Alienware 15 preview – combining an overclockable CPU and GeForce GTX 980M GPU for outstanding gaming experience

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Probably Dell’s Alienware notebook line doesn’t need introduction because it has been in the business for quite some time as one of the most popular series among gamers. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at the 15-inch version, that keeps the design from the last generation, but brings a lot of improvement in the hardware department.

You can check the availability and price of Alienware 15 in the following link: http://amzn.to/1jAGuZt

Aluminum design and customizable LED light

Considering its price, we can’t expect less than an aggressive and stylish design with premium build quality from Alienware 15. The housing has aluminum frames from the inside, while the lid and some other elements on the sides, are made from anodized aluminum. LED lights highlight the aggressive appearance and the Alienware logo of the notebook.

You’ll find the LED backlight across the whole housing of the laptop and it is also customizable, thanks to the pre-installed software from Alienware. You can adjust the color of the LED in the different parts of the notebook – keyboard, touchpad, lid, and sides.

Full HD IPS panel, long key travel, macro buttons and various interfaces for a better gaming experience

13758916810369-e1420804557175-CopyHaving a highly detailed screen plays a huge part in the gaming experience and luckily Alienware 15 doesn’t compromise in this aspect. The notebook features a 15-inch display with 1080p resolution, which is enough to provide detailed image, while the IPS panel provides wide viewing angles, great contrast ratio, and good sRGB color gamut coverage. There’s also a UHD with touchscreen option available. However, if the 15-inch screen doesn’t cut it, you can always plug in an external monitor via the HDMI 1.4 port and Mini DisplayPort.

The keyboard offers long key travel – assuring more comfortable gaming experience, while the macro buttons, which can be customized, will be of great use to you while you’re gaming and need quick access to certain apps or stream settings, for example.

Extraordinary powerful hardware in a 15-inch “package” and Alienware Graphics Amplifier for next level gaming

IMG_5992It is no secret that Alienware 15 is a massive, heavy and bulky machine, but the powerful hardware inside compensates for that. The notebook boasts one of Intel’s latest generation Skylake CPUs – Core i7-6820HK that can be overclocked. Note that this is the first ever unlocked for overclocking mobile CPU and if you think that the base clock frequencies of 2.7 – 3.6 GHz aren’t high enough, you can play around with it yourself. The CPU is accompanied by the most powerful (to date) GPU – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M with 4GB GDDR5 VRAM and 16GB RAM.

However, if this isn’t enough for you, Dell offers a way to boost even further the graphics performance of the notebook via device called Alienware Graphics Amplifier, which can be bought separately. It is an additional box that’s connected to the notebook with a special connector and works with a desktop-grade GPU. This way you can take advantage of all the performance that a desktop PC offers without sacrificing the portability of the laptop.

alienware_graphics_amplifier

Specs sheet

CPUIntel Core i7-6820HK (4-cores, 2.70 – 3.60 GHz, 8MB cache)
RAM16GB (2x 8192MB) – DDR4, 2133MHz
GPUNVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M (4GB GDDR5)
Storage1256GB (256GB SSD + 1TB HDD (7200 RPM)
Display15.6-inch (39.62 cm) – 1920×1080 (Full HD), IPS matte
Optical drive
ConnectivityLAN 10/100/1000 mbit/sec, Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2×2, Bluetooth 4.0
Features
  • 3x USB 3.0
  • built-in Full HD (2.0MP) Web camera
  • built-in microphone
  • HDMI 1.4
  • Mini Display port
  • RJ-45
  • 9 in 1 card reader
  • keyboard LED backlight
Battery8-cell
Weight3.21 kg

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Tapp
8 years ago

Let’s see a side by side performance comparison w the old
M15x…..