Why You Can Trust CNET Alienware's All-AMD m17 R5 Gaming Laptop Now Available, Adds 480Hz Display Option
The updated m17 is billed as the world's most powerful 17-inch AMD Advantage laptop.
Alienware's latest 17-inch gaming laptop, the m17 R5, is finally available after being announced back in January. Originally expected in March starting at $1,599, it's one of the first partner systems to ship with the updated AMD Advantage specs. While the timing is off, the starting price is still about $1,600. The m17 R5 starts at £1,599 in the UK and AU$3,199 in Australia.
The laptop uses all of AMD's latest technologies, many of which are in service of increasing the battery life of gaming laptops, and boosting performance by directing more power where it's needed when it's needed.
The m17 R5 is also the first Alienware model to be offered with a new display option: a full-HD (1,920x1,080) panel with a 480Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. The new display option is available on both the Alienware m17 R5 and Alienware x17 R2 laptop with AMD FreeSync or Nvidia GSync with Advanced Optimus to complement whichever graphics card you select.
Alienware claims the 480Hz display will provide "animation smoothness for easier target tracking, ghosting reduction to minimize distracting effects and lower system latency to make it easier for you to spot other players earlier." If that sounds like something you need, selecting the improved 480Hz display over the base 165Hz display will add $300 to your price at checkout.
If you don't regularly play games at extremely high frame rates, Alienware also offers a UHD (3,840x2,160) display with a 120Hz refresh rate on the m17 R5 and x17 R2 laptops geared toward providing a clearer picture over gaming performance, as well as FHD panels with 165Hz and 360Hz refresh rates.