lcd panel replacement alienware 15 r3 pricelist

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Alienware Screens can be manufactured in MATTE or GLOSSY finish. MATTE is better for outdoor use and GLOSS is better for indoor use. GLOSS screens will display brighter and richer colours, and MATTE screens will look duller, but are less reflective. We try where possible to offer both options, if we have both options, we will offer them in the product description. More about this...

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Alienware is a well-known brand in the gaming laptop market, and with each new CPU or GPU update the company outfits its laptops accordingly. Today, we’re looking at the Alienware 15 R3, which features the new Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Pascal GPU.

Alienware’s design philosophy is one of the most iconic for gaming laptops. It is aggressive, yet sleek and sophisticated. Its sharp, erratic edges and vibrant lighting might best be described asextraterrestrial. Indeed, Alienware’s products look like spaceships miniaturized to fit on your desk.

Starting the tour on the Alienware 15 R3’s hood, you’ll find a matte gunmetal surface, which is divided into three portions, as is standard for the Alienware aesthetic. Near the top is the silver-faced Alienware logo, which lights up when the system is powered. You can change the lighting colors and effects may via the Alienware Command Center software.

The bottom has the same texture and finish as the hood, but it has a distinct plastic feel. This isn’t to say that it feels any less premium. There is a large exhaust vent extending the length of the removable bottom panel, beyond which you can see the Alienware 15’s cooling system. The Alienware’s overall build is incredibly solid and offers virtually no flex.

The right I/O port is just a lone USB 3.0 port, while on the left you"ll find the headphone jack, a microphone jack, a USB 3.0 port, USB 3.1 Type-C port, and a Noble lock. On the back, you’ll find a Gigabit Ethernet port, a mini-DisplayPort, an HDMI 2.0 port, a Thunderbolt over USB Type-C, and the proprietary Alienware Graphics Amplifier port.

The Alienware 15 features a standard 15.6" IPS display, which offers excellent viewing angles. The display runs at 60Hz, but it doesn"t have a G-Sync panel. The mini DisplayPort and HDMI port allow the Alienware to output to two additional displays. The Graphics Amplifier port can provide Alienware 15 with additional graphical horsepower which, depending on the GPU installed in the amplifier, may be enough for the Alienware 15 to play games at UHD.

The Alienware 15 uses a standard scissor switch keyboard with six macro keys on the left. The spacing between the keys is rather tight, leading to a cramped typing experience. This is unfortunate considering that it is the most frequently used input device. It makes sense to carry a mouse with a gaming laptop, but most people wouldn’t want to carry a separate keyboard as well.

The bottom plate is secured to the Alienware 15 with seven screws. Beneath the bottom plate, you’ll find the hefty cooling system, two slots for M.2 (which are empty in our configuration), one mSATA slot, two memory slots in the middle (one of which is empty), and the HDD on the top left.

The Alienware Command Center is the central hub software. From here, you can edit lighting effects through the AlienFX tab. Areas of lighting include the hood logo, the Alienware logo beneath the display, three areas on the keyboard, the light bar accenting on the sides, and the trackpad. AlienFusion provides easy access to power, display, and sleep settings. The Alien TactX tab lets you create macro profiles. Finally, the AlienAdrenaline tab lets you create game modes, monitor performance, and edit the Graphics Amplifier settings.Alienware 15 R3: Price Comparison

The aliens are back. We did not have the chance to review the first edition of the Alienware 15 R3 (Skylake + Pascal), but we can finally have a look at the promising gaming notebook with the Kaby Lake update. How does the 15-inch system hold up against the competition?

Alienware"s parent company Dell offers a configurator for the Alienware 15 R3, but you cannot combine every hardware component. The German shop currently lists four base models based on Kaby Lake priced between 1649 and 2459 Euros (~$1748 and ~$2607), but you can easily increase the prices with upgrades.

There are some basic components for every model. The processor is a powerful Intel quad-core, either with (i7-7700HQ) or without Hyper-Threading (i5-7300HQ). The amount of DDR4-RAM is from 8 up to 32 GB (2400 or 2666 MHz), whereas the storage solution consists of a conventional HDD or a combination of SSD and hard drive. Dell uses a Full HD panel, which is, depending on the refresh rate (60 or 120 Hz), based on the IPS or TN technology. Both models support G-Sync.

Dell also includes a high-end GPU from Nvidia"s Pascal generation. While the GeForce GTX 1060 is equipped with 6 GB GDDR5-VRAM, the GeForce GTX 1070 comes with 8 GB GDDR5. The current high-end model GeForce GTX 1080 is reserved for the 17-inch sibling Alienware 17 R4, which can also be equipped with an AMD GPU (R9 470).

But back to the 15-inch model. Wireless communications are handled by the Killer chips 1435 or 1535, and the latter is a free upgrade (as of February 2017). The same applies for the switch from the German to the English keyboard layout. You will have to pay more for an upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro. The other options are limited to the warranty and the software (Office, security).

We start with the best news: The latest revision of the new gaming system also features the familiar Alienware quality. This is particularly true for the chassis, which is partly made of anodized aluminum as well as a magnesium alloy. Thanks to metal inlays on the lid and the notebook bottom, the 15-inch system features excellent stability that surpasses most competitors. One drawback is the weight: Around 3.5 kilograms is a lot, even for a high-end notebook. The previous Alienware 15 R2 (3.1 kg) is lighter, just like the GTX 1070 rivals MSI GT62VR 6RE and Schenker XMG P507 (2.9 kg). The Asus GL502VS even tips the scale at just 2.6 kg.

Another problem is the depth of the chassis. While the competition is about 27 centimeters, we can measure more than 30 centimeters on the Alienware 15 R3, which reminds us of a 17-inch system. The protruding fan area for better cooling (the hinge is shifted by about 3.5 centimeters) does not look that good.

Otherwise, we would call the design convenient. Despite the fact that some elements are pretty playful and clearly indicate a gaming notebook, the overall appearance looks very noble and sophisticated. One of the most important trademarks, the comprehensive illumination, is obviously available as well. The illuminated side areas (see pictures) might look like a "poser gimmick" at first, but there are actually some advantages in the dark (better visibility of the ports and the mouse). Speaking of a mouse: Alienware not only illuminates the keyboard but also the touchpad to make inputs easier.

Whether you like the rubberized palm rests is a matter of taste. The surface is convenient to touch but quickly attracts dirt. At just 2.5 centimeters, the Alienware 15 R3 is surprisingly slim. The hinges are another nice surprise, because they keep the display well in position and leave a firm impression (it is possible to open the lid with one hand). The maximum opening angle is almost unrivaled at ~180 degrees.

390 mm / 15.4 inch266 mm / 10.5 inch40 mm / 1.575 inch2.9 kg6.44 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch266 mm / 10.5 inch30 mm / 1.181 inch2.6 kg5.73 lbs386 mm / 15.2 inch270 mm / 10.6 inch34 mm / 1.339 inch3.1 kg6.86 lbs389 mm / 15.3 inch305 mm / 12 inch25 mm / 0.984 inch3.5 kg7.82 lbs385 mm / 15.2 inch271 mm / 10.7 inch29 mm / 1.142 inch2.9 kg6.5 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch210 mm / 8.27 inch1 mm / 0.03937 inch5.7 g0.01257 lbs

We think the connector for the proprietary Alienware Graphics Amplifier is the biggest highlight. It is an optional box that accommodates a desktop GPU. However, the box will probably become more interesting in a couple of years due to the enormous performance of the GeForce GTX 1070. That the manufacturer does not implement an optical drive is understandable in times of Steam and the like, especially since a DVD or Blu-ray burner would require a lot of space and probably affect the stability of the chassis. However, we cannot understand why there is no card reader.

Dell uses products from Rivet Networks for communication. The Gigabit Ethernet Chip Killer E2500 and the wireless module Killer 1435 (WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, up to 867 Mbps) are supposed to be optimized for gamers, which is supported by the powerful Killer software (several controls and settings). Our standardized WLAN test with a distance of one meter to the router determines good transfer rates for the Alienware 15 R3. Average results of 560 Mbps (send) and 681 Mbps (receive), respectively, slightly beat the Intel Dual-Band Wireless-AC 8265 of the Schenker XMG P507 (513 and 674 Mbps, respectively).

Many core gamers do not want to just use every option in the graphics menu; they also like to have full control over the upgrade and cleaning options inside the case. The Alienware 15 R3 performs better in this respect than the previous model. While you could only access the RAM, hard drives, and the wireless module via maintenance hatch on the Alienware 15 R2, you can now – with certain limitations – also access the fans and the cooling system.

It is once again necessary to disassemble the chassis further to access all internals and the battery. The maintenance hatch itself is easy to remove since it is "only" secured by seven screws (and you also have to pry the hatch). The Alienware 15 R3 has a total of two DDR4-RAM slots, one 2.5-inch slot, two M.2 slots (2280) with NVMe/PCIe support and one smaller M.2 slot, which can also be equipped with an SSD according to the label. Processor and graphics card are not replaceable – which is pretty common nowadays.

The software installation is quite comprehensive. Besides trial versions for Microsoft"s Office 2016 and McAfee"s LiveSafe as well as the previously mentioned Killer Performance Suite, you will also find several tools from Alienware.

Except for the missing numeric keypad, although there is sufficient space, Dell does not make any mistakes in terms of the keyboard. The matte-black, closely arranged and slightly rubberized keys (no chiclet design) provide the familiar Alienware typing experience. It is pretty soft but is still precise and accurate; pressure point and stroke do not cause any criticism. Only some of the wider keys (especially Backspace) provide a slightly strange feedback. We cannot criticize Dell for the size, either. Letters and numbers are sized at 18 x 18 millimeters, and even the shifted directional keys are decently sized. You can see the German layout on the pictures below.

The touchpad surface, which is fully illuminated, is not all that large at 10 x 5.7 centimeters. We would have liked a couple of millimeters more, especially in height. There is certainly enough room. Otherwise, the mouse replacement works well. The gliding capabilities are decent thanks to the smooth finish and the precision is convincing as well. Multi-touch gestures (2-4 fingers) are controlled via Dell"s own touchpad software. We usually had no problems with zooming and scrolling.

We also like the fact that Alienware does not implement a ClickPad; a conventional touchpad with dedicated mouse buttons is installed instead. They have a pretty soft and quiet pressure point, similar to the keyboard, but they are still reliable. Dell also considered symmetry: The touchpad is at the center of the palm rests. The perceptible indentation, which reminds us of the Acer Predator 15, is a bit too deep for our liking.

Displays with 60 Hz have been the standard for many years, but now we are seeing more and more panels with higher refresh rates. Alienware also uses the modern technology and equips some of its 15-inch models with a fast 120 Hz display. Its biggest advantage is the fast response time. While many notebooks need more than 20 ms for black-to-black switch and more than 30 ms for gray-to-gray, the AW 15 R3 manages a fast 12 and 25 ms, respectively. These results could also be from the Schenker XMG P507, which is equipped with almost the exact same 120 Hz panel (AUO52ED vs. AUO51ED).

The 15-inch notebook manages a good luminance. 382 nits on average ensures a comfortable experience outdoors, and the brightness distribution (93%) is also great. Subjectively, we could not notice any clouding. The black value is not excellent at 0.39 cd/m², but the contrast is still 990:1 – a good result.

There is criticism for the mediocre color accuracy. A DeltaE-2000 deviation of more than 10 (Grayscale & ColorChecker) does not ensure an accurate picture. However, we managed to reduce the values to less than 3 by calibration, so we recommend tuning the device (our icc-file is linked in the box above). The Alienware 15 R3 is average in terms of color gamut; 90% sRGB and 59% AdobeRGB are typical for a laptop display.

The viewing-angle stability is between an inexpensive TN panel and a decent IPS screen. As long as you are the only user in front of the laptop, the provided viewing angles are still acceptable. This panel is not even close to OLED screens though. We have more information about the technology behind OLED panels in our dedicated article or the review of the Alienware 13 R3, which will be published soon.

The Alienware 15 R3 can utilize the CPU Turbo very well. The 14 nm chip will –depending on the number of active cores – run at 3.4-3.8 GHz as long as the power adapter is attached and the CPU is not artificially stressed. The clock on battery power will heavily depend on the GPU load. Stress for the CPU results in 3.2-3.8 GHz, and 2.7 GHz on average in 3D applications. The latter behavior is typical for a notebook.

Our benchmark scores do not reveal any surprises. The Alienware 15 R3 is on par with other 7700HQ laptops like the Schenker XMG P507 in Cinebench R15 as well as R11.5. Older systems with the Skylake model Core i7-6700HQ are about 10% slower on average, but you will not notice any differences in practice.

The 15-inch system manages very good scores in the system tests thanks to the balanced hardware configuration. Both PCMark 7 and PCMark 8 see the Alienware 15 R3 at the top of the comparison. The system is conveniently responsive and also boots up very quickly. You can also feel the advantage over laptops with conventional HDDs when you copy/transfer files or install applications.

That Nvidia"s Pascal architecture is a big success is confirmed in the synthetic benchmarks. The new model is almost twice as fast as the GTX 980M of the Alienware 15 R2. We cannot see big differences compared to other GTX 1070 systems, but the Alienware 15 R3 can secure the top spot in 3DMark 13, 3DMark 11 and the Unigine Heaven 4.0 Benchmark. The small advantage could also be a result of the driver; our test model was equipped with the brand-new ForceWare 378.49.

The noise development of our test model is a problem. It does not matter if you run 3DMark06, Battlefield 1 or a maximum load scenario with Prime95 and FurMark: The Alienware 15 R3 always produces ~50 dB(A), which is very audible and also annoying for many users without a headset.

The situation is not perfect while idling, either. The fans are sometimes completely deactivated, so you can only hear a subtle murmur of the HDD, but they will sometimes pulsate and reach up to 40 dB(A), which is not necessary and is also annoying. This is untypical for Alienware systems and usually limited to Clevo barebones (where the issue can at least be improved via manual control for the fan speeds).

The Alienware 15 R3 does not really know any levels in-between. The CPU fan is either deactivated or subjectively running at full speed. Perhaps Dell can improve the big rpm changes with a BIOS update (the update tool already showed a fresh BIOS – we will test it when the time allows for it).

(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.

The 2.0 system is at least louder than the 15-inch rival Asus GL502VS (82 vs. 77 dB(A)), which produces more precise mids and little less precise high tones. Fine tuning is possible via Alienware"s Sound Center, which can be used to adjust the microphone and the speakers. It includes multiple presets like Music or Movie.

dB(A)0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2037.638.22533.436.43126.529.14028.429.95024.926.76325.2268025.527.110023.131.11252336.716021.543.42002150.125021.353.331518.955.640019.359.250018.662.163019.366.480019.672.4100018.275.2125018.372.6160018.870.8200017.774.3250017.470.931501768.9400017.269.9500017.368.7630017.564.1800017.465.31000017.3621250017.455.31600017.549.7SPL30.282.5N1.452.3median 18.3median 64.1Delta1.68.939.943.135.734.630.530.635.33632.334.234.733.132.83329.930.325.933.622.842.723.656.523.559.520.859.719.264.119.465.318.763.818.363.318.264.818.663.318.963.417.863.617.364.517.16317.164.117.269.717.368.717.160.517.255.417.151.417.249.730.376.91.441median 18.3median 63.32.86.1hearing rangehide medianshow medianPink NoiseAlienware 15 R3Asus Strix GL502VS-FY032T

The power consumption is similar to other GTX 1070 notebooks without graphics switching. 19-29 Watts while idling and 85-192 Watts under load are almost identical to the Asus GL502VS. The MSI GT62VR consumes more power in all tests, while the Schenker XMG P507 is more efficient thanks to the Optimus technology. One interesting comparison is the Alienware 15 R2, which consumes more power but provides less 3D performance.

Even the XMG P507 with the deactivated GeForce does not stand a chance, which is not a surprise when you consider the small 60-Wh battery. The rivals from Asus (62 Wh @GL502VS) and MSI (75 Wh @GT62VR) also have smaller batteries. The Alienware 15 R2 on the other hand shows what a combination of switchable graphics and powerful battery is capable of. It ran for up to 13 hours (almost 7.5 hours @Wi-Fi and HD playback).

The visuals of the third revision of the Alienware 15 R3 are beyond any doubt (except for the protruding fan area). There is currently no other gaming notebook with such a sophisticated, stable, and well-built chassis. Then there is also the unique design, great input devices and numerous illumination elements.

However, the main problem of our test model was the temperature and noise development under load, which – as explained in the section Emissions – is probably connected to the uneven warming of the CPU cores. Almost 50 dB(A) in 3D scenarios is a lot, although the Alienware 15 R3 is surprisingly slim at 2.5 cm. Maybe we will review another configuration of the 15-inch system to see whether this is a bug on our test model or a general problem. We deduct 1% from the overall rating because of the fan and temperature problems.

If you ignore this detail as well as the mediocre sound, the Alienware 15 R3 convinces in almost every respect. The Core i7-7700HQ and the GeForce GTX 1070 can handle all modern games in the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 pixels.

The best Alienware laptops are about to get a little better. Recent announcements from CES 2023 offered up a new look at the next lineup from Dell, and things are getting big. We"ve got new Alienware M16 and M18 models heading to the shelves this year, and if you"re after a little luxury, the x16 is making its debut as well. With previous 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch models holding steady, and a refresh of the Alienware x14 on the cards, there are more Alienware laptops than ever to choose from right now.

Whatever budget you"re working with, then, we"re helping you find the right Alienware laptop for you - whether that"s a smaller (but cheaper) 14-inch model, or

a massive 17.3-incher at the top of the price list. Alienware laptops are taking the brand even further up the ranks of the best gaming laptops on the market, and these machines do come with a premium. Still, they remain popular among PC players for good reason, with a solid quality build and excellent engineering.

To help break the choice down a little, we"ve rounded up a shortlist of all the best Alienware laptops available right now. Based on our own testing, and the components up for grabs in each model, this list is compiled from both hands-on experience and price-checking competitors for value for money.

The Alienware x15 R2 is a premium piece of kit, so we"d recommend boosting your GPU up to an RTX 3070 Ti to get the best value over the baseline RTX 3060 option. There"s around $300 between the two configurations, but that"s cash well spent when you"re at this level of investment.

There"s a new Alienware laptop in town, now that Dell has refreshed its like of X15 and X17 machines for 2022. The new releases are now available on the shelves, though you might have to crack open the piggy bank - these are notcheap rigs. That said, paying for luxury certainly has its benefits - this was one of the best looking and feeling Alienware laptops we"ve ever had our hands on. Plus it"s certainly not as pricey as the 17-incher.If you"re looking to invest in a high-end machine that"s easy on your backpack straps, the Alienware x15 R2 is tough to beat.Alienware x15 R2 review

That"s why we"ve put the 15.6-inch model above the 17.3-inch version in our guide to the best Alienware laptops. You"re still getting that sleek form factor, Intel 12th generation chipset, and radical RTX 3080Ti opportunities, but without dropping an insane amount of cash. Don"t get us wrong, these are still premium machines - but with prices cutting slightly under those of the 17-incher things are that little bit more reachable here.

If you do want to go all out, though, you"re in safe hands here. Our RTX 3080 Ti test unit posted some seriously impressive numbers - outpacing the Razer Blade 15 in industry testing and storming through in-game benchmarks.

That"s because the Alienware X15 R2 brings with it Intel"s new 12th generation processors, the capacity to build up to that Nvidia"s RTX 3080 Ti GPU, and extra attention paid to the LEDs running along the back of the chassis. It"s still the slimline, highly powerful rig we"ve all come to welcome onto the premium shelf, but refreshed to keep up with cutting edge developments from key component developers.

Alienware M15 R7 |RTX 3060 | Intel i7-12700H at Dell(opens in new tab)The Alienware M15 R7 that we tested came with an RTX 3070 Ti GPU, but that configuration will run you over $2,000. For better value, we"d recommend putting that cash towards a 360Hz display if you"re after a mid-range spec. The 3060 GPU under the hood here will still perform admirably thanks to the thermal engineering under the hood, and you"re still getting a super fast 12th generation i7 processor and 16GB DDR5 RAM.

The Alienware M15 R7 has taken over from the M5 / M6 models to bring the series up to 2022"s standards. Featuring 12th generation Intel processors, and Nvidia"s Ti graphics cards, you"re getting the latest and greatest under the hood here - and all the thermal handling to help them sing as well. This rig barely broke a sweat in our testing, sailing past 60fps in even the most extreme of benchmarking situations. Red Dead Redemption 2 on Ultra settings? Metro Exodus with RTX hitched all the way up? Absolutely no problem for this beast.The Alienware M15 R7 is a certified powerhouse, and if you"re married to this brand"s expert engineering and unique aesthetic, it"s the best value for money within the current range.Alienware M15 R7 review

We saw numbers that would rival far more expensive Alienware gaming laptops in this middle of the road model, though you are making some sacrifices to get there. Compared to the rest of the market, we were a little disappointed to see the same plastic chassis as the R5 and R6 models here. You"ll find far cheaper rigs offering more durable build materials out in the wild. Plus, this laptop hasn"t been built with portability in mind. Weighing in at just under 6 lbs, and with a bulky form factor to prove it, this is one you"ll be keeping firmly on your desk.

You"re still picking up luxury Alienware design features, like the LED strip of RGB lighting running around the (plentiful) back ports. Plus, we were particularly impressed with the feel of the mSeries keyboard here. While not a true mechanical model (as featured in more expensive configurations of the X17), there"s was a satisfying tension here, and a longer travel distance than we typically see in laptop decks.

The Alienware X17 R2 is the biggest and best Alienware gaming laptop on the market on paper. Its premium cost keeps it from the very top of this list, as most gamers will be able to spend X15 prices and still enjoy the luxury. However, there"s plenty to dig into with this RTX 3060 configuration, balancing plenty of power from the Alder Lake processor.

If you"re looking for a larger display, the absolute best Alienware laptop for you is the brand new X17 R2. There"s plenty of power under the hood here, with the very latest 12th generation i7 and i9 processors, up to 64GB of RAM, 4TB of SSD storage and a glorious display to top it all off.

That Alienware X17 form factor remains, with all the luxury accents and deep-backed hinges. However, the LED trackpad that we so loved with the R1 release has been removed for the R2. Still, there"s no point grieving RGB when there"s so much power available under the hood. We managed to squeeze 30fps in our 4K testing, something we can"t say for the similarly priced Razer Blade Pro 17, and thanks to that reinvented cooling system and larger design, temperatures never climbed as high as the Alienware M15.It should come as no surprise to anybody that the Alienware x17 R1 is among the best of the best when it comes to gaming laptop performance.Alienware x17 review

Of course, this isn"t going to be the best Alienware laptop for everyone. You"re going to be spending quite a few beans locking in this purchase, and the heavier form factor and desktop-grade configurations won"t be right for the majority of players. However, if you do have the budget to put into a larger device, this is the Alienware laptop we would recommend.

The Alienware X17 still follows the slimline design of the X15, but adds a little extra thickness with that mechanical keyboard the additional ports. If you"re after a premium big-screen experience, the specs on offer here are unlikely to disappoint. This laptop looks and feels great, a statement piece for those who take their gaming seriously.

Alienware x14 |Intel i7-12700H | RTX 3050 Ti at Dell(opens in new tab)The Alienware x14 is best served with an RTX 3050 Ti GPU and 12th generation i7 processor. After all, there"s only $100 between this boosted version and the i5 / RTX 3050 configuration and the extra power is well worth the slight bump in price. You"re picking this machine for its impossibly thin form factor and luxurious design, rather than its ability to pump out three-figure framerates, and there"s diminishing returns the further up the price scale you go.

Dell has shrunk its premium line of gaming laptops with the Alienware x14. Taking the luxury design of the x15 and x17 models and shrinking it down to a new 14-inch form factor, this is the smallest Alienware laptop currently on the market. That means you"re dropping down a few pegs in terms of your configuration, especially compared to the high-flying specs of the larger models.The Alienware X14 feels like it earns its place on the mid-range shelf but will appeal more to those after a premium feel than those chasing frameratesAlienware x14 review

Those smaller specs mean that this is one of the cheapest Alienware laptops currently available, when configured as such. We tested an RTX 3060 / i7 configuration, but that rig costs close to $2,000. We thought that was a little hard to swallow considering every Alienware x14 ships with the same 1080p 144Hz display. However, down at the bottom end of the price scale there"s actually some solid value for money. That"s why we"d recommend checking this machine if you"re after form factor over performance, aiming for an RTX 3050 GPU.

The Alienware X15 offers a premium experience, but you"ll find some excellent value in the mid-range here. An RTX 3060 GPU may feel a little weak in such a powerful rig, but there"s plenty going on under the hood here that you don"t need to spend more on a flashy GPU to see value for money.

While the M15 range was previously leader of the pack, Alienware made way for a new flagship in 2021, refreshing once again in 2022. The X15 (and X17 for those after a larger display) offers up the most powerful components on the market in a slimline chassis designed to hit the thinner, lighter aesthetic of top of the range machines today. While pricey, it"s the best Alienware laptop on the market right now, with some impressive display specs and powerful baseline configurations.

Alienware gaming laptops are already packed with power, which can sometimes result in some unfortunate thermal frustrations. However, the X15 has been outfitted with plenty of smart cooling features and some new thermal limiting tech as well. While you are dropping the mechanical keyboard of the X17 here, the price to performance ratio is all the more friendly here and you"re still getting the very latest hardware.

Finding the very best Alienware laptops is no mean feat. Of course, Dell only produces so many ranges and models per year - but not each one carries its price tag the same way. We run all gaming laptops that pass our desks through a series of industry tests, while working and playing with them for a considerable amount of time in every day life. That way we can accurately judge the value proposition on offer, and determine just how far that price tag will take you.

Our testing covers everything from GPU performance to storage speeds, using 3D Mark, Cinebench, PC Mark 10, and Crystal Disk Mark to ensure we have a set of baseline data to compare models. After that, we see how each Alienware laptop fares in the real world, with framerate tests across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Metro Exodus, The Division 2, and Red Dead Redemption 2.

With a new year comes a new slew of Alienware laptops to pick from, and 2023 is set to offer a monster leap in performance compared to previous iterations. We"ve got four new models on their way (some already released, others still waiting in the wings), spanning 14-inch all the way up to 18-inch devices. Here"s what we know about each one.

Starting small, the new Alienware x14 R2 continues the previous model"s spectacular performance in the slimline category. This almost miniature feeling machine will receive its first refresh in 2023, adding Nvidia RTX 40-Series graphics up to RTX 4060 and maxing out with the latest Intel i7-13620H processor. This isn"t just a spec boost, though, Alienware has also upped its cooling game. Higher end configurations of the R2 will sport additional Element31 cooling on both the CPU and GPU, but all models will also offer the brand"s new Smart Fan system. This allows the device to kick up individual fans when necessary, by reading temperature data from sensors across the rig. The Alienware x14 R2 will offer both QHD+ and FHD+ resolutions at 165Hz and 144Hz respectively, in a 16:10 aspect ratio.

Next up, the Alienware x16 is looking to take on the likes of the Razer Blade 16 and Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 with its graphics capabilities running all the way up to the RTX 4090. Add Intel"s powerful i9-13900HK processors into the mix, up to 4TB of SSD storage space, and six speakers and you"ve got yourself a gaming powerhouse. The x16 will pack a 240Hz QHD+ display up top as well.

Of course, if you don"t need the luxury design of the x16, Alienware is also launching another 16-incher with more of a power-focused ethos. The new M16 will offer the latest Intel and AMD processors up to i9-13980HX or Ryzen 9 7945HX, as well as graphics up to RTX 4090. You"ve got two display options to choose from here as well, with QHD+ panels in either 165Hz or 240Hz refresh rates, or a FHD+ screen at a massive 480Hz.

The Alienware M18 is the big-un, and it"s going all in on its size. This 18-inch device will offer the same CPU and GPU options as the M16, while dropping the QHD+ 240Hz screen option of the smaller model. However, in true desktop replacement style, this device will ship with an abundance of ports - including two extra USB-A and one extra USB-C.

All new Alienware laptops will ship in their highest configurations in Q1 of 2023, so we can expect to see the full lineup on the shelves by the end of March.

Best Alienware laptops: FAQWhich Alienware gaming laptop should you buy?If you"re looking in the current generation of Alienware gaming laptops, it"s worth noting that the M15 R5 / R6 will be the perfect sweet spot in value for most. It"s already stacked out with plenty of room for a powerful configuration, and you"re getting a lower price than the previous mainline entry. Plus, you"ll be able to pick up a lower spec model for far less cash if you don"t think you"re going to be playing demanding titles.

However, if you need more room for more substantial components, it"s worth checking out the X15 instead. You"re getting the new form factor, but also the ability to move up to an i9 processor if you want, as well as up to 4TB of SSD storage. That"s a particularly costly spec, but well worth it if you"re looking to spend more than $3,000.

The Alienware X17 is largely reserved for those who don"t mind something that will take up far more desk space. This is a large laptop, and one that won"t be easily transported.How much does an Alienware laptop cost?The best Alienware laptops can soar in price, especially when outfitted with the latest and greatest components. These are powerful machines with plenty of additional power keeping everything running under the hood, which means you"re not exactly picking up a budget buy here.

The cheapest model in the current lineup is an entry level configuration of the Alienware M15 R6. This machine starts at $1,379.99 / £1,499 for an i7-11800H processor, RTX 3050 Ti GPU, 256GB SSD storage and 8GB RAM.

Meanwhile, the new X line pushing things into a more premium category. The Alienware X15 starts at $2,099.99 / £2,149 and the X17 model sits at $2,199.99 / £2,299.Are Alienware laptops worth it?At first glance, Alienware laptops might seem overpriced - you"d be justified in calling them the "Apple" of gaming. However, they earn that price tag with accessibility, ease-of-use, and smart design that sets them apart from other manufacturers.

Alongside fierce technical capabilities that allow them to run today"s games at their best, Alienware gaming laptops come ready-made and good to go, without a thoughtful design in both engineering and aesthetic.

Happily, Alienware is keen to make sure there"s something to suit your budget as well. The official website lists a variety of builds with different costs, allowing you to pick and choose what you want. And if you decide you should have opted for more power down the line? It"s often easy enough to open the case and upgrade your rig yourself.

The Alienware 15 R3 is a gaming laptop that is hard to beat. It has as much power as any of its mainstream rivals, and has lighting that is both eye-catching and customisable, but can also be switched off when you’d rather let you laptop slip into the background.

However, its omission of a memory card slot is odd, the fan system is fairly loud and while hardcore gamers may appreciate the use of (in some models) a TN display it doesn’t do pure image quality many favours. As usual with an Alienware machine, you can find similar specs for less money from value-driven alternatives from, for example, PC Specialist and the HP Omen range.

desktop PC, paying the extra can be worthwhile. The Alienware 15 R3 is an excellent gaming laptop, with more class than an Asus ROG. It’s also a true showcase of what Nvidia’s latestp graphics cards can do.

To think of the Alienware 15 R3 as one laptop is to mis-represent it. This is really a family of laptops that caters for everything from the mid range buyer to those after all but the very top-most gaming laptops in the world.

There are eight versions of the 2017 Alienware 15, though. They start with a£1349 model ($1225 in the US) which has a Core i5 CPU and GTX 1050 Ti GPU. Each base model is highly customisable.

A lot of laptops are made using aluminium these days. Acer and Asus have brought the entry price for one of these fancy model to£500-600 in recent years. However, the Alienware is one of the only gaming laptops to make extensive use of metal. Even top-end models costing£2500 tend to use high-quality plastic rather than metal.

The Alienware 15’s shell is a mix of aluminium and magnesium on the outside, although the keyboard surround is still soft-touch plastic. Build quality is excellent.

The look hasn’t changed all that much from Alienware’s norm, with familiar lines and sharp angles, but there’s a sense Alienware is trying to make the Alienware 15 R3 seem a little more grown-up than its rivals. Laptops with giant glowing insignia have never done the argument that games aren’t just for kids any favours.

The look is less aggressive than most, without stripping out the gamer gloss entirely. LEDs are the key. Light-up strips border the sides of the lid and base, and sit under both the keyboard and trackpad. A preinstalled Alienware app lets you choose the colour of each. The keyboard also has three LED zones, each able to display a different colour.

With these on the Alienware 15 R3 looks like a party machine. Turn the lot off and the Alienware could almost pass for a high-end workstation rather than the sort of machine a competitive gamer might use. Aside from the‘alien head’ Alienware logo on the back, anyway.

Don’t take this as a sign the Alienware 15 R3 is meant to be used for trips out to Starbucks, though. It’s not that thick (25.4mm) but is heavy, at 3.49kg. This kind of laptop is great for students who want to be able to carry their gaming setup between university/college and home, or those who might end up working away from home for long stints. Insert you own comparable situation here.

Dell XPS 15, but it also makes great use of the space. Instead of just filling the back with a giant fan outlet, there is a slew of connections along the rear, complementing the basic array on the sides.

You get two USB 3.0 ports and a USB-C on the left/right sides, and mini DisplayPort, HDMI 2.0 and Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports on the back. There’s also an Ethernet socket and a special connector to let you hook up to an Alienware Graphics Amplifier.

This is a box that holds a desktop graphics card, which might be a sensible idea if you buy an Alienware 15 R3 with a lower-end graphics card and later want to add more graphical grunt. The box itself costs£254 though.

There are a few obvious omissions in the Alienware 15 R3 hardware. Optical drives are left out, which seems acceptable at this point, but we’re baffled by the lack of memory card slot. Some may not mind, but it’d put us off using this as a day-to-day workstation.

One of the slightly odd, but explicable, elements of high-end gaming laptops is that the majority of them continue to use 1080p displays while often much cheaper, smaller style models have ultra-high res displays. The Alienware 15 R3 has a 15.6in 1080p anti-glare LCD screen. It’s a non-touch display that looks good in person, but is actually something of a middle-weight in terms of pure quality.

The other limited stat you might notice is the Alienware 15’s limited contrast. 600:1 is not great for a laptop as expensive as this. We’d like to see a ratio much closer to 1000:1. A much lower score means raised (grey-ish) blacks will become apparent if you like to play in a dark or dimly-lit room.

The Alienware 15’s brightness great, though. We recorded 429cd/m2. That’s bright enough to use outdoors. Again: you probably don’t want to use a laptop this heavy and chunky out in the park.

There is an explanation for both the limited contrast and high brightness, though. Alienware offers IPS LCD and an advanced 120Hz TN panel with (for TN) wide viewing angles. Our model uses the TN version. While often considered a dated tech, it’s a£200 upgrade if you pick a starting config with the IPS panel.

Like previous Alienware 15 R3 generations, the keyboard and trackpad are excellent. The keys are much deeper and chunkier than normal laptop keys, with some of the key-feel character of the mechanical keyboard some gaming nuts swear by.

To the left of the normal keyboard layout, the Alienware 15 R3 has a series of five macro buttons. These can be programmed to perform whatever series of presses you like, and can double up as app shortcuts when you’re not gaming.

The first priority for a laptop in this category is, of course, gaming performance. Alienware 15 R3 specs start with an Intel Core i5 CPU and Nvidia GTX 1050Ti GPU but we were sent a higher-end model with anIntel Core i7-7700HQ and Nvidia GTX1070 with 8GB RAM.

There is a still higher-end laptop GPU ou there, the GTX1080, but its use in laptops is relatively rare compared with lower-end versions. There’s no Alienware 15 R3 with one at present.

Alienware does focus on the CPU and GPU speed, though. The SSD in our model is fast, but not as fast as, for example, those used in MacBooks. It reads at a blistering 1610MB/s, but writes at a more conventional 422MB/s. There are many storage config options, though, if you want to upgrade.

Productivity performance is among the best we’ve seen from a laptop. It scores 4196 points in PC Mark 8 (Home test) and 13128 points in Geekbench 4. For all its gamer cred, the Alienware 15 R3 would also make a great laptop for video editing and other processor-intensive work.

Under pressure, the Alienware 15 R3 is loud, although it’s the largely inoffensive whoosh of a large diameter fan pair. It’s important not to block the underside, as a large part of it is taken up by a fan outlet. It appears to be a secondary one, though, with the main air intake on the sides and the main‘exhaust’ on the back.

In our testing, the Alienware 15 R3 seems to be a little louder and fan-use-happy than the top Asus RoG models. Laptops like the Asus RoG G753 dedicate the entire backside to the heat-dissipating cause, and it works better than this system. However, we didn’t experience any overheating and the heat doesn’t bleed onto the keyboard much.

The serious power of the Alienware 15 R3 makes great battery life highly unlikely, although we did hold out some hope after the Dell XPS 15 (a sister laptop of sorts) proved itself surprisingly long-lasting despite using a powerful CPU. This laptop’s battery life is rather more conventional, though.

Playing a 720p video on loop with the screen brightness set to 120cd/m, the Alienware 15’s battery lasts three and a half hours. There is a version of the laptop with a much larger 99Wh battery if you need longer battery life.

While we have a lot of admiration for this laptop, we have to end on a slightly sour note as the Alienware 15’s speakers are pretty disappointing given its size.

Alienware is synonymous with PC gaming, and for good reason. Despite sometimes charging a premium for its LED-bedazzled gaming notebooks, Alienware has established a reputation for putting out durable, reliable gaming hardware.

Starting with the overall aesthetic, Alienware does a great job of iterating on the classic Alienware “look” by ditching some of the flimsier design elements present in older models. The new chassis is smooth and heavy, with a slightly angled front-edge. The display panel and hinge are rock-solid and flush with the body of the laptop, giving the whole thing a uniquely grounded feel.

It’s a very large laptop, and the vents on the back increase the overall profile significantly. The display hinge is recessed from the back of the laptop by about an inch and a half. Behind the hinge, a portion of the chassis juts out, and lends the Alienware 15 R3 an unusual shape.

Sitting on a desk, the bar is a nice addition. It features several ports, to keep cords from taking up desk space, and the vents do an excellent job of shedding excess heat. But the added length makes the Alienware 15 R3 a little difficult to carry around. It’s slightly longer than a typical 15-inch laptop, or even a 15-inch gaming laptop, so the profile is unusual to say the least.

For a laptop with so much extra space, it’s not used very effectively. For instance, the display panel looks too small for this chassis, in part because there’s a giant bezel at the bottom of the display, like a big Jay Leno chin. The trackpad also feels a little small, and it’s surrounded by empty space.

The Alienware 15 R3 takes a different approach. Rather than play it coy, this thing is covered in ports. On the right-hand side, there’s a single USB 3.0 port, but on the other side, there are two more, plus a headphone jack, and a microphone jack.

Moving on to the back-side, the Alienware 15 R3 features an HDMI port, a Mini-Display port, yet another USB 3.0 port, a USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3 port, a power jack, and finally, an Ethernet port. There’s also a port for the Alienware Graphics Amplifier, Alienware’s proprietary external GPU.

It’s not only the number of ports that sets the Alienware apart, it’s their location. Business-oriented laptops have long put mission-critical ports on the back of the machine, to facilitate easy use in an office setting — where cords trail off the back of a desk or into the center of a conference table. Co-opting this design is a smart move by Alienware, and it works well for a gaming laptop of this size. On a desk or a lap, important cords are out of the way and don’t take up any extra real estate.

The Alienware 15 R3 is about an inch thick. While that thickness is important for keeping the internals nice and cool under load, and giving us all those nice port options, it’s also helpful for one other aspect: the keyboard.

With three separate lighting zones, and a nice deep key travel, the keyboard on the Alienware 15 R3 is very pleasant to type on. According to Alienware, it’s backed by a metal plate to keep the keyboard from warping or flexing too much while you type, and it shows. Typing feels grounded, the laptop doesn’t move excessively and doesn’t flex at all even when you type angry — that’s important, this is a gaming laptop after all.

The Alienware 15 R3 features an RGBLED backlit keyboard, in addition to the LED strips on the sides of the chassis. The lighting is easily customizable via the included Alienware utility. Users can set up simple animations, customize each zone, or turn the lights off entirely.

The Alienware 15 R3 has a few different display options available, but our review unit featured a 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support panel. Our review model did reasonably well on a few metrics like color accuracy and color gamut, landing right in the middle of the pack, but its contrast ratio was low for a $2,400 laptop.

Contrast is a different story. The Razer Blade managed an impressive 1040:1 contrast ratio, which means colors are vibrant, and shadows are deep and inky. Everything has a unique sense of depth, and games seem to leap off the screen. The Acer Predator 15 didn’t do as well, but even at 710:1, games were appropriately vibrant. Colors were lifelike and bright, and shadows were reasonably dark.

Moving on down the line, the Alienware 15 R3 turned in a maximum contrast ratio of 510:1, and it showed in real-world use. Colors looked drab, shadows were gray instead of black, and the display crushed the life out of many scenes in both games and movies.

The Alienware 15 R3 features a pair of front-firing stereo speakers capable of filling a small room with lifelike sound. Which is to say, they’re loud. More than that, they provide rich sound to any gaming experience.

The Alienware 15 R3 comes standard with a 7th-generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ, one of the quickest mobile processors on the market today. For everyday tasks, the processor keeps up beautifully, handling intensive applications like Photoshop and heavy multi-tasking without skipping a beat.

In Geekbench 4 the Intel Core i7-7700HQ easily overtook the Alienware’s nearest competition, running the previous-generation Core i7-6700HQ, when it came to single-core performance. Multi-core performance was a bit of a mixed bag for the Alienware 15 R3, though it managed to push past all but the high-end Asus ROG G752.

The Intel Core i7-7700HQ is the quad-core processor of choice for most mid-and-high-end gaming laptops, but Alienware lets you spice things up a bit if you’re tired of the stock-standard quad-core performance. The Alienware 15 R3 can be had with a 7th-generation Intel Core i7-7820HK, an unlocked and overclock-ready processor with a bigger cache, and higher top-speed — up to 4.4GHz, according to Alienware.

It’s always a little disappointing when a manufacturer opts to include a slow hard disk in a premium laptop, but thankfully our review unit featured a lightning-fast 512 GB SSD in addition to its much slower, but larger, 1TB HDD. It’s not the most exciting component under the Alienware’s hood, but it is one of the most impressive.

The included 512 GB SSD ran circles around the nearest competition, with read speeds of 2,237 megabytes per second, and write speeds of 1,464 MB/s. Even the Razer Blade, which featured a snappy and quick SSD, only managed a fraction of the Alienware 15 R3’s write speeds.

So it comes as little surprise that Alienware saw an opportunity with the GTX 1070, and selected the mid-high-end card as the GPU of choice for the revamped Alienware 15 R3 up and down the line. The cornerstone of the 15-inch Alienware lineup, the GTX 1070 is less of an overachiever than the GTX 1080, but offers some serious horsepower over the GTX 1060, without putting out too much extra heat.

Going head-to-head with the Acer Predator 15 and Razer Blade, one thing is abundantly clear: the Alienware 15 R3’s GTX 1070 reliably outperforms the GTX 1060. In Deus Ex: Mankind Divided,the Alienware 15 R3 eclipsed the Acer Predator 15 by a comfortable margin — hitting 68 frames per second on average, to the Predator’s 48 frames per second.

In For Honor, the Alienware’s GTX 1070 further outpaced the competition, hitting an average framerate of 107 FPS to the Razer Blade’s 67 FPS with detail settings maxed out. That’s a sizable gulf, but it narrows somewhat with Battlefield 1 — the Alienware managed a respectable 81 frames per second to the Razer Blade’s 68 FPS, and the Acer Predator’s 71 FPS.

Moving on to Civilization VI, we only saw a slight margin of victory over the competition, with the Alienware 15 R3 hitting 59 FPS on ultra-high settings, while the Razer Blade came in at 53 FPS and the Acer Predator hit 54 FPS. It’s a narrow margin, but it’s still a victory.

This laptop is deceptively large. At around an inch thick, it seems thin for a gaming laptop — svelte even — but it’s very long. The way the chassis extends past the display hinge adds a weird dimension to the Alienware 15 R3’s overall profile. That odd length can make it a pain to stuff into a messenger bag or backpack.

On top of that, it’s a very dense laptop. Weighing just under eight pounds, it’s surprisingly heavy. It’s a good weight, though, which makes the Alienware 15 R3 feel solid and substantial. When it goes into a bag and gets slung over your shoulder for a long commute, however, those extra pounds start to really add up.

Looking at a more objective metric like battery life, the Alienware 15 R3 starts to feel even less appealing as a portable gaming platform. Despite featuring a 98 watt-hour battery, we were hard pressed to get more than four hours of battery life out of the R3 on a single charge. In the Peacekeeper battery benchmark, which is typically tough on battery life, the Alienware 15 R3 only managed about three hours.

To be fair, disappointing battery life is expected for most gaming laptops. The Acer Predator 15 fared a little better, but not by much, maintaining a charge for just over three hours during the Peacekeeper test. On our video loop test, which is a little more forgiving, the Alienware 15 R3 kept at it for four and a half hours, before succumbing to a peaceful, if premature, slumber.

The software included with the Alienware 15 R3 was appreciably sparse — just a few Alienware branded utilities, nothing intrusive, like unwanted antivirus apps. The included software for configuring the lighting effects is easy to use, easy to program, and straightforward, with a wide array of options available.

The Alienware 15 R3 comes with a standard Dell warranty, covering manufacturer defects for up to one year from the purchase date. It also comes with one year of premium support, offering 24-hour access to support technicians.

The Alienware 15 R3 impresses more often than it disappoints, but with such a high price and a couple of critical flaws it faces some fierce competition from rivals like Acer and Razer. Let’s break it down point by point, and see if the Alienware 15 R3 can come out on top.

There are certainly a few. It’s worth mentioning that our review unit, as received, would run you about $2,400, and at that price point there’s an awful lot of competition. Similarly configured, the Acer Predator 15 comes in at $2,000 — featuring the same processor, graphics card, and RAM as the Alienware 15 R3.

If the Alienware’s lack of portability is a concern, the Razer Blade starts at $1900 with the same processor and a GTX 1060. To put it in direct competition with the Alienware though, the Blade comes in at $2,400 if set up with a 4K display and 512GB SSD. It’s stuck with that GTX 1060 though, so if you need the extra horsepower, you might want to look elsewhere.

All in all, there are a lot of options available at the $2,000 to $2,400 price range, and a handful of them provide better displays and comparable performance to the Alienware 15 R3.

If team of archaeologists come across an Alienware 15 R3 while studying the blasted ruins of our world, it wouldn’t be too surprising if it booted up just fine. Okay — maybe that’s an exaggeration, but this thing is rock-solid. It’s heavy, it’s well built, and it’s going to last a while.

However, some of the hardware in our review unit might age quickly. The 1080p display with a 510-to-1 contrast ratio did not impress. A year or so down the line, as panels improve and prices come down, cheaper laptops are going to look a lot better.

No, not really. There are number of better alternatives at slightly lower price points, and your cash will go further with a brand like Acer — or net you a more portability with the Razer Blade. But if you like the Alienware’s design, the build quality, and the hardware, there are a few ways to mitigate the display issues we encountered. It could be worth spending a little extra to pick up the 4K version, or saving a little cash and sacrificing the 120Hz refresh rate to get a more reliable 1080p IPS display panel. Either way, ditching that TN panel makes the Alienware 15 R3 a much more attractive purchase.

What"s the world coming to when I get to say that Alienware gaming laptops are a good value? Oh yes--they"ve slimmed down and lost weight too, so they"re no longer fit to use as ballast on a stormy sea. Not that I haven"t appreciated Dell"s high end gaming PC brand in the past, but the price put them squarely in the very serious investment category and the older designs were dated in a world where laptops have been on a crash diet for years. Happily, the designers at Alienware didn"t swing too far in the fashionable direction. There are several Ultrabook-like gaming laptops on the market, but when we think Alienware, we think of ample sized machines with room for large, quiet fans that cool effectively, a deep keyboard and seriously good graphics cards. Those goodies are still here in the Alienware 15, a 7 lb., 1.34" thick gaming laptop with a futuristic lid that looks like it came from a spaceship wall and multicolored LEDs that could put a Christmas tree to shame. The price starts at $1,199 and that"s a decent configuration. Our unit is a higher end model that brings the cost up to $1,949. For that price you get cream of the crop specs including a quad core i7 Intel CPU, NVIDIA GTX 970M (Maxwell generation) graphics, a 256 gig M.2 SSD plus 1 TB 7200 RPM HDD and a truly stunning 4K IPS touch screen. All models have AlienFX multi-zone, multi-colored backlighting and effects, Killer E2200 Gigabit Ethernet, Killer 1525 dual band 802.11ac WiFi, a webcam, Klipsch stereo speakers and support for the Alienware Graphics Amplifier.

For those who prefer the usual 17" gaming monster, there"s the Alienware 17 (R2) with the same specs and options but with a larger display (1080p only). The Alienware 13 is the smallest and lightest model, but keep in mind that it runs on ULV lower power CPUs that are significantly less powerful than CPUs offered in the 15 and 17.

The Alienware 15 maintains design continuity--you look at it and instantly recognize it as an Alienware. But it"s slimmer and when you pick it up you don"t think about that lapsed gym membership. At 7.07 lbs. it"s still heavier than the average 15.6" laptop, and at 1.34" it"s thin for a full size gaming rig, but thick compared to everyday laptops. It"s interesting that Dell is slimming things down while Asus has been embracing massive with some recent ROG models like the G751. It"s as if they"re trading places. In fact, the highest end ROG model prices have been creeping up while the Alienware"s has gone down.

The gaming laptop has a soft touch keyboard deck finished in matte black that feels absolutely luxurious under the palms. The top has a dark silver finish that tends toward the gunmetal and the rest of the machine is black. The display panel has no flex (it"s quite thick too) and the beefy barrel hinge is extremely stiff (you"ll need two hands to open it). There are large rear exit vents for the two internal fans and a large grille on the bottom for ventilation. Don"t block the bottom vent area, and don"t keep it against your legs when gaming because that area gets quite hot. It reached 122F when playing Battlefield 4 for 30 minutes. The surrounding bottom areas measured 102 to 109F (toasty but not as painful as that vent temperature), while the keyboard reached 103F near the WASD cluster and the OPL keys. To put these temperatures in perspective, our super slim and light MSI GS60 Ghost Pro gets about 20 F hotter under the same conditions on the underside, but it gets no hotter on the keyboard area. The Asus ROG G751 and the MSI GT72 Dominator Pro G, much roomier 17" gaming laptops, stay cooler than both. When using the Alienware for productivity work and creative work in Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro, temperatures are much lower and you won"t hear the fans, but that bottom center area is still hot enough to make your legs sweat. When gaming, the fans are audible but not as loud and high pitched as skinny gaming laptops on the market. My MSI GS60 Ghost Pro gets loud when gaming, and much louder than the Alienware 15 (I have to turn up the audio to overcome the MSI"s fan, which isn"t the case with the Alienware).

Fit and finish are excellent and all seams mate perfectly. The casing is made of metal and carbon fiber according to Dell (Dell bought the Alienware brand many years ago). Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so I"ll let you decide if you like the machine"s futuristic gaming look. It"s certainly not an understated design that you could take to work without attracting attention, and perhaps admiration. But few heavy duty gaming laptops are subtle.

The Alienware 15 has 4 USB 3.0 ports (two on each side, which is convenient), separate mic and headphone 3.5mm jacks for those high end gaming headsets, RJ45 Ethernet and an SD card slot. The rear houses ports for the graphics amplifier, HDMI and a mini DisplayPort. It"s a well-connected laptop, as we expect from Alienware. Note that is no optical drive on the Alienware 15, so you"ll have to use a USB DVD drive if you need to install programs from discs.

Even though Chiclet style keyboards have been the rage for several years, Alienwares still have traditional beveled keys for a more desktop-like keyboard feel. This is an excellent keyboard with an unusually deep travel of 2.6mm key