96 SEPTEMBER 2019 |COMPUTERSHOPPER|ISSUE 379
GAMING
ALIENWARELAPTOPSMAYoften look odd,
but theynever skimp on the materials, and
the m15 is more of the same.The chassisof
this gamingnotebook is crafted almost
entirelyfrom magnesiumalloy, makingit
tough but light –20% lighter,infact, than
2017’s Alienware13. That’s despitethe m15
having alarger 15.6in display.
It still weighs 2.16kg, so it’s hardly
becomean ultraportable,but it stuffs in
high-endcomponentssuch as an Intel Core
i7-8750Hprocessor,Nvidia GTX 1070 Max-Q
graphicsand amassive 32GB of RAM.
The fact that it’s slimmerand more
portablethan previous Alienwarelaptops
is also aconsiderablequality in itself.SOFTTOUCH
There are other aspectsof the Alienware
m15’s design to like,such as its good looks
and the rubberisedmaterial on the palm
rests and base.This helps maintaincomfort
during extended sessions,and contributes
to asuitably high-qualityfeel.
The only aspect that doesn’t reflect its
premiumnature are the bezels, specifically
the ones above and below the screen:
they’re chunkyand ugly,afar cry from
the tiny bordersof the Razer Blade 15.
The surface of said bezels is glossy and
reflective,too,which can actuallybe
distractingin brightlylit conditions.
Amatt finish would have been better.
Many of the Alienwarem15’s ports are
situated on the laptop’s rear edge,asensible
design feature that helps keep your desk
clear of cable clutter.Hiding back there are
the HDMI 2.0 and Mini DisplayPort outputs,
the power socket and one USB Type-C port
with Thunderbolt3. If you want to use the
AlienwareGraphicsAmplifier(£168),there’s
also aproprietaryeGPU port, although
Thunderbolt3allows you to connectany
other graphicscard enclosure.Back on the
laptop itself,you get anothertwo USB3 ports
on the leftedge,plus anotheron the right,
next to asingle GigabitEthernetport.
As laptop keyboardsgo,the Alienware
m15’s is pleasantto type on. The click-clack
of the (fully RGB-lit)keys is satisfying,and
individualkeys feels sturdy,asiftheycan
take areal beating.The inclusionof a
numerickeypad on the right might be
useful forsome,though be warnedit also
means some keys have shrunk down to
accommodateit, the Backspacekeyin
particular.It’s also pushedthe touchpad
towards the left, althoughthis isn’t really
aproblemin practice.ALIENWAREm15
★★★★★
£2,060•From http://www.littlewoods.comVERDICT
Alienwareputsoutanotherheavy-hitterwith
alighterchassisandpowerfulinternalsThere are two displayversionsavailable: a
4K 60Hz model and the Full HD 144Hz model
we tested, and would probablyrecommend
anyway, as the refresh rateishigher and 4K
gamingis afar greater strain on the GPU.
The maximumdisplaybrightnessof
327cd/m^2 is quitelow,however.Itisn’t the
lowest we’ve ever seen, but neitheris it bright
enoughto use comfortablyin bright light.
More importantly,atleast forthose
lookingforamultipurposemachinefor
photoand video editing,is that colour
coverage and accuracyisn’t wonderful.
The sRGB coverage is adisappointing
80.5%,and the average is delta-Eonly 3.64.
Contrastis fine,with ameasuredcontrast
ratio of 1,338:1, but this displayisnever
going to blow you awaywith its vibrancy.PLAYITLOUD
CPU performance,onthe other hand, is
fantastic,with the Core i7-8750Hpropelling
the m15 to an overall score of 191 in our 4K
benchmarks.That’s not quiteasbreakneck
as the Acer Predator Helios 500, but it leaves
the Razer Blade 15 to eat its dust.
We’ve heard reportsof overheatingwhen
the CPU is at maximumload, but there wasno sign of this on our review unit: using
CoreTemp,weonly saw internal CPU
temperaturesrise as high as 70°C, which is
well within the safezone.The dual cooling
fans are exceptionallynoisy,however,
especiallywhen you set thermalsto
Performancemode using the Alienware
CommandCenter software.
The Alienwarem15 has two separate
512GB PCI-E SSDs, allowingit to read files at
an outstandingrate. In the AS SSD
benchmark,the sequentialfile read speed
clockedin at 2,560MB/s,easily outstripping
its rivals. The sequentialwritespeed was less
impressive,coming in at 709MB/s.
Onscreengamingperformanceis top
notch and, crucially,high enoughto take
advantage of the silky-smooth144Hz display.
On Very High quality with SSAA on, it ran
the demanding1080p Metro: Last Light
Redux benchmarkat an average 55fps, and
managed112fps in Dirt Showdowntoo.DESK BOUND
As per usual with gaminglaptops, this level
of performanceis temperedby low battery
life. In our battery test, the Alienwarem15
lasted 4h 21m before runningout of juice,
which is amiddling result comparedto the
competition.When runninggames at full
whack, don’t expect more than acouple of
hours on asingle charge.
Otherwise,the Alienwarem15 is agreat
gaminglaptop.Isitthe one you should buy,
however? That matter is alittle more
complicated; you could get similar specs,
and thus performance,out of the much
cheaperHP Omen 15. An even more tempting
alternativeis the Razer Blade 15. It, too, is a
highly expensivelaptop,but it’s slimmerthan
the m15, has amuch nicer displayand shares
the GTX 1070 graphicsprocessor.
Alienware’s laptop is good, but
Razer’s is just that bit better.