Few manufacturers have the type of title popularity that Razer and Alienware have held over the last few a long time relating to high-end gaming laptops. It best is smart to pit the Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) in opposition to the Alienware m16 R2. Each are 16-inch gaming laptops with current-gen Intel CPUs and Nvidia GPUs from two best gaming computer manufacturers.
After all, the Blade 16 has a extra conventional Intel Core i9-14900HX, whilst the m16 R2 opted for the Intel Core Extremely 7 155H AI chipset. The Blade 16 we reviewed additionally got here loaded with an Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU in comparison to the m16’s RTX 4070, which makes the m16 extra budget-friendly than the Blade. However is all that further energy within the Blade 16 important?
We’re going to determine.
Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) vs. Alienware m16 R2: Value and configurations
Value and configurable choices for the Blade 16 and Alienware m16 R2 are available in a fairly wide variety. As with any gaming laptops, there’s at all times a stability between value and function, which is liable for the actually huge disparity between the beginning configurations and the totally loaded variations.
The Blade 16 begins at a groovy $2,999.99 for an Intel Core i9-14900HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, QHD+ OLED show, 1TB of garage, and 16GB of RAM. The fully-kitted model with an RTX 4090, dual-mode UHD+ Mini-LED show, 8TB of garage, and 96GB of reminiscence will set you again an astounding $5,499.99.
The Alienware m16 R2 begins at $1,649 for an Intel Core Extremely 7 155H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, QHD+ Convenience View Plus LCD Show, 16GB of reminiscence, and 1TB of garage. The totally specced model of the m16 with an Intel Core Extremely 9 185H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, 64GB of RAM, and 8TB of garage prices $3,749.
Whilst my middle at all times likes to head for the flashiest conceivable {hardware} elements, providing extra budget-friendly choices is helping the Alienware m16 R2 edge out the Blade 16. You’ll get a high-end m16 in the event you’d like, however the beginning value for the Blade 16 is just about as dear because the totally loaded Alienware. That top beginning value makes it tough to imagine the Blade 16 as a gaming computer for many avid gamers.
Winner: Alienware m16 R2
Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) vs. Alienware m16 R2: Design
Razer’s Blade design has been extremely constant during the last a number of generations, with a big touchpad and minimalist aesthetics. The Blade is with reference to being the MacBook of gaming laptops, with how little Razer has tweaked the chassis design over time.
Alienware’s m16 R2 went in the other way and opted for a daring new redesign, shrinking the vent design, lifting the keyboard, increasing the trackpad, and offering an actual palm leisure. The m16 R2 is the least obnoxious Alienware we’ve noticed in a very long time.
Each laptops are simply transportable, beneath six kilos, and no more than one inch thick. The Alienware is heavier, at 5.75 kilos, in comparison to the Razer Blade 16’s 5.3 kilos, even supposing the Blade 16’s Mini-LED panel choice will lift the load to five.6 kilos. So, with identical dimensions, it truly comes all the way down to aesthetics.
Whilst the Blade 16 has that iconic Black chassis, I adore it when manufacturers alternate their design language. And I’ve been looking ahead to Alienware to provide a much less unwieldy design for years.
Winner: Alienware m16 R2
Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) vs. Alienware m16 R2: Show
The show in your gaming computer could make or wreck your gaming enjoy. Regardless of how just right your GPU is, in case your show panel can’t stay alongside of the graphic calls for, you’re going to have a foul time.
The Razer Blade 16 and m16 have 240Hz shows because the beginning show panel, however the Blade 16 opts for an OLED panel as an alternative of the Alienware m16’s LCD panel. Then again, the show used to be the weakest level at the Alienware once we reviewed it previous this . In comparison to the Blade 16’s OLED show, the m16 is each dimmer and no more colourful. In comparison to the UHD+ dual-mode Mini-LED choice at the Blade 16, the m16 best fares worse.
Razer’s Blade 16 QHD+ OLED provides 78.1 p.c protection at the DCI-P3 colour gamut and a median brightness of 378 nits. The Blade 16 UHD+ Mini-LED covers 81.8 p.c of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and a median brightness of 509 nits. The Alienware m16 R2 covers a trifling 69.9 p.c of the DCI-P3 colour area and has a median brightness of simply 288 nits.
Our hands-on checking out impressions of each shows make stronger the lab effects, with our Alienware m16 R2 assessment by way of Momo Tabari declaring: “I introduced Elden Ring and explored Caelid’s pink plaguelands, house to gigantic rotting birds and deathly beasts, however used to be disillusioned by way of its subdued look.” In the meantime, the Blade 16’s OLED panel, regardless of no longer being essentially the most colourful OLED we’ve ever noticed, used to be without a doubt sufficient to marvel me with the intensity and colour proven in Baldur’s Gate III, as the sport used to be so brilliant at the Blade 16 that “ virtually made the Nautiloid instructional stage really feel new and thrilling once more.”
Winner: Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024)
Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) vs. Alienware m16 R2: Efficiency
One key distinction between Blade 16 and m16 is the silicon powering each laptops. Whilst each laptops use one of the crucial newest Intel processors, the Alienware m16 R2 opted for the brand new AI Extremely 7 155H chipset in comparison to the Blade 16’s extra conventional i9-14900HX. Then again, regardless of the adaptation in core counts, the Extremely 7’s new structure held its personal reasonably neatly in comparison to the Core i9.
The Razer Blade 16 and its i9-14900HX processor had a lead over the Alienware m16 and the Extremely 7 155H on our lab benchmarks. On cross-platform CPU benchmark Geekbench 6, the Alienware m16 had a lead on single-core efficiency with a ranking of two,419 in comparison to the Blade 16’s reasonable of two,284, however the Blade (17,461) took the lead on multicore efficiency over the m16 (12,784) as anticipated. The Blade’s i9 does include 24 cores in comparison to the Extremely 7’s 16 computing cores. The Blade 16’s lead on our Handbrake video encoding take a look at used to be additionally fairly anticipated as neatly, because the Blade 16 encoded the 4K model of “Tears of Metal” at 1080p 30FPS in simply 2:48 mins in comparison to the Alienware m16’s 3:46 time.
After all, when used for productiveness or content material introduction, the Blade 16 and m16 will weigh down maximum workloads between their high-powered CPU and GPU setups. The Blade 16 has an edge on our lab benchmarks, however maximum avid gamers gained’t understand an enormous distinction between the processors in real-world use.
Winner: Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024)
Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) vs. Alienware m16 R2: Gaming and graphics
With an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 on board, the Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) fashion that we reviewed has way more graphics processing energy than the Alienware m16 R2 and its Nvidia RTX 4070. However in the event you’re going to recreation at 1080p and even simply 1440p, the 4090 doesn’t have as a lot of a lead as you may be expecting, because of the CPU bottleneck when scaling graphics all the way down to decrease resolutions.
At the 3DMark Fireplace Strike Extremely 4K Direct X 11 gaming benchmark, the Blade 16 QHD+ averaged a ranking of 12,906 in comparison to the Alienware m16’s 7,109 reasonable. At the 3DMark Port Royal ray tracing benchmark, the Blade 16 QHD+ averaged a ranking of 13,369 in comparison to the m16’s 7,498. At the Murderer’s Creed Mirage benchmark on Extremely Top settings, the Blade 16 averaged 130 FPS on 1080p, whilst the Alienware m16 averaged 101 FPS on the similar solution. At the A long way Cry 6 benchmark at Extremely settings, the Blade 16 averaged 111 FPS at 1080p in comparison to the m16’s 89 FPS.
We noticed the biggest distinction in our gaming benchmarks in Purple Useless Redemption 2. On Medium settings at 1080p, the Blade 16 supplied a constant 121 FPS reasonable in comparison to the Alienware m16’s 65 FPS.
Whilst the 4090 is a mighty GPU, out of doors of essentially the most notoriously challenging recreation we use for benchmarking, the adaptation between the Blade 16 and the Alienware m16 is a ways from game-breaking. If you happen to run it in optimized settings, each GPUs gives you unbelievable, constant body charges, particularly at display screen resolutions beneath 4K UHD. So, whilst the Blade 16 plays higher on our benchmarks, maximum avid gamers will see greater than sufficient energy with the m16 and the 4070 GPU. And the gaming efficiency of the Razer Blade 16 with a 4070 could be way more related to the Alienware.
Winner: Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024)
Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) vs. Alienware m16 R2: Battery lifestyles
Battery lifestyles on any computer is essential. If you’ll’t use the computer when clear of an outlet, it defeats the aim of getting a computer. Desktop alternative laptops are steadily an exception as a result of they’re extra of an all-in-one answer than a conveyable pc. However the Alienware m16 and Razer Blade 16 straddle the road between portability and desktop alternative.
Sadly, the Blade 16 and the m16 don’t have nice battery lifestyles. On our normal internet browsing battery take a look at that sees laptops set to 150 nits of brightness after which set to surf via a chain of internet pages, the Alienware m16 R2 (6:13) has the brink over the Blade 16 (4:41). After all, the Blade 16 QHD+ is an OLED panel which steadily calls for extra energy intake. Even if, the Mini-LED model didn’t final for much longer (4:57).
Curiously, we noticed an inversion of the ones effects at the PCMark 10 Gaming battery take a look at, with each laptops set to 150 nits. At the gaming battery benchmark, the Razer Blade 16 QHD (1:37) lasted longer than the Alienware m16 (00:53) by way of a large margin. Now not that 97 mins is way to write down house about, however it’s just about double Alienware’s benchmark time.
As a result of the general public will use a gaming computer for extra than simply gaming, it doesn’t really feel truthful to weigh both battery take a look at extra closely than the opposite. So this one should be a fairly curious tie.
Winner: Tie
Final analysis
In response to the selection of classes gained, the Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) provides higher show choices, extra tough gaming, and higher normal efficiency. After all, our take a look at fashions for the Blade 16 had been extraordinarily high-spec in comparison to the extra inexpensive Alienware m16. However as you’ll package out the Blade 16 t to absurd ranges, it’s going to usually meet maximum checking out benchmarks extra simply than the Alienware.
Then again, for many avid gamers, the actual deciding issue is pricing, because of this the Alienware m16 R2. Even the beginning fashion of the Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) with an RTX 4070 will value greater than the Alienware m16 R2 with the RTX 4070 improve.
In case you have the price range and are ready to shop for a gaming computer on the best finish of the marketplace, the Blade 16 is the easier selection for you. However for many avid gamers, the Alienware makes extra sense.
Winner: Alienware m16 R2
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