Computex 2019 is in full swing and of course there’s going to be some brand spanking new hardware announced. But we were certainly not expecting a completely redesigned Alienware m15 and m17. The previous m15 and m17 were introduced just last year, so it’s quite a surprise to see Alienware redesign them so quickly. And what a pleasant surprise it is indeed.
Alienware m15 and m17: Designed with Legend
At CES 2019, Alienware revealed the Area-51m desktop replacement laptop to much critical praise. The highlight was the swappable CPU and GPU but also it’s striking design. Alienware calls its new design language Legend Industrial Design and it is gorgeous.
The new Alienware m15 and m17 look like a much slimmer version of the Area-51m. The new Alienware’s are a tiny 20.5mm thick which is astonishingly close to outgoing models.
The magnesium alloy chassis of the m15 weighs 2.16Kg and 2.63Kg for the m17 — again, matching the previous models. Considering how heavy the Area-51m is, it’s seriously impressive how Alienware have shrunk the chassis to equal the outgoing models.
The new Alienware m15 and m17 feature a brand new keyboard with newly shaped 0.2mm concave keys that have a 1.7mm travel, up by 0.3mm from last gen model. N-key rollover, anti-ghosting and per key AlienFX RGB lighting are all included.
Power, more power.
For internal components, Alienware are bringing the heat with 9th Gen Intel chips up to i9-9980HK overclockable CPU. For graphics, expect NVIDIA RTX 20-series for ultimate performance.
Alienware have included 8-phase graphics voltage regulation and 6-phase CPU voltage to enable the new m-models with RTX 2070 and 2080 to sustain high performance at duration.
Keeping everything cool is Alienware’s new and improved Cryo-Tech Cooling 3.0 technology which boasts 10% CPU fan and 20% GPU diameter increase. The improved airflow and thermal efficiency will be critical as previous gen models didn’t do a great job keeping things cool.
Screen options on the new Alienware m15 include FullHD 60Hz, FullHD 240Hz, going all the way up to 4K OLED HDR400. The m17 only gets two FullHD 17.3-inch screens; 60Hz and 144Hz. For power efficiency, Alienware have opted to forgo NVIDIA G-Sync on all models.
Features for days
The new Alienware m15 is also the worlds first 15-inch laptop to feature Tobii Eye Tracking. This technology tracks your eye movements allowing you to aim your virtual weapon with a glance or control the in-game camera by looking around.
Connectivity is well covered with a plethora of USB, HDMI, ThunderBolt 3 and Alienware Graphics Amplifier. Killer Networking E3000 provides 2.5Gigabit Ethernet for uncompromising data connections.
Battery life is also expected to be much improved with the new standard Lithium Ion 76WHr battery combined with Alienware’s Battery Defender technology.
The all new Alienware m15 and m17 will go on sale June 11 with a starting price of USD $1,499.99 for the base models. The two laptops will come in a choice of ‘Lunar Light’ white color or a darker ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ color. Availability in Australia is yet to be announced.
