Alienware m15, Dell G15 gaming laptops get a Ryzen upgrade
AMD's new Ryzen 5000 series processors have been impressing users and reviewers alike, but apparently they've also caught the eye of Alienware and Dell. The two companies announced new Ryzen-based gaming laptops today, and in the case of Alienware, this is the first time we've seen it announce an AMD machine in the past 14 years. In addition, it seems that Dell has a new collection of gaming monitors on the way as well.
Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
If there's a star of this announcement, it's probably the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5. This laptop comes outfitted with up to Ryzen 5000 H-Series CPUs and RTX 30-series laptop GPUs from NVIDIA, and it has the display tech to match all that power, as buyers will have their choice of either a QHD panel running at 240Hz or a FHD one running at 360Hz.
Alienware also giving us some flexibility when it comes to RAM, making it user-upgradeable – a fairly rare sight among Alienware notebooks. Users also have the option of adding ultra-low profile Cherry MX keys, which made their debut last month in the company's m14 R4 and m17 R4 laptops. The laptop even comes equipped with a "Silky-Smooth High-Endurance paint formula" that apparently resists stains. With a starting price of $1,793.98, though, we'd probably just keep anything capable of staining the notebook well away from it to begin with. Look for the Ryzen-based m15 to drop on April 20th.
Dell G15 Ryzen Edition
Then we've got the Dell G15 Ryzen Edition, which like the m15 Ryzen Edition offers up to Ryzen 5000 series CPUs paired with RTX 30-series graphics. Once again we're seeing user-upgradeable RAM on this model, so it seems that that m15 and G15 Ryzen Editions have a good amount in common. Some differences in the G15 include the option of 120Hz or 165Hz panels, and while that's a pretty large drop off in refresh rate over the Alienware laptop, Dell does say that it will launch a 360Hz display option for the G15 later this spring.
Dell also says it has taken some design cues from Alienware when it comes to thermal design, and that the G15 will offer a Game Shift key that allows users to boost cooling performance on the fly. The G15 Ryzen Edition starts at $899.99 and will be available on May 4th, with Dell G15 models using 10th Gen Intel Core processors launching on April 13th for the same starting price. That $900 starting price tells us that the G15 likely offers a lot more hardware configuration options than the m15, so if you're looking for customization, it's probably best to start there.
Dell Gaming Monitors
Dell also announced a new slate of gaming monitors today, with the Dell 25 Gaming Monitor (S2522HG, pictured below) leading the charge. Here you'll find a 24.5-inch FHD display with a 240Hz refresh rate and a 1ms gray-to-gray response time. The monitor also has both NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync certification, so it seems this is a GPU-agnostic display. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but we'll see this launch on May 7th in China and May 27th in the rest of the world.
Then we have a trio of curved gaming monitors boasting 27, 32, and 34-inch displays. The 27-inch (S2722DGM) and 32-inch (S3222DGM) monitors seem to share a lot of features, as both support QHD resolutions, 165Hz refresh rates, AMD FreeSync, and offer 99% sRGB coverage. One difference between the two is the fact that the 27-inch monitor sports a 1500R curve while the 32-inch monitor's curve clocks in at 1800R. Once again, Dell didn't reveal pricing, but it did say that both monitors are landing in China on May 7th and the rest of the world on June 22nd.
Finally, there's the 34-inch gaming monitor (S3422DWG, pictured above) which has an 1800R curve with a 21:9 aspect ratio outputting at WDHQ (3440 x 1440) resolution. This time around, the monitor is VESA Display HDR 400 certified, with a 144Hz refresh rate and support for AMD FreeSync. This one shares release dates with the Dell 25, as it'll be arriving in China on May 7th before it comes to the rest of the world on May 27th. Pricing details were – you guessed it – absent from Dell's announcement today, but we expect the 34-inch gaming monitor in particular to be pretty expensive.
It's worth noting that all of the monitors Dell announced today support variable refresh rate, so they can be used with next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. While we don't expect these monitors to be cheap when pricing is announced, they could be good options for PS5 or Xbox Series X owners looking to upgrade their displays along with their consoles. We'll let you know when Dell shares pricing details for these monitors, so stay tuned for more.