New Alienware x16 R2 brings gaming power to CES

Alienware has announced so very many things at CES 2024 this week. The cliff notes is that there are new laptops, monitors, mice and keyboards for gamers to enjoy. The longer version is that all of Alienware’s fanciest stuff is now fancier, and the new QD-OLED monitor range is the first of its kind. It’s all very premium. Especially the new Alienware x16 R2 laptop.

Let’s dive in.

Alienware x16 R2 leads powerful new laptops

The three new models that have been announced are the Alienware m16 R2, the x16 R2, and the m18 R2.

The biggest difference in the m16 R2 is that it is much, much smaller, thanks to the removal of the thermal shelf. The body is 15% smaller than the previous generation, meaning that it’ll now fit in a smaller backpack. However, while you might think that removing the thermal shelf might make the laptop run hotter, Alienware insists that it doesn’t thanks to the company redesigning its Cryo-tech cooling to run better while being smaller.

This all runs on an Intel Core Ultra H Series processor with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series GPU (up to 4070).

The x16 R2 is Alienware’s most premium gaming laptop, with a 6-speaker set-up, an all-metal chassis, 100 micro-LED rear stadium lighting, and RGB touchpad, it not only gives you a premium experience, but loudly screams to everyone around you that you’re a gamer.

In the announcement, Alienware said that the cooling system has been improved and that it can “devote up to 175W of dedicated graphics power with 12-phase voltage regulation stacked on top of brand-new Intel Core Ultra Processor technology.” That, accompanied by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 laptop GPU means it should be able to handle any current game you can throw at it. The 240Hz display with Dolby Vision, ComfortView Plus blue light filtering, and a 3ms response time should keep the action buttery smooth, too. The storage options go up to a whopping 8TB, which will be enough for a few games.

If power is what you seek, then the m18 R2 is worth a look as well. It has the latest 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor along with up-to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPUs, and is designed for overclockers who want to push their laptop to the limit. With storage of up to an almost unheard of 10TB, the sky is really the limit.

	M16 R2	x16 R2	m18 R2
Memory	Up to 64 GB	Up to 32GB	Up to 64 GB
Battery	Lithium-ion (90 Whr)	Lithium-ion (97 Whr, 6-cell)	Lithium-ion (97 Whr, 6-cell)
Dimensions	Height (peak): 23.5mm Length: 294.4mm Width: 363.9mm	Height: 18.57mm Depth: 289.98mm Width: 364.81mm	Height (peak): 26.7mm Length: 319.9mm Width: 410.3mm
Processor	Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 18SH	Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 18SH	Up to 14th Gen Intel Core i9 14900HX
Graphics	Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8GB	Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 16GB	Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 16GB

Peripherals

What is a computer without peripherals, though? With that in mind, Alienware has also debuted a new pro keyboard and mouse.

Alienware’s big focus on the mouse has been increasing the polling rate, which is how often the computer tells the mouse where the pointer is. Most mice have a polling rate of 1KHz, while the new Alienware Pro Wireless Mouse has 4KHz and 8KHz speeds, reducing the speed down to 0.125ms. The body has also been designed to be customisable to suit different hand shapes.

Other key features include:

• Battery Life: 32 hours at 4KHz polling or 120 hours at 1KHz polling.
• Additive-free PTFE Feet
• Aluminium Scroll Wheel Design
• 6-Button Customisation
• Dual Connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless or wired connection.
• Battery Saver Mode (reduces polling rate back down to 1KHz)

The new Alienware Pro Keyboard has a small form factor with custom linear switches. Other features include:

• 72 hours (RGB at 50%, 2.4GHz) or 798 hours (RGB off, 2.4GHz) of battery life.
• Tri-mode connectivity with 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.1, and USB-C wired connectivity options.
• A 1KHz polling rate.

Monitors

Alienware has announced two new monitors to join the existing line-up: Alienware 32 4K QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (AW3225QF) and Alienware 27 360Hz QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (AW2725DF).

Image: supplied.

The 32-inch model is the first 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor with Dolby Vision HDR, and it has a 240Hz refresh rate, and a dedicated console mode for console players (as well as features for PC gamers). The 27-inch model is the first QD-OLED gaming monitor with a 360Hz refresh rate.

Alienware 32 4K QD-OLED Gaming Monitor	AW3225QF
Pixel Pitch	0.1814 mm x 0.1814 mm
Pixel Per Inch (PPI)	140
Contrast Ratio	1 million: 1 at SDR and HDR
Aspect Ratio	(16:9)
Backlight Technology	OLED
Brightness	1000 cd/m2 (typical)(HDR peak)
Response Time (typical)	0.03ms (gray-to-gray min.)
Connectivity	Rear: 1x DP 1.4 (HDCP 1.4 & 2.3)(Supports up to 3840 x 2160 240 Hz, DSC, HDR); 2 x HDMI 2.1 (HDCP 1.4 & 2.3)(Supports up to 3840 x 2160 240 Hz FRL, HDR, VRR as per specified in HDMI 2.1) (including 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL with eARC – to support Dolby ATMOS signal pass-through); 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Type-B upstream port; 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Type-A downstream ports Quick Access: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Type-C downstream port which supports BC1.2 power-charging; 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Type-A downstream port
Lighting	AlienFX Lighting
Adjustability	Height adjustable stand (110 mm); Tilt  (-5° to 21°); Swivel (-20° to 20°); Pivot N/A; Built in cable-management
Height with stand  (Compressed ~ Extended)	472.77 mm ~ 582.77 mm 18.61 inches ~ 22.94 inches
Width	715.56 mm 28.17″
Depth	305.72 mm 12.04 inches
Weight (with packaging)	14.39 kg 31.72 lb
What’s Included	Monitor; Stand riser and base; Power cable; HDMI 2.1 FRL cable; DisplayPort to DisplayPort 1.4 cable; USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) upstream cable; Microfiber cloth; Quick setup guide; Safety Information

Local pricing and availability will be announced at a later date. Keep an eye on the company’s website in the meantime.

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