Is the Alienware M17 R5 good for ray tracing games?

Yes. The RTX 3080 supports real-time ray tracing, and DLSS boosts frame rates in supported titles. Expect high settings at the 17-inch screen's resolution, with some compromises in the heaviest ray-traced games.

How does it compare with the Alienware M17 R4?

The R5 moves to AMD Ryzen 6000-series processors and adds Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. It keeps the large 17-inch format and the quad-exhaust cooling layout.

Can I upgrade the RAM and storage?

The M17 R5 uses socketed SO-DIMM memory and M.2 storage, so both can be replaced or expanded. Check the service manual before opening the chassis.

Does it have Dolby Atmos speakers?

Yes. The speakers are Dolby Atmos enabled, which places sounds in a virtual surround field. Headphones give a better sense of height than the built-in speakers.

Is the 8GB of graphics memory enough?

8GB of GDDR6X is fine for most games at 1080p and 1440p. Some texture-heavy titles at maximum settings can exceed it, so lowering texture quality helps.

The laptop comes with its power adapter and documentation. A mouse and headset are not included.

Where is the Alienware M17R5 Gaming Laptop cheapest?

At Walmart, for $2,685.77, as of our latest check.

Dell

Alienware M17R5 Gaming Laptop

Best price now

$2,685.77at WalmartChecked Nov 9

Prices are checked against each store and labelled with when.

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What reviewers say

Owners of the M17 R5 generally rate the performance and the large screen highly, and many like the cooling controls and the AlienFX lighting. Complaints center on weight, fan noise under load and short battery life.

What people mention

PerformancePraisedOwners say the Ryzen 9 and RTX 3080 handle demanding games and multitasking without stutter.
CoolingPraisedThe dual-intake, quad-exhaust design and power states keep temperatures in check during long sessions.
Fan noiseCriticisedReviewers note the fans become clearly audible under heavy gaming loads.
WeightCriticisedThe 17-inch body is described as heavy and awkward to carry around.
Battery lifeCriticisedOwners report short runtime away from a charger, especially in games.
DisplayPraisedThe large Dolby Vision HDR screen is called bright and immersive for games and video.

About the Alienware M17R5 Gaming Laptop

The Alienware M17R5 is a black gaming laptop from Dell. It is powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor with 8 cores and 16 threads. Graphics come from an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 with 8GB of GDDR6X memory.

The RTX 3080 supports real-time interactive ray tracing for richer lighting and more life-like environments. NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) uses AI rendering to improve performance and rendering during demanding moments in games.

Alienware Cryo-tech cooling uses a dual-intake, quad-exhaust design, with five tailored power states to match different needs. Dolby Atmos surround sound and Dolby Vision HDR are enabled. The Alienware Command Center offers auto-tuned game profiles, overclocking options and AlienFX settings.

Brand

Dell

Color

Black

Processor

AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX, 8 cores, 16 threads

Graphics

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, 8GB GDDR6X

Cooling

Alienware Cryo-tech, dual-intake, quad-exhaust design, five power states

Audio

Dolby Atmos surround sound