My m18 r2 arrived last Monday. I'm completely thrilled. The thing is awesome, not just for gaming but also for working. I ordered the version with the RTX 4090 and the i9 14900hx.

Your reviews are terrific. I look forward to them. Keep up the great work.

I bought the M18 R1 a year ago and couldn't be happier with it. I am using it with a thunderbolt dock as my main workstation at home and it does fit in my Everki laptop backpack laptop slot.

Great review. I would love to hear the actual audio from the fans. It can be helpful for those of us who are bothered by high frequency fan noise.

Thanks for the great review. What's your opinion on 18" 1600p for productivity? Is it enough resolution? Is text sharp or does it start looking jagged and pixelated? I've been pleased with text sharpness at 1600p at 17" but have been wondering if 18" is a step too far.

Ohh yeah…it’s Alienware season! 🎉 - thanks for your in-depth reviews as always!

awesome review, but do you think they will release m17 with a numpad like the m18?? i used to purchase the 17 inch laptops, but all new versions of alienware 17 keyboards are without numpads

Good Review! Easier control of the AWCC's RGB lighting when connecting Alienware-specific mice and peripherals.

Will the Crucial 96GB kit you reviewed a while back work in the r2?

Great review, as always! I'd be interested whether these powerhouses could be charged (slowly) or at least their runtime could be extended using an USB-C PD => Dell barrel jack connector, such as the Nexberg 100 W PD adapter. While not as great as "real" USB-C-PD which allows to connect with a single cable to an external monitor and transport display port and power, this could at least solve part of the problem of "no PD at all". Did anybody test this already with the M18 powerhouses?

It's always nice watching your reviews, they are always very detailed. Thanks

Great review! Not much have changed compared to the R1, but its enough to get my attention + bugs from the R1 is more ruled out. But sadly the R2 dosent come with the option for Nordic keyboard. In its self not a deal breaker as you can change the keyboard layout in settings, but the signs will be different. So my 17R3 would do it one more year until W10 is not supported by MS. Then the M18R3 or X16R3 is my candidates.

Does it have an option to use liquid metal thermal paste?

I bought my M18 last October i9 4080 RTX working perfectly. Really love it.

A true desktop replacement. Detailed review Dave. Alienware really have a great package here, but it's still being let down by that dim 300 nit screen. 18" is immersive on the go, but it's so dim you'd only be able to use it in a dark room. Thanks again.

Hey man, question. I Just bought the 720H wireless headset, it comes with a USB-C dongle. Can I put that into one of the thunderbolt 4 ports on the back of the laptop and have it work? or would I be better off putting it in the USB-C port on the side? Please advise.

Great review, David! Do you think this new R2 has anything to offer for someone with the AMD R1 Model 7945HX + 4090? I am thinking I hold onto my R1 and see if by R3 they get their act together with a proper display. What say you?

Yo mash IT do you recommend limiting battery charge in BIos on Alienware laptops in order to preserve battery/ Have you been using this feature?

Between this and the new x16, which would you recommend and why?

Very sick laptop, plan to get one later this year. Would really like to see other exterior color schemes, like the x seriers.

This was the first M18 R2 review i've seen! I'm hoping my local Best Buy gets them in as I would like to get one. I've always enjoyed Alienware machines and last year's R1 at my store had the AMD configuration, i tried it and it had some serious issues so i'm hoping with the M2 being all intel, that best buy gets them in and I can pick one up.

Thanks for your review!

my PalWorld crashes on this laptop sometimes, but not on some Lenovo Legion with 3080 and Alienware with AMD chip and 3070... I heard there are issues with 14th gen Intel and motherboard pushing with too much power... how do I set the BIOS to prevent crashes?

hey please can you tell the app that you're using for the rgb i have an m15 r3 and the awcc doesn't look like yours is it model specific

May I know is it a worthy upgrade from Asus TUF A-17?

Would you ever review the Acer Predator Triton 17x? I’ve got my eye on one but there are no professional full reviews out there, only initial showings with the promise of a full review later that never comes.

I bought an M18 R1 3 months ago thanks to your review with a ryzen 7845hx and 4080, 1080p 480hz version and I freeking love it! It's a beast

I am looking for a new gaming laptop 18 inch and i9 14900, I want to play Escape From Tarkov on it. Need really a good + 140Hz screen, higher frame rate.. What graphics card you recommend for Tarkov. The difference between 4080 and 4090 is over 1000 Euros, a lot of money. Money is not the issue but, when I got no notable advantage (I mean A LOT) I won't throw my money into the bin.

High quality and helpful review as usual, thanks Mash! I finally pulled the trigger on this one and to replace my old predator. 😂 May I ask what are some important and key things you did for initial setups, when the M18 first arrived?

Still using my x17 R2. Best mod i did was take of the crappy compund that comes stock and replace it with liquid metal. And offseting the max temp by 5 in the bios changes the gaming cpu wattge limit from 35w to 45w. No idea why but it just does. Still annoyed they have disabled undervolting on it in the latest bios. But i'll be holding out for the 5xxx series laptops latere this year.

What a beast...great video as always!!!

This laptop is good for 3d work or not pls tell me

hi! i love your video, can i ask a question, i brought the M18 too, but my configuration says DDR5 5200 MTs instead of 5600MHz, is there any difference?

Hi, could you tell me is the display a mini LED please?

I want to know battery life and fan noise how long it last while playing ultra settings ? And how loud is it ?

I'm still not sure between this laptop or the Asus rog strix scar 18 2024 which is 400$ cad more for a much better screen

Ordering one of these this Friday 4/12/2024 as a desktop replacement, finally getting to travel again so I'll be setting it up in my hotel, or air b&b with the large screen it will be perfect. Going for the 14900HX / 4090 / 32Gb / 4Tb SSD / Cherry MX keys. I was debating between this and the X16 R2 (Also with 4090) but since I want more of a desktop I can take with me and not something I want to use out and about this looks like the better choice.

if I have an M18 R1 from last year already, should I get this R2 as a replacement? Or is it not worth to upgrade?

I have the m16 with the 4090 and it’s a beast but I’m on my second now as the first one caught fire thankfully they sent me a new one but even it gets quite hot regardless of how much external cooling I use

Great review! I bought the R1 last year - dell outlet - GREAT price (probably $2000 less than the equivalent Razer). and... I love it! My biggest concern was the screen; but I am pleasantly surprised. It doesn't feel like 300 nits... not sure why, but it feels brighter. This is a GREAT desktop replacement (it's BIG). One unexpected point: I am running this with the lid closed (usually) and not seeing a performance hit!!! The fans are normal (no more than when open). I've never been able to do that with any gaming laptop.! Thanks again for the awesome review and advice!

Hello i need your advise. I got an alienware m18 r1 and i was happy with it until it keeps getting corrupted because whenever it goes on sleep mode it wakes up saying "your pc did not start correctly". Is that a red flag with this laptop. Should i return it while i still can?

Your Review is amazing as always, Please bring x16 r2 as well, comparison with x16 r1

solid review bummer about non plug in = performance hurts

via Alienware CC there ist slight "undervolting" possible - you can limit VID to a certain level. Also there is now a MUX Switch inside Alienware CC (also available for DELL G16 7630) which boosts performance again.

Hello David. Good review, thank you. I note you didn't mention the new Function F2 key feature I herd about which puts the laptop in a low power quite mode and turn off the RGB lights except the keyboard. Many thanks.

Does anyone use an RTX 4090 laptop to run VR apps? I'm looking at portable gaming and a virtual mobile office.

I'm still happy I chose to purchase my M18 last year. The addition of a dedicated MUX switch is cool, but not a deal breaker.

Still rocking M15 R5. Alienware laptops got models for everyone. This is premium experience and quality.

Is it possible to get a review on MSI Titan 18 HX

I was impatiently waiting for a first review of this laptop! thanks for doing it! What stopped me from buying the previous generation were the two or three performance cores which reached 100 degrees which limited the CPU performance. Does anyone know if this problem has been fixed?

Great review as always. I wish they made it in the lunar light colour. My old m15 r2 was stunning compared to the metallic moon. I see the command centre is still dreadful :)

I ordered mine a couple of days ago but was able to get the 480 hz screen. Looking forward to getting it in a few weeks!

I got my R1 a few months back with the 13900HX and 4080. I went on to bump the RAM to 64GB and put about 10TB of SSD's in it . I think I'm set for a while. Gaming performance is stellar. I'm debating on wiping the Dell/Alienware image entirely and just doing a clean install of Windows 11 without all the Dell/Alienware stuff though.

I'm wondering if I'll see any improvement in speed and graphics performance over my Dell G7 laptop with an Intel i7 and RTX 2070MaxQ graphics 🤔

There is no entrance for the internet wire for a fast internet connection? Only a WiFi?

Man, I clicked this video real quick! It's a shame the 18" screen isn't all that great from what I hear, at least compared to competitors. That's the main draw of the M18 and the basis of a pretty significant price hike over the M16. I hope you do review of the M16 R2, that actually had some changes and seems like a much better value over the M18.

Can u use it in ur lap on a cushion?

Been watching what reviews and benchmarks I can on the new laptops running the 14900HX & RTX 4090. Looking to replace my Alienware Area 51m R1 this year. (9700k & RTX 2080) Certainly leaning towards MSi, I like the looks of the Titan 18. Solid performance outta the gate from what I've seen, probably get even better with BIOS, Firmware, and software updates in the future. The 4 k miniled panel would be nice, sad that its missing gsync though. I feel like Asus needs to step up they're game a bit. Not bad, just nothing really great or head turning for me this year. MSi really stepped up and overhauled most of their lineup. I won't be going back to Alienware. Poor overclock/voltage utilities, and Dells software has left a sour taste in my mouth. Never works properly, or updates always seem to fail. Plus the Area 51m was marketed as being "upgradeable" lol.. Only lasted two generations and they axed it.😅

What about VIDEO EDITING? i am not a gamer but i do a lot of video editing and multitasking. I have desktop Aurora R11, 32 ram RTX3080 but i want something portable . Would you recommend this laptop for my needs? Pls. Thank you

Just to note that Mechanical cherry keyboard option is only available with the US layout.

Hi, Would it be safe to buy this thing from Dell Website in Germany?

Great review. Thank you! Could anyone please answer some burning questions? 1. Please confirm if the sides of the laptop suffer from heat releasing on your hand when you game with a mouse. 2. How is the laptop's software? 3. Is it worth it to go for a 4080 over a 4090 16GB version since there's only a different of a few gigs in VRAM for laptop versions? Thanks in advance!

will u do a MSI Titan 18hx review ?

Will this laptop have the capabilities to play my PS5 on it as a screen?

This machine has two deal breakers off the bat: (1) The monitor and (2) the location of the memory card reader! I've owned 3 alienwares over the years but looks like Razer is getting my money this year.

Not sure why 4K screens fell out of favor, I have a "17 R5" that I use for watching 4K movies unfortunately dell doesn't support windows 11 which means some driver issues (mainly with the touchpad not being configurable)

so i see they lowered the price of the m18 from last year should i just go with that or get the r2?

Great review. I am in the market and really struggling to choose at the moment as there are a few great options for a work/gaming hybrid. I am stuck between 5: Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 8 16 - i9-13905H (5.4 GHz), 64 GB DDR5 (6400 MHz), RTX 4070 8 GB, 3200 x 2000 (165Hz), 1TB SDD Asus ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED - i9-13980HX (‎5.6 GHz), 32 GB DDR5 (5200 MHz), RTX 4070, 3200 x 2000 (120Hz), 1 TB SSD Alienware m18 R2 Gaming Laptop 18 - i9 14900HX, 5.8 GHz, 64 GB DDR5 (5200 MHz), RTX 4070 8 GB, 2560 x 1600 (165Hz), 1 TB SSD MSI Creator Z16 HX Studio 16 - i9-13980HX (5.6 GHz), 64 GB, DDR5 (5600 MHz), RTX 4070 8 GB, 2560 x 1600 (165Hz), 1 TB SSD MSI Vector 16 HX - i9-14900HX (5.8 GHz), 32 GB DDR5 (5600 MHz), RTX 4070 8 GB, 2560 x 1600 (240Hz), 1 TB SSD

Which one is better Alienware r2 m18 or legion 9i I am waiting for your response. mash it

Been a while since you last did a review of the Alienware laptop 😊

i still have my R1 from last year, and it runs great, but it is so chunky i find myself only using it when i need beefy power. I wish they made an x18

And of course you did it first. Hopefully the screens are brighter now.

Woah this is a lot louder than my x16. My x16 fans rarely turn on in quiet mode for me actually. And if they do it’s minimal. I only play RTS games tho.

I’ve been an Alienware customer for years… I love their products and currently rocking an x16 with a 4060… still getting really good fps on top tier games. But their number one focus next year is going to have to be an upgrade on those displays… I don’t think you can justify having max 300 nits brightness and no oled option in 2025. I would say it’s not even acceptable now at least not for a brand as iconic as Alienware… like I said there products are excellent in general but these little things such outdated display options and awcc issues can really start to hurt there legacy if not corrected

How much power can Thunderbolt handle? I mean, 340w through this tiny port would melt it, isnt it? Iam Typing from my R2

Great review as always.. I agree i can not understand why they can not get beter screen options ( msi is up to 1000 nits on «mini led ) also the absence of gen 5 slot for ssd is a shame.. i love Alienware but very disappointed what dell has come up with in 1 year…

I see there are 4 slots for the SSDs. What is the max total capacity this laptop can support? Surely I can't just install 4TB ssds in all the slots

I’m sticking with my alienware area 51m r2. It’s 4k display with 500 nits of brightness.

Anyone know how to change the rgb colors on the m18? R1 I got it but ion know how 💀 someone please help

Great review, i got m18r1 last December using 13980hx and 4090. I could undervolt using flash disk trick, but not sure should undervolt because temp almost the same peak at 100 even slight turbo boost is maintain. Even dell emgineering interview itself said the machine is design to always peak tj max. And i dont notice any slowdown even keeping 100c. What do ypu think ? Is it Alienware is design that way and make diffrent than others like ROG or legion ? What i notice is cpu always feeding 110 w aftee hour gaming is around 89-98 watt. Certainly diffrent than legion 7i i used before. That always fix at 50-60 watt. Is this making difference ? All i can say is i am really happy with m18r1.

My only concern in buying this laptop are the cpu temps. I really feel like a costant 90-100° on prolonged gaming sessions will destroy the laptop internals in no time. I tought they would improve the cooling in this r2 version, but is just the same as the previous one...

How much performance would i lose vs a desktop with the same parts?

My favorite feature of this laptop is that the cpu can be used as a stove substitute as it will reach to 100 celcius in most games.

is the disp[ay ips or va?

When is the x16 R2 going to be released?

Gosh, call that heavy! My AW 17" R4 is over 8kg (that's without the power supply). When I put it inside a travel case it completely takes out my cabin allowance. Long overdue upgrade ...

Nice review will you sell the laptop 😅

The issue is now the motherboard durability is a problem it looks too exposed to me for damage(not last very long) and is too gentle - damage and gentleness. Because of this the durability of motherboard in alienware laptops is dissapointing same as razer ones. There are many brands did not make it.

Has anyone managed to configure the RAM for 64G @5600?

I wonder if the cherrymx keyboard would be annoying or satisfying in the long run

the keyboard remains extraordinary

I have an m16 2023, Is normal that my cpu dont go above 5% usage while gaming? Gpu goes to 95-100%.

how did you hurt your finger? should be more careful?) i like this laptop) i used to have m17 r4 with rtx 3080. in the current generation i got msi with rtx 4090. in the future i want to get alienware with rtx 5090. i like these laptops because they have 4 nvme slots. i dream to try raid0 with 4 nvme ports. i hope they keep 4 nvme ports in the future

I suppose with no new gpus in 2024 laptop makers are really struggling to make generational improvements this year

I'm very happy I chose to go with the RTX4080 option. To me, it's the sweet spot for this laptop (I have laat year's R1). Using the mini DisplayPort out to take full makes such a difference.

I was eagerly waiting for this review…. I wanted to see if the 14th gen Intel chips made any big difference in efficiency.

Its nice how powerful the laptop is, but whats the point if you can barely move it? Say if you are flying on holidays, or something, and you cant even find a laptop bag. I am happy I found a laptop bag for my M17 R4. Also, what is the performance increase in 4090 over 4080? The price increase is massive.... £600?

Thanks for the review! Great job! Has anyone had any problems with this Alienware m18 R2 (especially with a RTX4080/4090 and i9-14900HX configuration)? I really had a bit of trouble with my older Dell G7 17 7700 hitting thresholds and limiting the graphics card performance to 300MHz, which made gaming almost impossible. That made me step away from Dell because of the bad experience. I also tried the ASUS ROG STRIX SCAR 18 with an RTX 4080, but sent it back because the coil whine made my ears bleed - I could even hear it when using my headset... But when looking at the M18 R2, I'm hovering the buy button quite often these days. I would really appreciate any feedback on thresholds and coil whining. Thanks in advance! :)

We got mux switch FINALLY! 😂😂❤️ For real, the command center still needs improvements .

No wonder we never saw an Alienware M18 in CES. It's just been refreshed unlike it's smaller sibling the M16. Still wonder why they didn't just do an X series upgrade too. Sounds like Alienware can't figure out whether they flagship laptops is either the X or M series. As for this laptop nothing much haa changed. It's just a refresh so probably just get slightly better laptop than last year. Still decent but not amazing.