alienware 17 r4 lcd panel free sample
There"s two mainboards - easy explanation is one supports GSync, the other does not. The good news is you can use any of the 4 panels in any 17r4, but you"ll lose GSync if the panel doesn"t support it, and you won"t gain GSync if the panel supports it but your motherboard doesn"t....
Personally, I don"t care and am OK with the panel running in refresh mode instead of GSync - I care more about resolution and panel quality. I"ve decided not to install a 4k panel, but patiently waiting for a decent priced 2k panel.
There’s no doubt that the Alienware 17 R4 is one of the most capable gaming laptops we’ve seen, making easy work of our CPU and GPU benchmark tests and providing generally smooth gameplay. The design is eye-catching too, sporting a flurry of customisable LEDs across the body of the laptop, although it’ll never look as sleek and attractive as a MacBook Pro.
But while the Alienware 17 R4 is a powerful beast, it’s not perfect; it gets hot and loud fairly quickly, it’s heavy at over 4kg and we feel like it should feature one or two more USB ports, especially when boasting VR compatibility. And while it is incredibly powerful, our build was incredibly expensive too.
Alienware is one of the best-known brands when it comes to gaming rigs, manufacturing high-end gaming PCs and laptops. One of the latest additions to the 2017 line-up is the Alienware 17 R4, a 17.3in gaming laptop that looks to pack a punch.
range starts at £1,549 packing a 17.3in Full-HD IPS display along with a Radeon R9 470 with 8GB GDDR5 VRAM, 8GB of RAM and a Core i7 processor, a little expensive compared to other 17in gaming laptops like the
As with most gaming laptops, the Alienware 17 R4 has a metal finish on the lid with a largely plastic body, although the keyboard surround is covered in a matte-like finish for a more premium look.
But while no gaming laptop will ever look as sleek as a MacBook Pro or Surface Pro, the Alienware 17 R4 is eye-catching thanks to its use (or arguably over-use) of LED lighting.
It’s all completely customisable via the Alienware FX app that comes pre-loaded on the laptop too, meaning you can change the colour depending on your mood, task or just because you want a change.
After all the lighting, the next thing you’ll notice is the whopping 17.3in display. It’ll seem fairly imposing if you’re used to an 11- or 13in laptop, and the general thickness and weight don’t help either.
It’s a bit of a beast, measuring in at 424mm x 332mm x 29.9mm and weighing a hefty 4.42kg, making it a bit heavy and awkward to carry around – in fact, a laptop bag designed for 17in laptops couldn’t accommodate the Alienware 17 R4. Moving from room-to-room shouldn’t be too much of a hassle, but we’d avoid taking this on trips or on holiday with us.
gaming PC with similar specs for a lot less. Unless you really need the portability (and the R4 isn’t even that portable) then you’ll also benefit from a PC’s upgradability, too).
While the Alienware 17 R4 doesn’t feature an optical drive, it’s not really a surprise. Many modern laptops have ditched the optical drive as downloading via the internet is the new norm – it’s certainly the case with online gaming, anyway.
On the rear is where you’ll find the majority of the ports; from left to right, you’ll find a Gigabit Ethernet port, Mini-Display Port 1.2 output, HDMI 2.0 output, a Thunderbolt 3 port, an Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port and a power port.
On the right, you’ll find a single Type-A USB 3.0 port and not much else – why not include another USB port? Especially when you consider that the Oculus Rift with Oculus Touch controllers requires three USB 3.0 ports and the Alienware R4 17 only has two, an odd move for a VR-ready laptop.
As the name suggests, the Alienware 17 R4 packs a whopping 17.3in display and while that’s a little large for a full-HD display, the sample we’ve looked at features a 1440p (2560×1440). The Quad HD resolution of the screen makes everything look a far more crisp and detailed, a must-have for a high-end gaming PC.
Specifically, the Alienware 17 R4 features either an IPS display or a TN LCD display, both with a matte finish to help negate reflections of lights and other objects. Ours has the TN panel which has a 120Hz refresh rate and support for Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, offering tear-free gameplay.
To be specific, the Alienware R4 17 performs pretty well, offering 93 percent coverage of the sRGB standard and 72 percent of Adobe’s RGB standard. For context, the similarly priced 17.3in Asus Rog G752VM managed only 85 percent and 62.5 percent respectively.
With a large 17.3in display, the Alienware 17 R4 manages to squeeze in a standard-sized Alienware TactX keyboard. While there is slight resistance when pressing down on the keys, the keys themselves are quite shallow – a common complaint with laptops – but we still found it to be comfortable enough to game and work on.
Due to the available space, the Alienware 17 R4 also features both a full numeric keypad and nine programmable buttons, allowing for up to 19 customisable functions per app or game.
The Alienware 17 R4 is a beast in terms of its spec – although it’s worth bearing in mind that our sample is at the top-end of what the R4 offers, and lower spec’d variants may not perform as well.
Our sample boasts 16GB of DDR4 RAM coupled with not only a 256GB SSD for super-fast performance, but also a high-speed 1TB 7200RPM HDD for file storage. Games run on the SSD will be much faster than those stored on the HDD, although the high RPM means it’ll perform better than a standard HDD.
Moving beyond the CPU, our sample of the Alienware 17 R4 features Nvidia’s latest GeForce GTX 1080 with 8GB GDDR5X VRAM and when coupled with the above, provides decent benchmark results.
Ghost Recon: Wildlands is one of the most visually impressive games we’ve ever seen and demands more graphical power than most other games out at the moment – the ultimate test for the Alienware 17 R4 and its Nvidia GTX 1080 GPU. Running Wildlands at 1080p with ‘high’ graphic settings, it managed an average of 96fps, while that number dropped down to 67fps when running at 1440p with ‘very high’ graphics settings.
Beyond the graphical performance of the laptop, there’s a single issue: noise. While the Alienware 17 R4 is generally quiet when browsing the web and listening to music, that quickly changes when you start gaming.
With such powerful components within the Alienware 17 R4, it should come as no surprise that it’s not the greatest we’ve ever seen when it comes to battery life.
Now with a hexa-core CPU. Despite using the most current components, the former top-gaming brand Alienware has had more and more difficulties standing up against the competitors. Find out in our review why this effort is not quite sufficient anymore for being a winner.
The famous 17-incher from Alienware goes into its fifth generation in 2018. The homepage of the parent company, Dell, offers extensive configuration options for the gaming racer, with the basic models already being very different from each other.
This begins with the CPU, which comes from Intel"s brand-new Coffee-Lake series and has six cores. In addition to the Core i7-8750H, the manufacturer also offers the particularly overclocking-friendly Core i9-8950HK with free multiplier. However, due to its enormous cooling requirements, we do not recommend it (see also the Alienware 15 R4).
Apropos resolution, one of the most difficult decisions for the customers is the display. Dell is not only selling a classic Full HD IPS screen (60 Hz) but is also offering a very fast QHD TN display (120 Hz). In addition, at the top end of the price range there is an extremely sharp UHD IPS panel that corresponding to the QHD display also brings an eye-tracking module, but it only supports 60 Hz instead of 120 Hz. However you should be careful, as not all the models include Nvidia"s G-Sync image improvement.
The range of the working memory of the Alienware 17 R5 reaches from 8 GB up to a maximum of 32 GB DDR4. Windows 10 is installed on an SSD sized between 128 GB and 1 TB.
So what does the whole thing cost? The most affordable version of the desktop replacement is available at a price starting at about 1700 Euros (~$1968; $1550 in the US). On the other hand, for our test unit with a Core i7-8750H, a GeForce GTX 1070, 16 GB of RAM, a 256-GB SSD, and a QHD panel you have to pay around 2400 Euros (~$2778; $2300 in the US). The competitors of the Alienware 17 R5 include other 17-inch gamers based on Coffee-Lake, such as the MSI GE73 8RF, the Acer Predator Helios 500, and the HP Omen 17t.
Since the metal case is identical to the last revision, we are not addressing the case, connections, and input devices here. You can find all the corresponding information in the review of the Alienware 17 R4.
428 mm / 16.9 inch298 mm / 11.7 inch38.7 mm / 1.524 inch3.8 kg8.33 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch304 mm / 12 inch33 mm / 1.299 inch3.7 kg8.06 lbs424 mm / 16.7 inch332 mm / 13.1 inch30 mm / 1.181 inch4.4 kg9.74 lbs424 mm / 16.7 inch332 mm / 13.1 inch29.9 mm / 1.177 inch4.4 kg9.74 lbs419 mm / 16.5 inch287 mm / 11.3 inch30 mm / 1.181 inch2.9 kg6.5 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch210 mm / 8.27 inch1 mm / 0.03937 inch5.7 g0.01257 lbs
Like in the predecessor, the QHD panel is labeled AUO1496. In our opinion, 2560x1440 pixels is the perfect compromise between image sharpness and computing requirements and is ideally suited for the GeForce GTX 1070. Gamers should also be pleased about a quick response time: 6 ms black-to-white and 20.8 ms gray-to-gray are first-rate measurements in the laptop segment. Combined with the G-Sync technology, many games are incredibly fluid and smooth on the 120-Hz screen.
Otherwise there is hardly any reason for complaint. Color-space coverage of 86% sRGB and 56% AdobeRGB are sufficient for gaming and multimedia purposes. The QHD panel deserves some praise mainly for its high brightness. Only a few notebooks are able to surpass an average of 367 cd/m², and most competitors can only manage about 300 cd/m². Thanks to the ample brightness, you can use the Alienware 17 R5 outdoors without any problems, although the hefty weight of 4.4 kg speaks against moving it around a lot or taking a trip to the outdoors.
Before we take a look at the performance, some words about the installed tools: As customary with Alienware, the so-called Command Center is the central point for various monitoring and tuning options. In addition to the keyboard illumination, you can also optimize the sound and power-saving settings here. There are also various fan modes and overclocking functions. For our tests, we used the standard settings, which means deactivated overclocking and the balanced thermal mode (see screenshot #1).
Even if you go without the best CPU (Core i9-8950HK) and strongest GPU (GeForce GTX 1080), the Alienware 17 R5 offers more than enough power for everyday gaming. The Core i7-8750H and the GeForce GTX 1070 do not have any significant problems even with demanding games – at least in the Full HD and QHD settings. The frame rates only start to drop fast at 3840x2160 pixels. In order to be armed for the coming generation of games, you should at least choose 16 GB of RAM for the 17-incher.
01020304050607080901001101201301401501601701801902002102202302402502602702802903003103203303403503603703803904004104204304404504604704804905005105205305405505605705805906006106206306406506606706806907007107207307407507607707807908008108208308408508608708808909009109209309409509609709809901000Tooltip
Correspondingly, the Alienware 17 R5 falls behind the competitors in the benchmarks. As you can see in the comparison chart, the competitors are in parts more than 10% faster in the multi-core test of Cinebench R15 and R11.5. However, in real life most users should not perceive any difference, particularly since almost all games are GPU limited.
The system performance, which concerns load times, the duration of installations, program starts, and boot processes, etc., depends primarily on the speed of the storage solution. In this regard, the Alienware 17 R5 strikes a good figure, although it does not surpass the competitors. In PCMark 10 for example, it is only sufficient for the last place among the competitors. However, with the exception of the HP Omen 17t, the overall scores are all very close together.
Our test unit uses an NVMe SSD from SK Hynix. The 256 GB PC401 M.2 model delivers a mixed performance. While at more than 2000 MB/s, the sequential read rate was at the typical level of a PCIe drive (AS SSD benchmark), the write rate remains behind our expectations. Around 560 MB/s in the sequential test make us think more of a SATA-III model (see the MSI GE73). The Samsung SSD PM981 of the HP Omen 17t shows that it can also go significantly faster, being almost four times as fast during sequential writes.
The display output is handled by a Pascal GPU from Nvidia. While the GeForce GTX 1060 is predestined for the Full HD display, we would recommend the GeForce GTX 1070 to buyers of the QHD panel version. The high-end model can score with 2048 shader units as well as 8 GB of GDDR5-VRAM and reaches up to 1873 MHz under load (Render test of the GPU-Z tool). During games and other 3D applications, the GTX 1070 levels out at about 1670 MHz, which is still respectable considering a basic clock speed of 1480 MHz.
Thanks to the GPU overclocking which works well, the Alienware 17 R5 performs well in the graphics tests. The Fire-Strike run of 3DMark 13 places the 17-inch notebook on the level of the MSI GE73 and Acer Helios 500. Despite having an identical CPU/GPU combo, the HP Omen 17t is beaten by almost 10%. Looking at the predecessor, we can guess how the Alienware 17 R5 would perform with a GeForce GTX 1080: The test configuration of the old model performs 23% better.
The noise development leaves mixed feelings. While the fans often remain completely deactivated during idle (allowing you to hear only the whirring of the HDD), during more load the noise quickly becomes loud. The best example is our The Witcher 3 test, where the Alienware 17 R5 produced an annoying 51 dB. We were also able to measure the same value during the stress test with the Furmark and Prime95 tools. Without headphones, gaming sessions bring no pleasure. Besides the MSI GE73 8RF, which is similarly present under load, most of the competitors remain quieter. The Acer Helios 500 and the HP Omen 17t reach at most 45 and 46 dB, respectively.
Since the components do not heat up excessively in 3D operation, there would really be some room for a lower noise level on the Alienware 17 R5. During typical gaming load, the CPU and GPU only heat up to barely 70 °C (158 °F).
dB(A)0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.950.92534.540.93128.234.1403638.15027.430.66327.833.38027.345.310028.459.212528.655.216022.764.220025.267.425023.968.931521.67240018.972.750018.574.863017.175.980017.974.3100018.574.3125017.775.2160017.179.820001782.9250017.379315017.578.4400017.276.5500017.372.7630017.270.3800017.472.11000017.3641250017.277.71600017.171.4SPL3089.3N1.481.6median 17.5median 72.7Delta1.83.938.43834.534.235.135.231.833.23334.431.733.231.234.731.341.130.248.42853.127.551.427.851.52753.527.455.827.166.926.67126.67226.671.826.473.125.569.724.865.623.86822.772.322.47522.172.521.865.121.763.621.658.121.659.521.754.936.782.62.753.7median 26.4median 65.12.58.9hearing rangehide medianshow medianPink NoiseAlienware 17 R5Alienware 17 R4
Due to the lack of graphics-switching, the 17-incher needs quite a lot of power already during idle operation. Together with the result of the Alienware 17 R4, 28-37 watts is the worst value in the test field, and that is even though the Acer Helios 500 and the HP Omen 17 forgo Optimus, using G-Sync instead. On the other hand, with 112-231 wattsunder load the Alienware 17 R5 places in the middle of the competitors.
Those looking for a stylish high-end notebook with good input devices, modern connections, and many illumination options should be pleased with the Alienware 17 R5.
Aside from some smaller details, the 17-inch case is able to convince, as long as you can come to terms with its thickness and hefty weight. The low battery life also takes away from the mobility. For the successor, we would also wish for better fan control, since the fans rev up unnecessarily during 3D operation.
Now with a hexa-core CPU. Despite using the most current components, the former top-gaming brand Alienware has had more and more difficulties standing up against the competitors. Find out in our review why this effort is not quite sufficient anymore for being a winner.
The famous 17-incher from Alienware goes into its fifth generation in 2018. The homepage of the parent company, Dell, offers extensive configuration options for the gaming racer, with the basic models already being very different from each other.
This begins with the CPU, which comes from Intel"s brand-new Coffee-Lake series and has six cores. In addition to the Core i7-8750H, the manufacturer also offers the particularly overclocking-friendly Core i9-8950HK with free multiplier. However, due to its enormous cooling requirements, we do not recommend it (see also the Alienware 15 R4).
Apropos resolution, one of the most difficult decisions for the customers is the display. Dell is not only selling a classic Full HD IPS screen (60 Hz) but is also offering a very fast QHD TN display (120 Hz). In addition, at the top end of the price range there is an extremely sharp UHD IPS panel that corresponding to the QHD display also brings an eye-tracking module, but it only supports 60 Hz instead of 120 Hz. However you should be careful, as not all the models include Nvidia"s G-Sync image improvement.
The range of the working memory of the Alienware 17 R5 reaches from 8 GB up to a maximum of 32 GB DDR4. Windows 10 is installed on an SSD sized between 128 GB and 1 TB.
So what does the whole thing cost? The most affordable version of the desktop replacement is available at a price starting at about 1700 Euros (~$1968; $1550 in the US). On the other hand, for our test unit with a Core i7-8750H, a GeForce GTX 1070, 16 GB of RAM, a 256-GB SSD, and a QHD panel you have to pay around 2400 Euros (~$2778; $2300 in the US). The competitors of the Alienware 17 R5 include other 17-inch gamers based on Coffee-Lake, such as the MSI GE73 8RF, the Acer Predator Helios 500, and the HP Omen 17t.
Since the metal case is identical to the last revision, we are not addressing the case, connections, and input devices here. You can find all the corresponding information in the review of the Alienware 17 R4.
428 mm / 16.9 inch298 mm / 11.7 inch38.7 mm / 1.524 inch3.8 kg8.33 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch304 mm / 12 inch33 mm / 1.299 inch3.7 kg8.06 lbs424 mm / 16.7 inch332 mm / 13.1 inch30 mm / 1.181 inch4.4 kg9.74 lbs424 mm / 16.7 inch332 mm / 13.1 inch29.9 mm / 1.177 inch4.4 kg9.74 lbs419 mm / 16.5 inch287 mm / 11.3 inch30 mm / 1.181 inch2.9 kg6.5 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch210 mm / 8.27 inch1 mm / 0.03937 inch5.7 g0.01257 lbs
Like in the predecessor, the QHD panel is labeled AUO1496. In our opinion, 2560x1440 pixels is the perfect compromise between image sharpness and computing requirements and is ideally suited for the GeForce GTX 1070. Gamers should also be pleased about a quick response time: 6 ms black-to-white and 20.8 ms gray-to-gray are first-rate measurements in the laptop segment. Combined with the G-Sync technology, many games are incredibly fluid and smooth on the 120-Hz screen.
Otherwise there is hardly any reason for complaint. Color-space coverage of 86% sRGB and 56% AdobeRGB are sufficient for gaming and multimedia purposes. The QHD panel deserves some praise mainly for its high brightness. Only a few notebooks are able to surpass an average of 367 cd/m², and most competitors can only manage about 300 cd/m². Thanks to the ample brightness, you can use the Alienware 17 R5 outdoors without any problems, although the hefty weight of 4.4 kg speaks against moving it around a lot or taking a trip to the outdoors.
Before we take a look at the performance, some words about the installed tools: As customary with Alienware, the so-called Command Center is the central point for various monitoring and tuning options. In addition to the keyboard illumination, you can also optimize the sound and power-saving settings here. There are also various fan modes and overclocking functions. For our tests, we used the standard settings, which means deactivated overclocking and the balanced thermal mode (see screenshot #1).
Even if you go without the best CPU (Core i9-8950HK) and strongest GPU (GeForce GTX 1080), the Alienware 17 R5 offers more than enough power for everyday gaming. The Core i7-8750H and the GeForce GTX 1070 do not have any significant problems even with demanding games – at least in the Full HD and QHD settings. The frame rates only start to drop fast at 3840x2160 pixels. In order to be armed for the coming generation of games, you should at least choose 16 GB of RAM for the 17-incher.
01020304050607080901001101201301401501601701801902002102202302402502602702802903003103203303403503603703803904004104204304404504604704804905005105205305405505605705805906006106206306406506606706806907007107207307407507607707807908008108208308408508608708808909009109209309409509609709809901000Tooltip
Correspondingly, the Alienware 17 R5 falls behind the competitors in the benchmarks. As you can see in the comparison chart, the competitors are in parts more than 10% faster in the multi-core test of Cinebench R15 and R11.5. However, in real life most users should not perceive any difference, particularly since almost all games are GPU limited.
The system performance, which concerns load times, the duration of installations, program starts, and boot processes, etc., depends primarily on the speed of the storage solution. In this regard, the Alienware 17 R5 strikes a good figure, although it does not surpass the competitors. In PCMark 10 for example, it is only sufficient for the last place among the competitors. However, with the exception of the HP Omen 17t, the overall scores are all very close together.
Our test unit uses an NVMe SSD from SK Hynix. The 256 GB PC401 M.2 model delivers a mixed performance. While at more than 2000 MB/s, the sequential read rate was at the typical level of a PCIe drive (AS SSD benchmark), the write rate remains behind our expectations. Around 560 MB/s in the sequential test make us think more of a SATA-III model (see the MSI GE73). The Samsung SSD PM981 of the HP Omen 17t shows that it can also go significantly faster, being almost four times as fast during sequential writes.
The display output is handled by a Pascal GPU from Nvidia. While the GeForce GTX 1060 is predestined for the Full HD display, we would recommend the GeForce GTX 1070 to buyers of the QHD panel version. The high-end model can score with 2048 shader units as well as 8 GB of GDDR5-VRAM and reaches up to 1873 MHz under load (Render test of the GPU-Z tool). During games and other 3D applications, the GTX 1070 levels out at about 1670 MHz, which is still respectable considering a basic clock speed of 1480 MHz.
Thanks to the GPU overclocking which works well, the Alienware 17 R5 performs well in the graphics tests. The Fire-Strike run of 3DMark 13 places the 17-inch notebook on the level of the MSI GE73 and Acer Helios 500. Despite having an identical CPU/GPU combo, the HP Omen 17t is beaten by almost 10%. Looking at the predecessor, we can guess how the Alienware 17 R5 would perform with a GeForce GTX 1080: The test configuration of the old model performs 23% better.
The noise development leaves mixed feelings. While the fans often remain completely deactivated during idle (allowing you to hear only the whirring of the HDD), during more load the noise quickly becomes loud. The best example is our The Witcher 3 test, where the Alienware 17 R5 produced an annoying 51 dB. We were also able to measure the same value during the stress test with the Furmark and Prime95 tools. Without headphones, gaming sessions bring no pleasure. Besides the MSI GE73 8RF, which is similarly present under load, most of the competitors remain quieter. The Acer Helios 500 and the HP Omen 17t reach at most 45 and 46 dB, respectively.
Since the components do not heat up excessively in 3D operation, there would really be some room for a lower noise level on the Alienware 17 R5. During typical gaming load, the CPU and GPU only heat up to barely 70 °C (158 °F).
dB(A)0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.950.92534.540.93128.234.1403638.15027.430.66327.833.38027.345.310028.459.212528.655.216022.764.220025.267.425023.968.931521.67240018.972.750018.574.863017.175.980017.974.3100018.574.3125017.775.2160017.179.820001782.9250017.379315017.578.4400017.276.5500017.372.7630017.270.3800017.472.11000017.3641250017.277.71600017.171.4SPL3089.3N1.481.6median 17.5median 72.7Delta1.83.938.43834.534.235.135.231.833.23334.431.733.231.234.731.341.130.248.42853.127.551.427.851.52753.527.455.827.166.926.67126.67226.671.826.473.125.569.724.865.623.86822.772.322.47522.172.521.865.121.763.621.658.121.659.521.754.936.782.62.753.7median 26.4median 65.12.58.9hearing rangehide medianshow medianPink NoiseAlienware 17 R5Alienware 17 R4
Due to the lack of graphics-switching, the 17-incher needs quite a lot of power already during idle operation. Together with the result of the Alienware 17 R4, 28-37 watts is the worst value in the test field, and that is even though the Acer Helios 500 and the HP Omen 17 forgo Optimus, using G-Sync instead. On the other hand, with 112-231 wattsunder load the Alienware 17 R5 places in the middle of the competitors.
Those looking for a stylish high-end notebook with good input devices, modern connections, and many illumination options should be pleased with the Alienware 17 R5.
Aside from some smaller details, the 17-inch case is able to convince, as long as you can come to terms with its thickness and hefty weight. The low battery life also takes away from the mobility. For the successor, we would also wish for better fan control, since the fans rev up unnecessarily during 3D operation.
Looking for an extremely powerful gaming laptop with a sleek design? The 2021’s Dell Alienware M17 R4 version is packed with latest Nvidia Next-Gen 30 series GPU’s, improved storage, plenty of ports, tons of RGB and more options for a faster memory. Also, it includes an optional crazy 360Hz display for the most demanding game titles. Below, we’ll disclose what’s new on this Dell Alienware gaming laptop series.
You can get a 144HZ 1080p display, 2160p 60Hz panel and the newest optional 360Hz Full HD panel. This 17.3-inch FHD panel has a super-fast 360Hz refresh rate and G-Sync for smooth games such as Cyberpunk 2077. The colors on the screen are bright and vivid. In addition, you have the recent added HDMI 2.1 support for a better output to your TV.
Alienware continues to keep its “Legend” design like the Alienware M15 R3 model. It has an extremely premium chassis. The device is made of material magnesium alloy with an Alien logo on top-center of the laptop. The colors available for the M17 R4 are two, the Lunar Light (white) and the Dark Side of the Moon (black).
The M17 R4 2021, has a slim design, measuring 15.7 x 11.6 x 0.7-0.9-inch and weighing 6.65 lbs. However, it’s not the most light-weight gaming laptops like theAsus Zephyrus ROG G14 which measures 12.8″ x 8.7″ x 0.7″ and weighs 3.5 lbs. What’s new about the M17 R4 (2021) version, is the HDMI 2.1 port and its optional 360HZ Full HD display.
The newest Alienware M17 R4 (2021) comes with several ports which is important for gamers. You’ll find at the back of the laptop a HDMI port, a Mini DisplayPort, a Thunderbolt and Alienware graphics amplifier port. On the right side of the laptop, there are two USB type A ports and a microSD card. On the left side, you’ll see an Ethernet port, 3.5mm audio jack and another USB-type A port.
The keyboard of the 2021’s Alienware M17 R4 is big enough and comfortable to type on. It has a nice shaped Alienware logo on the power button with RGB colors. There is turquoise lighting on the keyboard that you can customise with the AlienFX Software using the Alienware Command Center Hub. You can play with 16.8 million colors to find the RGB lighting that you most like.
The 2021 Alienware M17 R4 series comes in several configurations and prices. The prices are elevated, starting at $ 2,149 due to the luxurious and powerful components inside.
$3, 359, you have a 3.5GHz Intel Core i9 10980HK CPU, 32GB RAM, RTX 3080 with 16GB RAM of VRAM, 2TB SSD and 17.3-inch display, a 1920 x 1080 pixel display with 360HZ refresh rate.
Alienware has a good reputation with gamers and the brand is always on the top list ofbest gaming laptops on the market. The Dell Alienware M17 R4 series for 2021 comes with the newest Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 series, 3080 GPUs including 12 phase VRM, and 10th-Gen Intel Comet Lake H CPUs for speedy performance. Having these components makes an absolute horsepower gaming laptop. This combo enables you to play AAA titles at more than 70fps with a wild 360Hz FHD panel, to enjoy at maximum competitive games.
Also, the M17 R4 latest version includes Killer E3100 networking and a faster DDR4 memory at 2933MHz for better multitasking. To avoid overheating, Dell has designed a vapor technology inside the Alienware M17 R4 2021 series to clear up the heat from the gaming laptop, which is called Cryo-Tech cooling technology.
Having in mind getting the latest R4 series from Alienware gaming laptop?Remember that you can alienwaretrade in for top cash at Gadget Salvation. Visit our site and see how much your Alienware gaming laptop is worth!
The 17-inch model starts at $1,350 (£1,500, AU$2,800), which is only $100 more than the 15-inch"s base price, but that"s with a Core i7 instead of Core i5 -- unless the slightly smaller size really matters to you, the 17-inch is actually a better value.
There are various display options: a basic 1,920x1,080 60Hz IPS 300-nit panel, the same but G-Sync enabled, a QHD (2,560x1,440) 120Hz TN 400-nit G-sync with Tobii Eye-tracking, and a UHD (3,840x2,160) 300-nit IPS panel with Tobii. You can also opt for an AMD Radeon RX 570 GPU.
4K probably looks pretty good on this system, though I think 2,560x1,440 is a nice price/performance compromise. It works out to 173 pixels per inch, which makes it sharp enough for all sorts of work, and a 120Hz refresh plus G-Sync compatibility, which is right for all sorts of play. You can always attach a big, high-resolution display to it, and if you do it via the Mini DisplayPort, you"ll get G-Sync support.Specifications
Plus, the battery life isn"t great with this panel; it uses the same size battery as the Alienware 15 we tested (99 Whr) but it"s driving a ton more power and a bigger screen for a depressing 3.2-hour life on our tests. 4K would likely tank that even more. At least there"s an option with 4K and G-Sync (though only 60Hz) on the higher-end models.
Our test system came with the TN+WVA display, which turns out to be a pretty nice compromise if you want speed and don"t care about color accuracy. In this case "WVA" stands for "wide viewing angle," not to be confused with VA (Vertical Alignment) panels. Viewing angle is better than a cheap TN panel, but I still wouldn"t call it "wide."
Its color gamut measures 90 percent of sRGB, worse than the similar HD panel in the AW15. In practice, games look fine and pop sufficiently. It hits a peak luminance of about 458 nits -- typical is closer to about 320 nits unless you leave it at the default 100 percent brightness. There"s little ghosting, and at 120Hz games run quite smoothly. When pressing the system, I could see the difference between G-Sync enabled and disabled using the Metro Last Light benchmark -- some tearing when running at 60-70fps and 100fps with the refresh rate at 120Hz, for example. Nothing unusual, though.
One of the main features (aside from the size) that differentiates the AW17 from the AW15 is the Tobii Eye-Tracking built into some of the higher-end monitor options on the AW17. I"m not a huge fan of the eye tracking; it reminds me of Canon"s eye-controlled focus introduced to its film cameras in the "90s. You found it either invaluable or in the way.
It would be nice if you could program the lighting to change colors based on the fan operation so that you can tell visually when the system is huffing and puffing; you don"t hear the fan when you"re wearing a headset, and there are no fan monitors in Alienware"s software dashboard, at least for the laptop -- just a choice between an active or passive cooling policy. The fan isn"t the loudest I"ve heard, but it"s not the quietest, either, and it runs almost constantly even on passive cooling and when I"m just typing with nothing notable happening in the background.
The system doesn"t seem to run as hot as the AW15, even with BioShock Infinite overworking it and despite the more powerful components -- probably because there"s a lot more room for air to flow around. Alienware"s command center monitoring dashboard (CPU, GPU, network and memory) is really unimpressive relative to the rest of the system -- there"s no temperature monitoring, for instance, and if you want to overclock the CPU, or simply check how the factory overclocking is set, Dell refers you to third-party utilities like HWiNFO64.
It also wastes a lot of space and can"t be collapsed into a compact display for monitoring. Even on the relatively large 17-inch display it takes up too much real estate.
Our test configuration is great for VR -- it goes up to 11 on the SteamVR test, for example. But given its size, I expect a lot more connectors to support VR. Alienware laptops come with dedicated connectors for attaching the company"s own Alienware Graphics Amplifier external GPU rather than relying on third-party USB-C/Thunderbolt expansion. The AGA can accommodate a single graphics card, but it does add another four USB 3 ports to the system. However, that connector replaces the SD card slot, which is probably a lot more broadly useful.
While you can certainly do it, this isn"t a system for endlessly squeezing out another frame of speed; it"s tweakable, but Alienware doesn"t make that particularly easy compared to other setups I"ve seen. But if you just want to sit down and get your game on, it"s a great choice: Fast out of the box, with a solid display and enough connections and features to handle most entertainment, plus a keyboard that can handle your work needs, too. Just sit by an outlet.Multimedia multitasking test 3.0
Origin PC Eon17-X (2017) 129Alienware 17 (R4, 2017) 147Asus ROG G752VS OC Edition 159HP Omen (17-inch) 179Alienware 15 (R3, 2016) 198Acer Predator Helios 300 217 Note: Shorter bars indicate better performance (in seconds)Geekbench 4 (Multi-core)
Origin PC Eon17-X (2017) 18,132Alienware 17 (R4, 2017) 14,503HP Omen (17-inch) 14,417Alienware 15 (R3, 2016) 14,060Acer Predator Helios 300 13,460Asus ROG G752VS OC Edition 4,261 Note: Longer bars indicate better performanceStreaming video playback battery drain test
Acer Predator Helios 300 312Asus ROG G752VS OC Edition 256Alienware 15 (R3, 2016) 236Alienware 17 (R4, 2017) 191HP Omen (17-inch) 184Origin PC Eon17-X (2017) 121 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance (in minutes)3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
Alienware 17 (R4, 2017) 5,024Origin PC Eon17-X (2017) 4,970Asus ROG G752VS OC Edition 4,126Alienware 15 (R3, 2016) 4,054HP Omen (17-inch) 3,880Acer Predator Helios 300 2,804 Note: Longer bars indicate better performanceBioShock Infinite gaming test
Origin PC Eon17-X (2017) 218.7Alienware 17 (R4, 2017) 207.7Asus ROG G752VS OC Edition 190.0Alienware 15 (R3, 2016) 178.4HP Omen (17-inch) 138.2Acer Predator Helios 300 134.0 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance (FPS)Cinebench R15 OpenGL
Origin PC Eon17-X (2017) 134.74Asus ROG G752VS OC Edition 125.46Alienware 17 (R4, 2017) 121.8HP Omen (17-inch) 111.1Alienware 15 (R3, 2016) 103.4Acer Predator Helios 300 94.9 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance (FPS)Cinebench R15 CPU (multi-core)
Origin PC Eon17-X (2017) 908Alienware 17 (R4, 2017) 877Asus ROG G752VS OC Edition 801Alienware 15 (R3, 2016) 746HP Omen (17-inch) 743Acer Predator Helios 300 736 Note: Longer bars indicate better performanceSystem configurations
Acer Predator Helios 300 Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,400MHz; 6GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060; 512GB SSD
Alienware 15 (R3, 2016) Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,666MHz; 8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070; 512GB SSD+1TB HDD
Alienware 17 (R4, 2017) Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.9GHz Intel Core i7-7820HK (OC to 4GHz); 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,400MHz; 8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080; 1TB HDD+512GB SSD
Asus ROG G752VS OC Edition Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (64-bit); 2.9GHz Intel Core i7-7820HK; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,800MHz; 8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070; (2) 256GB SSD RAID 0 + 1TB HDD
HP Omen (17-inch) Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,400MHz; 8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070; 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD
Origin PC Eon17-X (2017) Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 4.2GHz Intel Core i7-7700K; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,400MHz; 8GB Nvidia GTX 1080; (2) 256GB SSD RAID 0 + 2TB HDD
At present, RTX 3080 is the fastest laptop graphics card around, but not all RTX 3080-powered laptops are created equal. Many vendors use Nvidia’s Max-Q technology, which prioritizes power efficiency and low fan noise over high performance. Alienware’s m17 R4, however, seeks to pump out every possible frame, deploying a special cooling system and eschewing Max-Q to make its top-of-the-line configuration one of the best gaming laptops. We were able to check the TGP (Total Graphics Power) of the laptop, which was reported as 165W in Nvidia"s drivers — in the "150W+" range listed for mobile RTX 3080(opens in new tab).
But the Alienware m17 R4 is not just a speed demon. Starting at $2,106 ($3,586 as tested), this laptop has a sleek sci-fi inspired design with plenty of RGB, an optional 360 Hz screen and a snappy (optional) mechanical keyboard, the first with Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile Switches. You just have to live with a heavy chassis and the occasional bout of fan noise.
Editor’s Note: We originally published this review in February, but updated in April to add our experience testing with Alienware"s new, optional mechanical keyboard.
The Alienware m17 R4 has the same sci-fi inspired “Legend” design as both its immediate predecessor, the m17 R3, and its sibling, the Alienware m15 R4. Available in "lunar light: white or "dark side of the moon" (black), the m17 R4 looks like a giant starship, rocketing through space. The body (ours was white) has a black rear end that juts out like the jet engine on the back of an imperial cruiser. The number 17 on the lid appears in a sci-fi font that you might find adorning a secret warehouse at Area 51.
There’s a honeycomb pattern for the vents on the back, above the keyboard and on the bottom surface. We can only assume that Alienware aliens live in some kind of hive where they are all doing CUDA core calculations.
The chassis is made from premium materials: a magnesium alloy with matte white or black paint, covered by a clear coat for extra durability. The interior uses Alienware’s cryo-tech cooling technology which has 12-phase graphics voltage regulation, 6-phase CPU voltage regulation and a CPU vapor chamber.
At 6.6 pounds and 15.74 x 11.56 x 0.87 inches, the Alienware m17 R4 is not exactly light or thin, not that would you expect that from a 17-inch laptop with a Core i9 CPU and RTX 3080 graphics. By comparison, the Gigabyte Aorus 17G (5.95 pounds, 15.9 x 10.8 x 1.0 inches) and Razer Blade Pro 17 (6.1 pounds, 15.6 x 10.2 x 0.8 inches) are both significantly lighter, though the Aorus is thicker. The Asus ROG Flow X13, which we’re also comparing to the m17, is much thinner and lighter (2.87 pounds, 11.77 x 8.74 x 0.62 inches), because it’s a 13-inch laptop that gets its RTX 3080 graphics via an external dock.
The Alienware m17 R4 has plenty of room for ports. On the right side, there are two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, along with a micro SD card reader. The left side contains a Killer RJ-45 Ethernet 2.5 Gbps port, a 3.5mm audio jack and another USB Type-A port. The back holds a Thunderbolt 3 port, a mini DisplayPort 1.4, an HDMI 2.1 connection, Alienware’s proprietary graphics amplifier port and the power connector.
Sporting an Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and an Intel Core i9-10980HK CPU, our review configuration of the Alienware m17 R4 is as fast of a gaming laptop as you can get right now. Thanks to Alienware’s strong cryo-tech cooling solution and the company’s willingness to include a full version of the RTX 3080, rather than the Max-Q variants in some thinner notebooks.
The Alienware m17 R4 hit a rate of 120 fps in Grand Theft Auto V at very high settings (1080p), eclipsing the Gigabyte Aorus 17G and its Max-Q-enabled RTX 3080 and Core i7-10870H CPU by 20%. The Asus ROG Flow 13 with its Ryzen 9 5980HS CPU and external RTX 3080 dock, was also a good 13% behind while the RTX 2080 Super-powered Razer Blade Pro 17 brought up the rear.
On the very-demanding Red Dead Redemption at medium settings, the m17 R4 achieved an impressive rate of 79.7 fps, besting the Aorus 17G and ROG Flow X13 by more than 20%. Saddled with last year’s card, the Razer Blade Pro 17 was a full 29 % behind.
Alienware’s behemoth exceeded 100 fps again in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, hitting 103 while the Aorus 17G hovered in the mid 80s. On this test, surprisingly, the Razer Blade Pro 17 came close to matching the m17 R4.
Far Cry New Dawn at Ultra settings also provided a great example of the Alienware m15 R4’s dominance. It hit a full 105 fps where its nearest competitor, the Gigabyte Aorus 17G could only manage 92 fps with the Asus ROG Flow X13 and Razer Blade Pro 17 were both in the 80s.
To see how well the Alienware m17 R4 performs over the long haul, we ran the Metro Exodus benchmark at RTX, the highest settings level, 15 times at 1080p. The laptop was remarkably consistent, averaging 75.6 fps with a high of 76.2 and a low of 75.4. During that time, the average CPU speed was 4.19 GHz with a peak of 5.088 GHz. By comparison, the Gigabyte Aorus 17G, got an average frame rate of just 59.6 fps with an average CPU speed of 3.47 GHz and the Asus ROG Flow X13 managed a slightly-higher 65.2 fps with an average CPU speed of 3.89 GHz.
With its Core i9-10980HK CPU, 32GB of RAM and dual storage drives, which include both a 2TB RAID 0 PCIe SSD (2 x 1TB) and a 512GB SSD, and that RTX 3080, our review configuration of the Alienware m17 R4 can be a powerful work tool.
On Geekbench 5, a synthetic benchmark that measures overall performance, the m17 R4 got a single-core score of 1,318 and a multi-core score of 8,051, which wa slightly ahead of the of the Core i7-10870H-powered Gigabyte Aorus 17G on both counts but behind the Asus ROG Flow X13 and its Ryzen 9 5980HS on single-core performance while creaming the Razer Blade Pro 17, which we tested with a Core i7-10875H.
In our tests, copying about 25GB of files, the 512GB drive managed a mediocre 379.7 MBps, but the 2TB drive hit an impressive 1305.5 MBps, which beats the Aorus 17G (869 MBps), the ROG Flow X13 (779.5 MBps) and the Blade Pro 17 (925.2 MBps).
The Alienware m17 R4 took just 6 minutes and 44 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p in Handbrake. That time is 21% faster than the Aorus 17G, 18% quicker than the Flow X13 and a full 29% ahead of the Blade Pro 17.
The Alienware m17 R4 comes with a choice of three different, 17-inch display panels: a 1080p panel with 144 Hz refresh rate, a 4K, 60 Hz panel and the 1080p, 360 Hz panel in our review unit. Our panel provided sharp images and accurate but mostly unexciting colors, along with smooth, tear-free gaming.
In a 4K nature video of a Costa Rican jungle, details like the scales on a snake and colors like the red on a parrot’s feathers were also strong, but not nearly as strong as when I viewed it on the 4K, OLED panel from the Alienware m15 R4 I tested recently. On both videos, viewing angles on the matte display were strong as colors didn’t fade even at 90 degrees to the left or right.
The Alienware m17 R4’s display registered a strong 316.2 nits of brightness on our light meter, outpacing the Aorus 17G (299.6), the Razer Blade Pro 17 (304.4) and the Asus ROG Flow X13 (281.6). According to our colorimeter, the screen can reproduce a solid 80.6% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is about on par with the Aorus 17G and slightly behind the Razer Blade Pro 17, but miles ahead of the ROG Flow X13.
The Alienware m17 R4 comes with your choice of two different keyboards: an excellent standard mSeries keyboard with a snappy feel and a mechanical keyboard that may be the best of any laptop"s. A $176 (as of this writing) upgrade option, the mechanical keyboard is the first to feature Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile switches.
Alienware sent us a new review unit just to test the m17"s mechanical keyboard and I came away impressed with the feel. Thanks to the robust feedback, I hit a strong 102 words per minute (slightly above my average) on the 10fastfingers.com typing test, with a 3 percent error rate and a great deal of comfort. I also found that gaming in Cyberpunk 2077was a pleasure. For more details, see my article ongoing fingers on with the new Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile switches.
With a deep, 1.7mm of travel and some snappy feedback, the default Alienware mSeries keyboard also offers a great typing experience. On the tenfastfingers.com typing test, I scored the same 102 wpm / 3-percent error rate as with the mechanical keyboard. However, the clicky keys on the mechanical keyboard just felt a lot more responsive and pleasant to use.
Whichever keyboard option you choose, you get a full numeric keypad and four customizable macro keys above the pad on the top row. The Alienware Command Center software allows you to set these to launch a program, enter text or use a pre-recorded set of keystrokes when you hit them. I found programming them very unintuitive, however.it. Alienware Command Center also allows you to set RGB colors or lightning effects for four different zones on the default keyboard or on a per-key basis for the other keyboard options.
The Alienware m17 R4’s audio system outputs sound that’s loud enough to fill a mid-sized room and rich enough to dance to. When I played AC/DC’s "Back in Black" with the volume all the way up, the sound was mostly accurate, but some of the high-pitched percussion sounds were a little harsh. Earth, Wind and Fire’s bass-heavy "September" sounded great, with a clear separation of sound where instruments such as the horns section appeared to come from a different side of the notebook than, for example, the drums.
The preloaded Alienware Command Center app has an audio section that lets you tweak the sound settings and choose among profiles such as Music, Movie, Shooter and Role Play. I found that the default “Alienware” profile sounded about the same as the Music one, but disabling the audio enhancement definitely made the sound flatter.
The Alienware m17 R4 has three different M.2 SSD slots, all of which are accessible and user upgradeable. The first slot is an short 2230 length and the other two are both the normal 2280 size. Unfortunately, the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard and therefore not replaceable.
Opening the Alienware m17 R4 should be easy: there are eight Philips-head screws, some of which come out and the others of which you can just loosen, on the bottom panel. In our testing, getting the screws loosened was easy by prying off the bottom panel was challenging and required several minutes with a spudger. Once the panel is off, all three SSDs are visible, but are covered by copper heat sinks you can easily unscrew.
Forget about using the Alienware m17 R4 without a power outlet for any length of time. The laptop lasted just just 2 hours and 5 minutes on our battery test, which involves surfing the web over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. That’s awful in comparison to all of its competitors as both the Gigabyte Aorus 17G and Razer Blade Pro 17 lasted for an identical 4 hours and 41 minutes. But this is a 17-inch, 6.6-pound laptop so portability isn’t a primary concern.
The main touchpoints on the Alienware m17 R4 stay relatively cool when you’re not gaming and remain warm but tolerable when you are. After we streamed a YouTube video for 15 minutes, the keyboard hit a reasonable 35.5 degrees Celsius (95.9 degrees Fahrenehitt), the touchpad was a chilly 26.2 degrees Celsius (79.3 degrees Fahrenheit) and the underside was just 36.6 degrees Celsius (97.9 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Alienware m17 R4’s 720p webcam is nothing special. Even when I shot it in a well-lit room, an image of my face was filled with visual noise and fine details like the hairs in my beard were blurry while colors such as the blue in my shirt and the green on the walls were muted. You’ll get by with this built-in camera if you need to, but you’d be better off springing for one of the best webcams.
Alienware Command Center lets you control all the RGB lighting effects, set keyboard macros, tweak audio settings and even modify the performance settings and thermals to go for better performance or quieter and cooler temps. You can even change the max frequency, voltage and voltage offset for the CPU manually if you have an unlocked CPU and want to try overclocking.
Alienware backs the m17 R4 with a standard one year warranty on parts and labor that includes in-home service (if there was already a remote diagnosis). You can pay extra to extend the warranty up to five years and you can add accidental damage protection with no deductible.
When you purchase the Alienware m17 R4 from Dell.com, you can custom configure it with your choice of a Core i7 or Core i9 CPU, RTX 3070 or 3080 GPU, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 4TB of storage. You can choose white or blackcolor options and you can also pay extra to get per-key RGB lighting instead of the standard 4-zone lighting we tested.
You get three different keyboard options. The default mSeries keyboard feels snappy and has four-zone RGB lighting while a $29 upgrade gets you the same keyboard but with per-key lighting. Finally paying $176 extra (as of this writing), gets you the mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile switches and per-key lighting. That"s a hefty premium, but if you"re already planning to spend more than $2,000 on a laptop, getting a best-in-class keyboard is a worthwhile upgrade.
You also get a choice of screens that includes 144 Hz and 360 Hz 1080p panels, along with a 4K, 60 Hz panel that promises to hit 100 % of the Adobe RGB color gamut. If you value image quality over fps, we recommend the latter, because the color on our 360 Hz panel was ok, but not exciting.
Our review configuration of the Alienware m17 R4 currently goes for $3,586.79. For that price, you get the Core i9-10980HK, RTX 3080 graphics, the 360 Hz display, 32GB of RAM and a combination of storage drives that includes two, 1TB M.2 PCIe SSDS in RAID 0 and a 512GB M.2 SSD by itself for a total of 2.5TB of storage. Dell lists the RAID drive as the boot drive in its store but our review model came with the 512GB drive as boot and the 2TB RAID drive as storage, which seems odd.
At this point, it’s hard to imagine someone making a gaming laptop that’s significantly more powerful than the Alienware m17 R4 we tested unless they use desktop parts. The RTX 3080 is currently the fastest mobile GPU around, especially since Alienware didn"t opt for Nvidia"s more power efficient Max-Q technologies.. Using a strong cooling system, pairing it with a Core i9-10980HK, and you have performance that’s often 20% faster than competitors that also use RTX 3080s.
In addition to its strong performance, the Alienware m17 R4 offers a best-in-class mechanical keyboard or an almost-as-good standard keyboard, along with a uniquely attractive design that’s all its own. The 360 Hz screen is more than capable, but unless you’re a competitive gamer, you can go with the default screen or, better yet, go for the 4K panel which promises much richer colors.
The biggest drawbacks for this epic laptop are those which are kind of inherent to any 17-inch laptop which turns the performance volume up to 11. It’s heavy, has short battery life, emits plenty of fan noise. It"s also quite expensive. It would be nice if, for this price, you got a better-than-awful webcam, but most laptop webcams are terrible.
If you want to save a few dollars or you need a little more battery life, consider the Gigabyte Aorus 17G, which goes for $2,699 with similar specs (but just 1TB of storage) to our Alienware m17 R4. The 17G lasts more than twice as long on a charge and weighs 0.65 pounds less than the m17, but its gaming performance isn’t as good.
If you don’t feel attached to the 17-inch form factor, consider the Alienware m15 R4, which has the same design and keyboard options but is much more portable, albeit hotter. It also has an optional, 4K OLED panel which has incredibly vibrant output. However, if you want the ultimate 17-inch gaming rig right now, the Alienware m17 R4 is your best choice.
After nearly 22 years in the game, it"s safe to say that Alienware knows how to make a gaming laptop. The company also knows when to do a total redesign or when to make a few tweaks to refine the overall product. The Alienware 17 R5 (starting at $1,399, $3,974 as tested) is a little bit of both.
Alienware made slight tweaks to the exterior design, creating a slimmer chassis with even more customized lighting opportunities. Overhauls to the cooling and audio systems make for quieter fans and louder speakers. And a complete redesign of the Alienware Command Center software makes customizing your lighting and overclocking your processor and graphics card child"s play.
Call it an intergalactic blackout. In addition to the new hue, Alienware added even more LED zones to the ready-made battlestation, while making the system slimmer with its new hinge-forward design.
First, the lighting. Alienware has added more new zones, bringing the grand total to 13. You can pick out your custom colors and effects on the revamped Alien Command Center (more on that later).
Because of the hinge-forward design, you"ll find the majority of your ports In the back, including a Mini DisplayPort, HDMI 2.0, Thunderbolt 3, Ethernet, a power port and the proprietary port for the Alienware Graphics Amplifier.
Geralt"s bone-white tresses whipped around realistically in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as I evaded the blows of a band of bandits while returning my own. Despite the nonstop action, the Nvidia G-Sync technology helped prevent against image tearing by synchronizing the GPU with the panel up to 144 hertz.
When measured for color reproduction, the Alienware 17 hit 110 percent of the sRGB color gamut, which surpasses the 100-percent minimum and the Eon17-X"s 104 percent. However, it"s short of the 131-percent premium gaming laptop average as well as the numbers put up by the Aorus X9 and the Titan.
Although it"s not the most vivid screen on the block, the Alienware 17 is definitely among the brightest. Hitting 352 nits, the panel eclipsed the 283-nit average. Its closest competitors didn"t crack 300 nits.
Back and louder than ever. Alienware"s hinge-forward design makes room for a seriously improved audio system. The design now includes a couple internal smart amplifiers that monitor audio waveforms (a graph that displays amplitude or level changes over time), and the system uses that to better regulate the speaker thermals for better sound.
My favorite part about Alienware touchpads is how they light up when you touch them. It"s like the lighting effects in Michael Jackson"s "Billie Jean," but for your fingers. The pair of discrete mouse buttons were nice and springy, and delivered a nice click when pressed.
The Alienware 17 performed just as well on our synthetic benchmarks, starting with notching 68 fps on the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark (1920 x 1080, Very High), beating the 56-fps premium gaming laptop average. It"s on a par with its competitors, which are outfitted with their own GTX 1080s. The Titan hit 67 fps, while the Eon17-X reached 69 fps. The Aorus X9 pulled out ahead of the pack with 73 fps.
We saw the Alienware 17 achieve 99 fps on the Hitman test, sailing past the 85-fps average as well as the Titan"s 95 and the Eon17-X and Aorus X9, which were in a dead heat at 96 fps.
During the Grand Theft Auto V benchmark, the Alienware obtained 85 fps, beating the Eon17-X"s 55 and the 77-fps average. The Aorus X9 did slightly better with 86 fps, while the Titan put up an impressive 110 fps.
On the Middle-Earth: Shadow of War test, the Alienware 17 scored 95 fps, defeating the 90-fps average. However, both the Titan and Aorus X9 inched it out with 98 and 99 fps, respectively.
With power like this, don"t be shy about whipping out the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or Vive Pro. The Alienware 17 maxed out the SteamVR performance test at 11, matching the Aorus X9 and Eon17-X, while topping the 10.2 average and the Titan"s 10.9.
Looking to squeeze out more performance from your processor and graphics card? The Fusion tab lets you overclock both components by just adjusting a slider. And Alienware was kind enough to include a test feature to ensure your new clock speeds are stable. With the right tweaks, you could overclock the CPU to a ridiculous 5.0 GHz.
Of course, you can still customize all the zones and the keyboard lighting with Command Center by way of the FX tab. However, with the extra zones combined with the 16.8 million color palette and 12 effects, Alienware claims you can create up to 80 quadrillion possible combinations. After creating your custom theme, you can go to the Home or Library sections and assign that theme (as well as performance settings) to launch with individually selected games.
Once again, the Alienware 17 has teamed with Tobii to integrate eye-tracking technology that provides an interesting way to interact with both your games and the Windows desktop. Currently compatible with over 100 games, the integrated sensors track your eyes, allowing you to control the camera and autoaim with a simple glance.
This iteration of the Alienware 17 is the first in the series to rock Intel"s new 2.9-GHz, 8th Gen Core i9-8950HKprocessor with a whopping 32GB of RAM. And thanks to the Alien Command Center, you can overclock this bad boy to a smoking 5 GHz.
However, that power didn"t necessarily translate to stellar results in all of our benchmarks. It held its own, of course, but it didn"t blow away the competition. For example, the system delivered 20,890 on Geekbench 4, which measures overall performance. That beats the 17,290 premium gaming laptop average, but armed with their own 8950HKs, the Titan and Aorus produced 22,754 and 25,915, respectively. The Eon17-X with its desktop Intel Core i7-8700K CPU hit 21,713.
During our Excel productivity test, the Alienware 17 paired up 65,000 names and addresses in 42 seconds, slipping past the 0:44 category average. The Titan and Aorus X9 posted faster times of 0:34 and 0:31, respectively.
The Alienware 17"s 512GB M.2 PCIe SSD (with a 1TB, 7,200-rpm hard drive) duplicated 4.97GB of multimedia files in 9 seconds, tying the Eon17-X with a transfer rate of 565.5 megabytes per second. That"s more than enough to dust the 489.8-MBps average and the Aorus X9"s (1TB PCIe SSD) 424 MBps. However, the Titan (512GB NVMe SSD) notched a blistering 727 MBps.
When we ran the Handbrake benchmark, the Alienware 17 transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in 9 minutes and 10 seconds. It"s faster than the 9:51 average, but not the 8:15 and 7:41 put up by the Aorus X9 and Titan, respectively.
Despite all its powerful specs, the Alienware 17 somehow manages to be the last laptop standing on our battery test. It lasted 3 hours and 47 minutes of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, surpassing the 3:26 premium gaming laptop average. The Titan, Aorus and Eon17-X tapped out early with times of 2:54, 2:20 and 1:52, respectively.
The Alienware 17 manages to stay relatively cool when you"re gaming or watching videos, thanks to its revamped cooling system, dubbed Alienware Cryo-Tech v2.0. The company managed to reduce the thickness of its fans" blades by 50 percent and added a vapor chamber on top of the CPU to help keep things cool. And those thinner fan blades are pretty quiet, even when you"re gaming. After playing Witcher 3 for 45 minutes, the most I heard was a gentle whirring that I had to pause the game to detect.
The Alienware 17"s integrated 1080p webcam takes some seriously sharp stills. In the test shots I took in the office, I can see individual strands of hair at the top of my hair and the fabric texture of my bright-orange shirt. (The strands transition from black to orangey-blonde to deep purple, showing that it"s time to set up another hair appointment.) While there was some graininess, it was much less severe than what I"ve seen from other cams.
There is nothing worse than booting up your new gaming rig and having to uninstall a bunch of bloatware. Thankfully, Alienware employs a pretty light touch when it comes to needlessly preinstalled apps. But don"t get me wrong -- thanks to Windows 10, there are still a few pieces of flotsam hanging around, such as Dolby Access, Skype and a link to purchase Adobe Photoshop in the Windows Store.
Most of the Alienware 17"s remaining preinstalled apps are designed to enhance your gaming or maintain your system"s health. For instance, you have Alienware Digital Delivery to ensure your software is up to date. There"s also Dell SupportAssist, which keeps an eye on laptop diagnostics and lets you tune performance, optimize your network and check for viruses at the touch of a button.
In addition to Alien Command Center, the Alienware 17 also features Nvidia GeForce Experience with its gamer-centric software suite, including BatteryBoost and Game Optimization. There"s also Killer Control Center, which lets you prioritize network bandwidth as well as test its speed and strength.
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