Sensors
  • Tobii Eye Tracking (Optional)
Optional Windows Hello IR Camera
Security
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
Windows Hello IR camera for Facial Biometrics
MoreCHASIS
  • AlienFX Lighting Zones
    • Programmable with up to 16.8 million distinct colors
  • Exterior Chassis Materials
    • Magnesium Alloy exterior shell
    • Copper Alloy thermal structures
  • Customized Features
    • AlienFX Lighting Detail
    • Programmable with up to 16.8 million distinct colors
    • Alienware Command Center
    • AlienFX Lighting Technology
    • Game Library with auto-tune game profile functionality
    • Fusion (Includes support for Overclock, Thermal, Power, Audio, and Audio Recon profiles)
  • Thermal
    • Cryo-Tech Cooling Technology
    • Dual-Intake, Dual-Exhaust Airflow Design
    • High-Voltage Driving Fans
    • Load-balancing Heat Pipes
    • Dense Copper Fin Stacks
-

Key Features

Alienware M17 R3Alienware M17 R5
At Glance
Released in Mid
2020
16:9 FHD
17.3”
1080p 300Hz
Weight
6.55 lb
2.97 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
2666 MHz DDR4
Alienware M17 R3 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080 SUPER
8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q
Released in Early
2022
16:9 4K UHD
17.3”
2160p 120Hz
Weight
7.3 lb
3.31 kg
Up to
AMD Ryzen 9-6980HX
8C/16T, 3.30 → 5.00 GHz
With integrated
AMD Radeon™ 680M Graphics
12 Graphics Cores, 2400 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
4800 MHz DDR5
AMD Radeon
RX 6850M
12GB GDDR6 SmartShift up to 175W

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