I was hiding in a dark bunker. Torches were burning off in the distance, and I grabbed my sword in anticipation of an attack. I was playing a video game called Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II on an Alienware x16 R2 laptop, and the realism is about as good as it gets.
While the game is a bit too dark, there is no better way to test a gaming laptop right now. I’ve never seen graphics this realistic. Rivers flowing off in the distance, the sun peeking through mountains. The shadow effects are outstanding, like looking at a real outcropping. The sword fights with monsters are fun — like a fantasy novel or movie sprung to life.
Fortunately, the x16 was able to keep up perfectly, making the whole experience much more believable in an age when consoles rule and computers often take a backseat.
The x16 is designed for gamers first and foremost. It has a sleek black look with a white base, like something that soldiers might use in the game Halo.
The 16-inch display (as implied by the Alienware x16 model name) is fantastic — bright and clear, spacious enough for both sports games and shooters.
Alienware x16 R2 specs
The machine I tested is spec’d out to the max. It has an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB SSD, and screaming RTX 4080 graphics card. The 16-inch QHD+ display runs at a 240 Hz refresh rate but you can lower that to only 60 Hz for longer battery life.
The lighted keyboard gleams blue and white, and a blue light emanates off the back of the unit as well. For ports, there’s a ton of them: two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports with PowerShare, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with DisplayPort, one Thunderbolt 4 port with Power Delivery and DisplayPort, one headset (headphone and microphone combo) port on the back, and one HDMI 2.1 port. Curiously, none of the ports are on the side or front of the machine.
My laptop came with a free three-month trial of Xbox Game Pass which was a nice bonus.
The thing about the Alienware x16 R2 laptop is that it has all the trimming you would ever want, but at the end of the day, it just screams speed. It’s lightning fast for video games and creative work. I tested a boatload of games to see if I could somehow hit the ceiling of the performance here and can report that I never came close to maxing it out.
Alienware x16 R2 minor issues
I do have a few dings to mention, though.
While the lighting off the back is cool and the machine is well-designed overall, if you are in a room that is not well-lit, it can be hard to see the ports in the back when. That’s because there’s a light coming out of the laptop itself. More than once, I had to turn on the light on my iPhone to see where the HDMI port was or to hunt around for the headphone jack.
Speaking of headphones, I do wish laptop manufacturers would realize that gamers typically prefer to plug in headphones on the front of the laptop or at least on the side. That’s because many gaming headsets and headphones do not have a long cord, especially if they are a budget model like the one I used. And even then, if there was a long cord it would just get in the way — I prefer a shorter cord, but with the x16, I had to plug in the headphones on the back of the laptop and then didn’t have enough mobility. Realizing of course that a cord to extend the 3.5mm cable costs about $5 on Amazon, it’s not a big deal. Just a minor gripe.
Overall, this is a killer rig — one that is ready for visually stunning games. I also tested Madden 25 and a few other titles, and never had any slowdowns or issues.
If you’re a serious gamer who has the budget for a machine that costs north of $2,000 (my test system cost $3,199 all decked out), the Alienware x16 R2 is the rig for you.