Alienware M17 R4 vs. Alienware Area-51m R2: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for Alienware M17 R4 and Alienware Area-51m R2 models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Alienware M17 R4 image

Alienware M17 R4

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Alienware Area-51m R2 image

Alienware Area-51m R2

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Alienware M17 R4 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M17 R4 is better than Alienware Area-51m R2.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

About 40% lighter

Alienware M17 R4 weighed 5.51 pounds, 40% lighter than the 9.04 pounds Alienware Area-51m R2.

WeightAlienware M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
Pound
5.51 lbs.
9.04 lbs.
Kilogram
2.50 kg
4.10 kg

Alienware Area-51m R2 Pros

Reasons that Alienware Area-51m R2 is better than Alienware M17 R4.

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-10900K inside Alienware Area-51m R2 has a 53% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-10980HK inside Alienware M17 R4.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware Area-51m R2 - Intel Core i9-10900K
10,800
Alienware M17 R4 - Intel Core i9-10980HK
7,013
Alienware M17 R4 - Intel Core i7-10870H
6,596
Supports larger memory

Alienware Area-51m R2 supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware M17 R4. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware M17 R4.

Max system memory size
Alienware Area-51m R2
64 GB
Alienware M17 R4
32 GB
Supports faster memory

Alienware Area-51m R2 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M17 R4. It supports up to 3200MHz versus 2933MHz of system memory on the Alienware M17 R4.

Memory type and speed
Alienware Area-51m R2 - DDR4 XMP
3,200 MHz
Alienware M17 R4 - DDR4
2,933 MHz
Upgradable memory

Alienware Area-51m R2 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 R4 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryAlienware M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
Slots
Onboard
x2
TypeDDR4DDR4 XMP

Prices

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

Alienware M17 R4 Price
Alienware m17 R4, 17.3 inch FHD (Full HD) Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light
 Alienware m17 R4, 17.3 inch FHD (Full HD) Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light
By Alienware
$2,399.00
See at Amazon
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
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
$1,740.00
See at Amazon
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
See at Amazon
Dell Alienware 51M R2 Gaming Laptop (Intel i7-10700 8-Core, 64GB RAM, 7.6TB SATA SSD, RTX 2070 Super, 17.3" Full HD (1920x1080), WiFi, Bluetooth, Webcam, 2xUSB 3.0, 1xHDMI, Win 11 Pro) (Renewed)
 Dell Alienware 51M R2 Gaming Laptop (Intel i7-10700 8-Core, 64GB RAM, 7.6TB SATA SSD, RTX 2070 Super, 17.3" Full HD (1920x1080), WiFi, Bluetooth, Webcam, 2xUSB 3.0, 1xHDMI, Win 11 Pro) (Renewed)
By Dell
$3,437.99
See at Amazon
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
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

Alienware M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
Released20212020
Release Date
  • Announced on January 12, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available on January 26, 2021
Announced on June 22, 2020.
PricingStarting at $2,149.99$2,569.99
i7-10700 RTX 2060 16GB 256GB
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
Dimensions15.74” x 11.585” x 0.6618 - 0.87 - 0.8154” (399.8 mm x 294.26 mm x 16.9 - 22 - 20.71 mm)15.85 x 12.565 x 1.089 - 1.7 in (402.60 x 319.14 x 27.65 - 44 mm)
WeightStarting at 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg) up to 6.55 lbs (2.97 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.
Colors
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
Lunar Light Dark Side of the Moon
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • 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.
  • 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 M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
Size17.3 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 17.3” FHD with 144Hz 
    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 with 360Hz
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI tms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology 700:1 Anti-glare WVA
  • 17.3” UHD with 60Hz
    3840 x 2160 255 PPI 25ms response time 500 nits 16:9 100% Adobe RGB 1 200:1 contrast ratio 12W max Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 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 M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
Alienware M17 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 Ethernet 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
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 M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
Processor
  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
  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. 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
  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
2933 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
  • 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 GraphicsNVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3000 seriesNVIDIA® 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)
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]
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 M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
Wi-Fi
  • 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.
Rivet Killer WiFi 6 AX1650i 
Up to 2212Mbps Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi-6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i › Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth 5.1
Ethernet
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3100X PCI-e Gigabit 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 M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
Size86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion with Alienware Battery Defender6-cell smart lithium-ion (90Wh)
Power Supply
  • 240W power adapter
  • 330W power adapter
  • 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 240W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 330W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)

Software

Alienware M17 R4Alienware 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 M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
CameraFront-facing camera
Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware HD (1280 x 720 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • 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
  • 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 M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
Sensors
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
  • Tobii Eye Tracking (Optional)
Security
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • Trusted Protection Module
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
Warranty-1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis
MoreCHASIS
  • 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 M17 R4Alienware Area-51m R2
At Glance
Released in Early
2021
16:9 FHD
17.3”
1080p 360Hz
Weight
5.51 lb
2.50 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 M17 R4 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080
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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