Alienware 15 R4 vs Alienware 15 R3 – what are the differences?

LaptopMedia.com Comparisons Alienware 15 R4 vs Alienware 15 R3 - what are the differences?

From: Silvia Genova 24 April 2018 / 00:47 0

After we covered briefly the specs sheet of the Alienware 15 R4 high-end gaming series, we thought you would want to find out if there are any major differences between this bad boy and its predecessor – the Alienware 15 R3.

The first contrast that stands out comes in the hardware department. While Alienware 15 R4 is powered by 8th gen Intel Core processors including the latest overclockable Core i9 one, Alienware 15 R3 sports only up to a 7th gen Intel Core i7-7820HK (@ 3.8GHz) one. However, when we take a look at the graphics options, both support up to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q (8GB GDDR5X). But when it comes to memory, Alienware 15 R4 stands out with the support of Intel Optane PCIe 3.0 x2 [60/120GB]. What’s more, here we have an upgraded cooling system featuring the Alienware Cryo-Tech V2.0 thermal technology.

Moving on, both laptops are 15.6-inch and offer a choice between Full HD (1920 x 1080)/ 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS and TN panels. We notice another similarity in terms of dimensions – 25.4 mm thickness and 3.49 kg (7.7 lbs) weight. There is also no difference in the battery capacity – 68Wh for both of them. In addition, the connectivity options are also almost identical except for the 1x USB 3.1 Type-C port in R4 as opposed to 1x USB 3.0 Type-C in R3.

Specs sheet

Series	Alienware 15 R4	Alienware 15 R3
OS	Windows 10	Windows 10
CPU	Intel Core i9-8950HK Intel Core i7-8750H Intel Core i5-8300H	Intel Core i7-7820HK (@ 3.8GHz) Intel Core i7-7820HK Intel Core i7-7700HQ Intel Core i7-6820HK (@ 4 GHz) Intel Core i7-6820HK Intel Core i7-6700HQ Intel Core i5-7300HQ Intel Core i5-6300HQ
RAM	up to 32GB	up to 32GB
Internal storage	2x 2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 + 1x 2242 PCIe 3.0 x2 NVMe 2.5″ slot	2x 2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 + 1x 2242 PCIe 3.0 x2 NVMe 2.5″ slot
Optane support	Intel Optane PCIe 3.0 x2 [60/120GB]	–
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q (8GB GDDR5X) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5) AMD Radeon RX 570 (Laptop)	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q (8GB GDDR5X) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (8GB GDDR5X) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5)
Display	15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), IPS 15.6”, 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), IPS 15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), 120 Hz, TN	15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), IPS 15.6”, 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), IPS 15.6”, 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), TN 15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), TN 15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), 120 Hz, TN
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1	Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1
Features	1x USB 3.1 Type-C (Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort, HDMI) 1x USB 3.1 Type-C 1x USB 3.0 Type-A (Sleep and Charge) 1x USB 3.0 Type-A HDMI mini Displayport combo audio jack Noble lock slot	1x USB 3.1 Type-C (Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort, HDMI) 1x USB 3.0 Type-C 1x USB 3.0 Type-A (Sleep and Charge) 1x USB 3.0 Type-A HDMI mini Displayport combo audio jack Noble lock slot
Battery	68Wh	68Wh
Weight	3.49 kg (7.7 lbs)	3.49 kg (7.7 lbs)