Dell's Alienware 15 and 17 will be available this September in the United States. With fierce competition in the gaming laptop market, the latest Alienware laptops are giving Acer's Predator 21 X a run for its money. Dell might win the race of coming up with the ultimate gaming laptop in its Alienware 15 and 17.
Here's an in-depth review of Alienware's 17 and 15 and why they may be the best gaming laptops to hit the market.
Key Features:
- NVIDIA's 10-series GPUs: GeForce GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 for Alienware 17, GeForce GTX 1060 and GTX 1070 for Alienware 15
- 15' and 17' 1080p & 1440p and 4K IPS display option
- Intel's sixth-generation (Skylake) Core i7 6820HK processor, 4.1 GHz
- 32 GB RAM
- Up to 1 TB storage
- Updated hardware is VR-ready
- Equipped with Tobii's new eye-tracking technology
- An improved 2.2mm key travel in its TactX keyboard
- Provided with Windows Hello support in Windows 10
- Wider but thinner laptop case and updated cooling system
Design
The new Alienware 15 and 17 look more polished and sophisticated than its predecessors. The first thing you will notice is the fact that they are a tad wider. According to TrustedReviews, the case is almost 25% thinner than the previous ones. While the chassis has been modified, the case is still built of the same anodized aluminum and magnesium alloy with steel reinforcements.
It has an improved cooling system. It's evident how the design has now changed. According to Geek, there is more space allotted for the GPU and CPU at the back of the laptops. This will let them cool down a bit better. The batteries are brought to the front instead.
The new Alienware laptops will be noticeably warmer than its predecessors. Another slick adjustment made is to the hinge of the monitor, which is moved slightly forward. This will ease the user from the heat produced by the silicon that powers the laptops.
These are 15-inch and 17-inch gaming laptops. If the user wants something more portable, the Alienware 15 is the best choice. Use the Alienware 17 for a bigger screen. It depends on the preference of the user. It's better to pick the one that is more suited to the user. Also take into consideration its comfortability. The size doesn't affect their performance, though.
Display
If you enjoy higher resolution, the Alienware 17 has 1080p and 1440p resolution. There is also an option for 4K. This is caused by the Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor and 8 GB of DDR4 memory that can be upgraded to 32 GB which are integrated into the laptop.
It is still not certain if the laptop can really handle 4K. However, games will be more enjoyable to play when the image and graphics are in full high-definition. A 120Hz refresh rate of its IPS panel produces well-adjusted colors.
Software
A difference in the Alienware 15 and 17 that is not present in its predecessors is Windows Hello support added to Windows 10. This will allow you to log in using the laptops' face-detection feature.
Perhaps, one of its most exciting features of the Alienware 17 is Tobii's eye-tracking technology. An external Tobii camera will be used. When the user is not playing games, this will actually help him to turn off the taillight of the keyboard. The user has to look away from the screen to enable that function. This will conserve the battery of the laptop. It can be more convenient to use the eyes than a mouse or analog stick. Tobii's IR sensors make that possible.
Instead of clicking and moving the hands, commands can be triggered much easier with the eyes. The sensors are sensitive, though. It really catches every eye movement. This feature will give a different way and experience in controlling the games being played.
According to Geek, the sensor is at the bottom-left edge of the screen. It will adjust the camera to focus on where you are looking at. It will shift when you look left or right. You can also use the Overwolf app if you want the sensor to record your gaming session. In this way, you can replay your games and determine the mistakes you made through your gaze patterns.
Hardware
Both Alienware 15 and 17 use NVIDIA's 10-series GPUs: the GeForce GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 for the Alienware 17 and the GeForce GTX 1060 and GTX 1070 for the Alienware 15. The Pascal architecture is the genius behind these laptops.
According to TrustedReviews, the chip's fabrication nodes are reduced to 16 nanometers, which is why there is an increase in the device's performance. The Alienware 17's GTX 1070 has 1,920 CUDA cores and 1,645MHZ clock speed.
The GTX 1060 in the Alienware 15 does not compromise graphically-demanding titles like its predecessors. In fact, any title should run smoothly, making the laptop notably faster too. Another benefit of having Pascal GPUs is it makes both the Alienware 15 and 17 laptops VR-ready. Your Oculus Rift and HTC Vive will be supported. The Alienware 17 will specifically work with the HTC Vive.
The TactX keyboard is also updated. The key travel has been improved to manage 2.2mm. Its rapid response feature will accept more than 108 key commands per minute. It is more responsive and will perfectly fit those who are playing role-playing games in a very competitive environment. It is also upgraded to make the users comfortable enough while using it.
Final Verdict
Whatever the flaws were in the previous versions, the latest Alienware 15 and 17 gaming laptops seem to address those issues. The upgraded features and hardware are thought of and integrated well. It definitely has huge potential to be a monster of a gaming laptop as Acer's Predator 21X.
The upside is the fact that Alienware 15 and 17 are not as heavy and big as Predator 21X. It did not lose its portability. Furthermore, the performance was not compromised but improved on instead. Upon its release, it will be the best gaming laptop.
The Alienware 15 and 17 are expected to cost around $1,200 and $1,500, respectively. Gamers will find the cost worth their awesome gaming experience, though.
