Dell Alienware m15 review

The first thin m15, honestly aged

The Alienware m15 (2018) was Dell's first attempt at a thinner gaming flagship, and at $688 today — 8% below the gaming-class median — it reads as an honest mid-band option. The six-core i7-8750H pairs with an RTX 2060 and 32GB of RAM. The flagged weaknesses are the honest price of the era: reliability at 26 versus 53, RAM ceiling at 32GB versus 64, mobility at 17 versus 29. The recommended sheet stays green across Overwatch, GTA V and Rainbow Six Siege, plus Photoshop and VS Code minimums.

A 2060 with receipts

Recommended-level passes in all three measured titles mean the 2060 still does the 1080p job it was built for, and the six-core 8750H holds up in modern production loads. The Alienware chassis — thin for 2018 — carries the thermals without drama. As a budget entry into the badge, the machine is credible.

The honest costs

Three flags: reliability at 26/53 is the watch-out, a seven-year-old performance chassis carrying its history. The 32GB RAM ceiling — half the class median — is a real limit for memory-heavy work. And mobility at 17/29 confirms it as an occasional-travel machine, not a daily carry.

Price trajectory

From an $1,800 anchor to $688 at a 10.4% annual rate, projecting $552 in two years — a 19.72% drop. Gentler than the class average, which suits a badge machine bought for retention.

Against its neighbors

Upward, Dell's Alienware M17 at $736 and Lenovo's Legion Y540-17IRH at $789. Downward, HP's OMEN 15-en0013dx at $652 and Dell's G5 SE 5505 at $604 — the 5505 brings an eight-core AMD CPU for $84 less, the strongest rival argument in this band.

Bottom line

A budget-friendly badge machine with a still-green 2060 and honest, well-documented costs in reliability and memory ceiling. Buy it for the name and the frame rates; don't buy it as a longevity play.