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Alienware’s laptops have bifurcated into the M and X lines, and the new x16 R2 (starts at $2,099; $3,199 as tested) is its most cutting-edge system. The x16 R2 is aimed at enthusiast-level shoppers looking for a premium build, a higher graphics power ceiling, and flashy extras. Our sleek, slim model packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, pushing high frame rates even at its native QHD+ resolution with a 240Hz refresh rate. It also features an optional Cherry MX mechanical RGB keyboard, a touchpad with customizable lighting, an advanced cooling solution, and Wi-Fi 7. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 16 remains our Editors’ Choice pick at this price due to its uncommonly deep value and performance, but we wouldn’t blame you for being more attracted to this slick, high-end machine if you have the cash.Design: Alienware’s Sleekest 16-Inch MachineThe x16 R2 is one of Alienware’s two 16-inch gaming laptop offerings, mirroring the Alienware m16 R2 we reviewed earlier this year. The m16 was redesigned and repositioned as a still-powerful laptop that reduced its overall footprint and put a ceiling on the GPU options. That leaves the x16 R2 as the brand’s most premium laptop at this size (arguably even more so than the larger m18).
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(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The upgrades to R2 from the original x16 are not external: This is the same sleek all-metal build we saw the first time, measuring 0.73 by 14.4 by 11.4 inches (HWD). It’s slim for an all-powerful 16-incher, and while it’s not light at six pounds, it could be much worse for the category. The closest non-Alienware comparison is the liquid-cooled Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 8 (0.74 by 14.1 by 10.9 inches, 5.64 pounds), another 16-inch laptop concerned with pushing the power limits of its size. The previously mentioned Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 16 is thicker at 1.01 by 14.3 by 10.3 inches, if that’s important to you, but it still only weighs 6.17 pounds.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
However, I have to give the edge to Alienware on visual style and premium materials. Style is subjective, but I like the color, metal chassis, RGB touchpad, and more functional inclusions like the ringed foot to elevate the bottom vents. Internally, these vents join the gallium-silicone “Element 31” thermal material, four fans, and Alienware’s efficient 12-phase voltage regulation to sustain high-end performance longer. These, again, are not new features to the x16, but these details help separate premium gaming laptops once you’re shopping in this price tier.
Configurations: Premium Builds With Prices to MatchDell’s base model of the x16 R2 costs $2,099, and as an inherently premium system with a starting price that high, the “base model” still means a well-equipped laptop. It includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 16GB of memory, a 1TB solid-state drive, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. (That’s quite a lot of cash for that level of graphics power.) Dell presents no cost difference between the display options because the lower-resolution screen still runs at a higher refresh rate than the QHD+ panel, so picking the QHD+ 240Hz panel (which would be my suggestion) or the full HD 480Hz panel is up to your preference. The Cherry MX keyboard is not included in the base model; rather, it is tied to higher-cost configurations.Our model is more highly configured, priced at $3,199. For that price, it includes a Core Ultra 9 185H processor, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an RTX 4080, plus the QHD+ panel and Cherry MX keyboard. (The m16 R2 tops out at an RTX 4070, a key difference, while this machine can be decked out with an RTX 4090.) It’s a worthy configuration on paper, and we haven’t had too many chances to test Core Ultra 9 chips yet, which could make the benchmark charts interesting. Using the Alienware x16 R2: A Dazzling Display, Plenty of Ports, and a Gamer-Grade Keyboard Alienware has leveled up its lighting game with the x16 R2. Dell’s AlienFX touchpad is customizable through the included software (and turned off entirely if you’re not a fan), as are the individually backlit keys. The touchpad could be a smidge larger, considering the laptop’s overall size, but it’s smooth and responsive. The keys are a delight, mainly because our unit includes the optional Cherry MX mechanical keyboard. We’ve seen this now in a few generations of Alienware machines, as well as the MSI Titan 18 HX more recently, and it delivers a more tactile and satisfying typing experience than traditional laptop keyboards. It’s the definition of a non-essential but nice-to-have feature that you pay extra for if you can.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
You’ll find just one user-facing upgrade in this new edition of the x16, though you’ll have to be sharp-eyed to spot it. The display’s refresh rate ceiling has lifted from 165Hz to 240Hz. This is irrelevant to some games (and even some gamers) but is much appreciated in certain games and genres. PCs this powerful can push older or less demanding games up to and beyond 165Hz, and you’ll find an advantage in competitive multiplayer games with the higher fresh rate.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
That makes this, in total, a flashy 240Hz QHD+ (2,560-by-1,600) resolution screen with Nvidia G-Sync support. You can also buy a lower-resolution full HD screen option but with a blistering 480Hz refresh rate. The lack of OLED is disappointing, but I would say for a wide swath of enthusiast gamers, our unit’s refresh rate and resolution combination is ideal given the included CPU and GPU. The x16 R2 can power modern games at high settings with native resolution (we put this to the test in the benchmark section below), so you’re not forced to resort to 1080p, and some titles can use the high refresh-rate ceiling.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
This is a relatively slim laptop, and while that doesn’t hold back the physical connectivity much, it does mean all of the ports are located on the slightly thicker rear portion of the laptop. That’s where you’ll find a microSD card reader, two USB Type-C ports (one with Thunderbolt 4 support), an HDMI connection, two USB Type-A ports, a mini DisplayPort connection, and the proprietary power connector. Other than the fact that always reaching behind the machine to plug anything in can get a little annoying—especially for the headphone jack, which is rarely located in that area—you should have everything you need here.Testing the Alienware x16 R2: Core Ultra 9 and an RTX 4080 Show Plenty of PowerBelow, we run the x16 R2 through our benchmark suite to measure its performance and compare its results with those of the following laptops…
We’ve reviewed no shortage of comparable gaming laptops in this tier, starting with the first-generation Alienware x16 R1 ($2,949.99 as tested) and the related Alienware m16 R2 ($1,849.99 as tested). (Note that the m16 configuration we reviewed is much less expensive than this x16 R2 model.) Next, we have the competing Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 16 ($2,441.49 as tested) and the hulking MSI Titan 18 HX ($5,399 as tested). The Legion is one of the best values we’ve seen in this price tier, while conversely, the Titan 18 sets the bar for all-out power and price—the x16 R2 isn’t meant to measure up one-to-one, but if budget is no object, the Titan is about the best you can expect from a gaming laptop.Productivity and Content Creation TestsWe run the same general productivity benchmarks across both mobile and desktop systems. Our first test is UL’s PCMark 10, which simulates a variety of real-world productivity and office workflows to measure overall system performance and includes a storage subtest for the primary drive.Our other three benchmarks focus on the CPU, using all available cores and threads to rate a PC’s suitability for processor-intensive workloads. Maxon’s Cinebench R23 uses that company’s Cinema 4D engine to render a complex scene, while Geekbench 5.4 Pro from Primate Labs simulates popular apps ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning. Finally, we use the open-source video transcoder HandBrake 1.4 to convert a 12-minute video clip from 4K to 1080p resolution (lower times are better).Finally, we run PugetBench for Photoshop by workstation maker Puget Systems. It uses Adobe’s famous image editor, Creative Cloud version 22, to rate a PC’s performance for content creation and multimedia applications. It’s an automated extension that executes various general and GPU-accelerated Photoshop tasks, ranging from opening, rotating, resizing, and saving an image to applying masks, gradient fills, and filters.
It should go without saying that all of these laptops are blazing fast by default, and like the others, the x16 R2 made quick work of our tests. Within this upper crust of performance, though, you’ll find some stratification: The Legion and (of course) Titan 18 were faster than the others, while all three Alienware systems hung pretty close together. Again, the baseline here is fast enough for both daily productivity and more demanding media tasks, but you can find a quicker laptop if you need the best of the best.Graphics and Gaming TestsWe run synthetic and real-world gaming benchmarks for gaming laptops and other mobile gaming hardware. The former includes two DirectX 12 gaming simulations from UL’s 3DMark: Night Raid (more modest, suitable for systems with integrated graphics) and Time Spy (more demanding, suitable for gaming rigs with discrete GPUs). Additionally, we use the cross-platform GPU benchmark GFXBench 5, which gauges OpenGL performance. These GFXBench tests are rendered offscreen to accommodate different native display resolutions; more frames per second (fps) means higher performance.Our real-world gaming testing comes from the in-game benchmarks of F1 2021, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Rainbow Six Siege. These three games—all benchmarked at 1080p resolution—represent simulation, open-world action-adventure, and competitive/esports shooter games, respectively. Valhalla and Siege are run twice (Valhalla at Medium and Ultra quality, Siege at Low and Ultra quality). In contrast, F1 2021 is run twice at Ultra quality settings with and without AMD and Nvidia’s performance-boosting FSR and DLSS features turned on.
The x16 R2 flexed its muscles on the graphics tests, posting impressive synthetic scores and high frame rates. Like the processing tests, these results generally broke into tiers, with the Legion and Titan 18 at the top, but the x16 R2 achieved what you expected. These results are at 1080p, not its more demanding native resolution, but some gamers prefer to play at full HD and achieve maximum frame rates, particularly in competitive multiplayer titles. The Titan’s superiority is expected, but the Legion’s results as a less expensive laptop make the x16 R2 look markedly less impressive here—it must be said.At native QHD+ resolution, the frame rates obviously dropped, but they were still quite fast and playable. For example, Valhalla dipped from 123fps on maximum settings at 1080p to 102fps at QHD+. That’s still plenty smooth, well above a 60fps target with a lot of cushion for more demanding games or those that especially benefit from high frame rates. That will be more difficult to maintain with the most cutting-edge titles, but Nvidia’s DLSS frame generation and super-scaling can also help soften the blow if need be. Regardless, you can draw similar or better frame rates from the Legion for hundreds less.Battery and Display TestsWe test each laptop’s battery life by playing a locally stored 720p video file (the open-source Blender movie Tears of Steel) with display brightness at 50% and audio volume at 100%. We ensure the battery is fully charged, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off before the test.To gauge display performance, we use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and its Windows software to measure a laptop screen’s color coverage—what percentage of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 color gamuts or palettes the display can show—and its 50% and peak brightness in nits (candelas per square meter).
This gaming laptop’s battery life didn’t set any records, but it’s important that it lasts as long as it does. The x16 R2 may mostly stay on your desk while gaming, but it’s portable enough that you’ll want to move it, so it’s a big plus that it lasts off the charger for this long. It will, at least, survive a few trips during your day and run for several hours without being plugged in. The display results are competitive, with broad color coverage and acceptable brightness levels, but not chart-topping. The Titan’s mini LED screen outshone the rest by a wide margin, particularly in brightness.Verdict: Pay Up for This Premium ExperienceThe Alienware x16 R2 costs a pretty penny, but it delivers what you want in this tier. However, you’ll find a few even more powerful options, mostly for more money, though the Editors’ Choice Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 16 stands alone on the power-per-dollar front. However, the x16 R2 is more concerned with the overall package than value (and, dare we say, even performance). Among Alienware’s gaming laptops, the m16 R2 is a better solution for most shoppers, with a portable design and less of a price premium, while the x16 R2 aims for enthusiasts. If you want the absolute best performance, you can do a bit better than this system, but we can’t deny its sleek marriage of style, portability, and power to anyone with the cash to burn.
Pros
Thin, premium design
Pushes top-end frame rates
Sharp QHD+ 240Hz gaming display
Optional Cherry MX mechanical keyboard
Customizable RGB key, touchpad, and chassis lighting
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Cons
Expensive at all price tiers
Still outpaced in top configuration
All connections pushed to rear base edge
The Bottom Line
Alienware’s x16 R2 is a costly but high-quality gaming laptop for cash-flush enthusiasts on the hunt for their next premium, powerful, but still portable system.
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