How to open Alienware m16 R2 – disassembly and upgrade options

Undo the 8 Phillips-head screws securing the bottom panel. The captive screws in the front corners will slightly raise the panel up, providing a good starting point.
Place a thin plastic tool between the base and the panel and start popping the plate slowly, step by step. Avoid prying the back.
Lift the front of the metal plate, push it forward, and lift it away from the chassis.

More info: Here’s how the bottom plate looks on the inside.

Battery Removal

Pull out the battery connector from the mainboard.
Undo the 8 Phillips-head screws securing the battery.
Lift the battery to remove it from the device.

Note: The device uses a 90Wh battery, providing approximately 7 hours of video playback.

Memory Information

Note: The memory zone is covered with foil. According to Dell, the two SODIMMs can fit up to 64GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. The CPU can support up to 96GB, so the laptop likely wouldn’t have issues running more than the official manufacturer’s specified limit. There are no dedicated thermal pads for the memory modules.

You can buy compatible RAM modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Storage Upgrade

Locate the two M.2 slots compatible with 2280 Gen 4 SSDs.
The NVMe drive is protected by a metal cap fixed to the motherboard with two screws.
Remove the metal cap to access the NVMe drive. There is a long thermal pad on the inside of the plate.
Install the new SSD in the slot.

Hint: Don’t forget to check out our Top M.2 SSDs Performance Rankings for insights on the best storage options available.

You can buy compatible SSDs here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Wi-Fi Card

The Wi-Fi card is positioned below the right fan.

Cooling System Overview

The cooling system includes two fans and a pair of long thick heat pipes shared between the CPU and GPU.
There is one additional heat pipe for each chip.
The system also features four heat sinks and two large metal plates above the CPU and GPU dies.
Ensure all cooling components are clean and free of dust for optimal performance.

Alienware m16 R2 in-depth review

These days, 16-inchers are on the rise and some of them (like the ASUS G634 or MSI Vector 16 HX A13V) offer the same performance as their 18-inch versions. The Alienware m16 R2 is the smaller variant of the behemoth-looking Alienware m18 R2. The latter offers great overall power and comfort under load. It'll be interesting to see if the m16 R2 can achieve the same result.For starters, this laptop relies on 28W Intel Meteor Lake chips while the bigger version has Raptor Lake-HX CPU options that are definitely more powerful and thirsty at the same time. Alienware has fitter a big thermal sys[...]

Read the full review

Pros

Rigid premium build
Thin profile for such hardware
Capable thermal solution
High CPU frequencies under max load (3.45 GHz / 2.92 GHz P and E-core clock)
Wide viewing angles (AUO75AB)
Snappy pixel response times of 7 ms (AUO75AB)
PWM-free (AUO75AB)
100% sRGB coverage + accurate colors with our "Design and Gaming" profile (AUO75AB)
2x SODIMMs + 2x M.2 slots
Comfortable keyboard
Good port selection
The fans aren't loud in "Performance" mode
Low noise and a 115W GPU TGP in "Balanced" mode
Decent battery life given the 1600p display and the powerful hardware
The Alienware Command Center app is full of useful extras
Offers NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, G-Sync + MUX switch