Hello,

I would like to confirm a fairly specific Alienware AC adapter / BIOS EC power-management compatibility question.

I am hoping that someone familiar with Alienware adapter identification, Dell Community experts, or Dell staff may be able to provide some information.

My systems are:

Alienware m18 R1 Intel

Regulatory Model: P51E
Regulatory Type: P51E001
CPU: Intel Core i9-13900HX
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU

Original AC adapter:

330W
19.5V / 16.92A
Dell 7.4mm barrel connector with center identification pin

Alienware 17 R5

Regulatory Model: P31E
Regulatory Type: P31E002

According to the original Dell factory configuration for this system, its original 240W AC adapter is:

Dell Sales Part: 450-AHGU
Dell DP/N: F4XHP
Manufacturer: Delta
Power: 240W
Output: 19.5V / approximately 12.3A
Connector: Dell 7.4mm barrel connector with center identification pin

Both laptops remain in their original hardware configuration, with no motherboard or power-connector modifications.

I am not asking whether the 240W adapter can permanently replace the original 330W adapter, and I do not expect full performance from a 240W power source.

My intended use is only as a temporary travel adapter, since I already own this genuine Dell F4XHP 240W adapter.

My questions are:

When the Dell F4XHP 240W adapter is connected to the Alienware m18 R1 Intel (P51E001), will the BIOS correctly identify it as a Dell 240W AC Adapter rather than as an Unknown Adapter?
If it is correctly identified as 240W, will the system simply operate within a lower input-power budget during gaming or heavy CPU/GPU workloads?

For example:

reduced CPU/GPU power limits;
lower gaming performance compared with the original 330W adapter;
Hybrid Power temporarily supplementing AC input with battery power;
possible slow battery discharge during sustained heavy workloads.

All of those behaviors would be acceptable to me.

My main concern is whether the m18 R1 BIOS/EC may treat this adapter differently because the F4XHP was originally supplied with the Alienware 17 R5.

Although it is a genuine Dell 240W, 19.5V, 7.4mm center-pin adapter, could a different Adapter ID, wattage profile, or compatibility policy cause the m18 R1 to enter an abnormal protection or throttling mode?

For example:

extremely low CPU clock speeds;
unusually severe GPU power limitation;
the entire system being restricted to a very low-power state;
performance significantly worse than what would normally be expected from a 240W input limit.

Does the Alienware m18 R1 (P51E001) BIOS/EC use any compatibility or power table based on items such as:

AC adapter wattage;
Dell Adapter ID;
Dell DP/N;
adapter manufacturer/model;
specific 240W or 330W adapter profiles?

If such a compatibility table exists, is Dell F4XHP / 450-AHGU within the range of adapters that P51E001 can correctly identify?

If the BIOS correctly recognizes the F4XHP as a 240W Dell adapter, would the expected behavior generally be:

“the system can boot, charge, and run games normally, but with reduced performance and possible battery supplementation under heavy load”

rather than:

“the system enters unusually severe throttling because this particular adapter model is not considered compatible”?

I understand that the m18 R1 was originally designed for a 330W adapter, so I am not expecting full performance from the 240W unit.

What I mainly want to determine is:

Can the Alienware m18 R1 use the genuine Dell F4XHP 240W adapter as a temporary travel power supply and still run games reasonably normally, with expected power limiting rather than abnormal severe throttling?

If anyone has actually tested an Alienware m18 R1 with a genuine Dell 240W 7.4mm center-pin adapter, especially the F4XHP, I would also be very interested in knowing:

what adapter wattage the BIOS reports;
how CPU and GPU power behave under gaming load;
whether Hybrid Power is used;
whether the battery slowly discharges under sustained load.

Thank you.

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