Alienware x16 R2 review – powerful gaming laptop with a premium design

• The Alienware x16 R2 is the company’s latest gaming laptop in the Alienware lineup.
• The premium gaming laptop is priced starting at ₹2,86,990 in the country.
• Here’s my review of the Alienware x16 R2 that will help you decide whether you should buy the device.

Dell recently launched the new gaming laptops in its Alienware lineup in India, including the premium x16 R2 gaming laptop. The Alienware x16 R2 is aimed at both gamers and creators, with powerful hardware and new AI-enabled features.

The Alienware x16 R2 has been launched in several variants, offering different processor and GPU combinations for different budgets, along with storage variants. The top-end option in the lineup is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 9 chipset and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics.

I have been using the Alienware x16 R2 gaming laptop with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics for a few days now, and here is my detailed review of the latest premium gaming laptop from Dell.

Alienware x16 R2 price and availability

The Alienware x16 R2 has been priced starting at ₹2,86,990 in the country and goes up to ₹4,61,990 for the top variant. It comes in a single Lunar Silver colour option and is available from Amazon India, Dell online store and the company’s authorised retail stores across the country.

In the box

• Alienware x16 R2
• Power adapter and cable
• Documentation
• Dust cover

Alienware x16 R2 specifications

Alienware x16 R2 pros and cons

Pros

• Powerful performance
  
• Spatial audio
  

Cons

• Weight
  
• Price
  

Alienware x16 R2 design

If you have seen the Alienware x16, the design of the x16 R2 is not new. It retains the same design as its predecessor, which is not a con as the device is well-designed.

The laptop is on the heavier side at 2.72 kg. The charger is also quite heavy and portability may be a concern if you plan on carrying the laptop with you every day. The primary reason for the weight is the large display and the powerful hardware offered by the device.

The Alienware x16 R2 comes in a single colour option – Lunar Silver. The laptop features a full-metal chassis with a silver finish and with white colour around the hinge.

The laptop comes with a minimalistic design, featuring an X symbol at the back and the Alienware logo that lights up. The logo’s colour can be customized according to your preference. If you want a more minimalistic look, you also have the option to completely turn off the lighting.

At the back, the device comes with a large LED strip that surrounds the port area. All the ports have been placed at the back, giving a clean look on the sides. The backlighting can also be customised using the Alienware Command Centre.

This is not where the device’s gaming design ends. It comes with an RGB keyboard. The device offers per-key lighting customization. Additionally, the touchpad is also RGB-enabled.

The Alienware x16 R2 comes with a low profile CherryMX keyboard with a key travel of 1.8 mm. The company has used stainless-steel switches for the device.

In terms of ports, the Alienware x16 R2 comes with an audio jack, a microSD card slot, a USB Type-C port with Thunderbolt 4, a Type-C 3.2 Gen port, 2 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and a HDMI 2.1 port.

As it is a gaming laptop, the company has employed several measures to keep the temperature down. It comes with the company’s Alienware Cryo-tech cooling technology. This includes a quad-fan design, vapour chamber and load-balancing heat pipes.

Display

The Alienware x16 R2 features a 16-inch Quad HD+ display with 100% DCI-P3 Colour Gamut, a 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. The panel has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels.

There’s also a Full HD+ display option with a 480Hz refresh rate but I would prefer the Quad HD+ option.

While the display lacks HDR support, it comes with Dolby Vision support, offering an excellent viewing experience. The lack of HDR may be an issue as this means you will miss out on HDR in games. The peak brightness is also on the lower side at 300 nits.

Performance

The Alienware x16 R2 is equipped with up to Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor. The Intel Core Ultra is a new Meteor Lake chipset from the company. The laptop is available with up to 32GB LPDDR5X 7467 MHz RAM and up to 4TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD.

The graphic duties are handled by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 16GB GDDR6 graphics.

I tested the laptop with several games, including games such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Forza Horizon 5. Both the games performed well and the laptop was able to handle them without any issues. The powerful hardware means that you will be able to run any game with the best graphics without even having to look at the system requirements for a long time.

I was able to play games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Alan Wake 2 at the highest graphic settings without any issues. The laptop’s cooling technology can keep the device cool during extended gaming sessions so you don’t have to worry about performance throttling.

The laptop is equipped with a 90Whr battery and offers a decent battery life considering it is a gaming laptop. It offers around six hours of battery life but this will significantly come down if you game on it.

The Alienware x16 R2 offers a six-speaker setup with spatial audio. The device offers a good audio experience.

Verdict

The Alienware x16 R2 is a feature-packed laptop that offers powerful hardware, a good display and a decent battery life. The laptop also offers a good all-metal chassis with a minimalistic design but can also light up like a regular gaming laptop when you need it to.

At the same time, the laptop is not very portable due to its large size and weight. If you want a laptop that you can easily carry around, this may not be the best option for you. Then again, If you are looking for a gaming laptop that you won’t carry around every day, the x16 R2 is a good option.

The price is another thing that you need to consider. It is a very premium laptop and while it offers excellent hardware, you need to consider if it fits your budget.

Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a purchasing guide or recommendation. We advise readers to do additional research, including hands-on usage of the device at a retail outlet, before making a decision.

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