Alienware x15 R2: A gaming laptop stacked with power and personality

Dell’s new premium 15-inch gaming laptop is a class act.

- DOMINIC BAYLEY

The Alienware x15 R2 returns in the same exciting design that made the Alienware x15 R1 so unique—sharing, among other things, its Lunar White chassis and dazzling RGB Tron Ring lighting. Adding to the fancy looks, it packs a lethal hardware combination that delivers performance worthy of elite gamers, a zippy 12th-gen Intel CPU, and RTX 3080 Ti GPU.

Its small quirks, such as its hard-to-reach rear ports and middling battery life, are dwarfed by its other winning features, like the beautiful, buttery smooth 15.6-inch QHD display.

For $3,350, it doesn’t come cheap, but when the scales tip so heavily in favor of performance and style, this laptop remains a class act worth buying.

SPECIFICATIONS

Our review unit is packing an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU, an RTX 3080 Ti GPU, 32GB RAM, and 1TB of PCIe NCMe SSD storage. For additional spec information, check out the list below.

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700H

RAM: 32GB LPDDR5/5200MHz

GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Display: 15.6-inch QHD (2560×1440), non-touch, 240Hz refresh rate, Advanced Optimus, G-Sync

Storage: 1TB M.2 PCle NVMe SSD

Ports: USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (with PowerShare), USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, HDMI 2.1, microSD reader, power adapter, 3.5mm combo jack

Networking: Wi-Fi 6E (802 11ax), Bluetooth 5.2

Dimensions: 14.16×10.92×0.49–0.63 inches