The Alienware m16 R2 is a beastly gaming laptop with a slimmed-down look

The Alienware m16 R2 embodies the never-ending goal that the top gaming laptops strive for: putting gaming PC power in a more portable body. This year’s model features a refined design that cuts down on the size and heft of previous editions, all while keeping die-hards fed with enough performance to play top-tier games on the go.

But what does that mean for you, really? Should the Alienware m16 R2 be considered one of the best gaming laptops? To answer those questions (and more), I’ve been testing the 16-inch beast for weeks to help you figure out if this should be your next investment.

What I liked about it

The Alienware m16 R2 packs fast graphics performance and more

No matter if I was exploring a murky dungeon or fighting creatures on a spaceship, the Alienware m16 R2 enabled smooth action in 2023 Game Awards Game of the Year winner Baldur’s Gate 3. Even though I felt a little greedy opting for the best settings possible (QHD 2560 x 1600 and Ultra graphics), everything just flowed smoothly. The frame rate counter confirmed what my eyes saw, as the ticker stayed well in the range of 70 frames per second (fps) for most of the time, only dipping below to around 60 fps or so for chaotic fights. For comparison, the 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max was only able to be this smooth at around 1080p and Ultra.

But since a gaming laptop isn’t always a soloist, I plugged in Alienware’s 32-inch 4K QD-OLED AW3225QF gaming monitor to see how the game performed on the larger screen. A fire-filled fight in Baldur’s Gate 3 still looked smooth, hovering around 60 fps at those same settings. Then, I switched the resolution to 3840 x 2160 and saw it dip to the 30 to 50 fps range.

The Alienware m16 R2 beat up the competition on the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark, posting a higher frame rate than anyone’s ever needed. This is better than what the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and M3 Max-equipped MacBook Pro posted, but those scores were also in that upper echelon of “so good that likely nobody would complain.”

Oh, and the Alienware m16 R2 is also well equipped for everyday productivity, as its Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU with 16GB of RAM performed strong with dozens and dozens of Chrome tabs, Slack, Discord and OBS Studio running. Not a single beat skipped.

On synthetic benchmarks, the Alienware m16 R2 was basically in spitting distance of the Zephyrus G14 though slightly behind on Geekbench’s single- and multi-core tests, which push the CPU in (respectively) everyday and intense tasks. That said, the Alienware m16 got its win back on the overall Geekbench 6 Compute test, which takes more of the system into consideration. The MacBook Pro’s whopping 48GB of memory should not be overlooked either.

A new design that’s more portable than before

Gaming laptops are known to be beefy behemoths, so I have to give Alienware some credit for putting this 16-inch laptop on a workout plan. The Alienware m16 R2 is a trimmed-down version of its predecessor, which was over a pound heavier, over 1.5 inches longer and a hair thicker.

The first place you’ll notice that difference is likely in the m16 R2’s depth, as Alienware’s basically cut off the end, that proverbial ledge that jutted out from behind. And, of course, you’ll appreciate it more than the last one in your bag. That said, the laptops we’re comparing it to have it beat on portability.

We’re not shocked that the smaller Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is lighter, and Apple’s engineering tricks with the 16-inch MacBook Pro are impressive.?That said, as I packed the Alienware m16 R2 into the best laptop backpacks and carried it around New York City, I noted that it’s definitely a heavy beast of a machine. Naturally, its screen size and gaming prowess ensure most shoppers are ready to carry that weight.

An excellent keyboard that takes some getting used to

Whether I was writing sections of this review or navigating the world of Baldur’s Gate 3, I repeatedly noted that the Alienware m16 R2’s keys were a joy to click and clack on. Except there isn’t much actual “click” or “clack”; these keys are as silent as they get. I must tip my hat to the engineering team at Alienware for this one.

That said, whoever designed this keyboard threw a wrench into some of my writing. While I normally expect the right side on a num pad-less keyboard to end with its return, shift and arrow keys, the Alienware m16 R2 has its volume keys on the right, and its arrow keys cut into its shift key. There’s even a control key that’s about twice as wide as I’d normally expect. It’s a fair bit to get used to if you’ve never used a keyboard like that before, but I’m getting over it. Incidentally, I’ve been testing (and enjoying) the smooth Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard’s key mechanisms, and the ultra-lightweight Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse. The former, though, may be trying to cram too many keys in its bottom right corner, as I frequently accidentally actuate the arrow keys.

As for other standards we test, the m16 R2’s touchpad is responsive and accurate, its internal 1080p webcam is grainy and may make you look for the best webcams, and its RGB lighting is luminous and pleasing.

All of the ports

The Alienware m16 R2 packs all of the ports you get with the Zephyrus G14, and then one more. That means you’ve got a 3.5mm audio jack, an HDMI-out connector for extending your display, a microSD card reader and two USB-C and two USB-A ports. One of those USB-C ports, by the way, is a Thunderbolt 4 port, so you can connect dual 4K displays over just that input. Plus, it’s got a designated power port so your USB-C ports don’t need to be wasted drawing power.

Oh, and just to make sure your streaming goes smoothly, the m16 R2 also includes one RJ45 Ethernet port, which neither the Zephyrus G14 nor the MacBook Pro (which has MagSafe, USB-C, HDMI and SD memory ports) offers.

What I didn’t like about it

The Alienware m16 R2 gets loud

As much as I love dungeon-crawling in Baldur’s Gate 3, playing the game means the Alienware m16 R2’s fans create a not-subtle hiss that could almost make me suspicious of any nearby snakes. Even the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark got the fans to turn up. Not all video games set the fans whirring, though, as Persona 4 Golden ran without a sound effect.

The good news, though, is that this is something I got used to before I realized it. Only when I booted up the less taxing Persona 4 Golden did I realize how loud the laptop’s fans could get.

A display that doesn’t quite dazzle

The Alienware m16 R2’s 16-inch QHD+ display seems to aim for accuracy over sizzle. When I played Baldur’s Gate 3 on it, I could see tons of detail in the metallic alien armor and flames emanating from my horned antihero, but I didn’t really feel like the reds and oranges coming off my sword looked especially strong. Sure, it’s a 240Hz panel, which means super-fast refresh rates for extra-smooth gaming, but a little more color intensity could go a long way.

When I began watching “X-Men ’97” on the Alienware m16 R2, I quickly realized something was off; Beast’s blues and the reds of Jean Grey’s hair looked a little flat. This wasn’t a huge problem as I watched the trailer for “The Iron Claw,” which seemed to intentionally nerf its color palette, but it’s noticeable enough that I have to mention it here.

Much like the Alienware m16 R2’s loud fans, I was able to “get over” this deficiency as the drama of the Disney+ reboot grabbed my attention and stole my focus. A sharper OLED panel like the one in the ROG Zephyrus G14 could help, but there’s nothing truly wrong here, and the m16 R2’s QHD+ resolution is good enough for what I’ve been doing.

Lackluster battery life

Our looping 4K video test drained the m16 R2 of a charge in six hours and one minute, which isn’t a terribly short time for a gaming laptop. That said, it does sit in stark contrast with the times from the ROG Zephyrus G14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro, which both hit over 10 hours on the same test.

Oh, and while the ROG Zephyrus G14 has a smaller 14-inch panel to keep lit up, its 2880 x 1800 panel means it illuminates more pixels than the Alienware m16 R2. Meanwhile, the 16-inch MacBook Pro has a slightly bigger display with even more pixels.

How it compares on specs

Its price is understandable, and comparably affordable

With a starting price of $1,499 (the model I tested costs $1,849), the 16-inch Alienware m16 R2 is a little pricier than the 14-inch, $1,600 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 we’re comparing it to. That’s understandable, though, when the m16 is a larger laptop. The 16-inch Zephyrus G16, however, runs for $2,000 (and also packs an RTX 4070), and if its battery life is as good as its sibling’s, that extra investment may be worth it to some of the road warriors out there.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max we tested, however, is far more expensive, at $3,999 (it starts at $2,499) — though that’s positioned more as a video-editing workstation replacement than a gaming laptop.

Bottom line

While its size may stop it from taking the throne as the most portable gaming laptop, the Alienware m16 R2 offers a lot to love. From its refined design that’s slimmed down year over year to its solid gaming and everyday performance to its lovely keyboard, this is a laptop that will enable thrills and productivity in equal amounts.

But for the next iterations, we’d wonder if Alienware would consider packing more endurance into this beast, or a display that makes your games pop. A quieter heat-sink solution would also be appreciated.

If you can spend the extra cash on the Zephyrus G16, you should consider it for its lighter chassis and likely better battery life. But if having a dedicated Ethernet port matters to you, or a lower starting price means a lot, definitely check out the Alienware m16 R2.