Dell has given its gamer-oriented Alienware desktop and laptop lineup a comprehensive update, adding in features like USB Type-C. Plus it has brought back the massive Alienware 18 laptop.
Announced alongside two new gaming monitors, the refreshed lineup largely consists of the same laptops as before, such as the Alienware 13, Alienware 15 and Alienware 17. Except now the Alienware 18 has been brought back into the fold.
The latter will feature a 4th Generation Intel i7 processor, up to 32GB of RAM, a 1TB HDD (plus SSD options) and most importantly of all it’ll feature dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M or 980M graphics cards.
It, along with the rest of the range, will also include the latest PCIe-based SSDs, for even faster storage, updated Killer wireless and Ethernet, Type-C USB 3.0 connectors and Thunderbolt 3. The Alienware 13 will also have a larger 62Wh battery.
The Alienware 13 and 17 will use Nvidia GTX graphics while the Alienware 15 will also have the option of an AMD Radeon HD R9 M395X.
Notably, none of the lineup will use the latest 6th Generation Skylake Intel processors, as these still aren’t available for laptop. Instead they will still use 4th generation Haswell chips.
Related: Dell XPS 13 (2015) review
On the desktop side, Dell is also adding PCIe storage to the Alienware X51, along with DDR4 memory and a new CPU liquid cooler. The latter to accommodate the latest .
The X51 will also be getting support for the Alienware Graphics Amplifier, which is a separate box that lets gamers add more powerful graphics to their laptops, and now to the desktop too.
Given that the X51’s small chassis can only accommodate up to an Nvidia GTX 960, there’s plenty of headroom for adding more performance, even if it does make little sense to use two boxes to achieve it.
All the above are set to be available today, with the Alienware X51 starting at $1,099 and the laptops ranging from $999.99 to a whopping $2,499.99 for the Alienware 18.
Next, check out our pick of the Best Laptops you can buy right now
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
