Alienware’s X15 is its thinnest and coolest gaming laptop yet

Alienware is captivated with giving Razer a trail for its money through making a distinguished-skinny gaming laptop. Two of the configurations of Alienware’s contemporary X15 flagship model are actually 15.9mm thick, almost the the same as Razer’s merely-refreshed 15.8mm-thick Blade 15 Evolved. That’s impressively skinny, specifically interested on that Alienware doesn’t every so frequently are trying to compete in this realm.

What’s also noteworthy is that, no matter its skinny compose, the X15 appears to be like tackle it will be a succesful machine. Alienware will doubtless be asserting an even bigger and thicker 17-lunge X17 laptop that’s diagram more worthy. We’ll fling into component on both under.

Let’s launch up with the X15, which is ready to price $1,999 for the inappropriate model, on hand starting on the present time. Packed into that entry model is Intel’s 11th Gen Core i7-11800H processor (eight cores and a utilize clock tempo of up to 4.6GHz), 16GB of RAM clocked at 3,200MHz (however now now not user-upgradeable due to the scale constraints), 256GB of mercurial NVMe storage (which is user-upgradeable, with two slots that toughen both M.2 2230 or 2280-sized SSDs), and Nvidia’s RTX 3060 graphics chip (90W maximum graphics vitality, and a inappropriate clock tempo of 1,050MHz and boost clock of 1,402MHz). A 15.6-lunge FHD demonstrate with a 165Hz refresh price, 3ms response time, and up to 300 nits of brightness with 100-percent sRGB shade gamut toughen comes abnormal.

Alienware hasn’t shared pricing for spec will enhance, however it is doubtless you’ll presumably maybe presumably load the X15 with up to an Intel Core i9-11900H processor, a 2TB NVMe M.2 SSD (with a maximum 4TB of dual storage supported through RAID 0), and 32GB of RAM. To high it off, it is doubtless you’ll presumably maybe presumably attach in an RTX 3080 graphics card (the 8GB version, with 110W maximum graphics vitality, a inappropriate clock tempo of 930MHz and a utilize clock tempo of 1,365MHz). The demonstrate is doubtless to be upgraded to a 400-nit QHD G-Sync panel with a 240Hz refresh price, 2ms response time, and 99-percent coverage of the DCI-P3 shade gamut. The X15 has a 87Wh battery and involves a 240W “small compose component” adapter. At its lowest weight, the X15 comes in at 5 pounds, however it completely goes up to 5.2 pounds looking out on the specs.

All of the X15’s ports, except for a headphone jack and vitality input, are situated on its support. There’s a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, one Thunderbolt 4 port, a microSD card slot, and an HDMI 2.1 port that might perhaps allow the X15 to output a 4K signal at up to 120Hz.

When you happen to’re all about getting a 17.3-lunge conceal conceal, the X17 starts at $2,099 and has the same starting specs. It has a thicker chassis than the X15 at 20.9mm, and it’s heavier, starting at 6.65 pounds. Nevertheless that additional heft it appears to be like permits for more graphical and processing vitality, within the event you’re willing to pay for it. As an illustration, its RTX 3060 card has an even bigger maximum graphics vitality of 130W. This pattern is seen for more costly GPU upgrades, too, specifically the RTX 3080 (16GB) that might perhaps presumably maybe fly with 165W of max graphics vitality at a utilize clock tempo of 1,710MHz. In the processor division, it is doubtless you’ll presumably maybe presumably fling up to an Intel Core i9-11900HK. Additionally, it is doubtless you’ll presumably maybe presumably spec this one with up to 64GB of XMP RAM clocked at 3,466MHz.

As for the conceal conceal, there’s an increase technique to fetch a 300-nit FHD G-Sync panel with a 360Hz refresh price and 1ms response time, however it is doubtless you’ll presumably maybe presumably fling the total diagram up to a 500-nit 4K demonstrate with a 120Hz refresh price and 4ms response time. Like the X15, the X17 has an 87Wh battery, however whether you fetch a 240W or 330W vitality supply will depend on the configuration that you just utilize.

The X17 has the entire the same ports as the X15, along with one additional USB-A port, a Mini DisplayPort jack, and a 2.5G ethernet port (the X15 involves a USB-C to ethernet adapter).

In general talking, thinner laptops fight with warmth management. Nevertheless Alienware’s Quad Fan claims to switch masses of air, and in X15 and X17 objects which enjoy the RTX 3070 or 3080 chips, it touts a brand contemporary “Ingredient 31 thermal interface field matter” that it appears to be like affords a utilize within the thermal resistance of its internals compared with outdated Alienware laptops. We’ll want to seek how this fares when we test out a overview unit. I’m uncommon how loud they might perhaps presumably maybe merely fetch in define to preserve wintry.

When you happen to’re an Alienware fanatic, remember that the corporate’s mainstay graphics amplifier port is lacking. We requested Alienware about this, and it supplied this observation to The Verge:

As of late’s latest flagship desktop graphics cards compose graphical vitality previous what the Alienware Graphics Amplifiers (moreover to other exterior graphics amplifiers) can successfully port support through PCI (and Thunderbolt) connections. For Alienware potentialities who’re already procuring excessive-end graphics configurations, the performance enhancements from our Alienware Graphics Amplifier might perhaps presumably maybe presumably be miniature. While enhancements might perhaps presumably maybe presumably be noticeable, in diverse cases it wouldn’t be ample to clarify procuring an exterior amplifier and flagship graphics card. So as a change, we are the usage of that extra attach to supply additional ports and thermal headroom which offers a nearer experience for all avid gamers procuring this product.

Wrapping up this boatload of specs, the X15 and X17 every enjoy a 720p Windows Whats up webcam, and configurations with the RTX 3080 enjoy an illuminated trackpad that might perhaps presumably maybe presumably be customized within Alienware’s pre-installed tool. These laptops come abnormal with Alienware’s X-Sequence keyboard that has per-key lights, n-key rollover, anti-ghosting, and 1.5mm of key shuttle. In the X17, you will enjoy the technique to increase to Alienware’s Cherry MX extremely low-profile mechanical switches, which enjoy a longer 1.8mm key shuttle.

Lastly, both laptops are on hand within the “Lunar Mild” colorway, which is white on the commence air shell and dusky on the internal.