At CES 2019, Dell announced a series of new and updated gaming laptops, including new versions of the Alienware m15 and m17, both with new Nvidia RTX graphics cards. This, however, is not a review of one of those models. This is an Alienware m15 we received in December 2018, so it shares the same updated design, but with Nvidia GTX, rather than RTX, graphics.

It's also the version still available from Dell and Alienware right now, as the new RTX GPUs won't be available for laptops until at least Jan. 29. Aside from some expected differences in gaming performance and maybe battery life, the system is otherwise unchanged and our test drive provides an excellent overview of what life with an m15, either GTX or RTX, would be like.

View full gallery

If the new Area-51m is a full step into uncharted design territory for the brand, then the m15 is a half-step. The former bulk of Alienware systems is replaced by a low-profile flat-top lid, this time in matte red. Yes, there's still an alien head logo, but it's on the subtle side. I knew it was a different look and feel because my game-playing, but gaming-laptop-hating, spouse saw the m15 and said, "Hey, that's not too ugly for a gaming laptop."

The m15 starts at $1,399, but for that's for a GTX 1060 graphics card. To trade up to the GTX 1070 Max-Q, along with more RAM, more storage and a sharp-looking 144Hz screen (versus standard 60Hz), it's currently $2,019, although those prices may change with the upcoming RTX versions. All the models share the same Intel Core i7-8750H, even the entry-level one, but only the most expensive configuration swaps the standard silver design for the matte red lid. That's a shame, as it's a pretty good addition everyone should get to enjoy.

In the UK, similar configurations run from £1,599 to £1,949, and they go from AU$2,798 to AU$3,999 in Australia. 

Alienware m15

Price as reviewed	$2,019
Display size/resolution	15.6-inch 1,920x1,080 144Hz display
CPU	2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H
Memory	16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,666MHz
Graphics	8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
Storage	512GB
Networking	802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 5.0
Operating system	Windows 10 Home (64-bit)

Playing favorites

My previous favorite Alienware of all time was the 13-inch Alienware 13, with its stunning OLED screen. This display here isn't as fantastic, but it's overall just about as portable, slimmer, with a slightly larger footprint, and not much heavier, at 4.5 pounds vs. 5.1 pounds. I still love that OLED screen, but the better CPU, GPU and bigger screen have made this one of my main everyday laptops right now (especially as I'm doing a lot of work in Photoshop and Illustrator lately).