Here it is my review of the Alienware M15. It definitely runs a bit hot but the build quality is pretty solid. It's not my top pick but it's a big improvement compared to the bigger Alienware laptops. What do you guys think? Hit me up on discord if you have any questions! discord.gg/mattmoniz
I had the GS65 1070 and returned it because of the Awful build quality (coming from the XPS 15) , was looking into the AW15 mainly because of the BQ. What would you recommend as a thin and light powerful "gaming laptop" (Excluding the Razer blade way to expensive in Canada)
Thanks of for the video Matt ! I too have thermal issues on my 1070 max Q one. My battery life sucked though , 3 hours with the 90w battery. The culprit was the CPU boosting from 800 to 3900 Mhz and pulling 8w to 20w whilst watching UA-cam. Power saver, no lighting, quiet mode so no fans. 25% brightness.
You're very welcome! Bob was telling me that you had issues too. Seems to be the consensus between most people who have this laptop. Thank you for stopping by and I'm looking forward to your full review !
@@MatthewMoniz Yes, it seems that most are having issues. Mine has been repasted by Hidevolution too...I watched your live stream and that 9 key situation was crazy. I assume you are sending it back to them ! Cheers.
Wonder why my battery life is so poor. Mine is from Hidevolution and they don't usually let me update stuff. There is a bunch of updates I want to install and am awaiting their OK. I really hope I can do it as I feel I am dealing with a flawed system right now.
I received my M15 a few days ago and had the same problems you did with the Killer 1550 network adapter, and I was absolutely infuriated. I seriously considered calling Dell and complaining about it because it shouldn't take ->ANY
I have an XPS-13 and the Killer keeps stealth grabbing my LG soundplate across the room whenever it startup or comes out of sleep mode. I have to turn the soundplate off for 3 minutes so the Killer BT doesn't see it. I also have issues with it connecting to BT speakers by Insignia. Its paired I connect and then 4 seconds later it disconnects and grabs my LG soundplate! Annoying. I hardwired the speakers in.
Super embarrassing for Alienware that they haven’t been able to get their thermal issues under control for the past few generations. I mean, what’s the point of buying a premium laptop if it’s just going to throttle back after 20 minutes of gaming. (Hint: There’s no point). I had to undervolt my R3, run it with 2 opolar vacuum coolers just to get it to run Overwatch on LOW settings. Good job trashing your brand Alienware. Focus on the heat issues. Nobody cares about thinness if you can’t even touch it.
It not longer a premium a lot of alienware now it more like quick experiment with little marketing.. What I learn with this modern laptop is.. it too hot to used the key, had to used xbox controller... sometime power is not enough to work with it..... and undervolt is unavoidable. fighting with software is another thing.
I purchased and reviewed this laptop, I did nowhere near as great of a job at describing the unboxing experience, but I tried haha. Everything you mentioned is entirely true, and I agree that it is rather warm all the time even for normal use. I’m excited to see how Alienware can improve this style of laptop!
Alienware m15 Battlefield Players----HEADS up! -BF5 Multiplayer pulls 60 watts (I've seen 79) and it hit 95c in 5 minutes. It'll PL throttle several times before tanking to 25watts to recover. -Ambient temp of 66F -Undervolt of -.125 Balanced mode (performance mode hits 100c in seconds) -Rear propped up about 1" for ventilation -Liquid Metal and Fujipoly thermal pads. Other titles such as Overwatch and Far Cry 5 run the CPU around 35 watts stock or 25 watts undervolted as is doesn't need as much CPU grunt. Although the FC5 benchmark beats the m15 down pretty good. All tested live Stream last night with Stephen from Own Or Disown. His AW m15 specs: 8750h 2 x 8 RAM 1070 MQ 144Hz 90Whr battery September BIOS installed with new BIOS (released Dec 5th) results already in the works from the NBR folks. All temps based on Matthew's 3 or so games mentioned are legit and correct from our testing too. Battlefield multiplayer games push the CPU to different heights. Not trying to scare people off, just adding some more information should someone desire it. There's an 80+ page thread over on NBR for your viewing pleasure if you're bored. forum.notebookreview.com/threads/official-alienware-m15-owners-lounge.825553/
Pavillion aren't meant for hardcore rendering, Go try alienware 15 or some fatter laptop with better ventilation.. Much better if you get cheap ultrabook + Desktop PC
@@Paulo-zr5zo im very aware that it is not for hardcore rendering (after i used it lmao). i mean its good for the price which was $650 when i bought it (1050 2 gb variation)
Bro i got this laptop a few days after its release and its still working perfectly and not thermal throttling. But it gets HOT AS FUCK. Plus the back scratches easily but overall its an epic John Wick
You and Dave2D should compare notes. He got me excited about this laptop, but I'm holding off for the next gen now, or perhaps another brand that's out now like the Razor Blade.
Anuj Chhikara I can confirm that it gets pretty hot. After undervolting temps were fine for me. I'm still not convinced whether or not I should keep mine. It gets super loud too when playing CS Go
I just got mine in the mail and I couldn’t be happier. I play destiny 2 for hours at a time and I’ve yet to have any problems with temps above 70-75c. Right out of the box however it was exactly how you described it, hot surface temps, meh cpu and gpu temps. but after undervolting and repasting my temps went down by as much as 15 degrees and I game for hours with no throttling or high temps! If anyone is thinking about getting this laptop, just know that you will not have optimal performance right out of the box, but once you make the correct adjustments, this machine kicks ass and is well worth the money in my opinion!
Barbie&Jamille Tinoy-Ala of course! Now If you aren’t familiar with opening up a computer and fiddling with the internal components I would highly recommend you watch video tutorials on UA-cam, there’s plenty with simple instructions so you can learn. Anyways the adjustments that I made was I undervolted my CPU to -0.0140v, this shaved off almost 10c and you dot even have to open up your computer, it is done using software on the system! I also applied a really good quality 3rd party thermal paste I bought online and applied it to my cpu, this shaved off an additional 5 degrees or so. Lastly this is something I just came up with, when I’m using my laptop sometimes I place a bottle cap underneath the laptop towards the back side, which lifts it a couple mm off the surface and allows for much more airflow and ventilation to occur, this shaved off around 5-10c, so I would highly recommend it but the other 2 modifications are more important. Out of box: 85-90c while playing games After adjustments: 70-75c while playing games If you have any other questions about the m15 let me know! I know there aren’t that many reviews around so a lot of questions go unanswered.
I always watch your videos before making a concrete decision of what to buy .. Ur suggestion to buy razer blade 15 with 1060maxq over 1070max q is the best one.
I am very interested in this laptop and am wondering if it's worth getting the new model. The weird thing is Dave Lee is very positive about this model with a GTX 1070, he says that the thermal performance is insanely good. Meanwhile this guy is saying that the thermal performance is horrible? I know that they've improved temperatures even further in the newest model, but it isn't yet available in The Netherlands where I live. Let me know if you find something interesting!
Great review, Matt - thanks for all your hard work on this. My favorite part was letting us know that the Commodore 64 was "still going" on the render test. Thanks for including one of my favorite computers of all time, lol (although I bet you the Amiga would have kicked ass!).
Thanks for the review Matthew! My m15 with a 1070 max-q will arrive soon. I chose to buy the m15 over the Razer Blade 15 after watching d2d's video, He said that it has no thermal issues but it turns out the thermal is pretty bad. I will use it for a while after it arrives and see if I can accept it, if not, I will return it and buy another laptop with similar specs. Still, I really hope that my unit has better thermals.
Thank you. I saw Dave Lee review this laptop and he sad that there is no thermal problems and throtling. But now I really dont beleave his review anymore. Thank you so much!
Man, I really hope there would be improvements for this laptop in the future. I really want this laptop, have been aiming for it ever since it was announced, but those kinds of thermals coupled with the heat of a tropical climate in my nation would not really go well with together. Hopefully they release an I5 variant of it that could be customized with a GTX1060. I am only going to use this for gaming and that should be more than enough..
I was setting up this laptop and updated the drivers and BIOS through the included pre-installed updater. Part way through the update, it blue screen, turned off, and now won't turn back on due to what I'm sure is a bad BIOS update. Sending back for a full refund so I can purchase a laptop from someone else, as this is my second bad computer from Alienware in a row. Called support who confirmed the bad BIOS issue and said they are having problems with it. Then he transferred me to the department that handles refunds where I received automated message that they were closed and the call disconnected. Thanks Alienware for the great support for my brand new $2500 laptop. Shame on me for giving you a second chance. I won't be back.
Hey Matt, I ended up buying a 4K 90Wh M15 over the Razer. Activation. Wifi. DNS nightmares on day 1. I nuked W10 and re-installed the minimum amount of software (as they should come from factory). Everything worked after. I'm a happy camper now.
I got my m15 last week with the Rtx 2070 Max q and lemme just say, IT'S A MONSTER!! Seen a couple of people talk about the heat issues now and all I CNA say is, that with the cooling set to PERFORMANCE and a $40 cooler master Cooling pad, I can hit triple A title's for hours with settings cranked and my CPU hasn't gone above 75 and the GPU hovers around there as well. The noise it makes is honestly not that different from my friend's gs65 or my other friend's older Alienware. And I wear a headset anyways so the noise is not an issue. Bottom line, this thing is a beast and was totally worth it and any thermal issues can be solved by changing one setting and buying a $40 cooling pad.
As a side note, maybe they changed some stuff in it since all these videos were made last year. I say this because a few of the reviewers noted that it gets hot under the WASD keys when gaming and on mine it doesn't. It gets warm around where the power button is and your hand would never be there. I played battlefield 1 for like 4 hours yesterday and not once did it throttle or even feel uncomfortable to my hands.
Hey Matt, I bought it (specifically m15 R1) with New intel chipset (i7-9th gen), 16xGB memory, M.2 256GB PCIe SSD + 1TB SSHD (+8GB Flash), Nvidia RTX 2060 6GB Graphics card & FHD (240Hz) Narrow border display. It costs me $1,190.08. Is this worth buying this laptop or should I cancel and go for m15 R2 ? Awaiting your reply.
I'm little confused,, Which one us greatest of them - Razer Blade 15 (2018)/ MSI Gs 65/ alienware m15 ??? Please answerm me sir.. (Purpose- gaming /programming/ graphics design/ video & photo editing)
I’ve owned the Razer Blade 15 since launch. It’s a beast. The comments you see trashing it are the scrubs who only recycle what they read, they’ve never owned it.
Asus Zephyrus S, provides excellent cooling for extended high performance use cases. The only issue is the poor battery life but that's to be expected with heavy use. The Gigabyte Aero 15 is a good all round machine with portability, performance and battery life.
I bought the 17” model of this alienware and had to return it, the temps were just to hot for my liking. My right hand when using the mouse while gaming was get hot and uncomfortable from the side vent. The cpu was hitting 100 degrees regularly and when i contacted dell they said its normal and to call if it ever goes over 100 lol. Anyway i decided to go for a lager laptop and bought the alienware area51m r2 and im really happy with it so far. While gaming the temps are around the 60s and 70s, and the fans dont make that high pitch vacuum sound. Oh and the keyboard is amazing.
I have this Laptop too since about 6 months and I have absolut no problems with the keyboard-keys (3:44 min). The windows-licence was working after I activated it (this is normal by a device from Dell. You always have to click on "activate" - thats all) and also downloads were possible immediately 4:30 min. - So man, I don't know what you did but I love this machine, I like the bezels and i would buy it again! 05.05.2019
Hey your welcome Matt. Alienware and heat, tell me about it. Thanks to Dave Lee and ITU, i have kind of learned to Undervolt my Alienware R4 2017 (GTX 1070/ i7 6700HQ) to -150V. I use a cooling pad which drops the temps by a modest 4 Deg C and keep the the power options set to Balanced (recommended). After this settings CPU and GPU cores stay about 75 Deg C, while playing the latest titles and Ultra or close to ultra settings. Caution when undervolting you have to check what is your laptop's sweet spot, for me any thing above -150 ends up in BDOS.
literally every single problem he's having in his review is what i experienced with an Alienware M14 from years ago. completely turned me off from ever bothering with gaming laptops again. Is this representative of what owning a gaming laptop is like? I'd really like to know.
no man, but when it comes to gaming laptops the overheating is the main thing and you gotta do your due dilligance before buying one, takes a lot of research, alienware still gotta sort some shit out so id recommend you to go for ASUS instead
Man its weird that i'm a lefthanded person but I use my pcs and game as if I were right handed because that's how the computer was setup for me as a kid. Even in school we didn't learn as left handed users. Just thought it was kinda strange. Oh well, great video.
well thats cause left handed people in most situation are forced to adapt since we're kids but once you start using your left hand again you'll get more comfortable sooner than you think n you'll play better ;)
I just ordered one over the memorial day with 144hz display and a 2070 weekend and got $600 off. So stoked. Never owned a good laptop. I can't wait. I made sure I got a cooling pad since it runs hot. I'm glad I canceled the hp omen. Its alot cheaper, but built cheaper and I heard it runs so hot you make a grilled cheese. I refuse to pay over 2 grand for a laptop since they dont last as long as a desktop and it's just not worth it at the rate hardware improves. Lastly, I'm happy I decided to buy one before those Chines tariffs kick in. I would encourage anyone to if your gonna make a big purchase do it before the summer ends and they take full effect. That is if I deal isnt done by then but it's not lookin too good for now.
Nice review. Just curious how does the Razer Blade 15 with 1060 Max-Q beat the Alienware m15 with 1060? Also thanks for the honest review of the cooling problems. Dave2D said it is the coolest Alienware yet. I guess he wasn't lying because the previous models were probably even hotter.
My wishlist for a "GAMING" laptop - a laptop that is mostly focussed on gaming on the go: - Multiple USB type C ports (at least 2 because some GPU enclosures require 2) - No Camera, a Mic that you'd usually find on a laptop is good, but a camera is just useless. If I wanna use skype, I'd use an external webcam - No speakers (why would we need speakers when many games out there depend on finer sounds such as footsteps. Speakers, imo, are there to add to the price and take up space inside the chassis. - Maybe try to develop a mobo that sports a full sized CPU. That way we can have better future proofing of the laptop. - Removable key caps (companies can go crazy with customization) - charging port on the left side of the chassis instead of the right. No obstructions for our mouse. Finally the most ambitious wish out of all... - A 15" laptop in a 17" chassis. This means there may be more room for cooling and... Cooling, just make the cooling better (ofc have a 144hz display) Hopefully you guys can give some input on this!
The perfect gaming laptop is one with touch screen, no heat issues, 144hz, office friendly look, and a hinge can fold all the way over to make it become a tablet.
@@reduXstereo Touch screens, and 360° hinges are just gimmicks that make a device much more expensive - I already have those fearues in my Lenovo Yoga 500 laptop and I must say that those aren't worth paying for if you want to pay out of your own pocket and want to make every penny count. I still stick to my checklist, thanks for your input though! 👌👌
Thanks for the full review on the Alienware m15. I am sending mine back and looking for something else. See me system usage comments below: I have looked every day for new reviews and they are few and far between. I took advantage of Dell credits and military discounts and pulled the trigger on this unit. I am not sure I will be keeping it though. What is the best benchmark to use to check heat and other items for the unit. My unit with 1070 came with a 180 Watt power brick, I mention this because similarly equipped systems come with higher wattage power bricks. Is 180 Watts enough? Here are some comments I posted on my unit in order of posts: My m15 fans cycles allot only using the web! The CPU is getting to 80 and the fans are hitting 88% with spikes to 100%. This seems a bit excessive only using the web? I am not able to update the NVidia drivers from August to the newest version. I keep getting an error that the Windows version is not compatible? Made sure I am downloading 64 bit version. I did an online Benchmark using UserBenchmark and the NVidia 1070 did not kick in? Only the Intel 630 is working. I did fix the Killer drivers and ran all Windows updates. I started to use the m15 system for everyday tasks and found the "S" key has a raised mark on it. I am sure this is for gaming but I use the ones on every keyboard for finger placement, the "F" and "J" keys so I don't have to look at the keyboard. The issue is the mark on the "S" key is more pronounced, it feels more so to me, than both the "F" and "J" keys and it is causing issues with regular typing. The mark on the "S" key is not required. Add full RGB lighting to differentiate WASD keys and not place additional marks on the keys. The fans keep cycling high on regular daily work as well! It sounds like the fan on the left side. I also hear clicking from the fan when it is rotating slow!! Playing Darksouls III; well actually just loaded the game and did nothing but let it run; the system fans (both CPU and System started to run at 88% to 100% and then locked in at 100%) CPU Temps 79 to 85, CPU speed was all over the place, GPU steady 76, while on Balanced. It is loud to me but I do not have a comparison to gauge from. I do not find the screen to pop like many have stated (144Hz, 1080P Screen) but I have not been able to update the drivers either due to issue above. The constant fan noise does detract from playing a game using just the system speakers. I thought the speakers sounded ok but you can hear the fans. I felt the unit did get too hot based on touch and comfort ability. Honestly I wanted a smaller system I could play some games on but I will not be using this system at home to play games. I will use my desktop for that or a gaming system. I really wanted a powerful system I can use while traveling for coding, video (Netflix, VUDU), college and some gaming but I don't want something that is going to sound like a jet taking off while I am only using the web, word, or power point. I was hoping for the best of both worlds. Like many others I saw Dave's 2 D's review and comment on cooling but this is not the case with my unit. While sitting here listening to this thing go to town I have made up my mind and will be sending it back. I can't imaging any system running cooling at 100% all the time would have any longevity. The CPU is only at 14% usage, GPU 51% usage and fans are both at 100%. Thanks again for your review and confirming what I found with this system. I total agree why is this being the Smallest Alienware notebook a big deal. I am very disappointed with Dell still releasing systems with the Killer driver issue. Before purchasing this unit I purchase the Alienware 17R5 and had 3 defective units and all three had the same Killer driver issue. Come on why release a new system and continue to install network drivers that do not allow the system to connect properly to the internet?? I think I am done with gaming systems. My thought was a gaming system would have the power to run anything but I think I am better off with a laptop that can do daily tasks well and some gaming. I will be using my Alienware desktop; which I love; for gaming. I need a system to run Photoshop, Coding, Graphics and 3D applications, and general office items. I am still up in the air on which system to get and had high hopes for this system. Maybe the Microsoft Surface Book 2 (was hoping the Book 3 would be out now), Microsoft Surface Laptop 2, will continue to look.
You're very welcome and I'm sorry you're not happy with your purchase. Just one comment about the fan noise. It's noise is acceptable for a gaming laptop it's in line with other competing products. Any gaming laptop with a powerful discrete GPU will have fans that you can hear while gaming. It's the price we have to pay for having such power in a thinner form factor. As for what laptop you should get that meets the needs you mentioned, I'd check out the Lenovo X1 Extreme or if you want something more gaming centric the Blade 15!
Hum the Lenovo X1 looks good but I keep coming back to the Microsoft Surface Book 2. I held off on that waiting on the m15 and hoping the Book 3 would be out soon with some IO updates. I would like thoughts on the X1 and Book 2. Both very different systems. I see there is a new BIOS for the m15 and thought I would try it out but after restoring the system to factory specs I cannot load windows!! The m15 says plug in and connect to internet? I have a hard wired internet connection and power plug in place and can't get the system to move past the windows installation screen! Hum oh wait the Number 9 key just popped off, I think this is an omen to return it. Dell did offer and addition $145 off the system to keep.
I wonder if they would consider putting in an Intel® Core™ i7-8565U Processor for this laptop (4c/8t upto 4.6ghz). Plenty powerful enough for gaming, it would improve battery life and it would help solve the thermal problems.
Isnt the 1060 version already an overcooked gpu? How is it losing out to a max-q...? Couldnt wait longer for the reviews, got the 1070 big battery turning up in a week. Hopefully works nicer than some of these review ones.
Red looks better and also my M15 has the same overheating issues, but I reinstall windows and change the thermal paste. It works perfectly under 80C when I game.
You're generous in saying good first attempt. I think being part of Dell, and Dell having already put out the G series of laptops which have pretty good thermals (on a 1060 maxq and i7 at least), similar performance, are a bit thicker but are also significantly cheaper, I just feel they could have done better. I think this product just seems...fine. Really not what I expect from Alienware and for what they're charging.
Question; You made a point here regarding CPU longevity in withstanding constant high heat, so as someone who uses CPU intensive rendering software that requires running the CPU at 100% for over 15 continuous hours for a single render job what should I do? or what should I look for in a laptop?
whoa, surprisingly critical! thinking about it, I just feel like its still too early to buy thin&light gaming laptop ... the temperatures are just scary if you ask me, I like my stuff to last when I take care of it, not bake from the inside eventually :/
What is the problem with Killer WiFi? This issue has been going on for about 5 years and Dell still can't fix it? Dell has been losing it since late 2017...
Peterson Family Is the supplied 180W power brick enough for the system? I just received a new m15 with RTX 2060, 90wh battery, 144Hz panel and when updating the BIOS I received a message that the 180W power brick was too small and a 240W was required to ensure devices could operate at full capability and charging would be slower. Also included was an option to turn off this notice in the BIOS. Hum is Dell turning this notice off in the BIOS so the consumer doesn't question this. I had to redo the BIOS several times due to battery issues; while working with Alienware support; and on the 3rd refresh the message above occurred. It did not happen when I did the refresh two other times???? Also interesting is I had a similar message when starting a m17 for the first time. In fact the power brick was not even recognized and would not charge the m17?? I thought the battery issues were corrected but my m15 was only getting 2:30 hours streaming Netflix, on Balanced, with Screen Brightness turned down to 25%, using the Intel GPU, sound at 12, and turning off all LED's. When running a battery report in Command Prompt my battery reported Design Capacity of 90,000 mWh but a Full Charge Capacity of only 85,720 mWh?? So a new system doesn't have a full charge capacity, I checked this on m17 and previous m15's and they both showed full 90,000 mWh capacity. BIOS issues continue? This system had flickering on the screen and extreme light bleed on both bottom corners and the top right corner. It was so bad the light bleed was showing through on applications and while watching videos. I have sent the unit back for replacement instead of opting for an LCD panel replacement. We will hope the Dell vendor lottery is good to me and I have better luck with the replacement.
As bad as this may be. I'm still happy that alienware is now releasing thinner options, Knowing dell they might release better versions next year so i will wait
@@MatthewMoniz Dell need to re release the XPS gaming line of the early 2000's but by todays internal and cosmetic standards. Loved the XPS M1710 and XPS M1730.
@@worldwide8553 Funny I had the same systems was able to run everything on high at the time and had no issue with heat or fan noise. Components have changed considerably but I sill have my XPS running. Just can't get rid of it. Might let my son have it to beat on on. He wants something to run Minecraft on.
Pravit Reddy yes sir. This laptop is perfect. I like it so much. The undervolt was so simple. I can play anygame at any graphics setting. I play f1, no mans sky, gta, watch dogs, fornite, etc
I am going to receive mine few days , and this live made me sad, could you please tell me after 6 months now what is your thoughts? Is it still super hot like mentioned? And how you do the undervolt? And does it effect any games? Planing to play (escape from trakov) Hope to have your full review please, I think I got the same like you
well i am using alienware 👽 17 r4 and I am having no thermal isues or any kind of throttling. On load the temps are 75 degrees max and it is build like a tank.
You can actually put back the keycap...it has a traditional 4 clip scissors keyswitch type just like other laptop keyboards...you need to hook the two clips below first then press the keycap in while angling towards thw top side of the other two clips to clip it in.Then release the press then it should be golden.I did this on many other laptops and it should work on this too.
I'm confused between MSIGS65 and alienware m15.Which one should i pick? Build quality is a definite need though.I'll be doning coding and typing and also gaming like cs go,pubg etc. And what about dell and msi's customer support? Please suggest the best one.
Nice overview. I took a punt on one of these (1070 max q version) and just waiting to receive it now as it was apparently shipped a few days ago. It was a toss up between this and the Blade 15 and I ended up going with the M15 due to the optional bigger battery, and more internal storage available. I guess time will tell how I get on with it!
Big alienware fan. I have an old laptop from 2014 and it still runs like a top. Build quality is top notch. In my experience, razer laptops are garbage. They have terrible build quality, terrible monitors. The old alienware were thick due to incredible cooling solutions and older p.c. products running hot.
I bought the tank laptop. Those ultra thin gaming laptops are a joke right now. Do you really want to buy something thats not meant to be ultra thin without heat issues yet? cmon...
Hey buddy, you semi answered my question on live chat, but you got distracted lol. Thinkpad P1 or MacBook Pro Vega 20 for University. Care about reliability, and Adobe CC?? Thanks and subscribed
I don't know why did your key fall off I have mine for 2 years and none of my keys came off. the heat is the only problem I am still having and I hate it.
It needs a faster panel. Period. 60Hz with a 1060 is a waste. Whats the point of it being larger than the Razer Blade if there is still thermal issues? What are they actually using the extra size for? P.S. You can get laptops that don't throttle that are smaller with the 8750H ( I would be interested to see how this laptop performs with an undervolt and some other XTU adjustments.)
@@MatthewMoniz Gotcha, still a shame about the thermals though, I was expecting Alienware to show everyone up honestly. Coming late to market with the issues you touched on and a few more* is not a good look. But I will take back 50% of my REEEE *I've heard that Dell has been canceling orders
So happy I bought the msi gs65. I really liked the razer blade 15 but at the time it was $400 more. The cpu gets hot while gaming but tweaking certain settings its manageable
Wich has better thermals, this one or the 15r4, not for gaming, only for video editing like after effects and cinema 4d, or wich laptop with i7 8750h and 1060 you will recomend?
I would wait another generation or two so they get their thermals worked out, at least Alienware listens to their customers. But if you want one now, I would suggest the Alienware 17
I have been running the alienware for a while and tips to keep it within temp range that you want, because they share heat pipes with gpu and cpu lower the boost on the cpu and the graphics card can boost just fine. Out of the box yes it is not for the common user. Please know your stuff because the hardware is boostable beyond what the other pcs can go but.... there is a price to it.
i love it the detail about the keys and keypad also the hardware issue such as hot issue and keyboard issue.. coz a laptop, people will use it in long period.. kudos 👍
I'm sorry what??? Matthew, I'm sorry did I get this right? Can you confirm that the 9 key is definitely broken??? I was considering this laptop but if keys brake this easily I'm not anymore.
@@MatthewMoniz maybe I had a bad "apple" get it? Cause it is heavily influenced by apple? But yeah I was getting around 90-97c on the 1060 max-q. I travel a lot and decided to get a decked out 17 R5 cause you know how closely related those two products are right? In any case my temps are much better and I don't have to make any compromises on the performance that I prefer. I do compromise on luggage though but this burden I will gladly 🐻
Good review, first one I seen that talks about the wireless issue, when I got mine support didn't know about the issue and days later they updated the support page. Mine is in repair, I been having issues with SSD and that even with the thermal throttle, the cpu sits on upper 90s or 100 while playing and the wireless stop working when it gets too hot. I don't recommend to get this laptop, wait for a revision or a different one. For me is too late.
@@MatthewMoniz thanks, well let's see how it behaves, I am receiving it back today, they changed the motherboard and wireless, I hope at least it works fine now, I can live with the heat issue, but the SSD was a pain, sometimes it was working and sometimes it was not working and it was the computer by itself, because the SSD was working fine in other computer, by the way, is not an SSD provided by them, I bought in amazon and tried 3 different brands/ssd all the same issue.
Only one detail of m15 makes me avoid it: Ugly thick bezels!
No, it's coz I'm poor...
ROFL. Is this the new
NOT Joke? haha
Abdullaev Iskandar e
My bag got hit around alot so i don't mind a little bezel..
Here it is my review of the Alienware M15. It definitely runs a bit hot but the build quality is pretty solid. It's not my top pick but it's a big improvement compared to the bigger Alienware laptops. What do you guys think? Hit me up on discord if you have any questions! discord.gg/mattmoniz
I had the GS65 1070 and returned it because of the Awful build quality (coming from the XPS 15) , was looking into the AW15 mainly because of the BQ. What would you recommend as a thin and light powerful "gaming laptop" (Excluding the Razer blade way to expensive in Canada)
What is your "top pick" out of the comparables?
Not impressed that much, as before model keys looks great , but this doesn’t look solid to me
anyone see the 90 watt battery upgrade option ?
@@ethanmcpherson295 You need to choose M2 ssd(s) only and the 90WH option will show
Thanks of for the video Matt ! I too have thermal issues on my 1070 max Q one. My battery life sucked though , 3 hours with the 90w battery. The culprit was the CPU boosting from 800 to 3900 Mhz and pulling 8w to 20w whilst watching UA-cam. Power saver, no lighting, quiet mode so no fans. 25% brightness.
You're very welcome! Bob was telling me that you had issues too. Seems to be the consensus between most people who have this laptop. Thank you for stopping by and I'm looking forward to your full review !
@@MatthewMoniz Yes, it seems that most are having issues. Mine has been repasted by Hidevolution too...I watched your live stream and that 9 key situation was crazy. I assume you are sending it back to them ! Cheers.
OWNorDisown I’ve had no issues with my 1070 model. I did have to download killer WiFi drivers. Only problem I had.
Wonder why my battery life is so poor. Mine is from Hidevolution and they don't usually let me update stuff. There is a bunch of updates I want to install and am awaiting their OK. I really hope I can do it as I feel I am dealing with a flawed system right now.
@@chrisXDfull I know, I have done it many times
Looks like you fix the broken key
.
.
Edit: No you didn't
LOL
I did LOL during your live stream when you accidentally broke the key.
it's look better without that 9 key
I received my M15 a few days ago and had the same problems you did with the Killer 1550 network adapter, and I was absolutely infuriated. I seriously considered calling Dell and complaining about it because it shouldn't take ->ANY
I have an XPS-13 and the Killer keeps stealth grabbing my LG soundplate across the room whenever it startup or comes out of sleep mode. I have to turn the soundplate off for 3 minutes so the Killer BT doesn't see it. I also have issues with it connecting to BT speakers by Insignia. Its paired I connect and then 4 seconds later it disconnects and grabs my LG soundplate! Annoying. I hardwired the speakers in.
It is a matter of great shame that such a large company does not know how to design a laptop to reduce the temperature
Super embarrassing for Alienware that they haven’t been able to get their thermal issues under control for the past few generations. I mean, what’s the point of buying a premium laptop if it’s just going to throttle back after 20 minutes of gaming. (Hint: There’s no point). I had to undervolt my R3, run it with 2 opolar vacuum coolers just to get it to run Overwatch on LOW settings.
Good job trashing your brand Alienware. Focus on the heat issues. Nobody cares about thinness if you can’t even touch it.
You should've returned it. Overwatch on low settings like that, for sure that's a lemon. I've had R2 R3 R4 R5 and none that bad.
It not longer a premium a lot of alienware now it more like quick experiment with little marketing..
What I learn with this modern laptop is.. it too hot to used the key, had to used xbox controller... sometime power is not enough to work with it..... and undervolt is unavoidable. fighting with software is another thing.
I purchased and reviewed this laptop, I did nowhere near as great of a job at describing the unboxing experience, but I tried haha. Everything you mentioned is entirely true, and I agree that it is rather warm all the time even for normal use. I’m excited to see how Alienware can improve this style of laptop!
What about the one with rtx 2060?
Alienware m15 Battlefield Players----HEADS up!
-BF5 Multiplayer pulls 60 watts (I've seen 79) and it hit 95c in 5 minutes. It'll PL throttle several times before tanking to 25watts to recover.
-Ambient temp of 66F
-Undervolt of -.125 Balanced mode (performance mode hits 100c in seconds)
-Rear propped up about 1" for ventilation
-Liquid Metal and Fujipoly thermal pads.
Other titles such as Overwatch and Far Cry 5 run the CPU around 35 watts stock or 25 watts undervolted as is doesn't need as much CPU grunt. Although the FC5 benchmark beats the m15 down pretty good.
All tested live Stream last night with Stephen from Own Or Disown.
His AW m15 specs:
8750h
2 x 8 RAM
1070 MQ
144Hz
90Whr battery
September BIOS installed with new BIOS (released Dec 5th) results already in the works from the NBR folks.
All temps based on Matthew's 3 or so games mentioned are legit and correct from our testing too. Battlefield multiplayer games push the CPU to different heights.
Not trying to scare people off, just adding some more information should someone desire it. There's an 80+ page thread over on NBR for your viewing pleasure if you're bored. forum.notebookreview.com/threads/official-alienware-m15-owners-lounge.825553/
Thanks Bob for chiming in! I'm glad I'm not the only one with the same results.
Cheers Bob ! Will be uploading the stream tonight so people can see. Hopefully new BIOS helps
My m15 is lit and it runs cool i can comfortably touch it
hot surface? i mean im using a pavilion 15 gaming nothing gets hotter than this
Specs please ? and How much hotter does it gets ? I am using Asus GL702vm , it also gets hot even with laptop cooler.
@@awansarmad i5-8300H + 8 GB ram ddr4 + GTX1050 2GB. also its hot because i use after effects often which it barely could
leafshine trynthe new lenovo legion with 6 core cpu : p misformed the plastic on my table, gets fucking hot :p
Pavillion aren't meant for hardcore rendering, Go try alienware 15 or some fatter laptop with better ventilation.. Much better if you get cheap ultrabook + Desktop PC
@@Paulo-zr5zo im very aware that it is not for hardcore rendering (after i used it lmao). i mean its good for the price which was $650 when i bought it (1050 2 gb variation)
Hope you have a great day! I love you man I love the way you review tech without much bias at all!
Thanks Jeremy! You have an awesome day too!
Bro i got this laptop a few days after its release and its still working perfectly and not thermal throttling. But it gets HOT AS FUCK. Plus the back scratches easily but overall its an epic John Wick
if it gets hot as fuck IT IS THERMAL THROTTLING
You and Dave2D should compare notes. He got me excited about this laptop, but I'm holding off for the next gen now, or perhaps another brand that's out now like the Razor Blade.
You really shouldn't buy this laptop if you can afford it. Theres way better laptops such as the razer blade 15, msi gs65, and aero 15x
Jason H but the Alienware was about 25% cheaper than the others for me. But I generally agree with you.
Anuj Chhikara I can confirm that it gets pretty hot. After undervolting temps were fine for me. I'm still not convinced whether or not I should keep mine. It gets super loud too when playing CS Go
just get anything with good thermals maybe take a look at MSI offerings think they're the best bet
The 15 R4 and 17 R5 look way better than this new design.
I couldn't agree more
Sadly the thermal is still the main issue on R4 and R5
The m15 has better thermal than the 15r4?
Yup even my 15 r3 looks better
@@coolmodee I currently have the 15R4 With the I5 8300H and 1060, Max tempts 84c for cpu and 81c gpu.
I just got mine in the mail and I couldn’t be happier. I play destiny 2 for hours at a time and I’ve yet to have any problems with temps above 70-75c. Right out of the box however it was exactly how you described it, hot surface temps, meh cpu and gpu temps. but after undervolting and repasting my temps went down by as much as 15 degrees and I game for hours with no throttling or high temps! If anyone is thinking about getting this laptop, just know that you will not have optimal performance right out of the box, but once you make the correct adjustments, this machine kicks ass and is well worth the money in my opinion!
Can you please elaborate on what to adjust like what you did on your laptop? Much appreciated and than you in advance
Barbie&Jamille Tinoy-Ala of course! Now If you aren’t familiar with opening up a computer and fiddling with the internal components I would highly recommend you watch video tutorials on UA-cam, there’s plenty with simple instructions so you can learn. Anyways the adjustments that I made was I undervolted my CPU to -0.0140v, this shaved off almost 10c and you dot even have to open up your computer, it is done using software on the system!
I also applied a really good quality 3rd party thermal paste I bought online and applied it to my cpu, this shaved off an additional 5 degrees or so.
Lastly this is something I just came up with, when I’m using my laptop sometimes I place a bottle cap underneath the laptop towards the back side, which lifts it a couple mm off the surface and allows for much more airflow and ventilation to occur, this shaved off around 5-10c, so I would highly recommend it but the other 2 modifications are more important.
Out of box: 85-90c while playing games
After adjustments: 70-75c while playing games
If you have any other questions about the m15 let me know! I know there aren’t that many reviews around so a lot of questions go unanswered.
And there is dave2d who got paid I believe said this is the best alien ware.... Kudoos maat for speaking the truth.
Thanks Sarat!
I always watch your videos before making a concrete decision of what to buy .. Ur suggestion to buy razer blade 15 with 1060maxq over 1070max q is the best one.
Deve had said it is coolest alienware ever made thanks' Matthew
True that i believe in mat too... i watch dave2d only for visuals .. ownordisown is another channel who i trust.
Thanks wentilatgreator I went to the ownordisown channel and found it useful.
are you gonna review the 2019 M15? I am wondering how its battery life compares to the previous model
I am very interested in this laptop and am wondering if it's worth getting the new model. The weird thing is Dave Lee is very positive about this model with a GTX 1070, he says that the thermal performance is insanely good. Meanwhile this guy is saying that the thermal performance is horrible?
I know that they've improved temperatures even further in the newest model, but it isn't yet available in The Netherlands where I live. Let me know if you find something interesting!
Hope you hit 300k Matt : )
I will = ) Thank you!
They should make a alienware m13 with a gtx 1060
Except they can't
lmao even if they put a pentium processor inside, they are so bad that they would still get thermal issues
@@cristianconstantin6496 ok but have you ever heard of max-q
its just because its a chunky laptop and probobly not enough fans, but yes it is still terrible LOL
coffee max q is so fucking underclocked that's not Worth to get, go with 9 series instead.
I like your reviews a little better than other channels. Subscribed!
The laptop looks rushed or unpolished after watching your review, great job anyways!
Thanks Chan!!
chan zheng fu The quality is unmatched and no problems. I’m loving my M15, works amazing with Vr.
It's a tank and built with magnesium alloy.
Abel Chavez looks like shit
@@abelchavez3182 are you facing any thermal issue?
Great review, Matt - thanks for all your hard work on this. My favorite part was letting us know that the Commodore 64 was "still going" on the render test. Thanks for including one of my favorite computers of all time, lol (although I bet you the Amiga would have kicked ass!).
haha you're welcome! Amiga would be done already
I love my M15 , it’s so quiet and lovely. Been using it for the Oculus.
Same here dude. Best choice I've made.
@@darnhead6701 Do you know how to change the keyboard color?
Happy I picked the msi gs65 over the m15. Great experience so far! Thanks to you and all the persons on your discord for helping me choose.
Is it good?
Thanks for the review Matthew! My m15 with a 1070 max-q will arrive soon. I chose to buy the m15 over the Razer Blade 15 after watching d2d's video, He said that it has no thermal issues but it turns out the thermal is pretty bad. I will use it for a while after it arrives and see if I can accept it, if not, I will return it and buy another laptop with similar specs. Still, I really hope that my unit has better thermals.
You're welcome Leo! Let me know how it turns out. I'm curious to hear how the 1070 runs. Thankfully you have 30 days to make up your mind
Thank you. I saw Dave Lee review this laptop and he sad that there is no thermal problems and throtling. But now I really dont beleave his review anymore. Thank you so much!
You're very welcome!
Илья Богданов I own one and the thermals are amazing, and no problems throttling.
Man, I really hope there would be improvements for this laptop in the future. I really want this laptop, have been aiming for it ever since it was announced, but those kinds of thermals coupled with the heat of a tropical climate in my nation would not really go well with together. Hopefully they release an I5 variant of it that could be customized with a GTX1060. I am only going to use this for gaming and that should be more than enough..
I was setting up this laptop and updated the drivers and BIOS through the included pre-installed updater. Part way through the update, it blue screen, turned off, and now won't turn back on due to what I'm sure is a bad BIOS update. Sending back for a full refund so I can purchase a laptop from someone else, as this is my second bad computer from Alienware in a row. Called support who confirmed the bad BIOS issue and said they are having problems with it. Then he transferred me to the department that handles refunds where I received automated message that they were closed and the call disconnected. Thanks Alienware for the great support for my brand new $2500 laptop. Shame on me for giving you a second chance. I won't be back.
Hey Matt, I ended up buying a 4K 90Wh M15 over the Razer. Activation. Wifi. DNS nightmares on day 1. I nuked W10 and re-installed the minimum amount of software (as they should come from factory). Everything worked after. I'm a happy camper now.
Glad to hear it all worked out!
I got my m15 last week with the Rtx 2070 Max q and lemme just say, IT'S A MONSTER!! Seen a couple of people talk about the heat issues now and all I CNA say is, that with the cooling set to PERFORMANCE and a $40 cooler master Cooling pad, I can hit triple A title's for hours with settings cranked and my CPU hasn't gone above 75 and the GPU hovers around there as well. The noise it makes is honestly not that different from my friend's gs65 or my other friend's older Alienware. And I wear a headset anyways so the noise is not an issue. Bottom line, this thing is a beast and was totally worth it and any thermal issues can be solved by changing one setting and buying a $40 cooling pad.
As a side note, maybe they changed some stuff in it since all these videos were made last year. I say this because a few of the reviewers noted that it gets hot under the WASD keys when gaming and on mine it doesn't. It gets warm around where the power button is and your hand would never be there. I played battlefield 1 for like 4 hours yesterday and not once did it throttle or even feel uncomfortable to my hands.
Hey Matt, I bought it (specifically m15 R1) with New intel chipset (i7-9th gen), 16xGB memory, M.2 256GB PCIe SSD + 1TB SSHD (+8GB Flash), Nvidia RTX 2060 6GB Graphics card & FHD (240Hz) Narrow border display.
It costs me $1,190.08.
Is this worth buying this laptop or should I cancel and go for m15 R2 ?
Awaiting your reply.
May I know from where you bought for this price tag?
I'm little confused,,
Which one us greatest of them - Razer Blade 15 (2018)/ MSI Gs 65/ alienware m15 ???
Please answerm me sir..
(Purpose- gaming /programming/ graphics design/ video & photo editing)
MKS Vlog i wanted to get the razer but everyone is saying it’s rly bad :(
Gigabyte Aero 15X is the best thin and light gaming laptop...
I’ve owned the Razer Blade 15 since launch. It’s a beast. The comments you see trashing it are the scrubs who only recycle what they read, they’ve never owned it.
Asus Zephyrus S, provides excellent cooling for extended high performance use cases. The only issue is the poor battery life but that's to be expected with heavy use. The Gigabyte Aero 15 is a good all round machine with portability, performance and battery life.
Maybe Powerstation by MSI?
This is the most honest review that I've seen about this laptop. Thanks! I'm now subscribed.
You're welcome and thanks for subscribing!
I bought the 17” model of this alienware and had to return it, the temps were just to hot for my liking. My right hand when using the mouse while gaming was get hot and uncomfortable from the side vent. The cpu was hitting 100 degrees regularly and when i contacted dell they said its normal and to call if it ever goes over 100 lol. Anyway i decided to go for a lager laptop and bought the alienware area51m r2 and im really happy with it so far. While gaming the temps are around the 60s and 70s, and the fans dont make that high pitch vacuum sound. Oh and the keyboard is amazing.
I have this Laptop too since about 6 months and I have absolut no problems with the keyboard-keys (3:44 min). The windows-licence was working after I activated it (this is normal by a device from Dell. You always have to click on "activate" - thats all) and also downloads were possible immediately 4:30 min. - So man, I don't know what you did but I love this machine, I like the bezels and i would buy it again! 05.05.2019
Hi! Is the m15 worth buying? I’m planning to buy one this June ;)
R.I.P. *9* key! We will always remember you!
Hey your welcome Matt. Alienware and heat, tell me about it. Thanks to Dave Lee and ITU, i have kind of learned to Undervolt my Alienware R4 2017 (GTX 1070/ i7 6700HQ) to -150V. I use a cooling pad which drops the temps by a modest 4 Deg C and keep the the power options set to Balanced (recommended). After this settings CPU and GPU cores stay about 75 Deg C, while playing the latest titles and Ultra or close to ultra settings. Caution when undervolting you have to check what is your laptop's sweet spot, for me any thing above -150 ends up in BDOS.
Dude! thanks for every review! You're my fav youtuber! Hugs from Venezuela!
*Now I could cook my eggs on the go*
Scrambled or sunnyside up?
Matthew Moniz sunny side up
It doesn’t get hot, the thermals are great.
literally every single problem he's having in his review is what i experienced with an Alienware M14 from years ago. completely turned me off from ever bothering with gaming laptops again. Is this representative of what owning a gaming laptop is like? I'd really like to know.
no man, but when it comes to gaming laptops the overheating is the main thing and you gotta do your due dilligance before buying one, takes a lot of research, alienware still gotta sort some shit out so id recommend you to go for ASUS instead
Man its weird that i'm a lefthanded person but I use my pcs and game as if I were right handed because that's how the computer was setup for me as a kid. Even in school we didn't learn as left handed users. Just thought it was kinda strange. Oh well, great video.
well thats cause left handed people in most situation are forced to adapt since we're kids but once you start using your left hand again you'll get more comfortable sooner than you think n you'll play better ;)
Just used the xbox controller.
yo Matt whats the best bang for your buck laptop for mild gaming and business around the 1500$ range?
Trackpad is never in the middle of the keyboard when it has a number pad - you don’t want your palm to interfere while entering numbers.
Always love the laptop reviews.
Thanks man!
I just ordered one over the memorial day with 144hz display and a 2070 weekend and got $600 off. So stoked. Never owned a good laptop. I can't wait. I made sure I got a cooling pad since it runs hot. I'm glad I canceled the hp omen. Its alot cheaper, but built cheaper and I heard it runs so hot you make a grilled cheese. I refuse to pay over 2 grand for a laptop since they dont last as long as a desktop and it's just not worth it at the rate hardware improves. Lastly, I'm happy I decided to buy one before those Chines tariffs kick in. I would encourage anyone to if your gonna make a big purchase do it before the summer ends and they take full effect. That is if I deal isnt done by then but it's not lookin too good for now.
Has the commodore64 finished the rendering meanwhile? :-)) Thanks for the great Review!
Haha still going!
Finally 144hz monitors, but when I saw the Max Q on the 1070, walking away.
wise decision keep walking away, doing the same thing also xD
Nice review. Just curious how does the Razer Blade 15 with 1060 Max-Q beat the Alienware m15 with 1060? Also thanks for the honest review of the cooling problems. Dave2D said it is the coolest Alienware yet. I guess he wasn't lying because the previous models were probably even hotter.
Thanks! Daves review was very positive. I checked with other reviewers who reviewed this device and they had the same results as myself.
My wishlist for a "GAMING" laptop - a laptop that is mostly focussed on gaming on the go:
- Multiple USB type C ports (at least 2 because some GPU enclosures require 2)
- No Camera, a Mic that you'd usually find on a laptop is good, but a camera is just useless. If I wanna use skype, I'd use an external webcam
- No speakers (why would we need speakers when many games out there depend on finer sounds such as footsteps. Speakers, imo, are there to add to the price and take up space inside the chassis.
- Maybe try to develop a mobo that sports a full sized CPU. That way we can have better future proofing of the laptop.
- Removable key caps (companies can go crazy with customization)
- charging port on the left side of the chassis instead of the right. No obstructions for our mouse.
Finally the most ambitious wish out of all...
- A 15" laptop in a 17" chassis. This means there may be more room for cooling and... Cooling, just make the cooling better (ofc have a 144hz display)
Hopefully you guys can give some input on this!
The perfect gaming laptop is one with touch screen, no heat issues, 144hz, office friendly look, and a hinge can fold all the way over to make it become a tablet.
@@reduXstereo
Touch screens, and 360° hinges are just gimmicks that make a device much more expensive - I already have those fearues in my Lenovo Yoga 500 laptop and I must say that those aren't worth paying for if you want to pay out of your own pocket and want to make every penny count.
I still stick to my checklist, thanks for your input though! 👌👌
Thanks for the full review on the Alienware m15. I am sending mine back and looking for something else. See me system usage comments below:
I have looked every day for new reviews and they are few and far between. I took advantage of Dell credits and military discounts and pulled the trigger on this unit. I am not sure I will be keeping it though. What is the best benchmark to use to check heat and other items for the unit.
My unit with 1070 came with a 180 Watt power brick, I mention this because similarly equipped systems come with higher wattage power bricks. Is 180 Watts enough? Here are some comments I posted on my unit in order of posts:
My m15 fans cycles allot only using the web! The CPU is getting to 80 and the fans are hitting 88% with spikes to 100%. This seems a bit excessive only using the web? I am not able to update the NVidia drivers from August to the newest version. I keep getting an error that the Windows version is not compatible? Made sure I am downloading 64 bit version. I did an online Benchmark using UserBenchmark and the NVidia 1070 did not kick in? Only the Intel 630 is working. I did fix the Killer drivers and ran all Windows updates.
I started to use the m15 system for everyday tasks and found the "S" key has a raised mark on it. I am sure this is for gaming but I use the ones on every keyboard for finger placement, the "F" and "J" keys so I don't have to look at the keyboard. The issue is the mark on the "S" key is more pronounced, it feels more so to me, than both the "F" and "J" keys and it is causing issues with regular typing. The mark on the "S" key is not required. Add full RGB lighting to differentiate WASD keys and not place additional marks on the keys. The fans keep cycling high on regular daily work as well! It sounds like the fan on the left side. I also hear clicking from the fan when it is rotating slow!!
Playing Darksouls III; well actually just loaded the game and did nothing but let it run; the system fans (both CPU and System started to run at 88% to 100% and then locked in at 100%) CPU Temps 79 to 85, CPU speed was all over the place, GPU steady 76, while on Balanced. It is loud to me but I do not have a comparison to gauge from. I do not find the screen to pop like many have stated (144Hz, 1080P Screen) but I have not been able to update the drivers either due to issue above. The constant fan noise does detract from playing a game using just the system speakers.
I thought the speakers sounded ok but you can hear the fans. I felt the unit did get too hot based on touch and comfort ability.
Honestly I wanted a smaller system I could play some games on but I will not be using this system at home to play games. I will use my desktop for that or a gaming system. I really wanted a powerful system I can use while traveling for coding, video (Netflix, VUDU), college and some gaming but I don't want something that is going to sound like a jet taking off while I am only using the web, word, or power point. I was hoping for the best of both worlds. Like many others I saw Dave's 2 D's review and comment on cooling but this is not the case with my unit. While sitting here listening to this thing go to town I have made up my mind and will be sending it back. I can't imaging any system running cooling at 100% all the time would have any longevity. The CPU is only at 14% usage, GPU 51% usage and fans are both at 100%.
Thanks again for your review and confirming what I found with this system. I total agree why is this being the Smallest Alienware notebook a big deal. I am very disappointed with Dell still releasing systems with the Killer driver issue. Before purchasing this unit I purchase the Alienware 17R5 and had 3 defective units and all three had the same Killer driver issue. Come on why release a new system and continue to install network drivers that do not allow the system to connect properly to the internet?? I think I am done with gaming systems. My thought was a gaming system would have the power to run anything but I think I am better off with a laptop that can do daily tasks well and some gaming. I will be using my Alienware desktop; which I love; for gaming. I need a system to run Photoshop, Coding, Graphics and 3D applications, and general office items. I am still up in the air on which system to get and had high hopes for this system. Maybe the Microsoft Surface Book 2 (was hoping the Book 3 would be out now), Microsoft Surface Laptop 2, will continue to look.
You're very welcome and I'm sorry you're not happy with your purchase. Just one comment about the fan noise. It's noise is acceptable for a gaming laptop it's in line with other competing products. Any gaming laptop with a powerful discrete GPU will have fans that you can hear while gaming. It's the price we have to pay for having such power in a thinner form factor. As for what laptop you should get that meets the needs you mentioned, I'd check out the Lenovo X1 Extreme or if you want something more gaming centric the Blade 15!
Thanks for the reply going to check out your Lenovo X1 review now. Your input is greatly appreciated.
Hum the Lenovo X1 looks good but I keep coming back to the Microsoft Surface Book 2. I held off on that waiting on the m15 and hoping the Book 3 would be out soon with some IO updates. I would like thoughts on the X1 and Book 2. Both very different systems. I see there is a new BIOS for the m15 and thought I would try it out but after restoring the system to factory specs I cannot load windows!! The m15 says plug in and connect to internet? I have a hard wired internet connection and power plug in place and can't get the system to move past the windows installation screen! Hum oh wait the Number 9 key just popped off, I think this is an omen to return it. Dell did offer and addition $145 off the system to keep.
I am going to sending my new Alienware M15 back too. CPU overheating and fans keeps ruining, noisy! A holy crap
I wonder if they would consider putting in an Intel® Core™ i7-8565U Processor for this laptop (4c/8t upto 4.6ghz). Plenty powerful enough for gaming, it would improve battery life and it would help solve the thermal problems.
Isnt the 1060 version already an overcooked gpu? How is it losing out to a max-q...?
Couldnt wait longer for the reviews, got the 1070 big battery turning up in a week. Hopefully works nicer than some of these review ones.
did you really have to point out that the touchpad isn't in the center?
haha now you can never unsee it
Red looks better and also my M15 has the same overheating issues, but I reinstall windows and change the thermal paste. It works perfectly under 80C when I game.
You're generous in saying good first attempt. I think being part of Dell, and Dell having already put out the G series of laptops which have pretty good thermals (on a 1060 maxq and i7 at least), similar performance, are a bit thicker but are also significantly cheaper, I just feel they could have done better. I think this product just seems...fine. Really not what I expect from Alienware and for what they're charging.
Question; You made a point here regarding CPU longevity in withstanding constant high heat, so as someone who uses CPU intensive rendering software that requires running the CPU at 100% for over 15 continuous hours for a single render job what should I do? or what should I look for in a laptop?
I'd look at something that power throttles more than thermal throttles. Something like the blade 15 would be a good option
We need oled back
whoa, surprisingly critical! thinking about it, I just feel like its still too early to buy thin&light gaming laptop ... the temperatures are just scary if you ask me, I like my stuff to last when I take care of it, not bake from the inside eventually :/
is this laptop good at doing live streams on youtube?
What is the problem with Killer WiFi? This issue has been going on for about 5 years and Dell still can't fix it?
Dell has been losing it since late 2017...
Can't wait for the 2019 model to release :)
I love honest reviews live this!
Thanks Mauricio!!
How about a thin and light gaming laptop w/ a 80-90whr battery and two m.2 slots instead a 2.5 inch slot?
I’ve finally decided. You’ve opened my eyes. I’ll go with the Y730. Thanks for the review man!! Hope you get more subs!
Your Channel Deserves Far More Recognition🤞
Thanks man! It will come!
Peterson Family
Is the supplied 180W power brick enough for the system? I just received a new m15 with RTX 2060, 90wh battery, 144Hz panel and when updating the BIOS I received a message that the 180W power brick was too small and a 240W was required to ensure devices could operate at full capability and charging would be slower. Also included was an option to turn off this notice in the BIOS. Hum is Dell turning this notice off in the BIOS so the consumer doesn't question this. I had to redo the BIOS several times due to battery issues; while working with Alienware support; and on the 3rd refresh the message above occurred. It did not happen when I did the refresh two other times???? Also interesting is I had a similar message when starting a m17 for the first time. In fact the power brick was not even recognized and would not charge the m17?? I thought the battery issues were corrected but my m15 was only getting 2:30 hours streaming Netflix, on Balanced, with Screen Brightness turned down to 25%, using the Intel GPU, sound at 12, and turning off all LED's. When running a battery report in Command Prompt my battery reported Design Capacity of 90,000 mWh but a Full Charge Capacity of only 85,720 mWh?? So a new system doesn't have a full charge capacity, I checked this on m17 and previous m15's and they both showed full 90,000 mWh capacity. BIOS issues continue? This system had flickering on the screen and extreme light bleed on both bottom corners and the top right corner. It was so bad the light bleed was showing through on applications and while watching videos. I have sent the unit back for replacement instead of opting for an LCD panel replacement. We will hope the Dell vendor lottery is good to me and I have better luck with the replacement.
As bad as this may be. I'm still happy that alienware is now releasing thinner options, Knowing dell they might release better versions next year so i will wait
I hope they do!
@@MatthewMoniz Dell need to re release the XPS gaming line of the early 2000's but by todays internal and cosmetic standards. Loved the XPS M1710 and XPS M1730.
@@worldwide8553 Funny I had the same systems was able to run everything on high at the time and had no issue with heat or fan noise. Components have changed considerably but I sill have my XPS running. Just can't get rid of it. Might let my son have it to beat on on. He wants something to run Minecraft on.
Amazing review Moniz ❤️❤️😊😊
Thanks Rahul!!
i have the 2060 m15 and i love it. i had to undervolt it tho. i love it so robust and good quality
So this make me confirm undervolting does help :D
Pravit Reddy yes sir. This laptop is perfect. I like it so much. The undervolt was so simple. I can play anygame at any graphics setting. I play f1, no mans sky, gta, watch dogs, fornite, etc
@@tazerz9 can you tell me how by how much you had to undervolt if you don't mind :')
I am going to receive mine few days , and this live made me sad, could you please tell me after 6 months now what is your thoughts?
Is it still super hot like mentioned?
And how you do the undervolt? And does it effect any games? Planing to play (escape from trakov)
Hope to have your full review please, I think I got the same like you
Thank you for the honest review.
Your welcome!
well i am using alienware 👽 17 r4 and I am having no thermal isues or any kind of throttling. On load the temps are 75 degrees max and it is build like a tank.
You can actually put back the keycap...it has a traditional 4 clip scissors keyswitch type just like other laptop keyboards...you need to hook the two clips below first then press the keycap in while angling towards thw top side of the other two clips to clip it in.Then release the press then it should be golden.I did this on many other laptops and it should work on this too.
I'm confused between MSIGS65 and alienware m15.Which one should i pick? Build quality is a definite need though.I'll be doning coding and typing and also gaming like cs go,pubg etc. And what about dell and msi's customer support?
Please suggest the best one.
I got the Alienware M15 but I regret my choice. Looking back I should have bought the gs65 stealth thin
Nice overview. I took a punt on one of these (1070 max q version) and just waiting to receive it now as it was apparently shipped a few days ago. It was a toss up between this and the Blade 15 and I ended up going with the M15 due to the optional bigger battery, and more internal storage available. I guess time will tell how I get on with it!
Big alienware fan. I have an old laptop from 2014 and it still runs like a top. Build quality is top notch. In my experience, razer laptops are garbage. They have terrible build quality, terrible monitors. The old alienware were thick due to incredible cooling solutions and older p.c. products running hot.
yo matthew , pls do ur latest reviews of that razer blade 15 gtx1070/1060 ? just want to hear some honest thoughts for it after using it
I've already reviewed them! No issues so far
For those of us on a budget, the m15 is the way to go.
I bought the tank laptop. Those ultra thin gaming laptops are a joke right now. Do you really want to buy something thats not meant to be ultra thin without heat issues yet? cmon...
That missing key triggers me...
Hey buddy, you semi answered my question on live chat, but you got distracted lol. Thinkpad P1 or MacBook Pro Vega 20 for University. Care about reliability, and Adobe CC?? Thanks and subscribed
Neither get the X1 extreme instead
I don't know why did your key fall off I have mine for 2 years and none of my keys came off. the heat is the only problem I am still having and I hate it.
Man i wished i found this video earlier. I wasted 3 hours of my life going back and forth trying to figure out why my internet was so broken
Damn sorry you were having problems too!
It needs a faster panel. Period. 60Hz with a 1060 is a waste. Whats the point of it being larger than the Razer Blade if there is still thermal issues? What are they actually using the extra size for?
P.S. You can get laptops that don't throttle that are smaller with the 8750H ( I would be interested to see how this laptop performs with an undervolt and some other XTU adjustments.)
You can buy it with 144hz
@@MatthewMoniz Gotcha, still a shame about the thermals though, I was expecting Alienware to show everyone up honestly. Coming late to market with the issues you touched on and a few more* is not a good look. But I will take back 50% of my REEEE
*I've heard that Dell has been canceling orders
That is exactly what I don’t get about alienware.
Hum if you order an m15 today it comes with a 240W Power Adaptor and you can get an OLED screen.
I just ordered one today with OLED screen I hope it will be better than the one in this review xc
Just ordered one myself with the 240 hz and 2070 max q. I think the new version looks a lot better tbh
So happy I bought the msi gs65. I really liked the razer blade 15 but at the time it was $400 more. The cpu gets hot while gaming but tweaking certain settings its manageable
Wich has better thermals, this one or the 15r4, not for gaming, only for video editing like after effects and cinema 4d, or wich laptop with i7 8750h and 1060 you will recomend?
No comment.
Do you know if the newer 2019 m17 have better thermal performance ?
my man don't count on that, buy something else n when they eventually fix it in maybe the next couple of years sell n get it
It did a bit better... But yet again never get first gen product from alineware.
alienware quality control is hit now, I've bought several over the yrs, but ever since their last iteration, I stopped buying their products.
I would wait another generation or two so they get their thermals worked out, at least Alienware listens to their customers. But if you want one now, I would suggest the Alienware 17
What do you mean with killing the killer driver?
I think the killer is the network adapter for gaming
the killer wifi cards suck
If you don't kill the killer he will kill you first.
@@juleanhommel4814 why?
@@Paw_Low it is very unstable
What's the best laptop can i get for around $1200 ?
I've had one for 2 years, gotta say, this thing runs amazingly but it gets so hot after prolonged use
I have been running the alienware for a while and tips to keep it within temp range that you want, because they share heat pipes with gpu and cpu lower the boost on the cpu and the graphics card can boost just fine. Out of the box yes it is not for the common user. Please know your stuff because the hardware is boostable beyond what the other pcs can go but.... there is a price to it.
i love it the detail about the keys and keypad also the hardware issue such as hot issue and keyboard issue..
coz a laptop, people will use it in long period..
kudos 👍
I'm sorry what??? Matthew, I'm sorry did I get this right? Can you confirm that the 9 key is definitely broken??? I was considering this laptop but if keys brake this easily I'm not anymore.
It is broken
The razer 15 was the hottest running gaming laptop I ever owned and we parted ways
The 2018 model!? It runs very cool
@@MatthewMoniz maybe I had a bad "apple" get it? Cause it is heavily influenced by apple? But yeah I was getting around 90-97c on the 1060 max-q. I travel a lot and decided to get a decked out 17 R5 cause you know how closely related those two products are right? In any case my temps are much better and I don't have to make any compromises on the performance that I prefer. I do compromise on luggage though but this burden I will gladly 🐻
re: 9 key - it appears the protective film gets underneath the 9 key when you are pulling it off, yanking it off from underneath.
Good review, first one I seen that talks about the wireless issue, when I got mine support didn't know about the issue and days later they updated the support page. Mine is in repair, I been having issues with SSD and that even with the thermal throttle, the cpu sits on upper 90s or 100 while playing and the wireless stop working when it gets too hot. I don't recommend to get this laptop, wait for a revision or a different one. For me is too late.
Thanks Ivan! Sorry to hear you're having the same issues 😟
@@MatthewMoniz thanks, well let's see how it behaves, I am receiving it back today, they changed the motherboard and wireless, I hope at least it works fine now, I can live with the heat issue, but the SSD was a pain, sometimes it was working and sometimes it was not working and it was the computer by itself, because the SSD was working fine in other computer, by the way, is not an SSD provided by them, I bought in amazon and tried 3 different brands/ssd all the same issue.
Which laptop is better alienware 15 r4 or razer blade 15 with 1060 gpu
any laptop that doesn't throttle or overheat