Like its competitors, and like every year, Dell is taking advantage of CES 2023 to unveil a new batch of new Alienware gaming laptops. They are in this case four in number, even more imposing and of course armed to the teeth. Two new, more affordable “Dell G” gaming laptops are also on the menu with a new design as a bonus.
We won’t go so far as to say that 2023 is the year of all changes for Dell’s gaming laptops, but the Texas manufacturer is determined to evolve its various machines… for the better, or so it would seem. At the very beginning of the year, the group unveils its new Alienware m16, m18, x14 and x16. All benefit from a partially redesigned chassis compared to the 2022 models. They can also count on an Alienware Command Center tool that is both better thought out, more central to the software experience offered and more intuitive, promises Dell.
Alienware m16 and m18, bigger and more powerful
Let’s start by talking about the new Alienware m16 and m18. These two products adopt this year formats of 16 and 18 inches, allowed by the optimization of the system of dissipation. According to Dell, the changes made in this area make it possible to accommodate larger screens in frames that are only slightly bulkier. For these two devices and the others, the Round Rock manufacturer relies on its new “Legend 3.0” design. In its press release, the firm explains that this design “ required 19 designers, over 17,000 hours of work, 1,100 inspiration images, 3 distinct visions, 48 concept models “.
Without jumping to the eyes at first contact, this new design is especially notable in the small design details and in the modeling of the chassis, which is more rounded and minimalist. This aesthetic redesign is also accompanied by some more than welcome additions. Dell now relies on 16:10 screens and 1080p webcams for its Alienware laptops. The manufacturer also explains that it applies its Element 31 thermal solution by default, both on the CPU and the GPU to promote dissipation.
© Dell / Alienware
Alienware x16 and x14, evolution in small steps
This 16-inch format, which had not been used by Alienware since 2004, Dell tells us, also concerns the new Alienware x16. The device also wants to find a point of balance between the relative compactness of the 15.6-inch format and the ease of use offered by the 17.3-inch diagonals. There is also a 16:10 ratio and an all-metal chassis now with 6 upward-facing speakers (including two woofers for well-defined bass).
Technically, the x16 comes with up to a Core i9-13900HX and an RTX 4090 (16 GB and 175 W of TGP). Compared to the m18, however, we are limited to a maximum of 32 GB of LPDDR5 “only”. The set is powered by a 90 Wh battery and is connected to the mains with a 240 or 330 W charger depending on the options chosen. On the display side, finally, three options are offered, all in 16 inches: QHD + 100 DCI-P3 and 240 Hz, QHD + 100% sRGB and 165 Hz or Full HD + 100% DCI-P3 and 480 Hz.
© Dell / Alienware
Much more compact, the Alienware x14 R2 takes over from the X14 2022 with a design that is also changing slightly. There are inevitably more modest configurations, with a maximum of a Core i7-13620H (10 cores) and an RTX 4060 (80 W of TGP), coupled with 16 or 32 GB of LPDDR5. The battery is also limited to 80 Wh (which is not nothing on an ultraportable), with 130 W Type-C charger. We also benefit from a 14-inch QHD + 165 Hz and 100 DCI-P3 screen.
The Alienware x14 will hit the market in the first quarter of 2023, with a starting price set at $1,799 across the Atlantic. The first versions of the x16 will arrive over the same period, but starting at $3,099 in the United States. Here too AMD versions are expected, in Q2 2023.
Dell G15 and G16, affordable gaming laptops that get better
Positioned at more affordable prices, the Dell G15 and G16 are also equipped with a new design compared to the G15 launched in 2021. Despite a plastic chassis in both cases (to reduce production costs) , we take advantage of slightly more aggressive lines and new colors, mainly for the G15 model. The latter, however, remains on a 16:9 screen (Full HD 165 or 120 Hz, 100% sRGB), while the G16 goes to the 16:10 ratio (QHD+ 165 Hz and 100% sRGB or QHD+ 240 Hz and 100% DCI -P3) like its Alienware cousins.
© Dell
Both devices rely anyway on Intel processors of 13e generation (from Core i5 to Core i9 depending on the options chosen) and equip themselves with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4000 graphics cards (ranging from the RTX 4050 to the RTX 4070 on the G16, depending on the model). It should be noted, however, that the RTX 3050 is resisting on the most affordable versions of the two products. The whole is finally supported by 8 or 32 GB of RAM in DDR5 at 4800 MHz (SO-DIMM).
The Dell G15 and G16 will enter the US market in Q1 2023, starting at $849 and $1,499 respectively. On these two products, Dell also intends to offer AMD options later on… probably from the second quarter of 2023.
Sources: Dell CES 2023 briefing, Dell & Alienware press releases
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