Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 vs. Alienware M15 R4: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 and Alienware M15 R4 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 Pros

Reasons that Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is better than Alienware M15 R4.

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-11950H inside Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 has a 20% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-10980HK inside Alienware M15 R4.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - Intel Core i9-11950H
8,450
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - Intel Core i7-11850H
8,205
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - Intel Core i7-11800H
7,908
Alienware M15 R4 - Intel Core i9-10980HK
7,013
Alienware M15 R4 - Intel Core i7-10870H
6,596
Supports larger memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 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
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4
64 GB
Alienware M15 R4
32 GB
Supports faster memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M15 R4. It supports up to 3200MHz versus 2933MHz of system memory on the Alienware M15 R4.

Memory type and speed
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - DDR4
3,200 MHz
Alienware M15 R4 - DDR4
2,933 MHz
Upgradable memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 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.

MemoryLenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR4DDR4
About 15% lighter

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 weighed 3.99 pounds, 15% lighter than the 4.65 pounds Alienware M15 R4.

WeightLenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
Pound
3.99 lbs.
4.65 lbs.
Kilogram
1.81 kg
2.11 kg

Alienware M15 R4 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Alienware M15 R4 over Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4.

Prices

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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 Price
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 16" 2K QHD (Intel Core i7-11800H, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, Geforce RTX 3050 Ti) Business & Mobile Workstation Laptop, Backlit, FP, 3-Yr WRT, IST Cable, Win 11 Pro, Black
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 16" 2K QHD (Intel Core i7-11800H, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, Geforce RTX 3050 Ti) Business & Mobile Workstation Laptop, Backlit, FP, 3-Yr WRT, IST Cable, Win 11 Pro, Black
By Lenovo
$1,799.99
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 Business Laptop, 16" WUXGA IPS Display, Core i7-12700H, Windows 11 Pro, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, Wi-Fi 6E, Fingerprint Reader, Backlit Keyboard, TD
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 Business Laptop, 16" WUXGA IPS Display, Core i7-12700H, Windows 11 Pro, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, Wi-Fi 6E, Fingerprint Reader, Backlit Keyboard, TD
By Lenovo
$1,885.77
$2,029.00 7% OFF
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 Intel i7-11850H, 16" WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS 400nits, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, Backlit KYB, Fingerprint Reader, Windows Pro
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 Intel i7-11850H, 16" WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS 400nits, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, Backlit KYB, Fingerprint Reader, Windows Pro
By Lenovo
$1,980.77
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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
Released20212021
Release Date
  • Announced on June 23, 2021 (MWC 2021).
  • Available starting August 2021.
  • Announced on January 12, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available on January 26, 2021
PricingStarting at €2,099Starting at $2,149.99
Applicable ModelsLenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4-
Generations-

Exterior

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
Dimensions
  • 14.15 x 9.99 x 0.70 inches (359.5 x 253.8 x 17.7 mm)
    Non-touch models.
  • 14.15 x 9.99 x 0.72 inches (359.5 x 253.8 x 18.2 mm)
    Touch models.
  • 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
Weight
  • 3.99 lbs (1.81 kg )
    Non-touch models.
  • 4.1 lbs (1.86 kg)
    Touch models.
Starting at 4.65 lbs (2.10 kg) up to 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg)
Colors
Black
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Bottom-load backlit keyboard with white LED, 1.5mm stroke
  • 6-row, spill-resistant, multimedia Fn keys with Unified Communications controls
  • Trackpad + TrackPoint® pointing device
  • Multitouch glass touchpad (115 x 67mm)
  • 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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
Size16 Inches15.6 Inches
Info
  • 16” QHD+ Non-touch Display
    16:10, IPS, Anti-Glare, Non-touch, 2560x1600, 400nit, 100% sRGB, 1200:1, 60Hz, Low Blue Light.
  • 16” UHD+ Non-touch Display
    16:10, IPS, Anti-Glare, Non-touch, 3840x2400, 600nit, 100% Adobe RGB, HDR400 Dolby Vision, 1500:1, 60Hz, Low Blue Light, 8+2 bit color.
  • 16” UHD+ Touch Display 
    16:10, IPS, Anti-Reflective, Anti-Smudge, Touch, 3840x2400, 600nit, 100% Adobe RGB, HDR400 Dolby Vision, 1500:1, 60Hz, Low Blue Light, 8+2 bit color.
  • 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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
Left
  • 2 x Thunderbolt™️ 4
    Supports USB 4 with 40Gbps data transfer, DisplayPort 1.4, and Power Delivery 3.0.
  • 1 x HDMI
    HDMI 2.0 on models with integrated graphics.
    HDMI 2.1 on models with discrete graphics.
  • 1 x Headset jack
    3.5mm
  • 1 x Power connector
Right
  • 2 x USB-A
    1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps).
    1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) with Always On.
  • 1 x SD Card Reader
    Full-size with UHS-II supports
  • 1 x Kensington nano security slot.
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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
Processor
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.60 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11850H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.50 → 4.80 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11950H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.60 → 5.00 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™ i7-11800H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11850H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11950H
    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
4GB 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
  • Memory Slots: 2 x SO-DIMM slots
  • Memory Type: Dual Channel Non-ECC DDR4 Memory
  • Memory Speed: 3200 MHz
  • Memory Per Slot:
    4GB 8GB 16GB 32GB
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
2933 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM
Onboard memory.
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 3050 Ti - 4GB GDDR6
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU - 6GB GDDR6
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU - 8GB GDDR6
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU - 16GB GDDR6
  • All supports Advanced Optimus, Resizable BAR, Dynamic Boost 2.0, DirectX 12.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
Storage
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB
  • 1 x M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe slot
    Models with RTX 3060/3070/3080.
  • 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe slot
    Models with integrated graphics and RTX 3050 Ti. With RAID 0/1 support.
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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
Wi-FiIntel® AX210 Wi-Fi 6E 802.11AX (2 x 2)
Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, 802.11 a/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
EthernetEthernet support via optional Lenovo USB-C to Ethernet Adapter
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3100X PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
MoreOptional 5G supports.
  • Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X55 5G Modem M.2 card - RF System with embedded eSIM functionality
  • No support
-

Battery

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
Size90 Wh Integrated Li-Polymer battery86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion with Alienware Battery Defender
Battery LifeUp to 10.7 hours of battery life
Tested with MobileMark 2018.
-
Power Supply[featurs items="135W, 170W, 230W"] slim tip (3-pin) AC adapter with RapidCharge supports.240W (19.50 VDC/12.31A)

Software

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
OS
  • Windows® 10 Pro 64
  • Windows 10 Home 64
  • Windows 11 Pro 64
  • Windows 11 Home 64
  • Windows 11 DG Windows 10 Pro 64
  • Linux
  • Ubuntu Linux
  • No operating system
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)

Camera & Audio

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    1080p FHD with ThinkShutter privacy cover.
  • Windows Hello IR support (optional).
Front-facing camera
Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • High Definition (HD) Audio, Realtek® ALC3306 codec
  • Stereo speakers, 2W x2, Dolby® Atmos®
  • Dual array microphone, far-field
  • 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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
InkingOptional inking supports.
  • Lenovo Precision Pen 2
  • No pen (pen sold separately)
  • No support (non-touch display doesn't support pen input)
-
Sensors
  • Infrared (IR) Camera (optional; required for use with Windows Hello)
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
Security
  • Security Chip
    • Discrete TPM 2.0, TCG certified
    • Firmware TPM 2.0 integrated into the chipset
    • Disabled (in some regions)
  • Physical Locks
    • Kensington® Nano Security Slot
  • Fingerprint Reader
    • Touch style fingerprint reader on the power button, match-on-chip
  • BIOS Security
    • Supervisor password
    • Power-on password
    • NVMe password
    • Self-healing BIOS
  • Other Security
    • (Optional) Camera privacy shutter
    • (Optional) IR camera for Windows Hello
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
Warranty
  • 1-year depot service
  • 1-year depot with 2-year system board service
  • 1-year limited onsite service
  • 1-year + 2-year depot service
  • 1-year + 2-year limited onsite service
  • 3-year (1-yr battery) depot service
  • 3-year (1-yr battery) limited onsite service
  • No base warranty
-
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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4
At Glance
Released in Mid
2021
16:10 4K UHD+
16”
2400p 60Hz
Weight
3.99 lb
1.81 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-11950H
8C/16T, 2.60 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,581
Single Core
Geekbench 5
8,450
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
3200 MHz DDR4
NVIDIA GeForce
RTX 3080
16GB GDDR6
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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 vs. Alienware M15 R4

Lenovo has released the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4, a 16-inch machine, in mid-2021. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-11950H with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 with 16GB GDDR6.

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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 41
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H1,46692.61%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11850H1,583100.00%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11950H1,58199.87%
Alienware M15 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H1,15973.22%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK1,22377.26%
01,583

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 41
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H7,90893.59%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11850H8,20597.10%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11950H8,450100.00%
Alienware M15 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H6,59678.06%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK7,01382.99%
08,450

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 has a 16-inch display which is quite similar size to the 15.6-inch Alienware M15 R4. In addition, The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 weighs 3.99 lbs. about 16% lighter than the 4.65 lbs. Alienware M15 R4. Moreover, measured at 14.15” x 9.99” x 0.70”, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is much more portable than the Alienware M15 R4 at 14.19” x 10.87” x 0.78”.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4Alienware M15 R4

Moving over to upgradability, Lenovo claims that the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 supports up to 64GB 3200 MHz DDR4 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 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4, 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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