•  Date Published: 10 Jul 2017
    • Intel Core i7-6700HQ
    • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (3GB GDDR5)
    • 17.3”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), IPS
    • 2048GB SSD + 1000GB HDD
    • 2x 8GB DDR4
    • 3.78 kg (8.3 lbs)

    Review

    Alienware 17 R3 in-depth review

    Now that we've put the new Alienware 15 (R2, Late 2015) to the test, it’s time to do the same with its bigger sibling - the 17-inch Alienware R3. Make no mistake, it’s the same Skylake / GTX 9xx / DDR4 generation, the difference being maximized screen estate. There is an 18-inch model as well, but Alienware hasn’t updated it yet with the 6th generation Intel Core processors (it offers dual GTX 980M, though). The latter also can’t take advantage of the Alienware Graphics Amplifier, which provides you with the option of enjoying desktop graphics performance when you get home with your Alienware laptop. Unfortunately, asymmetrical SLI is out of the question, but more about this later.So let’s see what we’ve got here - our unit sports Intel Core i7-6820HK, GeForce GTX 980M with 4GB GDD[...]

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    Pros

    • Enormous CPU/GPU/Storage performance
    • Nice looking, aggressive design
    • Lighter body than its predecessors
    • Sturdy construction
    • Comfortable TactX keyboard with numerous backlight combinations
    • Alienware Graphics Amplifier, HDMI 2.0 and USB Type-C ports
    • 4K Ultra HD IPS IGZO screen with 100% sRGB and 100% AdobeRGB coverage, high brightness and good contrast
    • No PWM across all brightness levels
    • Great battery life for a gaming notebook
    • Superb thermal management and temperature stability under high load

    Cons

    • High price
    • Alienware Graphics Amplifier doesn't support "asymmetrical" SLI configurations