Alienware has issued a new configuration for its popular M15 R4 and M17 R4 laptops, outfitting the gaming-centric machines with remarkably low-profile mechanical keyboards.
The updated machines, from Dell’s gaming subsidiary, are the world’s first laptops made with new keys from the German company Cherry MX. The 3.5mm Cherry MX ultra-low profile keys are three years in the making, Alienware says. The new configurations with the Cherry MX keyboards cost an extra £100.
Alienware says the goal was to create a “binary mechanical switch experience”, distilled down to a laptop form factor for the first time. In a press release, the company says it brings all of the benefits of a mechanical switch keyboard to PC gamers.
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The new machines now have 3.5mm ultra-low-profile keys, which it says were inspired by the design of the DeLorean from the Back To The Future. That still manages to deliver 1.8mm of key travel, while the self-cleaning mechanism has been tested for 15 million keystrokes.
The company writes: “Inspired by the upward opening gull-wing doors of the iconic DeLorean sports car, the goal was to engineer the keyboard to be an extension of the gamer’s senses and allow you to press deeper with more emphasis.”
The company uses some hifalutin language to describe “incredibly responsive and tactile feedback with full-height keys that provide light actuation force and distinct acoustics at each click.” The keys are also compatible with the AlienFX per-key RGB backlighting, promising 16.8 million colours.
It goes on to say that along “with its durability, you can count on consistent and accurate performance, with its two-piece keycap structure and gold-based cross-point contact system ensuring absolute precision and wobble-free keystrokes. All of this was accomplished without changing the dimensions of Alienware’s thinnest notebooks to date.”
Overall, the laptops offers 10th-Gen Intel core processors with the RTX 3080 graphics, and up to 4TB of storage. There’s a microSD card reader and Thunderbolt 3.
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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.
