ALIENWARE 15 Review (My Dream Gaming laptop)

BUILT TO PUSH EVERY BOUNDARY.

Alienware is a veteran in gaming systems, and that's reflected in its R3 version of the Alienware 15. A solid, substantial design packed with midrange components and accented with an ample array of accent lights and backlight zones, it's basically a tank covered with Christmas lights.

“The Alienware 15 wins a Notebooks.com CES Excellence Award for reintroducing high-end gaming innards to a 15-inch form factor.” – Notebooks.com

The 15-inch model starts at $1,200, but keep in mind that the lowest-end configurations abut those of the cheaper Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming Laptop, with a GTX 1060 at about $1,250 -- just without all the bells and whistles -- as well as the bigger Alienware 17, which starts at $1,300. You can equip the 15 with up to an overclockable Core i7-7820HK and GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q, 32GB memory and additional storage for $3,850. Our test configuration costs about $2,425, which is on the expensive side. In contrast, the 15-inch HP Omen with relatively comparable specs and we reviewed recently is only $1,700, though its gaming performance is notably worse. If you're tastes run more to Little Nightmaresthan Overwatch, you can probably get by with the cheapest configuration.The closest configuration in the UK is £2,190, with a different version of Killer wireless; prices start at £1,300. In Australia, it's about AU$3,690, with alternatives starting at AU$2,700.There are various display options: a basic 1,920x1,080 60Hz IPS 300-nit panel, the same but G-Sync enabled, the same resolution but a TN 400-nit 120Hz G-Sync panel, and a UHD (3,840x2,160) IGZO 300-nit IPS panel. You can also opt for an AMD Radeon RX 570 GPU.

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Alienware 15 (R3, 2016)

Price as reviewed : $2,424.99

Display size/resolution : 15.6-inch 1,920x1,080 display

PC CPU : 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ

PC Memory : 16GB DDR SDRAM 2,666Mhz

Graphics : 8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070

Storage : 1TB HDD+512GB SSD

Connectors : 1 x Ethernet; 1 x Mini DisplayPort; 1 x HDMI; 2 x USB-C (1 x Thunderbolt/DP); 2 x USB 3 Type-A (1 charging); mic; headphone/audio; dedicated eGPU connection

Networking : Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet, Killer Wireless 1535, Bluetooth 4.1

Operating system : Windows 10 Home (64-bit)

Weight : 7.8 pounds/3.5kg

THE BEST WINDOWS EVER FOR GAMING IS HERE.

Purchase your system today, upgrade for free, and experience PC gaming at its best with Windows 10 Home.

DirectX 12 - Break down boundaries and step into your game with graphics more stunning than ever before with the new DirectX 12 technology. Windows 10's API is armed with new features that will provide quicker processing in real time to generate higher FPS and richer graphics as well as reduced power consumption to play longer.

Expand your community - Xbox app lets you see what your friends are playing now, chat with your community, and track your scores and achievements. Plus, Game DVR* lets you record your best hero moves for sharing with friends.

Play more games - The greatest Xbox games are now at your fingertips, and you will get built-in support for the Xbox controller* and even stream Xbox One games to a
Windows 10 Home PC, laptop, or tablet anywhere in your home. Even the cross-device barriers are down – start a game on your PC and move to your Xbox to continue playing.

Start menu - Back and improved. You will be an expert from the get-go since your windows Start menu is back in an expanded form. Plus, all your pinned applications will carry over so your experience is familiar, productive and better than ever.

The speed you need - Windows 10 Home starts up and resumes fast so there's no buffer between you and your game. Even your updates reach you as soon as they are available so you always have the latest and greatest features.

THE RUSH IS REAL.

Engineered with no-nonsense design that gives gamers what they want, the all new Alienware 15 is built thin without sacrificing performance. It’s crafted with aerospace-inspired carbon fiber that provides styled stiffness and impressive durability. It’s outfitted with copper heat sinks that enable proper cooling, full-throttle graphics performance for up to 100W of dedicated graphics power from AMD or NVIDIA, and the very first optional Ultra HD 4K screen in an Alienware notebook. When paired with the optional Alienware Graphics Amplifier, you can transform the Alienware 15 with up to 375W of AMD or NVIDIA desktop graphics performance. Alienware 15 configurations that include an Intel Core i7 processor will also become overclocked when paired to the Graphics Amplifier for even more total system performance. Just plug in and get lost in the vivid display and massive performance boost of desktop-class graphics.

AMPLIFIED GRAPHICS. ADVANCED GAMING.

Plug in. Buckle up: Supercharge your at-home gaming with the Alienware Graphics Amplifier. Simply plug in the Alienware 15, reboot and enjoy a fully expanded desktop experience – supported graphics cards from AMD or NVIDIA® that result in up to a 4K experience, multiple-monitor display and more connectivity with a built-in 4-port USB 3.0 hub.Killer combo: Matched with the Alienware 15, the Graphics Amplifier provides a perfect solution for the gamer who desires the full rush of ultimate gaming anytime. Get the most out of your gaming by plugging two monitors into your Alienware 15 and enjoying its vivid built-in LCD display, while also attaching as many extra monitors as the graphics card and outputs in your Alienware Amplifier will allow.

Graphics powerhouse: When gaming on the go, the AMD or NVIDIA based graphics feature 4GB of GDDR5 standard memory, for smooth, crisp, responsive performance that will keep you immersed and engaged.

SEE THE ALIENWARE GRAPHICS AMPLIFIER IN ACTION

ENGINEERED FOR EXTREME ACTION.

Intense inside: With the optional Intel® Core™ i7 processor for truly intense, full-voltage quad-core action, the Alienware 15 is equipped for up to 3.5 GHz of turbo power and a seamless gaming experience. Intel offers the only processors that allow you to hyper thread so your machine can simultaneously perform multiple functions faster.
Keep your cool: The Alienware 15’s main thermal module consists of copper heat pipes and plates set on the GPU and a CPU – optimizing heat dissipation so your graphics card can use up as much wattage as it desires, and the chassis won’t get too hot during battle.
Your keyboard advantage: Built to stand up to the most intense gaming usage, the premium reinforced keyboard includes 9-Alienware TactX programmable keys so you can launch applications in the midst of the action with just the touch of a button. A metal plate built-in behind the keyboard provides uniform feedback and responsiveness for all keys while typing, and the travel distance between each key is engineered to facilitate flawless, smooth motion.

ENGAGE YOUR SENSES.

Visionary display: Enjoy IPS-based LCD technology on an expansive 15.6" screen that offers stunningly clear color and clarity anywhere. The Alienware 15 is available with Full HD display, or choose Ultra HD 4K display with touch screen option. Get up to 3840X2160 pixel density – four times the base LCD option – and extra wide viewing angles with optional IPS panel technology. Sound and fury: Rich, impressive Alienware 15 audio is powered by Klipsch and Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi technology. Look directly into the eyes of your friends and opponents with a 2.0MP Full HD webcam and let the banter flow with a dual microphone array.

CONVENIENCE COMES STANDARD.

If you run into an issue and our technical experts cannot resolve the issue remotely, a field support engineer will come to you, usually within 1-2 business days. Never lose productivity with hardware support that is available when you need it, where you need it .Alienware Respawn offers flexible, automated backup and recovery to ensure your important document, pictures and media files remain safe.Dell support saves time and reduces hassle with valuable warranty information and services.

4K on this system is probably overkill, especially since you're sacrificing refresh rate and G-Sync compatibility to get it. For gaming, 1,920x1,080 on a screen this small suffices, and you don't have the performance penalties of the higher resolution. Pixel density is relatively high at about 141ppi (a pixel pitch of 0.18), so it's fine for non-gaming activities -- you know, like work -- as well. 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. Plus, the battery life isn't great with this low-power panel: Imagine what 4K would do to that.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 93 percent of sRGB, which puts it between the lower-end TN panels and IPS, and hits a peak luminance of about 420 nits -- typical is closer to about 315 nits. There's little ghosting, and at 120Hz games run quite smoothly. If you want better color you can always connect it to an external monitor; I had no trouble running an LG 34UC89G off the Mini DisplayPort at 144Hz with G-Sync. You can connect a display via USB-C/Thunderbolt, but that's not on the GPU bus; it can only run off the Intel HD 630 integrated graphics, so no G-Sync.

Looks aren't everything

Without the lighting effects it's an almost old-fashioned looking system, and feels really solid -- it should at almost 8 pounds/3.5Kg, and that's without the heavy-enough-to-weaponize power brick.