Alienware’s new m17 R5 and x17 R2 offer 480Hz displays

However, only the x17 R2 will have the 480Hz display on the Singapore store.

by Justin Choo
lifestyle shot of the alienware m17 r5

Dell touts the new Alienware m17 R5 to be the most powerful 17″ laptop sporting AMD Advantage tech today. But even that has to take a backseat to another feature: it sports a display with a whopping 480Hz refresh rate.

We’ve only just hit the 500Hz mark on desktop monitors this year so 480Hz on a laptop is quite an eye-opener. Aside from the m17 R5, the Alienware x17 R2 will also have the option for some 480Hz lovin’. God knows what this means for the battery life but I think if you’re spending the cash for one of these monster performance machines, the battery is probably the last thing you are thinking about.

The m17 R5’s Dolby Vision-certified display will have an FHD (1920×1080) resolution along with 3ms latency. The panel supports both AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-SYNC with Advanced Optimus. However, if the idea of a FullHD display sounds unappealing to you, the m17 R5 also has a UHD (3840 x 2160) display with a more modest 120Hz refresh rate and 3ms latency, but this option is only available in Singapore from 10th August onwards.

Powering the m17 R5 is the latest AMD Ryzen 6000 series of processors and Radeon RX 6000 graphics – including the option for the new RX 6850 XT 12GB GDDR6 GPU – along with AMD Advantage features. AMD Advantage is essentially the combination of SmartShift (optimise power use between the GPU and CPU), SmartShift Eco (power-saving for battery), SmartAccess Memory (remove system bottlenecks), and SmartAccess Graphics (optimise performance to suit task) to maximise performance numbers. The laptops also have FreeSync Premium support.

The m17 R5 also uses Alienware Cryo-tech cooling technology. It incorporates quad fan technology, unique power states, gallium-silicone thermal interface material and a built-in graphics vapour chamber to enable sustained high-performance while playing the most graphically intensive games.

OK, now that I’ve gotten you excited, here’s the kicker – from what we understand, Singapore will only be able to get the 480Hz display for only the x17 R2. If you want it on the m17, you have to buy it elsewhere.

The Alienware m17 R5 starts from $3,049 for a Ryzen 7 6800H CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU. For an all-Radeon setup, you’ll need the 6800H CPU and RX 6700M option (from $3,384.98) or the Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU and RX 6850M XT combination if money is no object(from $5,310.98) – OK, we now know why the 480Hz option isn’t offered here.

But if the display is your priority, wait for Dell Singapore to update its inventory and check in every now and then. From what we understand, it will be priced at roughly US$2,549.99; the local pricing isn’t finalised just yet.

Leave a Comment