Why I nonetheless advocate this 2024 Dell laptop computer for work and productiveness – despite the fact that it is for players

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Alienware m16 R2 goals to be the right laptop computer for players and professionals alike, and it succeeds.
• It delivers high-level efficiency and a 2K show that’ll make each teams smile, whereas giving customers a solution to tone down the RGB lighting by way of Stealth Mode.
• You’ll have to preserve that charger shut by, because the M16 R2’s battery would not final very lengthy.

extra shopping for decisions

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Gaming laptops are sometimes on the chopping fringe of know-how, housing a number of the trade’s greatest {hardware}. Powerful Meteor Lake processors, visually gorgeous RTX 40-series GPUs, the works. With that in thoughts, you’d assume that professionals in search of high-end machines can be clamoring to purchase considered one of these machines for themselves, however that is probably not the case. 

Gaming laptops aren’t precisely ubiquitous, however why? Well, it might need to do with their flashy RGB lights that gentle up like Disney’s Electrical Parade. 

Also: One of the most effective work laptops I’ve examined has MacBook written throughout it (but it surely’s even higher)

Gaming units usually come outfitted with RGB lighting, which seems cool, however will be fairly distracting, particularly whenever you’re in a piece assembly making an attempt to look severe and have a laptop computer lit up like a Christmas tree in entrance of you. Subtlety is the secret right here. 

Thankfully, producers are taking discover of this potential shift in buyer desire. Dell, for one, has provide you with an answer in a brand new gaming laptop computer that additionally has the working skilled in thoughts: the Alienware m16 R2.

I’m an enormous fan of Dell’s design decisions right here. The m16 R2 strikes an excellent steadiness of trying aesthetically cool whereas additionally sustaining practicality. On the skin, you’ve a shiny darkish grey exterior with a stylized quantity 16 and an Alienware brand on the prime. You’ll discover there is not an enormous thermal shelf jutting out; the warmth vents are flush with the show when positioned upright. 

Ditching the shelf makes this laptop computer simpler to hold in comparison with bulkier fashions. Owners will want all the assistance they will get because the m16 R2 is not straightforward to hold round; it weighs practically six kilos.

On the within is a matte black keyboard. The RGB lighting on this darkish background makes the colours stand out properly. Typing on the keyboard was a pleasure, too. The matte floor is easy to the contact, and the keys all have a springy really feel to them. I’m a sucker for a comfortable keyboard, however the consolation degree is not what I like most in regards to the m16’s keyboard. 

If you look carefully on the perform keys, you will discover totally different icons than what you’ll see on an ordinary keyboard, as they’ve distinctive functionalities made particularly for this laptop computer.

Also: Finally, an ultraportable Windows laptop computer I’d use on the workplace (despite the fact that it is for players)

F2 is essentially the most helpful in my view because it prompts Stealth Mode. The mode causes the RGB lights to immediately flip white, making the machine look extra like a generic work laptop computer. This is tremendous helpful for whenever you’re in a public setting and do not wish to entice consideration to your self. Pressing F1, however, prompts Performance Mode. 

Hitting the button whereas gaming forces the {hardware} to immediately carry out higher by defaulting the {hardware} to preset settings optimized for gaming. The downside with this mode is that it additionally instantly prompts the cooling followers, they usually’re fairly loud. At least the followers do work nicely at retaining the laptop computer from overheating.

F4, F5, and F6 are for keybinds, letting you tie customized actions to them, with F3 reserved for saving your keybinds. All the standard audio management features have been moved to the far proper. Besides the keyboard, I take pleasure in how the sting of the palm relaxation on the entrance of the machine is noticeably spherical. It’s softer on the wrists when in comparison with different laptops, guaranteeing a cushty typing expertise. 

Features like these permit the m16 R2 to tug double obligation at being a gaming and work-centric laptop computer and point out that Dell put a variety of thought into designing the mannequin. 

One factor value noting, although, is that I did discover the trackpad to be somewhat small. Perhaps they wished to make room for the audio system above the keyboard, by which case I say it was a worthwhile transfer because the audio sounds nice for a laptop computer. Just take into account that they are not highly effective sufficient to fill a room.

Also: I examined Dell’s XPS successor, and it made my $3,000 Windows laptop computer look dangerous

The Alienware m16 R2 runs on an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, a processor I discover is often discovered on many 2024 laptops. It’s an excellent possibility because it provides strong efficiency whereas not inflating the worth tag an excessive amount of. To see what it is able to, I ran it via the Geekbench take a look at, the place the processor earned a rating of 12,725, outperforming the Ultra 9’s common rating of 12,611. So on the best laptop computer, the Ultra 7 generally is a higher chip than the higher-end {hardware}. 

Alongside the CPU are the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card and 16GB of RAM, although it might’ve been good to have 32GB. I skilled a dip in efficiency once I was taking part in Helldivers 2 at excessive graphical settings. But 16GB is okay; it will get the job accomplished in most conditions.

Speaking of video video games, the players on the market will love the machine’s display. It’s a 16-inch 2K decision show (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) with a refresh fee of 240Hz. A excessive refresh fee permits easy and responsive gameplay, making it a close to necessity for fast-paced titles.

All this {hardware} does include an influence price, nonetheless. While it is unplugged from an influence supply, the battery on the m16 R2 would not final very lengthy regardless of all of the tech meant to help its longevity. I carried out my ordinary take a look at of operating an endlessly taking part in YouTube stay stream at 720p and 50 p.c brightness, and it lasted 6.5 hours with Best Power Efficient enabled.  

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

I like to recommend the Alienware m16 R2 to individuals who desire a laptop computer that may do double obligation. It excels at being an leisure/gaming machine, but it surely’s inconspicuous sufficient for the workplace. Prices for the laptop computer have risen in latest months. A construct carrying an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, a GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM will be purchased for $1,900 at Best Buy. A extra highly effective configuration with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD is on the market for $2,479 at Amazon.

I ought to point out you can customise sure components of the machine even after you’ve got bought it. For instance, you’ll be able to improve the SSD from 1 TB of storage to eight TB. To discover ways to do that, comply with the directions on pages 36 to 44 of the laptop computer’s Owner’s Manual, which you’ll find on Dell’s website.