The Alienware x15 R2 and x17 R2 pack more performance into thin form factors

Technical Contributor

By: Chris Angelini

Sponsored by Alienware

A New Hope was good. The Empire Strikes Back was better. Nirvana’s Bleach was a platinum-certified album. But Nevermind is one of the best-selling albums of all time. When you’re a fan of the original, an even better follow-up effort is oh-so-satisfying. Such is the case with Alienware’s x15 R2 and x17 R2 gaming laptops.

Both systems look a lot like their predecessors. Side by side, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. And that’s a good thing. A lot of work went into creating platforms with geometric balance, complementary colors, tasteful lighting, and an incredibly thin profile.

It’s what’s inside that counts this time around. The first-gen X-series models featured 11^th-gen Intel Core CPUs with DDR4 memory and up to GeForce RTX 3080 graphics. The x15 R2 and x17 R2 boast all-new internals, including 12^th-gen Core processors based on Intel’s Alder Lake hybrid performance architecture, the latest DDR5 memory technologies, and refreshed GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs. From gaming to productivity to content creation, performance gets a boost from the x15 R2 and x17 R2.

Packing the latest and greatest hardware into finely tuned form factors

Let’s get right to it. What makes the x15 R2 and x17 R2 better than the originals? The most obvious improvements are those component upgrades from Intel and NVIDIA.

The x15 R2 and x17 R2 can each be configured with one of two Intel CPUs. The x15 R2 comes with a Core i7-12700H or a Core i9-12900H, while the x17 R2 includes the Core i7-12700H or Core i9-12900HK (that -K suffix means you can overclock the x17 R2’s Core i9).

Regardless of the CPU you choose, they all wield six Hyper-Threaded Performance-cores, eight Efficient-cores, and a spacious 24MB of Smart Cache. The E-cores deftly handle background tasks like checking email and syncing cloud storage. Or they can shoulder heavily threaded projects, such as video rendering, leaving the P-cores free for other intensive workloads. Intel’s hardware-based scheduler, called Thread Director, helps Windows 11 decide which cores to use at microsecond speed. Fully utilized, every x15 R2 and x17 R2 configuration can work on 20 software threads at a time.

Updating from 11^th-gen to 12^th-gen Core processors means the x15 R2 and x17 R2 also support DDR5 memory technologies, which operate at higher data rates to drive more bandwidth. The x17 R2 has a pair of easily accessible SO-DIMM slots you can populate with up to 64GB of DDR5-4800*. If you don’t need that much memory today, start with either 16GB or 32GB and upgrade later. Because the x15 R2’s slimmer profile doesn’t leave room for memory slots, Alienware solders up to 32GB of LPDDR5-5200* right onto the motherboard.

New graphics options improve gaming performance on the x15 R2 and x17 R2, too. Both models can be configured with familiar GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GPUs, along with the refreshed GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB and GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 16GB.

Those GPUs pair well with the same display options as Alienware’s first-gen X-series gaming notebooks. The x15 R2 gives you a choice between 165Hz FHD, 360Hz FHD, and 240Hz QHD panels. The x17 R2 is available with 165Hz FHD and 360Hz FHD displays as well, along with a 120Hz 4K screen. But whereas the previous generation only included NVIDIA G-SYNC and Advanced Optimus support on certain display configurations, every x15 R2 and x17 R2 boasts both capabilities.

As a gamer, I can tell you this is a really big deal. Advanced Optimus uses a hardware multiplexer (or MUX) to automatically switch between integrated and discrete graphics, so you always get the best gaming performance and battery life. G-SYNC synchronizes the display’s refresh rate to the GPU’s output, eliminating stuttering and tearing artifacts in your games. Standardizing both features across the X-series ensures a consistent experience, regardless of how you decide to build yours.

The x15 R2 I’m benchmarking reports a maximum graphics power of 140 watts—30 watts higher than the original x15’s specification—with NVIDIA’s Dynamic Boost 2.0 technology enabled. My x17 R2 offers up to 175 watts of graphics power—a 10-watt increase compared to the x17 R1. Extra power translates to higher clock rates, which of course means more frames per second in your favorite games. Do you want to tap into those extra power reserves? In response to some of the questions I’ve been seeing on the /r/Alienware subreddit, I dug deep into Alienware Command Center’s thermal profiles and measured how each setting affects power, temperatures, and performance.

Alienware Command Center thermal profiles, explained

Alienware gives you tremendous control over your laptop’s thermal and acoustic performance through its AWCC software. Five profiles—Full Speed, Performance, Balanced, Quiet, and Battery Saver—are fairly self-explanatory in their purpose. But there’s more going on behind the scenes than just fan speeds and chip temperatures.

To help you get the most of your x15 R2 and x17 R2, I subjected both systems to a series of stress tests using all five settings. Along the way, I logged telemetry data to give you sense of the power levels, clock rates, and temperatures associated with each profile.

Let’s start with a look at CPU behavior. Again, my x15 R2 features a Core i9-12900H and my x17 R2 has a Core i9-12900HK. Their specifications (14 total cores, a 5GHz Turbo Boost clock rate, and a 45-watt base power rating) are identical, save the -12900HK’s unlocked multiplier. That sets up a great comparison between Alienware’s 15” and 17” form factors.

img alt="" src="https://i.ibb.co/QFzYjzL/CPU-Power-Prime95.png" />

Using Prime95 as an extreme workload, the x15 R2 and x17 R2 both sustain power levels well beyond their 45-watt base power levels.

In fact, the x17 R2 blows right past its 115-watt maximum Turbo power specification using the Balanced, Performance, and Full Speed thermal profiles. It looks like Alienware is giving the Core i9 whatever power it wants to run at maximum performance, right up to the chip’s thermal limit. You can use the Thermal Control Circuit (TCC) offset feature to lower the CPU’s temperature ceiling. Otherwise, this is exactly what I want to see a CPU doing: delivering peak performance by default, unless I manually intervene with a TCC offset or less aggressive thermal profile.

The x15 R2’s smaller, thinner design caps the Core i9-12900H’s maximum power to nearly 90 watts. But that’s still two times the CPU’s base specification (and in a “synthetic” stress test, no less).

Using AWCC’s Balanced, Performance, and Full Speed thermal profiles, the Intel CPUs operate right up to their thermal junction temperature limit of 100°C. Their power levels are bound by this ceiling. So, if you were to use the Thermal Control Circuit (TCC) offset feature to specify a new (lower) maximum temperature, available power (and performance) would dip as well.

The Quiet and Battery Saver profiles are meant to reduce fan noise and extend battery life. Because they keep processor power at 75 watts (on the x17 R2) and 65 watts (on the x15 R2), neither laptop’s CPU reaches its temperature limit, even running Prime95.

What effect do the thermal profiles have on each CPU’s average clock rate? Using the Battery Saver profile as our 100% baseline, the x15 R2 and x17 R2 both average 2.51GHz. The Quiet profile is similar.

Switching to Balanced opens the spigot, giving Intel’s Core i9 CPUs the power they need to reach their thermal ceilings—and even higher levels of performance. Alienware’s x15 R2 averages 2.8GHz, while the x17 R2 maintains 3.1GHz in the face of Prime95’s brutal Small FFT test.

Cranking up the cooling with Full Speed allows both processors to use a little more power before reaching the same 100°C junction temperature. The result is higher clock rates. The x15 R2 averages 2.83GHz, while the x17 R2 tops 3.25GHz.

The Battery Saver and Quiet profiles have a similar impact on NVIDIA’s GPU as they did on Intel’s CPUs, ensuring strong baseline performance without driving up fan noise or temperatures.

Alienware’s x15 R2 and x17 R2 respond to AWCC’s Balanced profile a little differently. The x15 R2 jumps from ~90 watts to an average of 115 watts. It maintains that power level using the Performance profile. Meanwhile, the x17 R2’s average power increases slightly, from 122 watts under Battery Saver/Quiet to 125W with the Balanced Profile. Switching to Performance boosts power to almost 140W.

The Full Speed profile works like a jet’s afterburner on both systems, accommodating higher power by blowing more air over the heat pipes and fin stacks. That means your absolute best frame rates are going to come from cranking up those fans and donning a gaming headset.

Regardless of the profile you choose, the x15 R2 and x17 R2 do an exceptional job of keeping NVIDIA’s flagship graphics processor operating well under the 87°C limit specified in AWCC.

FurMark is a demanding graphics workload. Some in the industry call it a “virus” for its ability to drive out-of-control power consumption. Nevertheless, Alienware’s x15 R2 sets our 100% reference with an average clock rate of 888MHz. The Balanced/Performance profiles push frequencies closer to 1GHz. And the free-flowing Full Speed profile lets the GeForce scream along at 1.3GHz.

Like the x15 R2, Alienware’s x17 R2 is ultra-thin. But its larger chassis accommodates more room for cooling, which means the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti starts its journey at almost 1.1GHz using the Battery Saver Quiet, and Balanced profiles. Clock rates (and frame rates) ramp up from there. The Performance profile averages 1.5GHz and the Full Speed setting hits 1.3GHz.

A lot of work went into optimizing the x15 R2 and x17 R2 for acoustics, temperatures, and speed. With a bit more insight into how AWCC’s thermal profiles work, you can choose the right one for a quiet classroom, a busy office, or your gaming battle station.

How do the x15 R2 and x17 R2 sound?

Now that you’ve seen how much difference a thermal profile can make to each laptop’s power levels, temperatures, and performance, it only follows that noise levels are affected, too. I set up a series of tests to replicate specific conditions on both systems, including:

Baseline, quiet room, no sound
x15 R2/x17 R2 at idle using the Balanced thermal profile
x15 R2/x17 R2 at idle using the Performance thermal profile
x15 R2/x17 R2 in a gaming workload (Metro Exodus built-in benchmark, looped 10 times)
x15 R2/x17 R2 running Prime95 (Small FFTs) and FurMark using the Full Speed thermal profile

Using a calibrated Extech 407768 sound level meter (‘A’ frequency weighting) placed 24” from the front edge of both laptops, I then measured sound amplitude.

With both systems sitting idle on the Windows desktop, they’re barely audible. The fans do spin a little faster with the Performance profile set, but the difference is slight.

Alienware’s Cryo-tech cooling system kicks into gear once I start the gaming test. Still, the Performance profile is careful to only drive the airflow needed for its optimal power and thermal parameters.

Clicking over to the Full Speed profile drives the fans at their maximum speed, bumping noise up a few decibels. But as you saw from my clock rate charts, NVIDIA’s GeForce GPU gets an especially big boost. What do those higher frequencies look like in terms of performance? Let’s run a few benchmarks and find out!

Putting Alienware’s x15 R2 and x17 R2 to the test

My x15 R2 includes an Intel Core i9-12900H CPU, NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 16GB, 32GB of LPDDR5-5200 memory, two Micron 3400 NVMe-based SSDs, and the 360Hz FHD display. The x17 R2 features a Core i9-12900HK CPU, NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 16GB, 64GB of DDR5-4800 memory, two WDC SN810 NVMe-based SSDs, and a 360Hz FHD display.

I ran a couple of tests using AWCC’s Performance and Full Speed thermal profiles, just to show the difference between them. But I spent most of my time using the Performance profile. It’s the most hands-off way to get speed when you need it and great acoustics otherwise, in my opinion.

There’s a lot going on in this chart, but it’s interesting stuff. First and foremost, the Overall score gives us a general idea of how fast the x15 R2 and x17 R2 really are. If you want to compare my results to other systems, head on over to UL’s 3DMark Results page.

The GPU score illustrates just how much benefit there is in switching over to the Full Speed profile if you’re gearing up for an evening of gaming. The x15 R2 gets an 8% speed-up compared to the Performance profile, while the x17 R2 scores almost 10% better.

Although both laptops boast CPUs with similar specs, the CPU and CPU Profile tests show off the x17 R2’s size (and cooling) advantage. Its Core i9-12900HK can maintain higher clock rates for longer thanks to a larger form factor.

Cinebench R23 tells a similar story. Single-threaded performance is incredible on both laptops; they hit their maximum clock rates and hold that speed, even after 10 minutes.

The benchmark’s Multi-Core test is far more strenuous. I recorded impressive scores with the Performance profile active. But they were eclipsed by the Full Speed setting and its additional headroom. With more air flowing through each machine, they’re able to drive higher power levels (and sustain faster frequencies) at similar temperatures.

I’m a PC gamer exclusively, so I have a penchant for cranking quality settings up as high as they go. In titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Far Cry 6, and Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, that means testing with real-time ray tracing dialed all the way up—a task that, even one generation ago, knocked desktop graphics cards to their knees. But the x15 R2 and x17 R2 drive smooth frame rates in all three games.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Red Dead Redemption 2 are great-looking games, too. With their detail sliders maxed out, both laptops average more than 80 FPS.

Competitive gamers are going to love the 12th-gen Core CPUs, which pave the way for hundreds of frames per second in popular e-sports titles like CS:GO.

If you’d like a more granular look at how the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti behaves in the x15 R2 and x17 R2, check out the following chart of 10 loops through Metro Exodus’ built-in benchmark:

According to NVIDIA’s Control Panel, the x15 R2 has a 1260MHz GPU Boost specification. The x17 R2 is rated for 1455MHz. During my 10th run of the Metro benchmark—after the GPUs have had a chance to heat up—both systems average higher frequencies than NVIDIA’s ratings. They don’t start strong and fizzle in the middle of your gaming marathon. The x15 R2 and x17 R2 maintain their performance so you get the same experience 30 minutes and three hours in.

When a great platform gets refined, gamers win

With the x15 R1 and x17 R1, Alienware flexed its engineering prowess. The company showed the world it could do more than build beefy laptops with high-end hardware. Don’t get me wrong—Alienware still has plenty of those powerhouse systems in the M-series. But its original x15 and x17 fit the very latest Intel CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs into thinner, more elegant form factors enabled by a laundry list of cooling, power, and acoustic innovations.

The x15 R2 and x17 R2 elevate the X-series experience with a revolutionary hybrid performance architecture from Intel, DDR5 system memory, and refreshed GeForce RTX 30-series graphics processors with even more power available to them. And they add all that horsepower to the same-sized gaming laptops. That’s a big step up in performance with zero compromise in mobility.

Alienware took the extra step to put a multiplexer on every x15 R2 and x17 R2 configuration, extending support for NVIDIA’s Advanced Optimus technology across the X-series. No matter which GPU and display combo you choose, they all activate their GeForce processor when you fire up your favorite game, then switch back to integrated graphics for better battery life when you’re done. As a bonus, the standardization of Advanced Optimus makes it possible to universally support NVIDIA G-SYNC variable refresh technology for the smoothest, stutter-free gaming you’ve ever experienced.

If you liked the original X-series models, then you’re bound to fall for the x15 R2 and x17 R2. Both premium gaming laptops are improved by faster hardware. They’re enhanced with more aggressive power limits. And they’re refined through NVIDIA’s Advanced Optimus and G-SYNC features—now common to all second-gen X-series systems. Gaming on the go never looked so good.

Appendix: How we tested

Gaming benchmarks include the following:

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, AnvilNext 2.0 engine, DirectX 11, Ultra High Quality Preset
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Source engine, DirectX 9, High Global Shader Preset
Cyberpunk 2077, REDengine 4, DirectX 12, Ultra Quality Preset, Ray tracing enabled
Far Cry 6, Dunia 2 engine, DirectX 12, Ultra Quality Preset, Ray tracing enabled
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, 4A Engine, DirectX 12, Ultra Quality Preset, Ray tracing enabled
Red Dead Redemption 2: RAGE Engine, Vulkan, Quality Preset Slider: Max

General-purpose compute benchmarks include the following: