Area 51m R2 Long Term Review - Alienware's Behemoth
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- čas přidán 14. 02. 2022
- In this video I take a look at my Area 51m r2 which I have owned for over a year and discuss what I liked and what I didn't and also take a look at how well it has aged.
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#laptopreview #alienware #gaminglaptops - Věda a technologie
Area 51m R2 owner here. I LOVE this machine, will be keeping it for a long time, the cooling is amazing. I’ve modded the graphics amp and am running a 6900XT inside that, I get full next gen performance with that and love it. Currently custom delidding my 10900K with a custom copper IHS to allow for a better contact for liquid metal. Am also back and forth with dell figuring out a bios update that allows us to use ReBAR with a EGPu, which will help performance even more. I still think this is the best laptop out there, it’s sad Dell hasn’t announced a R3, unfortunately it’s also because Nvidia doesn’t want to release a higher wattage gpu anymore and dell is focused on thin and light :/
Did you find a solution to the external Monitor issue? Dedicated graphics card not working with thunderbolt port
How do I upgrade mine?. Can you please advise?
did you connect the 6900 XT with an external GPU to this laptop? I own the same product but currently use a desktop with better cooling but would like to fix the cooling issue to get more life out of the system.
Es una lástima que no sacaron todavía la R3… yo me tengo la más sencilla de la versiones y apenas la pude actualizar… con más ram (32gb) y el procesador i9 10900k… pero la GPU sigue con la RTX2060… pero el truco es hacer ajustar el voltaje y hacer más eficiente al procesador para sacar más FPS sin elevadas temperaturas.
Nice wish I had this laptop. I have a 40 series laptop. But this laptop is so sick great sound. I still need a i99900k for my motherboard in my desktop. Had one for a while but it was broke and changed it for i7 9700.
I've had this for over a year and love it. I use it mostly for productivity rather than gaming and it's excellent. I rarely/never use an external keyboard because it's so comfortable to type on. I use the speakers for all my calls and they do really well. I did add an external camera due to the sheer number of video calls I do. It performs well no matter what I do on it and is just as speedy as when I first got it. The only thing that happened was that one of the fans went bad early on, but was replaced by Dell under warranty without jumping through too many hoops. I'm very glad I got it. Sadly, work travel and occasional office visits have resumed and this can't go with, but I still love it as my primary machine. Bought it mostly based on your comparison to the M17 in fact, which was really helpful. (Agree on the Alienware Command Center - pure meh). Thanks for the great reviews!
“…is hefty but still looks great…” just like me! I love that laptop because is absurd and looks great. Tried to be it own thing.
😃👍
Great review pointing out real facts and it is a beast. I am also a 51m r2 user and I just love how big the cooling fans are and giving it out a smooth whoosh instead of screaming sounds.
I guess the best part of this machine is the reliability on this machine that I can push to its limits and not worry so much about throttling and damage it will do.
Subscribed and love your videos and your love for alienware. Stay safe.
Thank you so much, it is really appreciated 👍 glad you are also enjoying your 51m r2 😃
Thank you so much, it is really appreciated 👍 glad you are also enjoying your 51m r2 😃
Hey Dave! Thank you so much for making this video on this gorgeous machine! not enough YT videos on this machine IMHO!!! like you mentioned, If this laptop could get upgraded with the new 30 series cards, it would kill the market over night! - i bought mine from dell and got it on sale for $3,000 about 1 year ago. Prior to keeping this machine i had Asus ROGs, G14, mid level laptops around the 1500 price range. Ended up keeping the 51M R2. It is just so enjoyable to use and the specs are incredible for a laptop, Yes bulky, big and heavy but at the end of the day you have have so much portable power in this machine. Intel Core i7 10th Gen, RTX 2070 Super, 64 Gigs of DDR4 2933MHz Ram, 4TB Raid Zero memory, with the 1080p 300 hertz panel. Everyone who sees it comments on it. I love this power house of a machine and will enjoy it for many years to come. Dell needs to eventually make the R3! ... but lets give it a few years so we can enjoy this beast!!!
So glad you are enjoying yours as much as I am with mine! There is no other machine like it! I feel so sad Dell have never made an R3 :(
I adore mine, got mine in 2020 just before everything was running out. Replaced my 8 year old m71x r4. Went all in and got every upgrade it could possibly fit and it's been a dream. Keeps cool untill I turn on 4k gaming (but it run most everything at 1080p and use the 4k just for my photography work. It's an absolute power wagon glad I got it, sure it's not upgradeable but the pros outside of that are amazing. The less noise, the fact it's not a space heater, fast and many more and the fact I can take it apart easily for cleaning or whatever else. I would definitely buy another or an r3 , 4 or whatever comes later. It definitely has that desktop performance with the portability I need, and it's fun to see my friends online and real reactions when they ask for the specs when an inevitable "laptops suck" convo pops up on a discord server I'm in.
I have this and I can’t bring myself to sell it. The capability I can have bringing this with me anywhere in the world is an incredible ability to have
Have this beauty for last 4 years and has never let me down. Any video guides how to replace 2.5 inch SSD for a SSD M2 PCLE in slot 3 and 4. I have found the kit needed but not how to fit with a video guide?
Mate, that intro cracked me up!! Well done once again!
Haha thanks mate, couldn’t resist it 😂
Hi I would like to ask if this laptop is still worth it? Or should I get one of the legion laptops with RTX 3070 and 2560x1600 screen?
I just love mine, I agree with everything you just said about the machine. I have the same configuration that you have. It's been an absolute joy using it. I did run into some trouble with the hardware but, Dell was such professionals about it and fixed it in an instant. Because of their service I've purchased their extended warranty for another year. It's honestly been an absolute joy using this machine, I still don't think I'll have to upgrade it anytime soon. I am pretty happy with the way it is. The point that I totally agree with you is about the AWCC app. That's the only downside I could think of. Anyways cool video. Really enjoyed it.
I've been waiting for more long term reviews, this is much appreciated.
Glad to hear it. I wasn’t sure how well it would go down with all the 12th gen releasing at the moment but will happily make this a regular feature if I know you guys are interested in them 👍 ps as this was my first long term review is there anything I didn’t include that you would like to see included?
Uhh i have the r1 i-9. What is the largest hard drive you can place in it in 2023. I saw 16 tb drives do they fit in laptops? Whats the biggest upgrade of ssd in 2023?
Exceptional presentation and delivery! Whenever I gaze upon this laptop, 007's Lotus transforming into a submersible springs to mind, it looks so cool. I don't mind it being a little behind in terms of power, because its size and cooling gives me peace of mind when it comes to longevity - I cannot help but feel that the X17 R2 will have a shorter lifespan due to its temps. Other aspects such as the keyboard, speakers, connectivity and the placement of the sockets keeps this at the top of the league for me, and as others have said, it's a genuine pity that it appears as though we won't be getting a 51M R3.
my only hope is the rumour of a Alienware 18 coming in 2023! I just hope the embrace the late 18" size and don't try and make it thin at the cost of cooling
Great to see that it's still serving you well! It seems Dell have brushed aside the A51's and are going after the x and m series. What you said makes perfect sense though with no offer of latest gen cpu and gpu. For all the pros you lay out, that would certainly see their uptake on latest models taking a hit! I seriously considered the A51 but opted for the X17 instead - thanks to your very helpful reviews! Look forward to seeing the reviews you have coming for the new r2 version of x series. Be great to see how they fair compared to r1's! Thanks for the content and great intro 😀
Haha thanks 😊 my x17 and x15 are in transit and fingers crossed will be here in the next day or so! I have already told the wife not to expect me around for the next few days 🤣
@@MashITTech 😄 brilliant!
@@MashITTech likewise i was about to buy it but then i thought i need to see your review first. Initial impressions from dave2d are good but his was 14” version
What’s a laptop you recommend that’s able to last long. And run games well and live stream and be used for coding and content creation? I’ve had a MacBook Pro 2014 and it still runs well but I need something with stronger performance. Just worried about the windows laptop brands because in the past I’ve had issues with needing to get them repaired for motherboard issues other various things.
Area-51m R2 owners, trim over Tobii Eye Tracker,
Has anyone else had the trim piece that covers the Tobii Eye Tracker start to come unstuck?
Mine has a lifted a bit just above the camera or middle section while left to right is still sitting flush.
I am wondering if I I can push it back in or would I need to take out the trim (not sure how hard it is) and reseat the trim so the trim sits flush.
I was about to buy alienware area 51m r2 like you! But when the rtx 3080 laptop came out I changed my mind to the alienware m17 r4. I bought my rtx 3080 alienware m17 r4 because of the design!! The design is so beautiful!! Its more beautiful than the newer design! My m17 r4 stayed for about 10 months and I'm really happy with it!! It never throttled and it has an excellent performance! but the most annoying thing on this laptop that the keyboard gets worm after 5 minutes of playing on this laptop.. I'm still happy with my m17 r4 I spent 3 years collecting money to buy this beast!!
But can you upgrade it tho no
@@THATVYBE can you upgrade a51m to rtx 3080 tho no
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.
Hello. I have the same laptop. Everything is good but never put Windows 11 because you will have issues hahahaha.
On the other hand, if you decided to use only the 330W charger, in What side do you connect it?
Other thing, Do you have any External Audio DAC/AMP for headphones via USB? This question is because I have other problem. If I connect both chargers at same time, I can hear noise (maybe 60Hz) in my headphones connected to external DAC/AMP. But if I disconnect one of chargers, the noise dissappear. Do you have the same problem?
I have good ground instalation in my house and a power conditioner in the chain.
Great vid mate, for someone looking at a desktop, this is definitely a great, slightly more portable alternative.
Great video, I also have the same laptop! but I have never used it outside my apartment haha
Do you think buying refurbished A51M laptops from ebay is a good idea?
This laptop has warn well with me. I use it exclusively to play MSFS. I recently added dual monitors for my old eyes. Really quite a great update.
i need a hand: there is nothing of this laptop on the market anymore, any link for it doesn't work anymore! is there any better CPU than Intel i9 10900K 3.7Ghz (20Cpus)...anddd what do you think is best option for another 1T or maybe 2 of storage drive for this laptop!? Thanks.
Do you think its worth buying it for 1500 with a 2080 super, i9 10900k, and a 4k screen?
mine is having lots of probs now - temps at 80dg c + just running google and excel and outlook so only at around 10% cpu usage. It is now constantly crashing. All scans from various softwares show clean, have just installed windows deleting all apps - still super hot. Thermal paste re done - still super hot. 3yrs old and heading for the scrapheap unless can solve asap!
Apart from the initial disadvantages in the beginning of the video….. is there anything else that you faced as a issue like motherboard or keyboard failure or display or sound issues?
I just bought my first area 51m R1 9th gen i7 9700 it’s used but mint condition and the people I bought it from installed a brand new keyboard and palm rest face, then took it apart and completely cleaned it out and put back together with Grizzley kryonaut copper thermal paste and parts have been completely upgraded to the best parts and upgrades available for the first gen area 51m including a flashed and reprogrammed CPU so that the RAM MHZ was upgraded from the max 2666mhz speed it can handle from factory to 2933mhz 🙌🙌 I absolutely cannot wait it’s on its way in the mail, I’ve been using Alienware laptops since 2010 and this is the best one and most expensive one I’ve bought and I will never use anything else. If anyone can give me any advise or pointers I need all the advise I can get!
Loved mine, i got it with the i9 and 1660ti, i wish i had switched the cpu for the better gpu, had a x17 r1 since around the 3rd of Feb, handy for uni, little easier to use on the tiny chair desks. Would love some more chunky desktop replacements, i want a desktop that i can port around, the Area 51m r2 was that! give us a r3 dell.
Maybe we should start an R3 petition! 😁
Hiya Dave, new youtube account member here and subscriber, and that's all because of you... no pressure lol. There are a few things that i feel it's worth considering when it comes to comparing the newer design approach compared to this amazing Area51 r2. First of all, one of the main attractive features this machine had was the ability for it to remain cool. This surely had so much to do with it's size...all that lovely room to have larger fans and room for air to flow around components. I too would leap at the chance to buy an r3 if it were available, but i am wondering if part of the reason Dell abandoned the design is because too many berated it's size and weight. Not you Dave, i actually found the start of this video quite amusing, but it seems all over the tech world much of what was said started off by firstly pouring scorn on things that simply didn't matter to users... in fact i would go so far as to say, they encouraged a wrong mindset. The whole industry strives for better performing machines and components. Users crave higher specs and manufacturers work to get them, but are then forced to restrict that high performance simply because of heat in a slimmed down casing... it's crazy.
I'm looking to get a new lappy very soon and sooooo tempted to get one of these, but it's nearly £3000 and i feel i may as well just spend the extra £1000 and get a 12th gen. The trouble is, there's no number pad and the X17, which is an absolute must for me. I'm considering a workstation instead, but hardly the same is it lol. I can't go with msi or razor because they don't have a UK layout keyboard, which again is an absolute must.... got to have the £ on number 3 and and the @ next to #, which incidentally no one ever seems to detail in their review lol. Take care Dave, and please keep up the good work.
Is ALIENWARE no longer lit at the bottom of the screen?
what a way to start the video! hahaha. hilarious, man! Respect!
haha thanks mate, I couldn't resist it :)
Is it possible to buy a replacement GPU? I looked previously, but couldn't see any for sale by Dell. This was the stumbling block for me (have had GPU failures in laptops before), so I went down the Dan A4 route, which is fully repairable, upgradeable, etc.
I still love my Dan a4 but I find myself usually leaving the a4 in the office and carting the 51m when I want to game elsewhere. You are right though, it’s nice to be able to just upgrade the gfx/mobo and cpu when you want 👍
I have skewered the internet trying to find out if the honey comb speaker/vents at the top of the keyboard are speakers or vents does anyone know?
They are vents. The speakers are at the front and bottom of the laptop and sound pretty good for a gaming laptop
Great video!!! i got my R2 for about 1800 $ a year ago ! i like it but i was in a rush to buy a laptop an kinda wish i got something more portable. do you think it would be worth selling an getting a slimer one? or just keep rocking it ? this is my first laptop btw an you should make a deicated video on what all the ports are for ? theres like no videos for this lap[top ? i wonder why its like the power house ?
That's a great idea! I will look into that
The build quality and the cooling is great. I have the 10700k and 2080 super. Hope they make an R3 version soon 😁👌
Yeah me too, I am longing for a 200w 3080ti in there 😂
I think we need a revamp why cant we get a 18 inch screen upgradable one for real don't care how big we just want a super computer on the go I have got the max 4k screen still have not seen one better Alienware area 51 is
I luv the white going around the screen
I have had it for almost a year now , love it . the only issue I have had is the some of the keyboard's keys painting robbing off (the gaming keys lol i.e the w s ctrl and e ). Do you know and good site I can order just those keys? With international shipping cause I am from Ghana.
I don't sorry but I will look around for you
@@MashITTech Alright thanks
I've got this laptop and while I do love it it has some issues, which is why I'm posting. Perhaps you could even offer advice? Mine is an i7 10700k , 32gb ram, nvidia 2070rtx. Now while I'm gaming after anywhere between 20-30 minutes of gaming the computer will just freeze and the music will be stuttering and the only way is to restart using the button. Additionally temps are insane. I could barely keep my fingers on the WASD because of the heat and HWinfo is showing me all CPU cores hitting 100c when gaming. Now I have done a thermal repaste and I must admit the heat around the keys and where I rest my hand are not too bad but info is still showing CPU temps getting to 100C and the system is still just freezing while in game. GPU temp get to around the 80C mark so not too bad. I'm sure the crashes are related to the CPU heat but I've done a thermal repaste so I'm unsure of what else to do. AND FYI I've even tried throttling via AWCC so it's -100mV voltage offset and to no avail, still crashes. My machine is also out of warranty now. Any suggestions?
Hey, can you review your Razer chair? I’m actually looking into buying one
Sure, just got all the new alienwares over the next couple of days but after that I will
I'm eyeing out one atm, a brand new model. Took me weeks to find a brand new one since this was discontinued. But I found one for a premium price xD Will be selling my X17 r1 for it, as honestly Im no gamer. I collect laptops, like others collect knives, stamps etc. Can't wait to buy it!
AWESOME REVIEW! WELL DONE DAVE!
I bought the 51 r2 2080 after watched your review in late 2020, and I'm using the same gaming mouse like you do! Razer Viper ultimate white!
It's still working perfectly fine, I've bought a 27D alienware monitor and apex pro keyboard +astro A40 headphone. Top gear I could possibly get in Perth Australia.
Unapologetically fabolous gaming experinces.
We clearly both have great taste! I wish I had your monitor though! I have all the alienware except yours! I keep meaning to pick one up
I picked up the M15 R5 w/RTX 3070 8GB, Ryzen 5900HX, 32GB Ram etc
And it has been great BUT it absolutely will get hot as hell if you let it, they thankfully
updated the Bios so I could use TCI to limit how hot it gets and it has absolutely NOT been an issue, but some days I wish I opted for the area 1 for the better cooling
So u actually prefer this one to the x17 ? I couldnt make one advantage for this one over the x17
So, I currently use mine with one additional monitor setup. Anyone know how to set up a second monitor?
Which port are you using for your monitor? You have multiple display outputs so 2 monitors is easily possible
Thank you for the review I loved it and convinced me into buying one. Do you still recommend it now? Where is the best place to buy it from?
Unfortunately Dell have stopped selling it on their site but you can still get them from Dell outlet or amazon depending on your country. It is still a fantastic machine IMHO and just a shame there is no new r3 :(
Definitely getting this as well... I'm happy it still holds up well even at this time
I have the same one for 14 months now. I agree 99% with your review! I use it more for 3d rendering, CAD-CAM projects and every now and then some FPS gaming. It doesnt even sweat... It still looks like new. some software issues that i experienced Dell provided decent support for those. Cons: I can hear a bit of coil whine (when is complete silence in the room)but i know that this is a normal phenomenon. Alienware Command Center needs update ASAP and i dont know if Dell actually can provide GPU replacements for this in the future. I will probably need an upgrade in 2-3 years for some RTX2080super (that was a major factor for me to buy this machine) and i have my concerns about GPU availability... on Dells site there are none available.
Great review. keep going....
Thank you mate, so glad to hear your experience too! With regards to the coil whine, have you tried undervolting your cpu? I virtually eliminated mine by doing that. If you need help add me to Instagram
@@MashITTech thanks for the advice... ill have that in mind. its not so annoying, only if the room is in complete silence, but if i need more info about undervolting ill contact you. Thanks man. You're doing a great job
On eBay in the US, the prices on these are still very high and difficult to find with the 2080 Super, which is in my opinion the only one even worth considering these years later with the X series dominating. I wish Dell would make another one of these in all of its huge glory, because the cooling and build quality is still the best Alienware has ever made in my opinion.
Yeah you can buy a 2080 super GPU on eBay though and put it in and there are a ton of them for sale on there.
Waiting for your x17r2 review!
Haha it literally just turned up! Unboxing and first impressions later today and then I will spend the weekend hammering it for the review 👍
Do you think A51M R2 is good for architectural visualization and rendering? Thanks in advance.
Yes it sure is. The laptop is a beast and doesn't sound like a vacuum cleaner like most slim laptops
@@MashITTech Appreciated. Btw, do you think buying refurbished alienware laptops from ebay is a good idea?
do you plan on making a video on ASUS STRIX G15 advantage edition mate?
I have spent our monthly budget on the new alienware range but will certainly look to get the asus in next month if it’s available here then 👍
Crazy that this is still about 1k in 2023
So, they have one at a local shop at a decent price but it has a UHD 60 Hz display, i guess it more suited for watching movies and content creation, i wonder if games scale down to 1080p nicely on such a display, if needed.
Lol, that intro, I guess that's an efficient way to get some gains 💪🏽
Haha couldn’t resist, people always moaning about how heavy the laptop is 😂
@Mash IT lmaoooo, this laptop is not for those that need a thin and light thats for sure. It's a sexy beast though!
Ok I understand the sentiment of lets have option for no compromise performance.
But they should streamline it a little bit, single PSU would be a start, desktop components i would say is overkill tho but having chunky cooling solution and access to most of the components is pretty cool.
You make some good points. And I can use the machine with 1 PSU with minimal loss of performance. But I am just sad no one is really making desktop replacements anymore, not everyone wants a slim and light
@@MashITTech i agree
I don't think there's any reason to regret a well-spec'ed RTXxx70+ machine. It'll still be pretty good in five years after release. The only time I'd be cautious is, for games fans, when it gets close to the end of a console generation. Even then, once you know what that new gen's tech is and what the equivalent is for PC, you can make an informed choice that will last you for that gen (albeit with having to compromise a bit more on settings as time goes by).
I'm also amazed at the temps considering how many watts are being pumped to that cpu in games. I saw 70 watts plus in the 80 degree mark which is awesome!
It is amazing. I can also underplot it and get the temps down further! When I get time I plan to install a 10900k and see what I can squeeze out of it
@@MashITTech You can change cpu? That's nuts!
yeah it is a standard desktop socket! Any 10th gen. Just wish dell would give us a 12th gen motherboard, it would be amazing
@@MashITTech That's really cool! Although 12th gen has kinda made 10th seem really rubbish in an instant lol
Haha so true but if I am honest for my humble gaming needs the 10700 is still cutting through everything
I purchas d this with what I believe the highest specs available. Only been streaming haven't really had chance to test and make use of it's full potential.
64gb ram i9
Great review and like all comments on here, i love my Area51m. I got mine back in Jul-21 with the i9-10900k, 2080 super 7 64GB RAM. I use this laptop professionally for engineering and it is a solid performer. I have had models running for 24hrs straight on many many occasions at almost full load and temps were great. I never have to worry about this running overnight. My 2080 did die in Nov but i got the 3yr premium support and Dell had the 2080 replaced in a week with the technician coming to my house. I have nothing but praise for Dells service. That in lies my problem, i want to get the new g14 laptop but my experience with dells support is amazing, will Asus servicing rival Dell? Do you know if most vendors offer great servicing (or recommend who to avoid)? Also, i think i know the answer, but can i upgrade my 10th gen processor to 11th or 12th? Love your reviews and i look forward to the x14 review.
Great to hear you enjoying yours too. Ok so to answer your questions. 1. No, asus only offers a return to base warranty and it takes them a fair while to turn it around, msi is similar but I have never had to use it, razers is the worst in the business. The only other company that offers something similar to dell is Lenovo’s on-site warranty but they don’t offer any small gaming laptops like the g14. And 2. You can only change the cpu for other 10th gen CPUs 😢
@@MashITTech thanks for the quick reply. I have some further thinking to do. What are your thoughts on XMG servicing? As for Area51 upgradability, :(. Thanks again.
Man, your voice is good for voice actors of some sort!
Games series or animated movies
Haha thank you mate :)
R2 owner here. Mine gets pretty hot when gaming, even when fans are at full speed. Not uncommon for temps to hover in the 95-100 degree C range. Keyboard gets sweaty even when I'm not gaming.
how do i upgrade the video card (to an rtx 3080 or 3090)
You can’t! Dell has never made them available. You can only use 2060/2070s/2080s 😢
@@MashITTech oh... so bad, i think dell has to release Alienware Area 51m R3 or release a laptop that can make graphics card changes 😊🥳
Area 51m R1 owner here.
I am on year 4 of owning the laptop. I was able to successfully upgrade the CPU and the GPU from an i7-9700k and RTX 2070 respectively to an i9-9900k and RTX 2080 respectively.
However, I wish Dell/Alienware moved forward with the Area 51m’s main selling point, which was its desktop-like upgradability.
Seeing Dell/Alienware going into the thin and light laptop direction is sad.
What did you have to do to upgrade it to the i9? And how much did it cost? I just bought my 51m r1 with the 9700 and starting to regret not spending another $300 to get one with the i9
Hey, also wondering how you upgraded the GPU and CPU??
Thanks for the nice honest review Dave, I enjoyed it. I only recently got one of those and I want to upgrade the cpu, but you said you can only go up to 10th gen at the moment, is that correct? So nasty of Dell not to allow newer CPUs and 30 series GPUs. And the problem is I really like it and wanna keep it. Also buyin any spare parts from Dell is a farce, I wanted to get the mechanical cherry mx keyboard for it as a spare part and only lost a ton of time and nerves trying to reason with them, ultimatelly they would not sell it. It is always sweet and sour with them. :/
Yep that's Dell all over! What CPU are you running at the moment? 10900k is the best you can install and its still a great cpu. Plus my 200w 2080 super is still holding up well against the 3080ti, I just wish we could update it to a 4000 when they are released :(
@@MashITTech I got the 10700 (non-k) and RTX 3070. I was on the phone with Dell today (1 hour 25 mins) and I got offered the 2080 super upgrade (refurbished) for £300 (with 90 days wty), but only as a replacement part, which means that I will have to send them my 2070 super. I also managed to get a replacement offer for 32 GB of refurbished (2 x 16) 3200Mhz RAm (again if I send them my old 2 x 4GB sticks) for £180. Do you find that reasonable? Apparently they have done something where it is not recommended to fit any ram apart from their proprietary one. Do you know anything about that? Id appreciate your opinion.
I also asked about purchasing the cherry mx mechanical keyboard as an out-of-warranty spare part but things got really murky there, i dont think I will be getting it. Dell is so reluctant when it comes to selling spare parts, its damn weird and exasperating.
P.S. Their customer service people speak English so badly and with such a heavy Asian accent that it took a loooooooot of "what"s and "huh"s and "can you repeat that"s and "can you speak slowlier"s untill I understood them. Pure nightmare man. I am a non-native speaker too so I know thing can be better. After the conversation I needed de-stressing activites lol.
What country are you in mate? I see you have used £ are you currently in the U.K.? With regards to the ram he is talking rubbish and trying to fleece you! Buy 2 of these: amzn.to/3Omq5X0 (you can buy the kit but it’s actually cheaper to just buy 2 sticks!)
@@MashITTech Yeah, Im in the UK.
Regarding the RAM, he never told me anything, actually. I had to explain to him what options were there and what I wanted. It took him a good 30 mins but he eventually showed some understanding. It actually says in the Area 51 R2 Setup and Specification manual that “Only Dell supplied XMP memory modules are supported on this computer. Third-party XMP memory modules are not supported.” And also I found some comments (I think it was on reddit) that you can use other brands but u cant set the xmp (whatever that is, Im a bit of a noob technically) so that they run higher than 3000 Mhz, or something along these lines.
I have been hunting for the the rx 5700m variant, extremely hard to find!
I upgraded from win10 to win11 and had to remove the ACC because caused lot's of problem.
Just a few weeks away from 1 year with the M17 R4 3070. Been absolutely flawless. AWCC not so much. Pretty much set it forget it. So no biggie, it's there if needed. Bought strictly for gaming. it turned into full time desktop replacement. External keyboard. Mouse. Monitor. So no abuse from the 3 peeps in the family. I can't remember the last time I took it off the balanced setting. Never been one to need ultra everything. Or 144 frames on all the games I play. Norm for me 1440p @ 60 V high or high even ultra for some games. Again on balanced. Simply like to having the muscle there if I want it. Easley not just the best gaming laptop I've ever owned. Simply the best laptop I've never owned. And when I travel for work. It goes with me👍
So glad to hear your great experience, normally people only come on to moan about a laptop. I love the r4 and would have bought one for myself if not for the area 51m
i would go for heavy variants, that means theyre built to last longer and tanky af!
I'd love them to release a new Area 51 R3 with 3000 series GPU (or 4000 hmm) and socket for the new Intel CPU's and their efficiency and performance cores (which I'd imagine would be around for a a bit of time so hopefully no compatibility issues and 'some upgradeability'). I would snap one up instantly.
You and me both! 12th gen and a 200w 3080ti would be amazing!
Hopefully they'll release it this summer!
I would love that to be the case but I think it’s discontinued 😢😢😢
@@MashITTech Ah, wouldn't it be a shame? After all, that's what Alienware was all about before Dell acquired it.
I know, it’s such a shame. I think thin and light laptops have their place but we need proper desktop replacements too
Hi bro, I would like to know could I upgrade to i9-11900k to my 51M R2?
Sorry mate 10th gen only so 10900kiz the best option
@@MashITTech Thank you.
I love my erea 51m ....i started with an I7 But upgraded to an I9 9900K ...Never gets hot to the touch, even after hours of gaming, warm but nothing scary crazy. I have been looking at the new X17's and i am thinking of getting one and handing this 51 to my son...But i don't think i can part with it...so he may just get an x15 ...the 51 is goig to be very hard for me to part with...unless Dell comes out with another erea 51 ...i'm keeping this for a long time.
Dude the opening is hilarious. Are you going to do reviews on X14 or X15/17R2? Will love to see them.
haha thanks mate 😁 And yes, x17 and x15 arriving tomorrow and my x14 is still in production. Stocked up on coffee so plenty of content coming over the next week!
@@MashITTech Can't wait to see them. Keep up the great contents like always🔥🔥
@@MashITTech Hey I also have a random question for my M15. It starts to make whistle noise after I received it back from Dell repair center for heatsink replacement. It is the air whistling through the vents. If I use tape to cover a part of the vents it won't whistle. Alienware techs didn't even know how to fix it. I sent it to them 2 more times and all they could do was to replace the heatsink again and again... it won't even fix.
What do you say about this bro.
That is really odd! Have you tried blowing out the vents with compressed air? I would need to open it up to have more ideas
@@MashITTech No, but everything is new now. They replaced the heatsink and the bottom chassis. I tried removed the bottom chassis and let the fans run without it, there was no whistle noise. When I put the bottom back the noise was also back. It's just so weird
Damn that thing is sexy.
If only they would release an R3 version, and providing long term support to change CPUs and GPUs
Tell me about it! I like slim and light gaming laptops but I would take a fat desktop replacement over it every time
Can anyone direct me to where I can get “upgrades” for this laptop? 😅😅😅
What are you after CPUs, RAM and SSDs are easy to get hold off but the GPU not so much :)
im currently watching this video on my area51m r1, i wish they would release a r3 i need an upgeade im a video editor and use it as a workstation
Just like mine, makes a great workstation
Can it run DeepfaceLab editing software?
I was excited with MacBook Pro 14" and 16" recently. But I changed my mind, to consider Laptop like this one for example. Because I still matter about "Programs"
Yes, there is still a place for desktop replacements!
you can just feel how much david is trying to contain himself in this video
rightfully so, this device was a real testimate to alienware being an "enthusiast" brand
Hahaha that intro. I love you
Haha thanks 😊
The fact this bad boy has a full sized CPU I'm on board. I have an Alienware Graphics Amplifier with a 2080 ti inside.
Can you do a video with it connected to a Alienware Graphics Amplifier
I don't have a graphics amp but I will see if I can pick one up on eBay
@@MashITTech appreciate it! Several are listed on there
Love this laptop, wish they had LEDs in the speakers though, that's my ONLY complaint lol
Love this video ! 👏 Area 51M-R2 is beautiful !
Too bad it's no longer for sale on the Dell website in France.
I want to sell my MacBook Pro M1 for a X17 R2 😭 RGB miss me !!
Are you going to compare the X17 R1 vs the X17 R2 please ?
I know stocks have difficulties. I remember again your problem with the R13 :/…
Thanks mate 😁 Well the good news is the X17 and X15 arrive tomorrow so I have a ton of content planned and yes I will be comparing the r1 to the r2 in a future video (will do unboxing and thoughts then a review first) I have bought extra supply of coffee and Told Gary to bring his sleeping bag as he is not allowed to go hone until he has edited at least 4 videos 😂
@@MashITTech good luck 💪
I love my a51 r2, its my baby 😂 never throttled once since I bought it last April
Haha glad to hear it’s not just me babying my machine 😀
I would gladly lug that thing from class to class back in my college days.
Haha I would have just been happy to have any laptop in my college days!
The only problem I have had with mine so far is that it starts overheating which starts to give me these weird lines on my laptop monitor and since I don't live in the US or UK I can't really take it to an official dell and fix it so I have to either stop it from overheating or get a second monitor which kinda sucks but atleast its not 100% broken.
that's rubbish, sorry to hear that! have you considered repasting it or undervolting it?
@@MashITTech I have considered undervolting, I am not confident enough for repasting but I don't know how to undervolt. I will try a cooling pad to see if I can get the temps down. I just had bad luck with this laptop but it still kinda works for me. Definitely would still recommend it. But next time I buy something like this I am definitely going for a PC instead of a laptop.
Add me on Instagram and I can help you undervolt. I will also do a repaste video when I get time
@@MashITTech you're a very nice bloke helping people out. Good on ya
I would love to share my experience with the Area-51M R2 here. I wanted to buy this model since it was released. In the end, I gave in and bought the device last month. I opted for the highest equipment. 10900k RTX 2080 super 16GB XMP ram 144 gsync My experience with the laptop was very negative.
1. several screws missing
2. Protective plastic sheet has been forgotten between CPU and heatsink.
3. Screen had a gray stripe in the middle (this was then replaced with a non-gsync model + pixel error)
I’m getting quoted for a free upgrade for an X17 R2 (with max specs)
Yeah still can’t believe the unit they sent you! Thank goodness they are making it right with the x17!
So i have the exact same option then you
Yes I have a maxed out x17r2 arriving in a couple of days 👍
I would love to keep them both. Do you know if there is a chance for it? Do you know any tactics for keeping the a51m r2 also?
Sadly not but you could chat with dell when they have given you the x17 and see if they will sell you the faulty one cheap.
I only go from my house to my office and i have an m17 R3. HOnestly, I sometimes think I should have just gone for the 51 and purchased 2 extra bricks so I could leave them at my office.
That’s exactly what I do. I have 2 bricks on my desk and 2 in my bag. The psu’s were so cheap on eBay it made it a no brainier
I originally had the A51MR1 which had severe lid discoloration and overheating issues and was replaced under warranty with an A51MR2.
Then a jug of tea happened over the keyboard.
Dell replaced it again under warranty because the accident damage insurance for 3y is only £60 - for a £3.5k laptop
The R2 has a broken arrow key which I had yet to replace because I don't use the laptop keyboard very often.
Also because my overheat experience with the R1 I have limited my CPU maxtemp to 90deg and because it shares the heat chamber with the GPU it actually lowered the GPU temps in games by 5-6 deg without any noticeable performace drop.
I also limit the global FPS to 120 because I genuinely don't need more for my games (not a competitive player) and this will certainly add more life to the laptop because the GPU is not 100% all the time.
The laptop does not throttle without the limitations - it's just preemptive - because I use the laptop 8-10h/every single day.
Lately I have started to drop the graphics from ultra to high in games but I guess the 2080S is getting a bit old .. but ovreall still expecting at least one or two more years of premium experience from the laptop.
hi, how do you limit the temperature and FPS. is there some sort of adjustment in the laptop setting? thank you sir!
Loving my r1 with 2080 9900k. I have oc'd to get almost 11k on timespy graphics.
such beastly machines! I wish they would make an R3!!!
Still using my R2 today its better than my gf asus with a 3080.( 130w)
bought a Eurocom 780w ac adapter so its only one ac adapter.
suprised by the cooling its really good
Edit: i9 10900K and 2080s / 360hz
If they would release a R3 I´d too buy it
can you tell me how much fps it gives on valorant
Btw: are you selling that laptop? :D I will instantly buy it! (Me having an R1 Dark Side of the Moon version) so.. I can totally agree with you on all points!
Oh sorry mate, I sold it last week on eBay :( As much as I still love it I no longer get any time to use a personal gaming laptop as I am always on a review unit and this ended up gathering dust. I do miss it though
@@MashITTech oh no!!!! God damn! I missed it by one week?! :( I am looking to get an R2 Lunar White but I can't find any...except the Dark Side of the Moon version. Which is fine... But I already have an R1 in that colour!)
Here is hoping Alienware comes with a new Area-51m in the future (and without issues like the R1 had and which I currently still tackle :( )
Cheers!
which issues are struggling with on the r1? Man I would love Dell to release a 12th gen or Ryzen r3! I know they won't do it but it would be epic.
@@MashITTech Oh man! It would be
This laptop is quiet good despite the fact that Nvidia 2000 series seems old from nowadays usage. And carry out two chargers is so bulky. Anyway I think it is still good to have the Area 51m r2 as a laptop or desktop replacement. Thanks for the review
I imagine this with all amd cpu and gpu this will be a monster.
Yeah that would be insane, I wish Dell would release an R3
Or may be an area 52m r1 amd SE edition
Also with a CherryMx profile keyboard too
Not really . The 2080 super with 200 watts performs like a 3070 even beating it sometimes.
The reason they wired the Thunderbolt(USB-C) to the intel on-chip GPU is actually smart!
If your Dedicated Nvidia GPU dies.... you can use USB-C to HDMI to use the laptop. I found this the hard way (on the R1) when my GPU died ;)
So.. very smart indeed... for an upgradable laptop ;)
Cheers!
Oh that's interesting, I didn't even think of that, thanks for the info :)
It really took me a long period considering which laptop to choose between m17r4 and 51mr2 . At last I choose 51m with i9-10900K & 2080 super and after one year I'm not regret about it , although I paid more and get a previous Gen chips . See Dell might already abandoned the Area-51m series . So it might be the last chance for me to buy a heavy , powerful machine with a desktop CPU and GPU , except for those CLEVO models , etc . The whole market are making every effort to make the laptop thin and light and powerful, but they are really noisy when facing to heavy gaming . Before the 51m , I also got a ROG GM501GS , a Razer Blade 17 pro and a Dell XPS 15-9570 .I think they represent the highest level of heat pipe cooling and vapor chamber cooling in thin （gaming） laptops, But the high temp , thermal throttling and high frequency noise still driven me mad .The fan is roaring to dissipate hot air, and when you turn it to silent mode, the performance of the graphics card may be cut in half. I think we might already meet the bottleneck in the balance between performance and thinness , thick laptop like 51m could be an reasonable solution , but it's been gradually eliminated .
You've been making great videos, thanks and love from China.
Thanks for your thoughts, that was exactly my reasoning! I hate this slim and light trend and wish they would offer real desktop replacements again along side them
Man that's a big laptop.
Is this worth buying in 2022? I can get it for 1300 pound
Yes for sure if you are happy with the downsides (2 psu and heavy) it’s still an amazing machine but make sure you get the 2080 super version the 2070 is quite a lot slower
@@MashITTech hey thank you, I’m going to sleep on it :)
Picked up my AW Area 51-M R1 9700K+2070 Nov 2019, and use it to this day almost every day for hours on end. I have taken it on a few trips, and the weight with the backpack is not an issue, no worse than any other backpack. Upgradeability is of course null outside of the usual memory, etc. but GPU is out of the question. The only real flaws so far are finish issues (staining a bit and some spots where finish starts to come off in hot spots), the "W" key due to my playing endless hours of FPS games is getting soft. In every other regard, the system runs great. Sadly, the 9700K+2070 seemed to be the right model, those with 9900K+2080 had a lot of problems. Also, to date, the screen brightness has remained very good, usually by year three I am turning up the brightness one notch, but so far no need on it. The only real complaint I have is that although the system has a port for the AW Graphics Amplifier (external GPU enclosure), it cannot use the internal monitor - like wtf Dell? The upside on the "upgradeability" claim is that it is much easier to clean internally and re-paste, so its not all bad. Only upgrade was more memory and a cheap but very effective 970 Evo SATA 1 TB SSD.
What problems did the 9900 + 2080 have?
I absolutely love your comment and it eased my mind a little bit. I just purchased an Alienware area 51m i7 9700 with all the available upgrades and best parts on the market that it can handle, the people completely took it apart, cleaned it and replaced all thermal paste with grisley kryonaut copper thermal paste and ill be the first one to use it since all that has been done. this will be the best and most powerful laptop I’ve ever bought and most expensive for that matter and I was really having second thoughts about it but seeing comments like yours eases my mind. If you have any suggestions or advise I could take all I can get 🙌
@@_Area-51 Lot of throttling and power reduction issues IIRC.
@@jeffmonson_666_Angel_slayer I recall the sound was really bad at first, and if you turn off all the sound enhancements it’s way, way better. The other thing is I lowered the voltage a tad for better cooling as well, helps a few degrees Centigrade. If you got either color it -will- stain, there are decal kits you can put on that cover it up and it will look good still. I have a white carbon fiber look on the area of the main deck around the touch pad. Don’t bother over locking, it’s honestly not worth it for the cpu or GPU imho, but it’s worth color calibrating the screen with a Spyder color calibrator. And I would elevate the back with something to help cooling, maybe an inch when gaming. Hope all that helps! It’s overall still just a hair off from a 4060 laptop currently fwiw, very solid system. One other thing, Fn key + f6 will toggle enabling the Windows key.
@@fractalelf7760thank you so so much! I got the dark side of the moon color. And I bought a $100 5000 rpm laptop cooling pad for it and recommends keeping it elevated at quite an angle
Hi, what screwdriver is required to remove the back cover and the ssd, battery?
Just a small Phillips #1
@@MashITTech thank you, having some issues, random shut down when on battery power while on AC,it goes to sleep . I checked the power settings to prevent from sleeping and updated bios which not solved it
Par for the course from Dell. As an owner of multiple AW 18's from 2014/2015, I'm familiar with them releasing a beat of a machine that's supposed to be upgradeable but then never releasing any upgrades. When I first heard they were going to announce a new desktop replacement I was hoping for a new 18 inch behemoth with dual cards so I ended up passing on the M51 and recently bought an M17 R4 to supplement my desktop. Either way, they are still amazing machines. AWCC, not so much. It is an awful piece of software.
As far as thin and light, it bothered me when they went in that direction and while I love the idea of a 1 4 or 15 inch thin, light laptop like the new X series, when it comes to 16 inches, I want it as powerful as can be regardless of how big and heavy it has to be.
By the way, what's the game at the 6 minute mark?
that's not a game, that is called ufo test. It is a website designed to show you the performance of your panel. If you have a high refresh rate monitor the image should be clear and move smoothly, if it is a slow panel it is jerky and has blur/overshoot