Alienware 17 R2: At First Glance
The Alienware 17 R2 is the base model of the Alienware m17 series. Dell delivered the Alienware 17 R2 as the predecessor of the Alienware 17 R3 that I recently reviewed.
One thing that’s intriguing about the Alienware m17 series is how sophisticated they look. The Alienware 17 R2 is a thinner and lighter design to meet the increasing demand for thin gaming laptops.
As at the time this review was published, the Alienware 17 R2 starts at a price of $1,279. Considering the value the laptop offers, $1,279 is considered a fair price.
Alienware 17 R2: Design, Dimension & Weight
In terms of design, the Alienware R2 looks very much like the Alienware R3. The slight difference between the R3 and R2 is in their sizes and weight.
Just like the Alienware 17 R3, the Alienware 17 R2 is also available in two colors – “Lunar light” and the “dark side of the moon”. These color choices are a nice contrast to the red and black colors of most gaming laptops.
“Lunar light” is used to describe a white-black version of the laptop. On the other hand, the “dark side of the moon” describes a black-colored version of the laptop.
Moreso, Dell built the Alienware R2 chassis out of aluminum alloy and high-quality plastic. The chassis gives the laptop a premium-quality finish.
On the aluminum lid, you’ll find the Alien head logo that illuminates. Also, you’ll find a series of raised lines that form the number 17.
The rear of the laptop is made of black plastic with a LED strip lining its edges. Additionally, the rear houses a series of ventilation grilles and ports.
Speaking of the ventilation grilles, Dell says the hexagonal grilles help to maximize rigidity and airflow. The maximized airflow is beneficial in the laptop’s cooling effect.
Opening the lid, you will find the slim bezels surrounding the screen. On the top bezel is the webcam while the bottom bezel has an Alienware imprint.
On the deck above the keyboard, you’ll find more ventilating grilles and the illuminating alien head. The alien head serves as the power button.
Moving on, the Tobii eyetracker is located on the laptop’s hinge. The Tobii eye-tracker allows you to control the computer with your eyes.
Furthermore, the Tobii eye-tracking technology is useful in several areas. For instance, in games that support eye tracking, it can be used to control the camera to aim at opponents or put your character into cover.
Moreover, the Tobii eye tracker can also be used generally in windows – just like a normal cursor to wake the laptop from sleep mode.
Additionally, the Tobii eye tracker conserves battery power. Tobii will automatically dim the screen brightness when the laptop isn’t in use thereby, conserving battery power.
Meanwhile, below the ventilation grilles, you’ll find the keyboard. The laptop’s Chiclet-styled keyboard has a generous spacing between the keys with enough room for a number pad.
Speaking of the keys, they are colorfully backlit with a per-RGB lightning system. The keys as well as other backlit features on the laptop can be customized with the Alienware command center software.
Furthermore, the keys have a decent key travel of 1.4mm as well as a 79g force of actuation. These results in a comfortable typing experience.
Moving on, below the keyboard you’ll find a glass precision-point touchpad.
The smooth glass surface of the touchpad was easy to glide my fingers on. Interestingly, the touchpad supports Windows 10 gestures.
In addition, the integrated mouse keys are shallow in travel with moderate feedback when pressed. The mouse keys are very clicky making them quite satisfying to use.
Moving on to ports, the laptop has a decent selection of ports. On the right, you’ll find two USB Type-A ports.
On the left, you’ll find a noble lock slot as well as an Ethernet port. In addition, there’s also an audio jack and another USB Type-A port.
On the back of the laptop, you’ll find an HDMI port, a mini DisplayPort, and a Thunderbolt 3 port. Also, on the back of the laptop, you’ll find the power connector and the proprietary port for Alienware’s graphics amplifier.
At a weight of 2630g, and a dimension of 399.8 x 294.3 x 18.6 mm – the Alienware 17 R2 is one of the lightest 17-inch gaming laptops on the market. It is slimmer and lighter than the Alienware 17 R3 which measures 399.8 x 294.3 x 22.5 mm and weighs 2970g.
Likewise, the laptop is lighter than the Razer Blade Pro 17 which weighs 2750g. The Razer Blade Pro 17 measures 395 x 260 x 19.9 mm.
Overall, the Alienware 17 R2 is a nicely built slim gaming laptop. As a result of its slim, light, and aesthetic build, I will rate it a nine.
Alienware 17 R2: Processor (CPU) Performance
The Alienware 17 R2 has a number of processor configurations. You can buy this laptop with a 4-core Intel Core i5-9300H processor – this is the least of its configuration options.
The Core i5 processor has a base speed of 2.40GHz and a maximum speed of 4.10GHz – with an 8MB cache memory.
Next on the configuration option is the 6-core Intel Core i7-9750H processor. The Core i7 processor has a base speed of 2.60GHz and a maximum speed of 4.5GHz, and a 12 MB cache memory.
Another configuration is the 8-core Intel Core i9-9880H processor. It has a base speed of 2.30 GHz and a maximum speed of 4.30GHz as well as a 16 MB cache memory.
The highest processor configuration available for the Alienware 17 R2 is the 8-core Intel Core i9-9980HK processor. It boasts a 2.40 GHz base speed and a 5.0GHz of maximum speed as well as a 16 MB cache memory.
The model I reviewed shipped with the Core i9-9980HK processor. With the Core i9 processor, the laptop was an excellent multitasking device.
The processor’s multitasking ability was evident when I opened 40 Chrome tabs. Several of the browser tabs were streaming YouTube videos and I also had Far Cry New Dawn playing in the background.
Impressively, despite the CPU-intensive tasks running concurrently, the laptop barely stuttered.
Furthermore, I performed a CineBench 20 test to determine the processor’s performance. I also compared the result of the Alienware R2 with competing laptops with the same processor.
Based on the outcome of the test, Alienware R2 scored 478 points. This result lags behind that of the 2019 Apple Macbook Pro 15 which scored 481 points.
However, the Alienware slightly outperformed the MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US which scored 474 points.
In conclusion, the CPU of this laptop is an excellent performer despite been locked up in a thin chassis. Therefore, I will rate the CPU performance a nine.
Alienware 17 R2: Memory (RAM) Performance
The Alienware 17 R2’s motherboard comes with two RAM slots. The RAM slots can take a standard capacity of 8GB and a maximum capacity of 16GB.
Unfortunately, there is no option for RAM upgrades because the RAMs are soldered to the board. However, the 16GB RAM integrated into the unit I tested was an excellent performer.
To determine the RAM performance, I performed a PCMark 10 test. Based on the test result, Alienware 17 R2 scored 5514 points.
In comparison, Alienware’s performance lags behind the Razer Blade Pro 17 which scored 7219 points. Furthermore, the laptop also underperformed when compared with – the Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW which scored 7227 points.
Finally, I will rate the RAM performance a six because it underperformed among competing laptops.
Alienware 17 R2: Storage Options & Performance
There are two M.2 PCIe slots on the Alienware 17 R2‘s motherboard which takes a maximum SSD capacity of 2 TB. The model I reviewed shipped with two 512MB SSDs occupying both slots.
To determine the storage performance of the laptop, I performed a CrystalDiskMark test. The CrystalDiskMark is a benchmark test that evaluates computer storage speed.
Based on the test result, Alienware 17 R2 recorded a sequential read speed of 2114 MBps. Additionally, the laptop recorded a sequential write speed of 2378 MBps.
Comparatively, the Alienware 17 R2 underperformed the MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG. The MSI recorded a sequential read speed of 2696 MBps and a sequential write speed of 2851 MBps.
In conclusion, it is disappointing that the SSD in the Alienware 17 R2 is slower than those in competing laptops. Therefore, I will rate the storage performance a six.
Alienware 17 R2: Graphics Card Performance
Like its processor, memory, and storage, Alienware 17 R2 offers multiple graphic configurations. The least of its configuration is the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 – which has a base frequency of 350MHz and a boost frequency of 1250MHz.
Next on the configuration option is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 which has a 6GB VRAM. Additionally, the RTX 2060 has a base frequency of 1365 MHz and a boost frequency of 1680 MHz.
Lastly, the highest configuration option is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q. The RTX 2080 has an 8 GB dedicated VRAM, it also has a base frequency of 735 MHz and a boost frequency of 1185 MHz.
The model l tested shipped with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU. To determine the performance of the RTX 2080 Max-Q, I performed a 3DMark 11 test.
Based on the test result, the Alienware 17 R2 scored 22391 points. This result trailed behind that of the MSI GE63 Raider 85G which scored 25432 points.
However, the Alienware 17 R2 outperformed the MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US. The MSI GE65 scored 20997 points.
Furthermore, I also performed some gaming tests. In the test, I played the Shadow of the Tomb Raider at different settings and 1080p resolution.
At ultra settings the game played at 99fps. Moreso, at high settings the game played at 105 fps.
Furthermore, at medium settings the game played at 110 fps. Lastly, at low settings the game played at 142 fps.
Finally, I will rate the Alienware 17 R2 an eight due to its relatively impressive graphics performance.
Alienware 17 R2: Battery life & Performance
Dell equipped the Alienware 17 R2 with a 76 Whr 6-cell lithium-ion polymer battery. The battery is expected to deliver up to 4 hours of battery life at standard computing operations.
To determine the battery performance of the laptop, I performed a battery rundown test. The test involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of screen brightness.
Based on the test result, the Alienware 17 R2 lasted 4 hours. Comparatively, the Alienware performed better than the Razer Blade Pro 17 and the Lenovo Legion Y740.
The Razer Blade Pro and the Lenovo Legion Y740 both lasted 3 hours 12 minutes and 2 hours 30 minutes respectively. Although the battery performance of the Alienware 17 R2 is not excellent, it performed better than its competitors.
Therefore, I will rate the battery performance of the Alienware 17 R2 a seven.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the Alienware 17 R2 display does not support 4K resolution.
The Alienware 17 R2 was released in 2019.
The Alienware 17 R2 is an impressive gaming laptop. It supports three GPU configurations – Intel UHD Graphics 630, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q. The laptop I reviewed shipped with the highest configuration – RTX 2080 Max-Q and it played all the games I tested excellently.
The Alienware 17 R2 is a slim and gorgeous embodiment of power. It has powerful specifications that deliver excellently in whatever task you throw at it – be it productivity tasks or gaming tasks. Therefore, the Alienware 17 R2 is worth it.
The SSD can be upgraded to a 2TB capacity, as well as the Graphics card can be upgraded to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q. However, the RAM cannot be upgraded because it is soldered to the motherboard.
Conclusion
I have no doubt that the Alienware 17 R2 is a powerful laptop. I am particularly impressed by how much Dell was able to fit into such a slim chassis.
However, to get the most out of the Alienware 17 R2, I recommend you choose the higher processor, memory, and GPU. As expected, higher configuration specs come at a higher cost.
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