Alienware m15 R3 wish list

It's been a while since the last weird and perhaps premature update of the m15 line happened in the middle of Frank Azor's departure (featuring the deal-braking soldered RAM), so the hope would be that despite the change of management and the inevitable turmoil that followed, Team Alienware have been finding some time to work on a new 15 inch model, probably due when 10th gen and Ampere come out. With that optimistic prospect in mind, I suppose it doesn't hurt to help the team with our thoughts on what the next model should look like. Here is my wish list:

* 4 SODIMM slots - supporting up to 128GB of RAM
* Real 99WHr battery (no more "8% battery use on arrival is OK" (C) Dell Support)
* 2x M.2 NVMe slots (don't pull a Razer on us with just 1 M.2 slot)
* Phobya Nanogrease Extreme paste or LM plus high quality pads out of the box
* A socketed / upgradeable CPU
* Obviously a better CPU cooling - my m15 R1 can only sustain around 58W of constant load (with Phobya NGE paste)
* AMD CPU options (Threadrippers are out of question due to TDP of 180W+, but perhaps Ryzen 9 3900X?)
* dGPU on a DXGF module and upgradeable
* Allow more than 90W of dGPU power - my 2070MQ is sitting at 68C under max sustained 90W load - wasted headroom!
* Keep the AGA port + mini DP + HDMI (and update AGA with bigger PSU, larger enclosure and support for virtually any card)
* PCH cooling (R2 already has it)
* SSD heatsink included with every unit - pretty much everyone these days uses SSDs!
* High quality FHD matte screen option at 60Hz + 144/240Hz for gamers + OLED
* Can be thicker/heaver if needed - a low priority consideration
* Good full size keyboard suitable for extended typing as well as gaming
* Large, high-quality trackpad
* Keep the design on the conservative/pro side
* Don't re-introduce the terrible rubberised chassis - the black one in m15 R1 is perfect
* Optimus configurable in BIOS / GSYNC screen option (GSYNC is already supported on external monitor)
* Linux support!
* No inverted motherboard

Thoughts?

If/when the m15 R3 comes out, we will be able to compare the product against the poll results

 

Voted. if only Dell would read this.

 

Thanks bro! Gosh, I forgot to add "Linux support", what's wrong with me lol

 

Voted, one can wish, right

Edit.. and forgot to cast the vote for the non soldered sodimm...

 

• Wide gamut 1920x1080 144hz or better IPS display
• PCIe 8x AGA that can be hot plugged
• iGPU only option (especially with that AGA above)
• Modular Wifi
• "Repair it yourself" warranty options
• Trackpad buttons
• More easily replaceable keyboard
• Less "gamery" look, even if it were optional
• Full bios control for anything that is configurable via their "Control Center" software
• Thicker and heavier so it is cooler and quieter

 

Thumbs up for all the above. Note that if the dGPU was provided on a DGXF module, there should be an option to either pick a really low cost module or none at all. One complication with that is the external monitor ports are exclusively driven by the dGPU and thus offer GSYNC, but presumably it wouldn't be too hard to add configurable rerouting to iGPU. I wouldn't completely get rid of onboard dGPU, because the AGA is not always l convenient to haul around, and some applications can utilise both the internal and external dGPUs.

 

AW are holding a community feedback event on Discord:

 

4 SODIMM slots (no more soldered RAM) - Won't happen. None of the modern thin&light notebook models have more than 2 slots. And there will come soldered ram specs above 16GB.

Phobya Nanogrease Extreme paste or LM plus high quality pads out of the box -- Won't happen. Dell use paste intended for max longeivity... Not for best performance.

A socketed / upgradeable CPU -- Won't happen. See link below

dGPU on a DXGF module -- Won't happen. The models will only be thinner.

Better cooling - settings optimised so no throttling out of the box
dGPU TDP > 90W -- Won't happen. Dell use thermal trip point below specs. Just look at todays models from AW and XPS.

SSD heatsink -- They already offer this.

Can be thicker/heaver if needed -- Won't happen. The treend go opposite.

Don't re-introduce the terrible rubberised chassis -- Won't happen. Aw have used rubberised chassis at least the last 7 years.

Optimus configurable in BIOS / GSYNC screen option -- Won't happen. Such features will add costs.



Dell could be adding AMD Radeon RX GPU options to Alienware m15 laptops

The first ever Alienware gaming laptop sporting an Intel 10750H CPU + AMD Radeon RX 5500M GPU combo was recently spotted in the 3DMark database, and it looks like Dell is looking to lower the price points on its mid-range variants. 5600M and 5700M models may also be in the cards.

Dell appears to be willing to mix things up fir its upcoming Alienware laptops with new combos that include more AMD products. Up until now we have seen AMD CPUs mixed with Nvidia GPUs, but AMD’s mobile GPUs were never an option for the gaming laptops. Until now, that is. Thanks to twitter user _rogame, we are now aware that Dell is already testing out systems that include Intel CPUs and AMD GPUs.

 

Flip that darn motherboard over so I can easily maintain my machine. I’d like to replace the thermal compound without having to do laptop surgery. And no more soldered anything. Just no.

 

Well, I'm just saying what I'd like to see in future products - you know, a change of management related miracle might happen lol

* SSD heatsink -- They already offer this. -> It's not always included, e.g. you have to buy SSD drives from them to get one.
* The chassis on my m15 R1 is not rubberised as far as I can tell, certainly not the same way as on the AW 15 R2 where it eventually got rubbed off
* dGPU TDP > 90W -- Won't happen. Dell use thermal trip point below specs. Just look at todays models from AW and XPS. -> Even more surprisingly, they limit Quadros in larger 17 inch Precisions to 80W. WTF?

They can throw an AMD GPU as an low-cost option, maybe there is a market for that, but clearly they must have Nvidia GPUs as the main/flagship options.
CPUs are another story, but that's mainly on the desktop side.

BTW I hope you will be joining the Discord with Umar Khan? I'd love to see/listen to that lol