We hosted a Q&A with Francisco Santana, the X Series Product Manager and, Judy Zhu, the M Series Product Manager.
Date: 3/17 - Thursday, March 17th, 2022
Where: discord.gg/alienware
Topics: m15 R7 | x15 | x17 R2 | x14
What was the biggest challenge faced by the team when developing the x14? Was there anything that prompted the color changes to move M Series to dark side of the moon?
One of the biggest challenges was to achieve the 0.57” z height with all the power required, we had to design a new hinge that will make this happen. Color was to differentiate M Series for X Series
Given the release of Thunderbolt 4 and Concept Polaris showing up at CES, is it possible that the x14 might receive a revision in the future where it's sold without a dedicated GPU?
Unfortunately we can't comment on future road maps, but stay tuned to our social channels to see what might be next. 🙂
What's the best way to differentiate between the M and X Series laptops? As in... What are their purposes and which is best suited for what kind of use profile?
M Series is about performance and X Series is about portability, performance and latest tech.
X Series is for someone that is always playing on the go and needs a thin system. M Series is for someone where thinness isn't as much of a priority.
What are the differences in between the older m15 series and the m15 R7 and what kind of improvements do we see over the next generation? (Same question applies to the X Series)
Difference between X Series R1 and X Series R2 are that we now have 12th gen processors, and also the new 3070 ti/3080Ti GPU, also we launched a 330W SFF A/D adaptor for the 17” and all of our panels are not Advanced optimus DDS/ GSYNC.
Difference between m15 R6 and R7 are that we now have 12th gen processors, and also the new 3070 ti/3080Ti GPU, for more wattage, all of our panels are now Advanced optimus DDS/ GSYNC
Was a QHD display considered for the x17 R2? If it was, why was it decided against in the end? And if not, why was it not considered?
We look at several options for our offering and at the time when the decision was made we selected the panels that would optimize our systems. We are always looking to improve our systems, thanks for bringing it we will check it with our teams.
The m15 past product designs have been known for its legendary design. Why did the new m15 change the iconic design that the m15 R2-R4 has? Is there a cost factors in this? Will consumers be able to change their m15 chassis colors or have the option to change for the old chassis that the R2 to R4 has in the future?
On M Series, we are following legend 2.0 iconic design. We only offer the dark side of the moon to differentiate M from X Series.
Are you guys planning on adding any new rgb themes to AlienFX? Also what was the biggest difficulty in engineering the x15. What was the design process of including 4 fans as it is never seen before?
We are always looking for way to make our AlienFX better but no changes in the immediate time frame, the biggest difficulty was adding 160W of TDP in a sub .62” Z height, that required a lot of engineering in the thermal piece that includes the 4 fans and the element 31 thermal past, X Series is the first time we introduce a 4 fan design as well as Element31.
Wondering this as well, really would like a QHD display for at least the next iteration of the X17. For the X17, would there be an option to have the Element31 thermal solution to be applied on both the GPU and CPU, especially for the higher end configs to better manage temperatures and longevity?
For the first question, refer above. For Element31, our engineers found Element31 was most effective on the CPU only so there are currently no plans to bring that to the GPU as well.
Does the Alienware m15 R7 have an AMD version?
Yes the AMD version is coming this spring.
Why are the M Series and X Series letters (m/x) lowercase? What was the marketing strategy behind that? Especially since the R's are uppercase.
That is the million (or Million?) dollar question! We're looking into the real answer, but we did find there was a capital M back in 2010! So likely to differentiate there. 🙂
What's the fan noise level in dB for the m15 R7 with the fans going full speed?
Between 45 and 55 dB
Does the x15/x17 have vapor chamber for cooling?
The x17 R2 has a vapor chamber
When can we expect the 4K screens on the x17 R2.
We will launch it next week, please check http://www.alienware.com next week
Note from Anna Maree: This has officially been launched.
TGP of the 3070ti and 3080ti on the m15 R7 and the x15-17 R2s? What type of temperatures should we be considering as optimal under full load?
TGP on m15 R7, 3070Ti, it’s 125W; 3080Ti, it’s 125W too. Without DB.
Alienware x17 R2 TGP 3070Ti 140W + 25W DB ; 3080Ti 160W + 25W DB at full speed
Will the 510k keyboard be available in other configurations?
Currently only the US version available.
Any reason why the keyboard doesn’t have a light for the secondary function keys? Also is the x17 R1 out of stock? I can’t seem to find it
For the first question, we're always looking for new ways to improve our products so keep an eye on future models there.
For the x17 R1, it's not gone forever, but keep checking back on http://www.dell.com!
You may also be able to find them at bestbuy.com if you're in the US https://www.bestbuy.com/site/alienware-x17-r1-17-3-fhd-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-3070-1tb-solid-state-drive-white-lunar-light/6464985.p?skuId=6464985&intl=nosplash
What's battery life like on x14 with normal work at 80% brightness
And what's fan noise like on x14 playing games?
Unfortunately there's too many variables here to give you a specific answer on battery life there. And for noise the maximum is around 50db.
Variables = your specific config, apps, etc. -- these make it difficult to provide more detailed battery life info. That's why it's usually a general "up to [x] hours" statement
Would like to get more explanation about the improvements and changes in cooling on M15,17 R7 in comparison to the previous model.
We added Element31 on 3070 Ti and 3080 Ti, also increased the fan blade count 2.3X which led to better acoustics.
What prompted the change to have a fixed two-tone colour scheme (Black inside, white outside) instead of a choice like with previous models?
This goes back to the differentiation between M Series and X Series. Makes it visible which you have at a glance.
When will the AW phone come out?
You don't mess with perfection.
I'd like to add to the question about QHD... Specifically for 17" machines, you had this option back in 2017/2018. Why did it go away, and why hasn't it come back despite being pretty much the most requested feature of all? It's truly the sweet spot for resolution vs size, and would actually be a good reason for me to pick one laptop over another.
When we release new models the configurations are based on what is available at the time of design that will give the best experience. That being said we are always adding configurations even after launch so stay tuned.
Would love to work for Alienware! love the products
That's awesome! Make sure to check out https://jobs.dell.com/
Speaking of highly requested features, will future keyboard options receive backlit secondary key function symbols? As a lack of backlighting for the secondary key functions seems to be one of the biggest complaints from people with the current keyboard design.
We will bring this request back to the design team 🙂
Why doesn't the x17 R2 have an RGB touchpad?
This was a design decision for the current generation, but we will bring the feedback that it is VERY missed to the design team.
Is Element31 available to buy separately? If so, where can we get it, and if not, would you folks consider offering it in future so people can replace it when they repaste their machines to improve the traditional paste on the GPU? Repasting is quite a popular thing to do with these machines (they're high-end performance machines after all, and we want the best out of them)
We do not sell it separately, and we do not recommend you repasting Element31.
Are there any plans to make the memory on the x15 upgradeable? Or is it possible at all?
No the x15 memory is soldered to the motherboard to facilitate the thin design. For upgradeability the m15 is upgradeable.
Given the TGP numbers we just saw (125W for the m15 R7 and 130W for the x15 R2), how does this tie in with the m-series being the performance machines and the x-series being the portable machines, as in the previous answer to my earlier question? Surely the m-series ought to have a higher TGP if it's supposed to be the higher performance machine?
The X Series is about performance and portability, mSeries is about performance and upgradability, is not a tradeoff.
Are you still able to repaste these machines yourself without voiding the warranty?
Due to the nature and materials in Element31 we require a tech to change it for safety reasons. So repasting it yourself may void your warranty.
Non-Element31 systems may be repasted without voiding your warranty.
Any hopes to have the Alienware Graphics Amplifier back in some form?It'd be nice to have some sort of Aurora shaped chassis/dock (without the middle part as seen from the front), and just come home and slide your laptop in and have desktop graphics performance
It's a concept but it shows that we've been thinking about it.
FURTHER NOTES:
So here is how we have it: Alienware x15 R2 (3080Ti and 3070Ti) = 105W + 25W DB (total = 130W) ; Alienware x17 R2 3070Ti = 115W + 25W DB (Total = 140W) ; 3080Ti = 140W +25W DB ( Total = 165W) All of them are on full speed mode.