Dell Alienware x15 R2 review

Dell Alienware x15 R2 (2022): the successor that costs more and scores less

The Dell Alienware x15 R2 upgrades the platform — a Core i7 12700H replaces the R1's i5, still paired with a GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB and 32GB of memory — and lands at $737 with the same 87Wh battery, tied for the largest figure quoted on this batch's sheets. The curious part is what did not move: on our sheet the R2's performance index of 68.72 sits below the R1's 74.52, and its value reading drops from 82.4 to 60.35.

Where it holds up

Office work improves to 87.4, top-tier, and photo design holds at 93, top-tier. Gaming at 76 remains high-band, and modeling and CAD tick up to 61, mid-tier. The battery story is unchanged: 87Wh, 22.5 percent above the gaming-class median of 71, and mobility at 34 stays 17 percent above the class median — the thin-chassis thesis survives the platform refresh. Reliability of the platform generation itself is not something our sheet scores, but nothing here contradicts it.

Where it falls short

Memory is the named weakness: 32GB against a gaming-class median of 64. Portability at 31.9 is low-band, same as the R1. The harder critique is relative: at $147 more than the R1, the R2 posts lower overall performance (68.72 versus 74.52), lower gaming (76 versus 80), and a materially weaker value reading (60.35 mid-tier versus 82.4 high-band). The i7 badge does not translate into a better sheet here.

Price and depreciation

At $737, the R2 carries a 14.76 percent annual class-level depreciation rate — a step steeper than the R1's 13.44 — and no dollar anchors in the ledger, so first-year exposure sits with the buyer. The used market has already voted on the pair: the price gap between the siblings is modest while the sheet gap favors the older machine, which is exactly the pattern that makes the R2 harder to defend on value.

Alternatives to consider

The obvious alternative is the x15 R1 itself: same battery, same chassis idea, higher performance and value readings, $147 cheaper. Within HP's field, the Victus 15 (2024) at $1,152 is the more expensive modern route with an RTX 2050; the closer price match is an Omen 17 (2021) at $590 with the same RTX 3060 class and a 93 photo score, if the thin chassis is negotiable.

Bottom line

Fairly priced for the class, but outclassed by its own predecessor. The R2 keeps the joint-largest battery of the batch and adds a top-tier office score, yet the 32GB ceiling, low-band portability, and a value reading that fell 22 points make it the weaker buy of the x15 pair on this sheet.