Alienware X14 R1 vs. Alienware M15 R5: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware X14 R1 and Alienware M15 R5 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware X14 R1 Pros

Reasons that Alienware X14 R1 is better than Alienware M15 R5.

Newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2021

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-12900H inside Alienware X14 R1 has a 56% better multi-core CPU performance score than the AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX inside Alienware M15 R5.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware X14 R1 - Intel Core i9-12900H
12,027
Alienware X14 R1 - Intel Core i7-12700H
11,774
Alienware M15 R5 - AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
7,663
Alienware M15 R5 - AMD Ryzen 7-5800H
7,098
Supports faster memory

Alienware X14 R1 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M15 R5. It supports up to 5200MHz versus 3200MHz of system memory on the Alienware M15 R5.

Memory type and speed
Alienware X14 R1 - LPDDR5
5,200 MHz
Alienware M15 R5 - DDR4
3,200 MHz
About 26% lighter

Alienware X14 R1 weighed 3.96 pounds, 26% lighter than the 5.34 pounds Alienware M15 R5.

WeightAlienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
Pound
3.96 lbs.
5.34 lbs.
Kilogram
1.80 kg
2.42 kg

Alienware M15 R5 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M15 R5 is better than Alienware X14 R1.

Upgradable memory

Alienware M15 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 X14 R1 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryAlienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
Slots
Onboard
x2
TypeLPDDR5DDR4
11% larger display

Alienware M15 R5 has a 15.6-inch screen size 11% larger than the 14-inch Alienware X14 R1.

Display size
Alienware M15 R5
15.6-inch
Alienware X14 R1
14-inch

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware X14 R1 and Alienware M15 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 X14 R1
32 GB
Alienware M15 R5
32 GB

Prices

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

Alienware X14 Price
Dell Alienware X14 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 14" FHD | Core i7 - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | 14 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X14 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 14" FHD | Core i7 - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | 14 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,090.38
Alienware X14 R1 Laptop i7-12700H 16G 512G RTX 3060 14" FHD 144Hz
Alienware X14 R1 Laptop i7-12700H 16G 512G RTX 3060 14" FHD 144Hz
By Alienware
$1,349.00
$1,549.14 13% OFF
Dell Alienware X14 R2 Gaming Laptop (2023) | 14" QHD+ | Core i7-4TB SSD - 32GB RAM | 10 Cores @ 4.9 GHz - 13th Gen CPU Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X14 R2 Gaming Laptop (2023) | 14" QHD+ | Core i7-4TB SSD - 32GB RAM | 10 Cores @ 4.9 GHz - 13th Gen CPU Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,437.97
Alienware M15 R5 AMD Ryzen Price
Alienware M15 R5 Gaming Laptop, 15.6 inch FHD 360Hz 1ms G-SYNC Display, AMD Ryzen R9 5900HX, GeForce RTX 3070, 64GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, Killer WiFi, RGB Keyboard, Windows 11, Dark Side of The Moon
Alienware M15 R5 Gaming Laptop, 15.6 inch FHD 360Hz 1ms G-SYNC Display, AMD Ryzen R9 5900HX, GeForce RTX 3070, 64GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, Killer WiFi, RGB Keyboard, Windows 11, Dark Side of The Moon
By Dell
$2,659.00
Dell Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition Gaming Laptop (2021) | 15.6" FHD | Core Ryzen 9-1TB SSD - 32GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 12 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 8GB GDDR6
Dell Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition Gaming Laptop (2021) | 15.6" FHD | Core Ryzen 9-1TB SSD - 32GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 12 Cores @ 4.7 GHz - 8GB GDDR6
By Dell
$2,584.00
Dell Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition Gaming Laptop (2021) | 15.6" 360Hz FHD | Core Ryzen 7-512GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 4.4 GHz - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition Gaming Laptop (2021) | 15.6" 360Hz FHD | Core Ryzen 7-512GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 4.4 GHz - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,755.99

Availability

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
Released20222021
Release Date
  • Announced on January 4, 2022 (CES 2022)
  • Available starting in Winter 2022.
Announced on April 20, 2021
PricingStarting at $1,799-
Applicable Models
  • Alienware x14 Gaming Laptop
  • Alienware x14 R1 Gaming Laptop
  • Alienware x14 (2022) Gaming Laptop
  • Alienware x14 with 12th Gen Intel-H45 Series processors
  • Alienware x14 with RTX 3000-Series
-
Generations

Exterior

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
Dimensions12.66 x 10.345 x 0.57 inches (321.5 x 262.77 x 14.5)14.02” x 10.73” x 0.47 - 0.76” (356.20 x 272.50 x 12 - 19.25 mm)
Weight3.96 ~ 4.06 lbs. (1.798 ~ 1.841 kg)5.34 - 5.93 lbs (2.42 - 2.69 kg)
Colors
Lunar light
Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky Smooth Finish
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware X-Series thin keyboard
    • 1-Zone AlienFX lighting
    • Anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology.
    • 1.5mm key travel.
  • Touchpad
    • Multi-touch gesture Premium Precision glass touchpad with integrated scrolling.
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware mSeries 4-Zone AlienFX RGB keyboard.
    • RGB per-key backlit Cherry mechanical keyboard.
    • AlienFX lighting
    • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology
    • 1.8mm key travel
    • 0.2mm-dish concave key design
  • Touchpad
    • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.

Display

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
Size14 Inches15.6 Inches
Info14” FHD 144Hz
1920 x 1080, 16:9, 144Hz, 400-nits, 100% DCI-P3, Dolby Vision, 7ms response time, NVIDIA G-Sync, Advanced Optimus.
  • 15.6” FHD with 165Hz
    1920 x 1080 141 PPI 9ms 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 5ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 8W
  • 15.6” QHD with 240Hz
    2560 x 1440 188 PPI 9ms response time 400 nits 16:9 99% DCI-P3 color gamut 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 10W

Ports

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
Alienware X14 R1 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Back (7)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.1, HDCP 2.3 support with NVIDIA GeForce graphics
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
    v5.2, UHS-II
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4
Alienware M15 R5 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort
  • 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

Internal Specs

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
Processor
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.30 → 4.70 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900H
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.50 → 5.00 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.20 → 4.40 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1400 MHz
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1450 MHz
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2000 MHz
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
Memory
  • 16GB
    Dual Channel LPDDR5 4800MHz
    RTX 3050 & 3050 Ti models
  • 16GB 32GB
    Dual Channel LPDDR5 5200MHz
    RTX 3060 models
Memory Slots
  • Onbaord memory
Memory Configurations
  • Speed:
    4800 MHz 5200 MHz
  • Memory Type: Dual-channel LPDDR5
  • Minimum Memory: 16 GB
  • Maximum Memory: 32 GB
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
3200MHz Dual-channel DDR4 SDRAM.
2 x SO-DIMM slots.
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 - 4GB GDDR6
    Includes 5 phase HyperEfficient graphics voltage regulation
    TGP: 50W, Dynamic Boost: 15W, Max Power: 65W, Speed: 1177.5 → 1455 MHz.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti - 4GB GDDR6
    Includes 5 phase HyperEfficient graphics voltage regulation
    TGP: 50W, Dynamic Boost: 15W, Max Power: 65W, Speed: 1140 → 1410 MHz.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 - 6GB GDDR6
    Includes 7 phase HyperEfficient graphics voltage regulation
    TGP: 60W, Dynamic Boost: 25W, Max Power: 85W, Speed: 817 → 1282 MHz.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti
    4GB GDDR6 VRAM.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060
    6GB GDDR6 VRAM.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
Storage
256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB
PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
  • 1 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen SSD slot.
2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)

Connectivity

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
Wi-Fi
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675i 2x2 MIMO
    Triple Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz/6GHz Up to 2974 Mbps WiFi 6E 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
  • Intel AX211 2x2 MIMO
    Triple Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz/6GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6E 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x
Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.2
Ethernet-Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
Size80 WHr Lithium-ion battery
With Alienware Battery Defender technology.
  • 56 WHr, 3-cell smart lithium-ion battery
  • 86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
Power Supply
130W
USB Type-C small form factor power adapter.
180W 240W
power adapter.

Software

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
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
  • Five Tailored Power States
    full speed performance balanced quiet battery saver
  • 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
    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 X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
Camera
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Windows Hello IR support.
Front-facing camera
Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • Speakers:
    • Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos
  • Microphone:
    • Dual-array microphones
  • 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

Misc

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
SensorsWindows Hello IR Camera-
SecurityWindows Hello IR camera for Facial Biometrics-
Warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis-

Key Features

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5
At Glance
Released in Early
2022
16:9 FHD
14”
1080p 144Hz
Weight
3.96 lb
1.80 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-12900H
14C/20T, 2.50 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,758
Single Core
Geekbench 5
12,027
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1450 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5
Alienware X14 R1 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3060
6GB GDDR6 85W TGP
Released in Early
2021
16:9 QHD
15.6”
1440p 240Hz
Weight
5.34 lb
2.42 kg
Up to
AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
8C/16T, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,416
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,663
Multi-Core
With integrated
AMD Radeon™ Graphics
8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
3200 MHz DDR4
Alienware M15 R5 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3070
8GB GDDR6

Comparison Summary

Alienware X14 R1 vs. Alienware M15 R5

Dell has released the Alienware X14 R1, a 14-inch machine, in early-2022. It is powered by up to 14-core Intel Core i9-12900H with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 with 6GB GDDR6 85W TGP.

On the other hand, we have the 15.6-inch Alienware M15 R5 was introduced by Dell about a year earlier in early-2021. It comes with up to an octa-core AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX with a boost clock speed up to 4.60 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 with 8GB GDDR6.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware X14 R11
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H1,65894.31%
2
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900H1,758100.00%
Alienware M15 R51
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H1,33475.88%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX1,41680.55%
01,758

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware X14 R11
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H11,77497.90%
2
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900H12,027100.00%
Alienware M15 R51
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H7,09859.02%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX7,66363.71%
012,027

The Alienware X14 R1 has a 14-inch display which is slightly smaller than the 15.6-inch Alienware M15 R5. In addition, The Alienware X14 R1 weighs 3.96 lbs. about 34% lighter than the 5.34 lbs. Alienware M15 R5. Moreover, measured at 12.66” x 10.345” x 0.57”, the Alienware X14 R1 is much more portable than the Alienware M15 R5 at 14.02” x 10.73” x 0.76”.

Alienware X14 R1Alienware M15 R5

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware X14 R1 supports up to 32GB 5200 MHz LPDDR5 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace and upgrade in the future.

For Alienware M15 R5, it supports up to 32GB 3200 MHz DDR4 memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also 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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