Alienware m18 R2 gaming laptop refreshed by an Intel Core i9-14900HX

At CES 2024, Dell officially announced the Alienware m18 R2 which Amazon has currently listed. Besides upgrading to a 14th generation Intel HX processor, the specs remain the same as last year’s models.

Last year, Dell joined other OEMs in launching the colossal 18-inch Dell m18 R2 Alienware laptop. Despite its high price potentially deterring some, Dell announced the Alienware m18 R2 due to its existing audience.

The Alienware 2024 m18 R2 opts for Intel 14000HX Raptor Lake refresh processors instead of Meteor Lake. You can choose between a Core i9-14900HX, a Core i7-14700HX, and a Core i5-14650HX. At launch, the limited graphics card options include the GeForce RTX 4060 (140W) and the GeForce RTX 4070 (140W) cards. Later this year, SKUs with GeForce RTX 4080 (175 W) and RTX 4090 (175 W) will be available.

Dell offers the Alienware m18 R2 in two display configurations. One is a QHD+ 165 Hz and the other an FHD+ 480 Hz, both 18-inch displays. Both have a response time of 3 ms, support Nvidia G-Sync/AMD FreeSync, and cover 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Their peak brightness is a bit low at 300 nits, but that shouldn’t matter for a gaming laptop.

The Alienware m18 R2 can accommodate up to 64 GB of DDR5 modules at 5,200 MT/s. Those who value speed over raw capacity can use DDR5 modules. Those who value speed over raw capacity can opt for 32 GB of sticks at 5,600 MT/s. Storage options vary between 256GB and 4TB for a single-drive configuration and 512GB and 4TB for RAID 0. Dell is also adding a 1080p infrared camera with Windows Hello support. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 also receive support, but some lower-end models downgrade the latter to Wi-Fi 6E.

Price and availability

Amazon.com now lists the Dell Alienware m18 R2 gaming laptop at a starting price of $2,899.

Dell recently revealed its flagship gaming PC, the Alienware Aurora R16, showcasing a major advancement in gaming tech. With a starting price of $1,449.99, this great gaming PC machine boasts cutting-edge components, promising an immersive gaming experience.

Dell Alienware m18 R2 specifications

• Display: 18-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) 165Hz, 3ms, ComfortView Plus, NVIDIA G-SYNC, AMD FreeSync, NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, 100% sRGB color gamut / 18-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 480Hz, 3ms, ComfortView Plus, NVIDIA G-SYNC, AMD FreeSync, NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, 100% DCH-P3 color gamut, 300-nits brightness; 1000:1 contrast ratio
• Processors: 14th Gen Intel Core i7 14650HX (16-Core, 30MB L3 Cache, up to 5.2GHz) / i7 14700HX (20-Core, 33MB L3 Cache, up to 5.5GHz) / i9 14900HX (24-Core, 36MB L3 Cache, up to 5.8GHz)
• Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, 6GB GDDR6 / RTX 4060, 8GB GDDR6 / RTX 4070, 8GB GDDR6 / RTX 4080, 12GB GDDR6 / RTX 4090, 16GB GDDR6
• Memory: 32GB (16GB x 2) Dual-Channel DDR5 5600MHz / 64GB (32GB x2) Dual-Channel DDR5 5200MHz 2x DDR5 SO-DIMMs
• Storage: 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD / 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD / 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD / 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD / 4TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Battery: Lithium Ion (97 Whr, 6-cell) Battery with 280W 7.4mm Barrel AC Adapter or 360W Small Form Factor GaN FET adapter
• Webcam: FHD (1920 x 1080 resolution) camera with HDR, dual-array microphones, and Windows Hello IR
• Keyboard: AlienFX RGB keyboard 1.8mm key travel / Cherry MX ultra-low-profile mechanical laptop keyboard with per-key AlienFX lighting 1.8mm key travel
• Connectivity: Intel Killer AX1675 Wi-Fi 6E 2×2, Bluetooth 5.3 or Bluetooth 5.4 with Wifi 7
• Ports: 1x RJ-45, 1x Global headset jack, 2x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1x Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1x Power/DC-in, 2x Type-C (Thunderbolt 4.0, USB 4 Gen 2, 15W (3A/5V) Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x mini-DisplayPort, 1x SD Card slot
• Operating System: Windows 11 / 11 Pro (64-bit)
• Dimensions: 26.7 x 319.9 x 410.3mm
• Weight: Up to 4.04 kg / 8.9lbs