Alienware recently introduced three new gaming notebooks at CES 2024, including the redesigned Alienware m16 R2, the ultra-premium x16 R2, and the performance juggernaut, the m18 R2.
Alienware’s General Manager Matt McGowan said Striking this balance required us to make bold changes. Let’s start with the most visible update. We knew to make our notebook more travel friendly that we needed to bid adieu to the thermal shelf. But doing so was no simple task — after all, it housed the components that kept the previous model running cool.
Our engineers were up for the challenge — they completely redesigned and optimized a new thermal solution for the m16 R2 by adapting our Cryo-tech cooling to be more efficient in a smaller package. This ultimately resulted in 43% more efficient airflow compared to the previous model, and though we can’t divulge all the alien technology behind these thermal gains, you can rest assured the m16 R2 won’t break a sweat when playing the latest games.
Then there is the size benefit. Removing the thermal shelf reduced the depth of the laptop, resulting in a 15% smaller overall footprint compared to the previous generation. With a 14% smaller Y dimension, the new 16” notebook easily fits into a small backpack and saves precious desk space for your gaming mouse, keyboard and monitor.
Not only is the m16 R2 more compact, but it also has a larger palm rest and touchpad[iv]. How did we pull this off? By designing a slim yet sturdy 180-degree hinge and positioning it on the back edge of the notebook. Placing the hinge where the thermal shelf once resided gave us space to push up the keyboard and expand both the palm rest and touchpad. We know people rarely – and, if we’re being honest, shouldn’t – use a touchpad when gaming, but a larger surface for controlling your cursor is a luxury when navigating Discord chats or browsing the web. You’ll notice something else about the touchpad: it’s bordered by our RGB stadium loop lighting which was moved from the rear to a more visible area. Now you can easily identify the touchpad’s boundaries in dark environments.
Lighting is a core element of our design language, but our community requested the option to tone things down when appropriate. That’s why we added a hotkey that cloaks the m16 R2, allowing it to blend into its surroundings. Let me introduce you to Stealth Mode. This handy new feature was inspired by customers who found lighting effects to be distracting in certain spaces, like a library, café or classroom. Now a quick tap of the F2 shortcut key turns the keyboard backlighting white, switches off all other AlienFX lighting zones, and shifts performance mode to Quiet to reduce fan noise.
Tap the key again to disable Stealth Mode when it’s time to game and get the full force of the m16 R2’s Intel Core Ultra H Series processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series mobile graphics (up-to an RTX 4070) which pack enough power to run the latest titles at high frame rates. Need every possible frame for competitive gaming? NVIDIA’s DLSS 3.5 AI upscaling technology and NVIDIA Reflex latency reduction gives you faster frame rates, better image quality and the lowest latency without demanding more power.
Dolby Atmos support adds another layer of immersion — the m16 R2’s upgraded dual speakers envelop you in spatial sound so you can hear every footstep, explosion, or whisper with depth and realism.
Silky gameplay is showcased on a QHD+, 240Hz display with a 16:10 aspect ratio that delivers gorgeous visuals with sharp detail and rich, accurate colors. Competitive gamers will benefit from the high refresh rate that ensures smooth, tear-free gameplay. To summarize, these are some of the key upgrades we brought to the m16 R2:
- Redesigned with Smaller Footprint by ditching the thermal shelf on the back, ensuring the m16 R2 slips effortlessly into your backpack for on-the-go travel.
- Equipped with Stealth Mode Hotkey so users can quickly go dark without the distraction of RGB lighting.
- Large 90Whr battery with NVIDIA Advanced Optimus for intelligent powershifting to optimize power balance between CPU and GPU, so you don’t have to worry about finding the nearest outlet. When it’s time to plug in, the m16 R2 can charge to 80% in just 35 minutes via Express Charge 2.0.
- Intel Core Ultra H Series processors provide efficient power while NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series mobile GPUs enable ample performance to run both modern games at fast frame rates and demanding AI workloads.
Last year, we released Alienware’s most advanced gaming laptop featuring a slim all-metal chassis, six-speaker setup, a 100 micro-LED rear stadium lighting, and RGB-illuminated touchpad. The refined Alienware x16 R2 fortifies this status with faster performance, improved cooling and greater future readiness. At face value, the new model has the same striking design, but what’s inside hides some welcome upgrades.
Engineered for premium performance, the x16 R2 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. Combined with up-to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPUs, it achieves a total package power of 220W, enabling the most demanding games while giving users peace of mind knowing they have the latest and greatest technology.
To round it out, here’s a glance at other upgrades made to the x16 R2:
- Most advanced Alienware Cryo-tech cooling solution ever, complete with Vapor Chamber technology and our Element 31 thermal interface on the CPU and GPU.
- Faster visuals for all with a 240Hz display offered by default. Also outfitted with premium features including ultra-vivid picture with Dolby Vision, ComfortView Plus blue light filtering, and a 3ms response time to keep all in-game motion fluid.
- Highest memory speeds of any Alienware system with LP-DDR5X memory up to 7467 MT/s.
- Bigger storage to save more of what you love with options up to 8TB.
Packed with up-to the latest 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor along with up-to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPUs, the juggernaut Alienware m18 R2 promises superior performance, overclocking capabilities, and significant efficiency improvements to thermal capacity. All of this is made possible by Alienware’s Cryo-tech cooling solution with Element 31 applied to both the CPU and GPU and an updated vapor chamber that more efficiently pushes out air.
Supporting the most performance and storage capacity (up to 10TB) of any Alienware laptop ever, the Alienware m18 R2 is made for those who value superior performance without being confined to a traditional battle station.
