I also have an area 51m. 1. The reason why you have two power bricks is due to travel purposes. You would not be allowed to bring a 420W power brick as a carry-on when flying. 2. The 51m surpasses most laptops, and is better than some desktops. If you're complaining weight and size, purchase a Mac airbook instead. Just don't expect Alienware performance.
As someone who lugged around a backpack that probably weighed about 20-25 lb due to having heavy textbooks, binders, etc. in it in high school and college, carrying something on my back that only weighs 50-67% of that is nothing. Just for scale, I myself am 5’2” and only weigh about 117-120 pounds, and was the same weight and height in my school days (am now 27 years old).
For the people who have this issue 9:48 with the command center directly updating without asking you first. Cut the internet, turn the wifi off or go into airplane mode and reopen the command center. You're welcome.
Gosh, my desktop with the same components weights about 46 pounds itself and that's peace of art several times lighter! Though my desktop is a little bit faster in tests, but still it's amazing how far the technologies have gone.
I've loved my Area 51m so far, my only real gripe would be Alienware/Dells proprietary software and the the monitor panel.. other than that it's been great. Had mine since April of 2019. Mine is equipped with the 9700k and RTX 2080. I installed 64 GB of RAM on it, and I bought it through XoticPC so I had the thermal paste and thermal pads upgraded. If I had the option the only thing I'd want changed is the screen panel, I'd kill for a modern 120/144hz OLED.
man ive got 3k bucks to spend and Im really thinking about this machine @__@ But is there serious issue with the monitor ? I mean I'd use it only to game in my dark bedroom. I only want a laptop cause of how much I enjoy gaming in bed ....
Too bad i have the R1 model and you cant upgrade to the new graphics cards. Dell ignores me when i ask them about it. They lied about being totally upgradeable. There is a lawsuit going out against dell.
Well, mines still going strong, everything works. Still my only complaint is Dells crap software.. hoping for an R3 version eventually. Though I probably won't upgrade until Nvidia 4000 series come out, I usually like to skip a gen or two before upgrading. At least then I can see a significant improvement, usually. Been drooling over the newer panels available on the thin and lights. Sadly neither the A51 or GT76 Titan have seen any significant updates in awhile. Here's to hoping they don't die out.. The new X17 is kinda interesting, maybe a comparison between it's next gen hardware and cooling solution would be cool versus the Area 51m.
I personally will NEVER buy an Alienware again. I bought the Alienware R17 when it came out. The battery was fried in a year and a half and wasn't covered by the warranty, the secondary hard drive that is the only one in it that's big enough to actually HOLD anything was dead after 3 years (mind you, I have a desktop I built 13 years ago that the hard drives I used in it were used when I installed them) and was of a brand I've never even heard of, the power connector on the motherboard is loose and needs re-soldered and I need to replace the power brick cause the connector is starting to get misshapen. Now, I'm not rough on my things. In fact, my Sega Genesis still works and looks almost new. So, there's no good reason for a laptop that costs $2,200 to have that bad of failures after only 3 years
You prolly did sum to it I have an Alienware 14 and my shit be holding on tight original battery died round a year back and I messed up the TouchPad but otherwise its been alr
@@__-um4ep didn't do anything to it. I actually take good care of my stuff. Still even have the box. Fact is, they just became a shit brand after they were bought out so that DELL could use all the better parts for their OWN branded laptops. It's the same that HP did with Compaq
@@vampire365 that sucks you got a bad one. Meanwhile I have an Alienware m18x I bought in 2012, upgraded to windows 10 and still use to this day with no issues whatsoever, other than the outdated dual 760 Nvidia cards that Nvidia stopped updating 3 years ago. It’s my second Alienware since 2006, the year Dell bought them. I bought extended warranties for both and literally never used either.
@@sacrotes5459 it's not just me. The last few years, I've seen a bunch of bad reviews for similar reasons. I find it pathetic when I mention to the guy in their parts department the issue with the battery alone (which they don't sell replacements for through themselves) and he tells me he's shocked the battery even lasted a year since they weren't designed to really make it even that long.
I think there needs to be a distinction between “portable” and “mobile” This laptop is meant to be a portable desktop replacement and obviously you can’t use it while mobile, it has to be plugged in and stationary.
@@popopopolo Because a desktop gpu and cpu requires much more power than your average laptop battery can output, they need high wattages worth of power. So to play certain games you either need 1 or 2 of the batteries with you.
10:05. Had this actually happen once but with a AW 15 r4. The people next to me, good friends of mine now, said “dude, your laptop is about to take off” while in a college lecture. The teacher paused the lecture to see where it was coming from. Luckily, the room was dark as there was a presentation happening and I closed the laptop to the alienFX lights and the whoosh sound
I love my Area 51m. I also have extra power supplies kept in my backpack or placed in my home at other locations that I would move my laptop over to. It removes the hassle of moving around the laptop since I'm just unplugging it from one location and placing it in my backpack and/or moving it to another location already set up to just plug it in. No fuss. It's a desktop replacement. I have never used this on my lap. It's got loads of power, the most powerful laptop I've ever used. Also I prefer the desktop CPU for when I'm using an external graphics via the Alienware Graphics Amplifier, makes a bit of a difference when compared to a notebook CPU trying to power a desktop GPU. Also! It doesn't get hot to the touch when playing games unlike the thin and light laptops that can literally burn my fingers and/or lap.
My own post hasn't aged well for me. In truth since getting my system I've had something broken. After a 4th service call I'm getting fed up with the quality. I love the idea of this system but I'm starting to hate the way Dell didn't account for the thermals, the audio board constantly fails. The Ethernet can never keep an active connection. This thing works great when I'm just using it with an amplifier but without it this thing has had nothing but issues. I got a month of warranty left despite being ignored service for 4 months and I'm now trying to either get my money back or a replacement.
I have the same oil hand marks on mine as well. Not a fan but not an issue. I now run a 49 inch curved monitor for iracing and I have no issues with frames (80+) on all games.
In regards to the color changing the blue when you go into standby or sleep mode, that issue is also known on other products, especially the steel series keyboards. I've had the issue on my desktop years ago numerous times. It seems as if that it's definitely a software issue on all manufacturer brands.
I love my Alienware M17 but I have to admit, the Alienware software is some of the WORST software I have ever seen and I have no idea why they are so inept at making it work.
@@kyleseckler8058 Terrible UI. It's buggy, doesn't work half the time. Doesn't allow me to use IXTU when I have later versions of the software so I'm stuck on an old version. And so on...
I think as an owner of an A51M R1, the review is mostly "Fair" but i would point out several things. First, the screen he has is the first really poor color one, not the better panel released about 1 quarter later, colors and contrast are quite good on it actually. Second, opting out for an Nvidia with constant thermal issues and frequent degradation and system issues in a year is really no better. Third, acting like a heavy laptop which is literally designed as a desktop replacement, its just nonsensical to compare it to a 'thin' laptop in general. It's like comparing a muscle car to a turbo-four, yeah, the muscle car uses more gas, and the DTR weighs more than the overly-thin BGA laptop. It's worth noting a hidden strength of the A51M R1; that is the ability to self-repair and do cleaning and things like repasting. Crack these small laptops, you might never get it right again, the A51M is much more maintenance friendly and still kicks 90% of what's out there in the balls repeatedly, even now.
hey im thinking of purchasing an R2 with a 10700k and a 2070s, how are your thermals? did you have to undervolt it at all? has anything else broken? ive been spending days researching this and im still on the fence with this thing. Ive heard alot of stories from dell technicians drilling through a motherboard to someones sound chip catching on fire. My main issue would be reliability while you can easily swap parts out im worried if something like the motherboard fails then it would be rather difficult to find another compared to a desktop where i can throw another in there. Since these are still kind of new i am kind of scared things will still be failing on them, i guess they do come with a 1year warranty so might as well break it in during that, idk let me know ur thoughts especially with the heat since thats my biggest worry, cheers.
I have both the 2020 Razer blade 17 pro and the Alienware area 51 with the 2080, core i7 and 16 gb of RAM. I've had so much issues to where I've been having to troubleshoot monthly. I'm thinking about selling mine and keeping the Razer since performance is similar. I totally agree with the bilk and 2 power cables. I found myself keeping it plugged in most of the time and barely moving it around.
I’m still running my 2016 ALIENWARE 18 i7-4940mx GTX-980M SLI 32gb RAM & I’m not complaining in 2021 about it. got it in 2018 second had for £1,000 which was a bargain considering it cost £5,500 new still runs better than 90% of laptops made today nothing what so ever has broken.
The thing with this laptop, is that the dream of an "upgradable" laptop died in a year. They already released a new one with new graphics cards because the previous model doesn't support the new ones.
Depends on how you look at it really. It has 2 M.2 slots, wifi of course, and an additional SATA bay. If you got it with a lower CPU, you can easily buy your own, and install it. The GPU is the real problem, since the DGFF was changed for the R2 and their will be (so far) no availability of 3xxx-series DGFF cards for the R1 sadly.
I spent 6000 IS& and now see my Alienware Area 51M is not upgradable and feel so scammed . I will contact them and see if a discount on the new one is possible and try to sell mine that was only 6 months old fully loaded with every option
@@pattayapimp gonna be sorry with you, I see off Kijiji how these laptops sell out of curiosity. I've seen ads posted for 8 weeks, hit the limit, and then the same person posts it. I've only seen two in Canada that could even contend for being sold. Sorry bud, but you're gonna have to go dirt cheap to get rid of something like this. What with the economic slowdown, no one is gonna buy these.
Would have loved if you also gave your thoughts on the R2 version. 2 extra cores on the 10th gen I9, 4K screen, better cooling, and super versions of the GPU with an even bigger power supply for the GTX 2080. I guess it doesn't matter for your use case.
I can imagine that itll perform better. My area 51m thermal throttles on load and the GPU never gets above 74 degrees. It's set that way in the BIOS. If they can fix the CPU thermal throttling and get those GPU temps up a bit you can probably get 15% more out of the GPU with the super and even more from the CPU.
Hey Gizmo. I also have this laptop with a lot of the same control issues you have. All you have to do to fix the lights, the keyboard, and the fans is to reinstall the Alienware control center. You can delete the current control center and reinstall it again and it should fix ALL of your problems. Like seriously I haven’t had a problem with my computer since I reinstalled the Alienware control center. Hope my comment helps you out!
I'd love to know if yours is open to sale? I need such workstation, but can't afford a new one. My budget might make it for a used one. Please let me know. Great, informative review. Thank you.
Despite my negative experience with the service tech when my Arera 51M burned (don't close the lid on the Rev1 A51M's) and the fact that the RTX2080 wouldn't work properly on the refurbished one ( every 2min I had a 1-2 sec lag on every game but otherwise woud push out 400 FPS in some games) and the fact they didn't even respond to my email after telling them that my PSU broke the same day as I received the replacement model. Turned out the 2070 and 2080 didn't have the same PSU or there was an updated version of it, which I got from Amazon. Anyways all my issues are now resolved with Win11 not sure why, maybe I was on BIOS instead of UEFI or maybe I had to rollback the gpu driver but it's working flawlessly now and yes even the 1st REV A51M are still leaders on the market in regards to performance, there isn't anything that can compare or come even close to it, specially not MAC no comparrion and I do work with MAC alot.
I agree to the battery life on most gaming laptops sucks, even when doing casual tasks as the GPU still stay on, consuming power... just wished there would be a solution to this so we can have more than an hour of life and don't have to carry the power brick everywhere we go
Hi, I have the same laptop with the same colour and the same issue with discolouration, but fortunately I was like to notice them before grantee runs out and I did connect the Dell. At first they tried to ignore me but after several attempts back and forward, they agreed to replace the cover with a new one and when they sent technician to replace it , actually they realised the item was faulty from factory. So I would suggest, if you have extended your warranty, then just contact the customer support, and definitely they would replace it.
Thanks for this great update ... I bought same computer 13 months ago fully loaded thinking I could update when there was new CPU and GPU but I can not and see now you must buy new model Area 51 that just came out as the new Intel cpu chip and Nvidia video card can not be put in my Area 51M I bought when it came out a year ago 😡
I purchased this machine back in September 2019, rtx 2070, i7 9700, 16gb RAM, 144hz monitor. I love it. I agree on a few points though: Mainly the heating. Between a 3 month work injury the the past few months with COVID, the laptop has been used quite a bit more .. I emphasize on A LOT MORE. So, especially now with summer kicking in, I need to take a day to strip the machine to the core and remove any dust etc., re-paste my CPU as higher temps have been noticeable over the last month or so. Other than this .. its been the best portable machine Ive ever owned 100%
@@alanl9497 no not really. I purchased this laptop with plans on upgrading ... happening soon ... but I'll play (for example) Modern Warfare on full ultra settings multi-player gameplay without any issues. No stuttering or screen tearing, average fps 100 at times but hits and stays 144fps for a majority the time.
@@alanl9497 i could have went with another laptop but i like being & staying current with my PC's .. laptops in the past have always been a let down due to the inability to upgrade. I chose this because i'll likely be use it for almost a decade + hopefully compared to the usual few year lifespan
I was going to buy this, but I decided not to when I learned it had two, TWO massive power supplies. I ended up ordering the Alienware m17 R3 instead. Specs where better in some ways also.
...theres actually a new model coming up and damn im dissapointed af cause i bought the laptop, even currently using it rn...and theres a new model coming up. The only thing the comforts me is that this is a temporary setup and when i actually settle down permanently, i'll get a pc
If you dont mind me asking where did you get this information? Along with the name of the new model as Im thinking of purchasing this one but if the release date and new model are soon and better then I'd like to rethink said choices.
Ryan the new model's name is "Area 51m r2". It has more upgrade options, but very similar in appearance of the first one. Just go on dell's website to check the available specs, and yes it cost more than this model lol.
is the Area 51M muxed or does the dedicated graphics card signal have to go through the integrated card before the display? Also thanks for pointing out the deep keyboard, I was wondering why I felt more like back in the day typing with typewriter compared to my previous machine. I can speculate why now.
@@adrianzilic5753 It helped, but not as much as buying a cooling pad. Probably the best purchase ever. It allows me to play games how my laptop was meant to play them
I had same issue with RGB lights on keyboard and logo of my Alienware m15 2018 once I bought it. Thankfully I had warranty and they fixed it but Alienware Control Center drivers still messed it up. I've been using it for 2 years and I notice it thermal throttle, so I took a look inside and found out that dust was clogging the CPU fan. It was somewhat fixed after I cleaned it up. Also the heat the laptop generate is not good for the battery. I still like it regardless, it's not the best but it's functional and allows me to perform my daily tasks and that's all it matters.
Drop in performance is what happens when you load up the Storage, SSD Takes a major hit on Performance when they fill up. Causing the whole system to slow down, also Dust does a lot, Thermal Paste should be reapplied to Desktop Processors so that's kind of a problem
I dont know what's happening to mine but even when just playing Overwatch, FPS just drops to 15 - 20. And I have RTX 2080. I dont know if its the temp that's causing this. If so, how can I solve this?
Just picked one up from best buy for 1600 it was on sale cause it was open box . I was looking for a desktop but portable too hopefully everything runs good
I buy an alienware r4 17 - after 1 year of use the motherboard burned, short in the processor, it seems that they are mosfet that short and end up burning the processor, there was no guarantee. The replacement motherboard costs almost the same as a new Alienware (speaking of the same model). Investigating online is a typical problem Conclusion: I will never but never buy something from Dell. To make matters worse I am an Argentine that to get to buy abroad or to get dollars is increasingly difficult or impossible. Example: If I buy the motherboard for about 799 dollars I have to add approximately 50% (1598 dollars), average salary 261 dollars. Sorry for downloading me here. Good video.
Unfortunately, all laptops can short/break--which is why I recommend good quality extended warranties if you want yours to last long term. I know HIDEvolution has an international warranty that includes shipping both ways (at least it was that way last year, not sure if it still is). I'm sure other sellers/stories have warranties as well.
Hi, I have a brand new M17 R3 and I'm a little concerned about longevity due to heat. I have undervolted the CPU to assist, but do you think having a new thermal paste application in a year or so would help keep things running smoothly? I love the laptop by the way, it's an absolute monster!
Can you get thermal repaste through warranty? Had mine around 12 months now and getting the same throttling. Also, AWCC DEFINITELY needs getting worked on.
It's basically a high end desktop in the form factor of a laptop, that is, only by design does it look like a laptop. So yes, it should run these softwares with no problem.
I just got myself an Alienware area 51M R2 I was just wondering if there's any way changing the rainbow effect Directions I see yours is going from left to right but mine only goes right to left is there anywhere I can change the direction
I have a friend that has the laptop and has been facing so many issues in terms of thermals, we have tried undervolting but temps are so hot (almost always 90+ at fun fan speed) so the GPU throttles and sticks to 300 mhz. What do you suggest he does, should he ask for a new unit or should he just repaste it (he is still under warranty)?
It’s a bios limitation for the r1 I would recommend be flash the previous 1.5.0 bios and enjoy his machine without that throttling. If not he’s gonna have to undervolt the gpu and limit cpu clock speeds.
@@talkandplay rtx 3080 and desktop lvl i9 (forgot exactly which variant) but the temps at beginning were fine then all of a sudden it just stopped cooling properly and the laptop is on a laptop stand to ensure a good supply of fresh air
Hello guys, I really would like to know how can you clean the white rubber material of this laptop! I got the m17 its new and I dont know how to clean and preserve it. I really would appreciate an answer
As a owner of this machine I bought it as a desktop replacement and it delivers.. The elephant in the room however is dell throwing the first generation owners under the bus with its upgrade path.. They basically locked us out of every upgrade in the version 2 laptop with the PCU and graphics.. The RTX 2080 upgrade is the old one not the super and its priced at $1300 for the kit if you can find it...No thanks.... Thankfully I maxed my PCU to the max during the purchase with a I9-9900 and the 2070 RTX is still doing a good job... I like the laptop but beware all new purchasers...Dell will probably jerk you around in the future upgrade path as well..
Short Answer: Yes. The company wouldn’t put minimal effort into such an expensive gaming laptop, so they probably did their best. And speaking from experience, the Alienware Area 51m is an extremely good laptop. Probably the best in the world. But yes of course the R2 is coming out so I can’t speak too soon, but I mean the R2 is a later version of the laptop. What could go wrong?
Deok I had one definitely not the best in the world. Some of the materials could have been better for such an expensive laptop. It still only uses 2400mhz ram every other gaming laptop uses at least 2666. The speakers lack base. No sd card reader. I sold mine. The performance was amazing but it’s lacking in other areas.
JUSTSWITCHED! I did some research too on the Alienware Area 51m R2, and it seems that the MHz is now 2933- 3000. The HZ is like 144 and more. So yeah, it is PROBABLY the best gaming laptop on a big budget.
I have the Razer Blade Pro 17 and it just seems far superior to the Area 51m. It's cheaper, performance is similar, lighter, premium aluminum chassis with no plastic and better software. I could keep going on. It just seems strange that one would even consider the Area51m.
I ended up getting an m15. Realized best buy sold me an r2 as new when there's an r3 out Might go ask for a price reduction based off this. Also what is that awesome wallpaper??? Edit: just exchanged my r2 for a MUCH better specced r3, free of charge. Happy days someone at best buy tried pulling a fast one and a manager at my local store made it right.
honestly i like this laptop and im willing to sacrifice portability points for performance since i don't move around much anyways,however i might have to wait till 2021 for next gen rtx 3080,i9 11900k(or amd for that matter XD),and of course a better display like 240hz qhd,then i could maybe buy it...as for the current new display they support which is 300hz fhd,colours don't seem really accurate and 300hz is overkill even for next gen and i've had enough with the stupid fhd,so the sweet spot is 240 qhd,apparantly samsung has their own va 240hz qhd display and the only thing that keeps away from near perfection is the 1000r curve,if alienware uses that display in 17.3 inch form factor while eliminating the curve,then i'll finally have a reason to put that much money on that laptop
My lights usually stop working when i update the Alienware command center, just uninstall it and reinstall an old version, never update it again. That usually fixes the issue for me.
@Yeti Confetti Not to sound like an ass but you basically couldn't figure a way to successfully download/install the command center, right ? It took me a couple tries and a bit of frustration before making it work.
I also have an area 51m.
1. The reason why you have two power bricks is due to travel purposes. You would not be allowed to bring a 420W power brick as a carry-on when flying.
2. The 51m surpasses most laptops, and is better than some desktops. If you're complaining weight and size, purchase a Mac airbook instead. Just don't expect Alienware performance.
Exactly. This is a perfect desktop replacement.
Loved this format of review. EXACTLY what me as a prospective buyer needs to hear about. :). Thank you!
Just found this channel from the Black Friday vids, high quality contents, no bs, straight to the point, love it, keep up the good work man
So RUclips actually thinks that I could afford an Alienware hun
Dell does crazy financing from what i hear.
Lol
You can if you work hard and save.
EBAY 13R3 600-1000 ,plus you can warranty them through Dell
Brad Beyers DO NOT FINANCE A COMPUTER!!! Thats the worst thing to do ever
Watching it on Area 51m laptop. I can't complain about my laptop and I can't switch back to normal laptops now.
same.
Trust me you can 😂
As someone who lugged around a backpack that probably weighed about 20-25 lb due to having heavy textbooks, binders, etc. in it in high school and college, carrying something on my back that only weighs 50-67% of that is nothing. Just for scale, I myself am 5’2” and only weigh about 117-120 pounds, and was the same weight and height in my school days (am now 27 years old).
you are super short for someone that old... are you sure you’re that old buddy?
I used carry a very heavy bag to school too... these people are very fragile nowadays can't even carry a laptop 🤔
@@Ballsackgamin genetics buddy, not everyone is fortunate enough to be tall :( unfortunately I also fall into this category.
it's totally fine king big up, i'm 171 cm too so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@Bruh Moment lol
For the people who have this issue 9:48 with the command center directly updating without asking you first. Cut the internet, turn the wifi off or go into airplane mode and reopen the command center. You're welcome.
Thanks for providing a written review. very useful when in a time crunch and looking for specific info.
Gosh, my desktop with the same components weights about 46 pounds itself and that's peace of art several times lighter! Though my desktop is a little bit faster in tests, but still it's amazing how far the technologies have gone.
I've loved my Area 51m so far, my only real gripe would be Alienware/Dells proprietary software and the the monitor panel.. other than that it's been great. Had mine since April of 2019. Mine is equipped with the 9700k and RTX 2080. I installed 64 GB of RAM on it, and I bought it through XoticPC so I had the thermal paste and thermal pads upgraded. If I had the option the only thing I'd want changed is the screen panel, I'd kill for a modern 120/144hz OLED.
man ive got 3k bucks to spend and Im really thinking about this machine @__@ But is there serious issue with the monitor ? I mean I'd use it only to game in my dark bedroom. I only want a laptop cause of how much I enjoy gaming in bed ....
@@Dlabelmard you might want to save a little bit, I heard the Area-51m R2 is better and fixes issues and that's like 4K.
Too bad i have the R1 model and you cant upgrade to the new graphics cards. Dell ignores me when i ask them about it. They lied about being totally upgradeable. There is a lawsuit going out against dell.
Well, mines still going strong, everything works. Still my only complaint is Dells crap software.. hoping for an R3 version eventually. Though I probably won't upgrade until Nvidia 4000 series come out, I usually like to skip a gen or two before upgrading. At least then I can see a significant improvement, usually. Been drooling over the newer panels available on the thin and lights. Sadly neither the A51 or GT76 Titan have seen any significant updates in awhile. Here's to hoping they don't die out.. The new X17 is kinda interesting, maybe a comparison between it's next gen hardware and cooling solution would be cool versus the Area 51m.
I personally will NEVER buy an Alienware again. I bought the Alienware R17 when it came out. The battery was fried in a year and a half and wasn't covered by the warranty, the secondary hard drive that is the only one in it that's big enough to actually HOLD anything was dead after 3 years (mind you, I have a desktop I built 13 years ago that the hard drives I used in it were used when I installed them) and was of a brand I've never even heard of, the power connector on the motherboard is loose and needs re-soldered and I need to replace the power brick cause the connector is starting to get misshapen. Now, I'm not rough on my things. In fact, my Sega Genesis still works and looks almost new. So, there's no good reason for a laptop that costs $2,200 to have that bad of failures after only 3 years
Totally agree!
You prolly did sum to it I have an Alienware 14 and my shit be holding on tight original battery died round a year back and I messed up the TouchPad but otherwise its been alr
@@__-um4ep didn't do anything to it. I actually take good care of my stuff. Still even have the box. Fact is, they just became a shit brand after they were bought out so that DELL could use all the better parts for their OWN branded laptops. It's the same that HP did with Compaq
@@vampire365 that sucks you got a bad one. Meanwhile I have an Alienware m18x I bought in 2012, upgraded to windows 10 and still use to this day with no issues whatsoever, other than the outdated dual 760 Nvidia cards that Nvidia stopped updating 3 years ago. It’s my second Alienware since 2006, the year Dell bought them. I bought extended warranties for both and literally never used either.
@@sacrotes5459 it's not just me. The last few years, I've seen a bunch of bad reviews for similar reasons. I find it pathetic when I mention to the guy in their parts department the issue with the battery alone (which they don't sell replacements for through themselves) and he tells me he's shocked the battery even lasted a year since they weren't designed to really make it even that long.
I think there needs to be a distinction between “portable” and “mobile”
This laptop is meant to be a portable desktop replacement and obviously you can’t use it while mobile, it has to be plugged in and stationary.
So why can't you use it while Mobile, like let's say at a Class.
Darryl Jack i had a 17in asus and i plugged it into the wall during class
@Yeti Confetti You calling my mum an idiot then? Rather degrading sweeping statement wouldn't you say?
Why does it have to be plugged in
@@popopopolo Because a desktop gpu and cpu requires much more power than your average laptop battery can output, they need high wattages worth of power. So to play certain games you either need 1 or 2 of the batteries with you.
thumbs up for kick ass intro and smooth shots!
10:05. Had this actually happen once but with a AW 15 r4. The people next to me, good friends of mine now, said “dude, your laptop is about to take off” while in a college lecture. The teacher paused the lecture to see where it was coming from. Luckily, the room was dark as there was a presentation happening and I closed the laptop to the alienFX lights and the whoosh sound
I love my area 51m. Runs any game like a boss at high frame rates. Just a huge bummer that it won't be upgradable now.
why wont it be upgradable ?
My dream laptop that will always be a dream. Great reviews sir. More power to you!
Don't worry, next 20 when I win the lottery, I will gift you and myself one 😁.
i’m getting it for christmas
I love my Area 51m. I also have extra power supplies kept in my backpack or placed in my home at other locations that I would move my laptop over to. It removes the hassle of moving around the laptop since I'm just unplugging it from one location and placing it in my backpack and/or moving it to another location already set up to just plug it in. No fuss. It's a desktop replacement. I have never used this on my lap. It's got loads of power, the most powerful laptop I've ever used. Also I prefer the desktop CPU for when I'm using an external graphics via the Alienware Graphics Amplifier, makes a bit of a difference when compared to a notebook CPU trying to power a desktop GPU. Also! It doesn't get hot to the touch when playing games unlike the thin and light laptops that can literally burn my fingers and/or lap.
My own post hasn't aged well for me. In truth since getting my system I've had something broken. After a 4th service call I'm getting fed up with the quality. I love the idea of this system but I'm starting to hate the way Dell didn't account for the thermals, the audio board constantly fails. The Ethernet can never keep an active connection. This thing works great when I'm just using it with an amplifier but without it this thing has had nothing but issues. I got a month of warranty left despite being ignored service for 4 months and I'm now trying to either get my money back or a replacement.
Extend your warranty if you’re having that many issues my man haha.
Just bought a 51m r2 a few days ago! Very excited!
What is the cost?
What is the cost?
Got mine for 2.6k USD 2080 super and i710700
I have the same oil hand marks on mine as well. Not a fan but not an issue. I now run a 49 inch curved monitor for iracing and I have no issues with frames (80+) on all games.
I would like one in Black so the RGB can stand out more.🙂
Yup that’s what I had. Looked amazing. Plus the black one doesn’t discolor like the white one does.
JUSTSWITCHED! They ran out of the black so I got the white 😭
@@withdime1176 I personally dig the new white look, got myself an m15 in it. They had beaten the dead horse with the gunmetal gray
@@rajgill7576 strongly disagree, the gun metal gray was amazing and looks much better in my opinion.
In regards to the color changing the blue when you go into standby or sleep mode, that issue is also known on other products, especially the steel series keyboards. I've had the issue on my desktop years ago numerous times. It seems as if that it's definitely a software issue on all manufacturer brands.
I love my Alienware M17 but I have to admit, the Alienware software is some of the WORST software I have ever seen and I have no idea why they are so inept at making it work.
Jovial what about it is bad
@@kyleseckler8058 Terrible UI. It's buggy, doesn't work half the time. Doesn't allow me to use IXTU when I have later versions of the software so I'm stuck on an old version. And so on...
@@JoviaI1 Have you ever tried out Razer Synapse 3 or NZXT cam? They are absolutely useless aswell...
Is your Alienware R2 or R3?
@@xitrance91 R1
Nice that his back. Enjoyable videos
I think as an owner of an A51M R1, the review is mostly "Fair" but i would point out several things. First, the screen he has is the first really poor color one, not the better panel released about 1 quarter later, colors and contrast are quite good on it actually. Second, opting out for an Nvidia with constant thermal issues and frequent degradation and system issues in a year is really no better. Third, acting like a heavy laptop which is literally designed as a desktop replacement, its just nonsensical to compare it to a 'thin' laptop in general. It's like comparing a muscle car to a turbo-four, yeah, the muscle car uses more gas, and the DTR weighs more than the overly-thin BGA laptop.
It's worth noting a hidden strength of the A51M R1; that is the ability to self-repair and do cleaning and things like repasting. Crack these small laptops, you might never get it right again, the A51M is much more maintenance friendly and still kicks 90% of what's out there in the balls repeatedly, even now.
hey im thinking of purchasing an R2 with a 10700k and a 2070s, how are your thermals? did you have to undervolt it at all? has anything else broken? ive been spending days researching this and im still on the fence with this thing. Ive heard alot of stories from dell technicians drilling through a motherboard to someones sound chip catching on fire. My main issue would be reliability while you can easily swap parts out im worried if something like the motherboard fails then it would be rather difficult to find another compared to a desktop where i can throw another in there. Since these are still kind of new i am kind of scared things will still be failing on them, i guess they do come with a 1year warranty so might as well break it in during that, idk let me know ur thoughts especially with the heat since thats my biggest worry, cheers.
Just got mine can’t wait for it to arrive
I would recommend this highly. I own three of them for my art studio and gaming.
Lemme get that laptop fam 🤩
I was looking at the Alienware M17 R3 , what are your thoughts?
I have both the 2020 Razer blade 17 pro and the Alienware area 51 with the 2080, core i7 and 16 gb of RAM. I've had so much issues to where I've been having to troubleshoot monthly. I'm thinking about selling mine and keeping the Razer since performance is similar. I totally agree with the bilk and 2 power cables. I found myself keeping it plugged in most of the time and barely moving it around.
I’m still running my 2016 ALIENWARE 18 i7-4940mx
GTX-980M SLI
32gb RAM
& I’m not complaining in 2021 about it.
got it in 2018 second had for £1,000 which was a bargain considering it cost £5,500 new still runs better than 90% of laptops made today nothing what so ever has broken.
The thing with this laptop, is that the dream of an "upgradable" laptop died in a year.
They already released a new one with new graphics cards because the previous model doesn't support the new ones.
Depends on how you look at it really. It has 2 M.2 slots, wifi of course, and an additional SATA bay. If you got it with a lower CPU, you can easily buy your own, and install it. The GPU is the real problem, since the DGFF was changed for the R2 and their will be (so far) no availability of 3xxx-series DGFF cards for the R1 sadly.
It's a shame. I will not be buying any future Alienware products
I literally spent $8080 Aussie dollars to get an upgradable laptop
and they fuckin scammed me.
I spent 6000 IS& and now see my Alienware Area 51M is not upgradable and feel so scammed . I will contact them and see if a discount on the new one is possible and try to sell mine that was only 6 months old fully loaded with every option
@@pattayapimp gonna be sorry with you, I see off Kijiji how these laptops sell out of curiosity. I've seen ads posted for 8 weeks, hit the limit, and then the same person posts it. I've only seen two in Canada that could even contend for being sold.
Sorry bud, but you're gonna have to go dirt cheap to get rid of something like this. What with the economic slowdown, no one is gonna buy these.
Would have loved if you also gave your thoughts on the R2 version. 2 extra cores on the 10th gen I9, 4K screen, better cooling, and super versions of the GPU with an even bigger power supply for the GTX 2080. I guess it doesn't matter for your use case.
the only letdown is the keyboard
I can imagine that itll perform better. My area 51m thermal throttles on load and the GPU never gets above 74 degrees. It's set that way in the BIOS. If they can fix the CPU thermal throttling and get those GPU temps up a bit you can probably get 15% more out of the GPU with the super and even more from the CPU.
Your use case lmao..what are you running that you need more than this rig..nothing.
@@neosrt10 RDR2 haha
before starting, awesome Sichuan sauce tshirt. yes it is Sichuan but not szechuan
Hey Gizmo. I also have this laptop with a lot of the same control issues you have. All you have to do to fix the lights, the keyboard, and the fans is to reinstall the Alienware control center. You can delete the current control center and reinstall it again and it should fix ALL of your problems. Like seriously I haven’t had a problem with my computer since I reinstalled the Alienware control center. Hope my comment helps you out!
Dont forget to never update the command center, that usually fucks it up.
I’m waiting for a solid Alienware m15 r3 review 😭
Got one shipped to me on the way now.
Damn @@GizmoSlipTech i want your job xD
@@GizmoSlipTech plz review area 51m r2
Same here. I heard high temps can be fixed by readjusting the fans. But its a worry
@@GizmoSlipTech when will the review happen? I can't wait
What would you purchase if getting a new laptop today?
Good question
I'd love to know if yours is open to sale?
I need such workstation, but can't afford a new one. My budget might make it for a used one. Please let me know.
Great, informative review. Thank you.
Despite my negative experience with the service tech when my Arera 51M burned (don't close the lid on the Rev1 A51M's) and the fact that the RTX2080 wouldn't work properly on the refurbished one ( every 2min I had a 1-2 sec lag on every game but otherwise woud push out 400 FPS in some games) and the fact they didn't even respond to my email after telling them that my PSU broke the same day as I received the replacement model. Turned out the 2070 and 2080 didn't have the same PSU or there was an updated version of it, which I got from Amazon.
Anyways all my issues are now resolved with Win11 not sure why, maybe I was on BIOS instead of UEFI or maybe I had to rollback the gpu driver but it's working flawlessly now and yes even the 1st REV A51M are still leaders on the market in regards to performance, there isn't anything that can compare or come even close to it, specially not MAC no comparrion and I do work with MAC alot.
really good review. will check out others too. thx!
Thanks! I’d recommend checking out my 3 most recent videos
New coating on R2 so hopefully issue with stains has been sorted.
I agree to the battery life on most gaming laptops sucks, even when doing casual tasks as the GPU still stay on, consuming power... just wished there would be a solution to this so we can have more than an hour of life and don't have to carry the power brick everywhere we go
Hi, I have the same laptop with the same colour and the same issue with discolouration, but fortunately I was like to notice them before grantee runs out and I did connect the Dell.
At first they tried to ignore me but after several attempts back and forward, they agreed to replace the cover with a new one and when they sent technician to replace it , actually they realised the item was faulty from factory.
So I would suggest, if you have extended your warranty, then just contact the customer support, and definitely they would replace it.
I would be very happy if you give a positive or negative answer. Thank you
Great video, I got my laptop a month ago and it's amazing!
Very nice!
@@GizmoSlipTech could u review the Dell g7 2020 please
how much is it?
@@rexd1624 $3200 price + $800 taxes (in EU). I got i7-9700k, RTX 2070, 2x512 SSD, 1 TB HDD.
@@filipbizjan4549 no there is one for 2300
Thanks for this great update ... I bought same computer 13 months ago fully loaded thinking I could update when there was new CPU and GPU but I can not and see now you must buy new model Area 51 that just came out as the new Intel cpu chip and Nvidia video card can not be put in my Area 51M I bought when it came out a year ago 😡
You aren't the only one. Many area 51m owners are upset
So I will call and see if there is anything they will possibly offer us ? What do you think ? Thanks for your reply ⬆️
You’ve been conned by dell .lol Glad I sold mine lol.
I purchased this machine back in September 2019, rtx 2070, i7 9700, 16gb RAM, 144hz monitor.
I love it. I agree on a few points though: Mainly the heating. Between a 3 month work injury the the past few months with COVID, the laptop has been used quite a bit more .. I emphasize on A LOT MORE. So, especially now with summer kicking in, I need to take a day to strip the machine to the core and remove any dust etc., re-paste my CPU as higher temps have been noticeable over the last month or so.
Other than this .. its been the best portable machine Ive ever owned 100%
16gb RAM seems like it would hurt the performance of this machine. Do you get any lag or stuttering while gameplaying?
@@alanl9497 no not really. I purchased this laptop with plans on upgrading ... happening soon ... but I'll play (for example) Modern Warfare on full ultra settings multi-player gameplay without any issues. No stuttering or screen tearing, average fps 100 at times but hits and stays 144fps for a majority the time.
@@gruntlyg3156 Interesting. I might consider this laptop. I only plan on playing Cities Skylines and Last of Us Part II. Im not much of a gamer.
@@alanl9497 i could have went with another laptop but i like being & staying current with my PC's .. laptops in the past have always been a let down due to the inability to upgrade. I chose this because i'll likely be use it for almost a decade + hopefully compared to the usual few year lifespan
Make sure you also look at the 51m R2 model that's being released
How are you liking the inability to upgrade your CPU or GPU?
And the RAM
I think we should start a Kickstarter to get an r2 and see if we can swap all of its components into an r1.
Thanks for the information 👍🏾. I just pick mines up yesterday and I love it. May I ask we're can I find that alien background picture on your laptop?
I was going to buy this, but I decided not to when I learned it had two, TWO massive power supplies. I ended up ordering the Alienware m17 R3 instead. Specs where better in some ways also.
How do you like your M17. Trying to decide between M51 and m17.
...theres actually a new model coming up and damn im dissapointed af cause i bought the laptop, even currently using it rn...and theres a new model coming up. The only thing the comforts me is that this is a temporary setup and when i actually settle down permanently, i'll get a pc
How many kidneys do u have ?
Lmao I'm just good at saving money, also I downgraded the specs 😂
If you dont mind me asking where did you get this information?
Along with the name of the new model as Im thinking of purchasing this one but if the release date and new model are soon and better then I'd like to rethink said choices.
Ryan the new model's name is "Area 51m r2". It has more upgrade options, but very similar in appearance of the first one. Just go on dell's website to check the available specs, and yes it cost more than this model lol.
is the Area 51M muxed or does the dedicated graphics card signal have to go through the integrated card before the display? Also thanks for pointing out the deep keyboard, I was wondering why I felt more like back in the day typing with typewriter compared to my previous machine. I can speculate why now.
hi there nice review. do you think that you will do the new area 51m R2 review anytime soon? thanks
I've been using the same laptop for almost 3 years now. My performance is greatly suffering now.
I never cleaned mine and my gaming fps dropped to 20fps after it was fully cleaned inside back tp 100fps.
@@adrianzilic5753 It helped, but not as much as buying a cooling pad. Probably the best purchase ever. It allows me to play games how my laptop was meant to play them
I had same issue with RGB lights on keyboard and logo of my Alienware m15 2018 once I bought it.
Thankfully I had warranty and they fixed it but Alienware Control Center drivers still messed it up.
I've been using it for 2 years and I notice it thermal throttle, so I took a look inside and found out that dust was clogging the CPU fan. It was somewhat fixed after I cleaned it up.
Also the heat the laptop generate is not good for the battery.
I still like it regardless, it's not the best but it's functional and allows me to perform my daily tasks and that's all it matters.
Drop in performance is what happens when you load up the Storage, SSD Takes a major hit on Performance when they fill up. Causing the whole system to slow down, also Dust does a lot, Thermal Paste should be reapplied to Desktop Processors so that's kind of a problem
I dont know what's happening to mine but even when just playing Overwatch, FPS just drops to 15 - 20. And I have RTX 2080. I dont know if its the temp that's causing this. If so, how can I solve this?
Wait wait, did you spend a whole year on that thing and NOT clean it?
I have lol. I'm going to crack my 51m here soon though.
Lmao i was thinking the same thing
Would definitely buy it again...
The Razer blade looks and feels like a toy car next to a Porsche.
Razer products are substandard
Its porSche
@@certificateofvaccinationi.d.19 You are absolutely correct! I didn't even notice the spelling mistake until now :)
So basically it’s a desktop that is portable exactly what I want. Just picked mine up today with I7 and RTX 2070 super for 2700.
Get directly from dell, you coulda gotten a 2080 super for that price
Just picked one up from best buy for 1600 it was on sale cause it was open box . I was looking for a desktop but portable too hopefully everything runs good
is it suppose for any laptop not failing in one year?
my alienware still working 4 years later
I would expect most laptops to make it a full year without a primary hardware failure, but I just wanted to share my experience.
@GizmoSlipTech, would you still recommend to get it now? I could get one for 1350€, thats $1530
I buy an alienware r4 17 - after 1 year of use the motherboard burned, short in the processor, it seems that they are mosfet that short and end up burning the processor, there was no guarantee.
The replacement motherboard costs almost the same as a new Alienware (speaking of the same model).
Investigating online is a typical problem
Conclusion: I will never but never buy something from Dell.
To make matters worse I am an Argentine that to get to buy abroad or to get dollars is increasingly difficult or impossible.
Example: If I buy the motherboard for about 799 dollars I have to add approximately 50% (1598 dollars),
average salary 261 dollars.
Sorry for downloading me here.
Good video.
Unfortunately, all laptops can short/break--which is why I recommend good quality extended warranties if you want yours to last long term. I know HIDEvolution has an international warranty that includes shipping both ways (at least it was that way last year, not sure if it still is). I'm sure other sellers/stories have warranties as well.
forgot to mention you upgraded the ram as well as the storage capacity since month 1
so. did they make a 30 series card for it or are they going to?
New closest laptop is the Alienware M18
@@GizmoSlipTechDo you happen to know how it handles ARMA 3?
Hi, I have a brand new M17 R3 and I'm a little concerned about longevity due to heat. I have undervolted the CPU to assist, but do you think having a new thermal paste application in a year or so would help keep things running smoothly? I love the laptop by the way, it's an absolute monster!
M17 r3 has better cooling solution than the r2, undervolt and repaste LM or kryonaut and ur laptop will run well 70-80°c gaming.
The most remarkable thing is its cooling power: CPU 160w+GPU 200w, the strongest non-sli laptop so far.
If I had the money would totally buy a 51m
im assuming this is the 51m r1? i am trying to decide between an 51m2 and the m15 r3
Can you get thermal repaste through warranty? Had mine around 12 months now and getting the same throttling. Also, AWCC DEFINITELY needs getting worked on.
Do you think R2 is worth the price?
Hey gismo,should I buy the m17 2080s r3 or m17 3070 r4.pls replay.
Sir at Amazon price Area 51 m 2080 super 32gb ram is itoriginal? Answer me pls.
13r3 refresh with OLED touch,make it happen Dell
Ikr a netbook with a gpu yes please!!
@2:00 Doesn’t the Lenovo legion have a good keyboard?
Hey... Gr8 review....
Can i buy it to run. More of heavy architectural softwaress. Like cad. V ray. And all...
It's basically a high end desktop in the form factor of a laptop, that is, only by design does it look like a laptop.
So yes, it should run these softwares with no problem.
I just got myself an Alienware area 51M R2 I was just wondering if there's any way changing the rainbow effect Directions I see yours is going from left to right but mine only goes right to left is there anywhere I can change the direction
Repasted it? Did you get back your performance?
There's UHD option btw
Will the battery life be longer if I get the core i7 rtx 2070 super version
And if I get that version will I need to have the chargers plugged in
Do u need to have both charges plugged in to the laptop for it to work
I have the same questions
Library? Would you even take this DTR laptop to library? I mean, the issue with software sucks of course but the example is funny :)
Seems like a awesome gaming machine.
Is this still better than going for msi raider with 10th gen i7 plus 2080 super?
I own one and I love it just make sure if you buy one to not run the fans at full speed constantly like my dumb ass did.
I have a friend that has the laptop and has been facing so many issues in terms of thermals, we have tried undervolting but temps are so hot (almost always 90+ at fun fan speed) so the GPU throttles and sticks to 300 mhz. What do you suggest he does, should he ask for a new unit or should he just repaste it (he is still under warranty)?
It’s a bios limitation for the r1 I would recommend be flash the previous 1.5.0 bios and enjoy his machine without that throttling. If not he’s gonna have to undervolt the gpu and limit cpu clock speeds.
@Wali what are the specs of the laptop having issues?
@@talkandplay rtx 3080 and desktop lvl i9 (forgot exactly which variant) but the temps at beginning were fine then all of a sudden it just stopped cooling properly and the laptop is on a laptop stand to ensure a good supply of fresh air
Hello guys,
I really would like to know how can you clean the white rubber material of this laptop! I got the m17 its new and I dont know how to clean and preserve it. I really would appreciate an answer
Mothers VLR
As a owner of this machine I bought it as a desktop replacement and it delivers..
The elephant in the room however is dell throwing the first generation owners under the bus with its upgrade path..
They basically locked us out of every upgrade in the version 2 laptop with the PCU and graphics..
The RTX 2080 upgrade is the old one not the super and its priced at
$1300 for the kit if you can find it...No thanks....
Thankfully I maxed my PCU to the max during the purchase with a I9-9900 and the 2070 RTX is still doing a good job...
I like the laptop but beware all new purchasers...Dell will probably jerk you around in the future upgrade path as well..
Short Answer: Yes.
The company wouldn’t put minimal effort into such an expensive gaming laptop, so they probably did their best.
And speaking from experience, the Alienware Area 51m is an extremely good laptop. Probably the best in the world.
But yes of course the R2 is coming out so I can’t speak too soon, but I mean the R2 is a later version of the laptop. What could go wrong?
Deok I had one definitely not the best in the world. Some of the materials could have been better for such an expensive laptop. It still only uses 2400mhz ram every other gaming laptop uses at least 2666. The speakers lack base. No sd card reader. I sold mine. The performance was amazing but it’s lacking in other areas.
JUSTSWITCHED! So what laptop do you recommend I buy instead?
Edit: I said “PROBABLY”.
JUSTSWITCHED! I did some research too on the Alienware Area 51m R2, and it seems that the MHz is now 2933- 3000. The HZ is like 144 and more. So yeah, it is PROBABLY the best gaming laptop on a big budget.
@@justswitched8841 10$ on amazon you get a usb key with microsd card slot..
Do you use an Ethernet connection when you game on it?
I have the Razer Blade Pro 17 and it just seems far superior to the Area 51m. It's cheaper, performance is similar, lighter, premium aluminum chassis with no plastic and better software. I could keep going on. It just seems strange that one would even consider the Area51m.
You can get a i9 2080 super 51m r1 for around 3k now compared to the Razer that’s 3500-3700$ lol plus the new area 51m r2 is better
razer is crap
Does it rock 10th gen i9 processors?
I ended up getting an m15. Realized best buy sold me an r2 as new when there's an r3 out
Might go ask for a price reduction based off this.
Also what is that awesome wallpaper???
Edit: just exchanged my r2 for a MUCH better specced r3, free of charge. Happy days someone at best buy tried pulling a fast one and a manager at my local store made it right.
honestly i like this laptop and im willing to sacrifice portability points for performance since i don't move around much anyways,however i might have to wait till 2021 for next gen rtx 3080,i9 11900k(or amd for that matter XD),and of course a better display like 240hz qhd,then i could maybe buy it...as for the current new display they support which is 300hz fhd,colours don't seem really accurate and 300hz is overkill even for next gen and i've had enough with the stupid fhd,so the sweet spot is 240 qhd,apparantly samsung has their own va 240hz qhd display and the only thing that keeps away from near perfection is the 1000r curve,if alienware uses that display in 17.3 inch form factor while eliminating the curve,then i'll finally have a reason to put that much money on that laptop
why does he have a flamethrower in the background
Want a review of r2 version 😋
can you do a delid and use conductonuat on the whole system to see the temp drop?
Someone did it already and temps were 5-10 Celsius lower. He also swapped out the thermal pads which also lowered the temps.
Okay, I just bought the R2 (i9 10900k, 2080 Super)
I paid nearly 700 GBP for tax lmao
@@exorcistgg9833 wow that's crazy my laptop is 750 pounds and I thought it was alot
What are the speakers like in the r2? I know the m17 r3 got a speaker upgrade
My lights usually stop working when i update the Alienware command center, just uninstall it and reinstall an old version, never update it again. That usually fixes the issue for me.
@Yeti Confetti Not to sound like an ass but you basically couldn't figure a way to successfully download/install the command center, right ? It took me a couple tries and a bit of frustration before making it work.
hey if you read this, please do a video when the 30 series comes out with the alienware external gpu and a new 30 series gpu please and thanks
The Old Dell Precision M6600 laughts at the light weight of these young wipper snapper gaming laptops !
Can you edit videos on it?