Alienware M17 R5 vs. Alienware M17 R2: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware M17 R5 and Alienware M17 R2 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware M17 R5 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M17 R5 is better than Alienware M17 R2.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2019

Supports larger memory

Alienware M17 R5 supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware M17 R2. It supports up to 32GB versus 16GB of system memory on the Alienware M17 R2.

Max system memory size
Alienware M17 R5
32 GB
Alienware M17 R2
16 GB
Supports faster memory

Alienware M17 R5 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M17 R2. It supports up to 4800MHz versus 2666MHz of system memory on the Alienware M17 R2.

Memory type and speed
Alienware M17 R5 - DDR5
4,800 MHz
Alienware M17 R2 - 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 R2 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryAlienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR5DDR4

Alienware M17 R2 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M17 R2 is better than Alienware M17 R5.

About 21% lighter

Alienware M17 R2 weighed 5.80 pounds, 21% lighter than the 7.3 pounds Alienware M17 R5.

WeightAlienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
Pound
7.3 lbs.
5.80 lbs.
Kilogram
3.31 kg
2.63 kg

Prices

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

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
$1,839.97
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
Dell Alienware m17 Ryzen Edition R5 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core Ryzen 7 - 1TB 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 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | 8 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,008.99
Alienware M17 R2 Price
2019 Dell Alienware m17 R2 Laptop 17.3" - Intel Core i7 9th Gen - i7-9750H - Six Core 4.5Ghz - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
2019 Dell Alienware m17 R2 Laptop 17.3" - Intel Core i7 9th Gen - i7-9750H - Six Core 4.5Ghz - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,631.94
Alienware X17 R2 VR Ready Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C, Windows 11 Home - White
Alienware X17 R2 VR Ready Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 360Hz 1ms Display, Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C, Windows 11 Home - White
By Alienware
$1,859.99
$2,149.97 13% OFF
Alienware M18 Gaming Laptop QHD+ Display, Intel Core i7-13700HX, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 1 TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8 GB GDDR6, Windows 11 Home, 1 Year Premium Support, Dark Metallic Moon.
Alienware M18 Gaming Laptop QHD+ Display, Intel Core i7-13700HX, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 1 TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8 GB GDDR6, Windows 11 Home, 1 Year Premium Support, Dark Metallic Moon.
By Alienware
$2,329.95

Availability

Alienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
Released20222019
Release Date
  • Announced on January 4, 2022 (CES 2022)
  • Available starting in Spring 2022.
  • Announced at Computex 2019
  • Available on June 11, 2019
PricingStarting at $1,599Starting at $1,499.99
Applicable Models
  • Alienware m17 R5
  • Alienware m17 R5 AMD
  • 2022 Alienware m17
  • 2022 Alienware m17 AMD
-
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
Dimensions15.64 x 11.76 x 0.5756 ~ 1.05 ~ 0.89 inches (397.3 x 298.71 x 14.62 ~ 26.7 ~ 22.6 mm)15.74 x 11.59 x 0.73 - 0.77 in (399.80 x 294.30 x 18.60 - 19.50 mm)
  • Width: 15.74 in. (399.80 mm)
  • Depth: 11.59 in. (294.30 mm)
  • Height: 0.73 - 0.77 in. (18.60 - 19.50 mm)
Weight7.3 lbs. (3.3 kg)Starting at 5.80 lb (2.63 kg)
Colors
Dark Side of the Moon
With High Endurance Clear Coat.
  • Lunar Light
  • Dark Side of the Moon
Keyboard and TrackpadKeyboard
  • 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.
  • 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
Chasis InformationChassis 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 R5Alienware M17 R2
Size17.3 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 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.
Full HD with 60Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 127 PPI, 25ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% NTSC color gamut, 700:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare, 8W max power consumption.
Full HD with 144Hz refresh rate
  • 1920 x 1080, 127 PPI, 9ms response time, 300 nits, 16:9, 72% NTSC color gamut, 800:1 contrast ratio, Anti-glare, 8.5W max power consumption.
  • Eyesafe® Display Tech + Tobii Eyetracking
All options
  • Wide Viewing Angles on all displays with 85 degrees viewing from all directions

Ports

Alienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
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
Alienware M17 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 M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
Processor
  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
  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. 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
  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
  • 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
  • 8 GB 16 GB
    2666 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
    Onboard memory.
Discrete GraphicsNVIDIA® 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.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1650 (4GB GDDR5)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 1660 Ti (6GB GDDR6)
  • 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
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)
Single Storage Configurations
  • 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512GB Intel Optane M.2 SSD
  • 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Dual Storage Configurations
  • 512GB RAID0 (2x 256GB PCIe M.2 SSDs)
  • 1TB RAID0 (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSDs)
  • 512GB Intel Optane M2 SSD + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 2TB RAID0 (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs)
  • 4TB RAID0 (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSDs)

Connectivity

Alienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
Wi-Fi
  • 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.
  • Intel® Dual-Band Wireless AC 8265
    • Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 867 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.
  • Rivet Killer WiFi 6 AX1650w
    • Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 2400 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2
  • Intel® Dual-Band Wireless AC 8265
    • Bluetooth 4.2
  • Rivet Killer 1650w
    • Bluetooth 5
Ethernet
  • 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
  • Killer E2600 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
    • 10/100/1000 Mbps
  • Killer E3000 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
    • 10/100/1000/25000 Mbps

Battery

Alienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
Size
64Wh 97Wh
6-cell lithium-ion polymer (76Wh)
Power Supply
180 240W
Barrel type 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 M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
OSWindows 11
Home Pro
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Built-in AppsAlienware 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
  • Alienware Command Center
  • Alienware Adrenalin
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)

Camera & Audio

Alienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
Camera
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Optional Windows Hello IR support.
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • 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
  • Audio
    • Realtek ALC3281-CG controller
    • 2.0 Speaker configuration
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Microphone
    • Dual-array microphones in the camera assembly

Misc

Alienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
SensorsOptional Windows Hello IR Camera
  • Tobii Eye Tracking (Optional)
SecurityWindows Hello IR camera for Facial Biometrics
  • 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
  • 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 v3.0 Cooling Technology
    • Dual-Intake, Dual-Exhaust Airflow Design
    • High-Voltage Driving Fans
    • Load-balancing Heat Pipes
    • Dense Copper Fin Stacks
    • Dynamics Thermal Controls

Key Features

Alienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2
At Glance
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
Released in Mid
2019
16:9 FHD
17.3”
1080p 144Hz
Weight
5.80 lb
2.63 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 M17 R2 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080
8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q

Comparison Summary

Alienware M17 R5 vs. Alienware M17 R2

Dell has released the Alienware M17 R5, a 17.3-inch machine, in early-2022. It is powered by up to an octa-core AMD Ryzen 9-6980HX with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to AMD Radeon RX 6850M with 12GB GDDR6 SmartShift up to 175W.

On the other hand, we have the 17.3-inch Alienware M17 R2 was introduced by Dell about three 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 with 8GB GDDR6 with Max-Q.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware M17 R51
AMD Ryzen™ 7 6800H1,45096.67%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 9 6900HX1,500100.00%
Alienware M17 R21
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9300H94863.20%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H1,04469.60%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H1,06671.07%
4
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK1,11474.27%
01,500

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware M17 R51
AMD Ryzen™ 7 6800H8,54896.30%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 9 6900HX8,876100.00%
Alienware M17 R21
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9300H3,30837.27%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H4,88054.98%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H6,10068.72%
4
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK6,50473.28%
08,876

Both Alienware M17 R5 and Alienware M17 R2 have the same 17.3-inch display size. In addition, the Alienware M17 R5 weighs 7.3 lbs. about 25% heavier than the 5.80 lbs. Alienware M17 R2. Moreover, measured at 15.64” x 11.76” x 1.05”, the Alienware M17 R5 is much bulkier than the Alienware M17 R2 at 15.74” x 11.59” x 0.77”.

Alienware M17 R5Alienware M17 R2

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware M17 R5 supports up to 32GB 4800 MHz DDR5 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 M17 R2, it supports up to 16GB 2666 MHz DDR4 memory. Unlike Alienware M17 R5, 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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