The $1500 configuration of this is around $300 cheaper than the same configuration of the Razer Blade.
And it's probably worth pointing out to those that don't know...Alienware products hold their value quite well because they are reliable and the support is good. Razer on the other hand can't even support or fix numerous issues with their products, let alone the Blade. I know a lot of people think of them as the OCZ of accessories. The Lycosa gaming keyboard is a good example why.
I've had two Alienware systems so far, and both have been rock solid after years of use, and both support Nvidia's normal drivers (and the notebook which has Optimus has it OPTIONAL, so I could disable it as soon as it started causing problems in games).
I really don't care how thick a notebook is or what it looks like...I want it to be well speced, well cooled, and reliable, and so far at least with the Alienware stuff I've bought it has been (not that every system they've done has been perfect, but I've lucked out so far).
I've had 3 alienwares and a VERY different experience. The only one I had no issues with was the 11.6" laptop they sold a bit back.
More recently I got a 17" with the 980. It has been nothing but trouble. First the 980 only outputs through the onboard graphics making it not function at 4k60fps, even though the main graphics card is capable.
The mainboard failed in it, as did the memory. I am now just outside of warranty and the damn thing stopped booting, instead beeping multiple times without the screen ever coming on. A $2000 laptop and it has been nothing but a nightmare. I will never buy an alienware again.
If you want portability, go with the Razer Blade, at least until the Gigabyte Aero 14 comes out with it's 1060 update. If you don't mind the bulk that this Alienware has, the Gigabyte P35X v6 is a good option too.
I don't see how ANY notebook is any more portable than any other notebook. I can't fit a Macbook in my pocket, it has to go in my bag, and at that point it doesn't make a bit of difference if I'm using a 2" thick 18.4" notebook or a razor thin 12" one.
One thing that's worth noting is that many of the Razer Blades are suffering from thermal throttling that has lowered performance vs other 1060 laptops by as much as 40% (as well as making it unusable for VR due to dropped frames, etc). You can look up "ThrottleStop" for ways that people have been tying to work around these issues, but Razer support apparently has not been doing a good job helping people out.
For $2100 USD, I'd expect 16GB of RAM in dual channel out of the box rather than half that on a single channel.
The most interesting config is on the bottom end though at $1200. I like the 1366x768 panel since it'd probably offer the best native resolution performance for the GPU and the cost is low enough to make it trivial to add a DIMM and a larger SSD. I wouldn't want to drive 1080+ on a 13 inch screen since I'd have to resort to scaling which ultimately means wasted pixels/power/heat/etc for someone with aging eyes that can't pick out individual pixels on even a 15 inch LCD at 1366.
Wait, the 8GB on single channel is an error. Confirmed on Dell's site the top end model is 16GB on dual channel.
Aaaand there's a Killer NIC too...that'd require replacement, which looks like its possible given the site's option to select a couple different models. Too bad they don't offer an Intel-something-or-other even under customizations.
There's also no way to get rid of the cameras short of chasing wires back to the motherboard to disconnect them. You'd have to pull a Zuckerberg and slap tape over them to turn off creeper-vision if you didn't go the disassembly route.
Do they run with software just from Windows Update like Intel and Qualcomm NICs do? That's cool if so. Otherwise I really don't want their extra software and whatnot.
That's a very, very good position to be in when newer games are released that might demand more than current titles. It's forward looking to have a lot more GPU than necessary for the panel's resolution. Though I do think a 1050 would have been more reasonable and probably better from a heat/power perspective on the 1366 panel.
Yeah, there's no such thing as "overkill" in PCs. Something ALWAYS quickly needs as much power as you can give it. Buying for "good enough" for today doesn't make much sense to me, unless you buy a new system ever year, I suppose.
Yeah, I'd rather have a high quality screen (like VA) over a crazy high resolution screen on a notebook.
1080p is tooooootally fine for me on a 24" screen, so HIGHER than that on a 13" screen is IMO worth rolling one's eyes at. But scalling issues are an actual issue...
If I were actually playing games on a 13" screen, 720p would be overkill if anything, and easy to drive in modern games on a good GPU-the bigger issue would be the QUALITY of the screen.
It sounded good, but the physical dimensions are that of their previous 15" laptop, and quite a bit more than the R2 alienware 13. In fact its barely smaller than the new alienware 15. With similar specs, why buy the 13 if its not meaningfully smaller anymore?
This 13 is still significantly smaller than the 15. And it's especially much lighter than the 15. Now what it isn't, is smaller than the Gigabyte P35Xv6 and it's weight is the same if you take out the optical drive on the Gigabyte and put in the space filler caddy that comes with the Gigabyte. Can take out the mechanical drive and just use the M.2 SSD as well. And the Gigabyte has a 1070 and a 15" 4k screen that color calibrates excellently.
Thunderbolt 3 requires 40Gbps, and USB 3.1 only requires 5Gbps, unless it's USB 3.1 Gen2 in which case it's 10Gbps.
A 40Gbps ports requires more traces, different (and more expensive) IC's and so on. So 2x40Gbps ports (thunderbolt 3) is much more expensive than providing 1x40Gbps port and 1x5Gbps(or 10Gbps if Gen2) port.
Yeah, good point...and the reality is LCD works great, it's just that there's a HUGE variety of LCD panels, and they usually use bad ones on notebooks. What I'd like is a shift to VA panels. They look great, have great contrast, and they last forever, unlike OLED. Use less power too. (Yes yes, OLED makers always claim they use less power, but that's on a screen displaying mostly black. I rather like a display technology I don't have to baby and looks great.)
The main issue is only with Taskbar as normally we keep changing browser tabs/windows anyway. For Taskbar, there is an option in Win 10 which automatically hides it unless you hover your mouse around that area.
Anandtech already had one, check the latest Lenovo X1 review: OLEDs just arent there yet in terms of quality...
Having walked past electronics shop last week and having watched the horribly burned Samsung Tab S oled screens, I'm starting to wonder if OLED ever becomes ready without huge compromises.
I am curious how gaming on a fast OLED display looks like in terms of tearing, stuttering and general smoothness. Theoretically you would not need frame sync tech as much on an OLED display than on a traditional LCD.
As always, the key issue here is drivers, and how/if it uses Optimus.
Regardless of what some reviewers say, Optimus does NOT always work. I ran into problems with it with multiple games-and you can't just launch stuff, sometimes crashes and other issues can take an hour or more to show up. Any notebook I buy has to either not support Optimus, or have the option to disable it as mine does.
Then of course there's the driver issue...any notebook needs to support Nvidia's regular drivers, not just special ones from the OEM. That's normally been the case with Alienware, but still, it's one of the most important aspects of a notebook, and hard info to find. ALSO we need to know how or whether the Graphics Amplifier stuff works with normal drivers...
That's what I was thinking as well. From what I've seen, long term graphics performance of the 1060 won't provide satisfactory frame rates at 1440p with settings turned up.
1080p is a solid bet for this chip. In Battlefield 1 with settings turned up, the DESKTOP aftermarket cards of the 1060 already dip below 60fps at 1440p in HardOCP's benchmarks.
5 lbs does not equal 2 kg, and yet it's what's listed both at Dell's official web page for the laptop as well as this article. 5 lbs is 2.27 kg - that's a big different. Not only that, but Dell is also listing that as an average weight - many configurations could be heavier still. Users are reporting 2.6 kg for the high spec models - that's as much as a standard 15" laptop.
Why can't Dell just make a lightweight Alienware instead of trying to cheat with the specs?! Misleading marketing is not the way to go.
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45 Comments
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cknobman - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
Tough call between this and a Razer Blade.In the end I think I would go with a similar spec'd Razer Blade.
RaichuPls - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
Razer Blade is more expensive though. I think it's $2499 for the 512GB QHD+ model that isn't even full 4K?Samus - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
The $1500 configuration of this is around $300 cheaper than the same configuration of the Razer Blade.And it's probably worth pointing out to those that don't know...Alienware products hold their value quite well because they are reliable and the support is good. Razer on the other hand can't even support or fix numerous issues with their products, let alone the Blade. I know a lot of people think of them as the OCZ of accessories. The Lycosa gaming keyboard is a good example why.
Wolfpup - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
I've had two Alienware systems so far, and both have been rock solid after years of use, and both support Nvidia's normal drivers (and the notebook which has Optimus has it OPTIONAL, so I could disable it as soon as it started causing problems in games).I really don't care how thick a notebook is or what it looks like...I want it to be well speced, well cooled, and reliable, and so far at least with the Alienware stuff I've bought it has been (not that every system they've done has been perfect, but I've lucked out so far).
trulyuncouth - Monday, November 14, 2016 - link
I've had 3 alienwares and a VERY different experience. The only one I had no issues with was the 11.6" laptop they sold a bit back.More recently I got a 17" with the 980. It has been nothing but trouble. First the 980 only outputs through the onboard graphics making it not function at 4k60fps, even though the main graphics card is capable.
The mainboard failed in it, as did the memory. I am now just outside of warranty and the damn thing stopped booting, instead beeping multiple times without the screen ever coming on. A $2000 laptop and it has been nothing but a nightmare. I will never buy an alienware again.
RaichuPls - Saturday, November 12, 2016 - link
There's also the MSI GS43VR that's $1499 for 6700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM and 1080p IPS too.Morawka - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
no GPU, going right back to a 25w dual core cpu as well, and slower memory to boot.ragenalien - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
That's the Razer blade stealth. The Blade 14 has similar spec to this alienware.Freakie - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
If you want portability, go with the Razer Blade, at least until the Gigabyte Aero 14 comes out with it's 1060 update. If you don't mind the bulk that this Alienware has, the Gigabyte P35X v6 is a good option too.Wolfpup - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
I don't see how ANY notebook is any more portable than any other notebook. I can't fit a Macbook in my pocket, it has to go in my bag, and at that point it doesn't make a bit of difference if I'm using a 2" thick 18.4" notebook or a razor thin 12" one.TechNutz - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
Have fun with your new stovelhl - Saturday, November 12, 2016 - link
One thing that's worth noting is that many of the Razer Blades are suffering from thermal throttling that has lowered performance vs other 1060 laptops by as much as 40% (as well as making it unusable for VR due to dropped frames, etc). You can look up "ThrottleStop" for ways that people have been tying to work around these issues, but Razer support apparently has not been doing a good job helping people out.BrokenCrayons - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
For $2100 USD, I'd expect 16GB of RAM in dual channel out of the box rather than half that on a single channel.The most interesting config is on the bottom end though at $1200. I like the 1366x768 panel since it'd probably offer the best native resolution performance for the GPU and the cost is low enough to make it trivial to add a DIMM and a larger SSD. I wouldn't want to drive 1080+ on a 13 inch screen since I'd have to resort to scaling which ultimately means wasted pixels/power/heat/etc for someone with aging eyes that can't pick out individual pixels on even a 15 inch LCD at 1366.
BrokenCrayons - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
Wait, the 8GB on single channel is an error. Confirmed on Dell's site the top end model is 16GB on dual channel.Aaaand there's a Killer NIC too...that'd require replacement, which looks like its possible given the site's option to select a couple different models. Too bad they don't offer an Intel-something-or-other even under customizations.
There's also no way to get rid of the cameras short of chasing wires back to the motherboard to disconnect them. You'd have to pull a Zuckerberg and slap tape over them to turn off creeper-vision if you didn't go the disassembly route.
RaichuPls - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
There's nothing wrong with Killer NICs if you don't install their software.lazarpandar - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
As far as I know, they're identical to atheros cards.Wolfpup - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
Whaaaaat? Are you saying they're just Qualcomm but with ridiculous drivers added on?If so, that's actually a good thing as I don't WANT their silly drivers, and Qualcomm works fine, but...geez.
Wolfpup - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
Do they run with software just from Windows Update like Intel and Qualcomm NICs do? That's cool if so. Otherwise I really don't want their extra software and whatnot.Space Jam - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
The GTX 1060 inside is a full-fat GPU. That's 970/980ish performance, which is overkill to drive a 768p panel.BrokenCrayons - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
That's a very, very good position to be in when newer games are released that might demand more than current titles. It's forward looking to have a lot more GPU than necessary for the panel's resolution. Though I do think a 1050 would have been more reasonable and probably better from a heat/power perspective on the 1366 panel.Wolfpup - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
Yeah, there's no such thing as "overkill" in PCs. Something ALWAYS quickly needs as much power as you can give it. Buying for "good enough" for today doesn't make much sense to me, unless you buy a new system ever year, I suppose.VoraciousGorak - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
I think it's nearly criminal to have a 768p TN panel on a >$1000 laptop, especially one with a dGPU this strong.Samus - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
Doesn't matter what the display is if your goal is to use it for VR, essentially what the entry level model is made for.Wolfpup - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
Yeah, I'd rather have a high quality screen (like VA) over a crazy high resolution screen on a notebook.1080p is tooooootally fine for me on a 24" screen, so HIGHER than that on a 13" screen is IMO worth rolling one's eyes at. But scalling issues are an actual issue...
If I were actually playing games on a 13" screen, 720p would be overkill if anything, and easy to drive in modern games on a good GPU-the bigger issue would be the QUALITY of the screen.
damianrobertjones - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
Too late. I bought an MSI GT62vr machine. I'm not going to wait forever, over here in the U.K., for Dell and Asus to hurry up.damianrobertjones - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
Cool story Brahredchar - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
It sounded good, but the physical dimensions are that of their previous 15" laptop, and quite a bit more than the R2 alienware 13. In fact its barely smaller than the new alienware 15. With similar specs, why buy the 13 if its not meaningfully smaller anymore?Freakie - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
This 13 is still significantly smaller than the 15. And it's especially much lighter than the 15. Now what it isn't, is smaller than the Gigabyte P35Xv6 and it's weight is the same if you take out the optical drive on the Gigabyte and put in the space filler caddy that comes with the Gigabyte. Can take out the mechanical drive and just use the M.2 SSD as well. And the Gigabyte has a 1070 and a 15" 4k screen that color calibrates excellently.kitty4427 - Thursday, November 10, 2016 - link
Doesn't Thunderbolt 3 include USB 3.1? So why not have 2x Thunderbolt 3s?eldakka - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
Cost.Thunderbolt 3 requires 40Gbps, and USB 3.1 only requires 5Gbps, unless it's USB 3.1 Gen2 in which case it's 10Gbps.
A 40Gbps ports requires more traces, different (and more expensive) IC's and so on. So 2x40Gbps ports (thunderbolt 3) is much more expensive than providing 1x40Gbps port and 1x5Gbps(or 10Gbps if Gen2) port.
GTRagnarok - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
I'm interested in the longevity of these OLED displays for PC use. The constant taskbar, browser window, etc., sounds like a problem.Wolfpup - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
Yeah, good point...and the reality is LCD works great, it's just that there's a HUGE variety of LCD panels, and they usually use bad ones on notebooks. What I'd like is a shift to VA panels. They look great, have great contrast, and they last forever, unlike OLED. Use less power too. (Yes yes, OLED makers always claim they use less power, but that's on a screen displaying mostly black. I rather like a display technology I don't have to baby and looks great.)Srikzquest - Tuesday, November 15, 2016 - link
The main issue is only with Taskbar as normally we keep changing browser tabs/windows anyway. For Taskbar, there is an option in Win 10 which automatically hides it unless you hover your mouse around that area.zodiacfml - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
Still no reviews of OLED displays out there?zepi - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
Anandtech already had one, check the latest Lenovo X1 review: OLEDs just arent there yet in terms of quality...Having walked past electronics shop last week and having watched the horribly burned Samsung Tab S oled screens, I'm starting to wonder if OLED ever becomes ready without huge compromises.
ToTTenTranz - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
If this is obviously the body of a (large) 14" laptop, why not assume it as such instead of putting a 13" screen with that ugly protruding back?id4andrei - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
I am curious how gaming on a fast OLED display looks like in terms of tearing, stuttering and general smoothness. Theoretically you would not need frame sync tech as much on an OLED display than on a traditional LCD.Hrobertgar - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
spellcheck error, 2nd paragraph: insufficient performance for come games.eldakka - Tuesday, December 6, 2016 - link
Are you sure it's a typo?Maybe the performance isn't exciting enough for him to come?
Wolfpup - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
As always, the key issue here is drivers, and how/if it uses Optimus.Regardless of what some reviewers say, Optimus does NOT always work. I ran into problems with it with multiple games-and you can't just launch stuff, sometimes crashes and other issues can take an hour or more to show up. Any notebook I buy has to either not support Optimus, or have the option to disable it as mine does.
Then of course there's the driver issue...any notebook needs to support Nvidia's regular drivers, not just special ones from the OEM. That's normally been the case with Alienware, but still, it's one of the most important aspects of a notebook, and hard info to find. ALSO we need to know how or whether the Graphics Amplifier stuff works with normal drivers...
fanofanand - Friday, November 11, 2016 - link
"it still used dual-core CPUs, which can provide insufficient performance for come games"Giggity
zlandar - Saturday, November 12, 2016 - link
That IPS unit looks like the sweet spot for price/features.tarqsharq - Wednesday, November 16, 2016 - link
That's what I was thinking as well. From what I've seen, long term graphics performance of the 1060 won't provide satisfactory frame rates at 1440p with settings turned up.1080p is a solid bet for this chip. In Battlefield 1 with settings turned up, the DESKTOP aftermarket cards of the 1060 already dip below 60fps at 1440p in HardOCP's benchmarks.
yhselp - Saturday, November 12, 2016 - link
5 lbs does not equal 2 kg, and yet it's what's listed both at Dell's official web page for the laptop as well as this article. 5 lbs is 2.27 kg - that's a big different. Not only that, but Dell is also listing that as an average weight - many configurations could be heavier still. Users are reporting 2.6 kg for the high spec models - that's as much as a standard 15" laptop.Why can't Dell just make a lightweight Alienware instead of trying to cheat with the specs?! Misleading marketing is not the way to go.
sonicmerlin - Sunday, November 13, 2016 - link
They should make a 1070 version. That thing would be able to run the QHD display perfectly.