While they put out some of the best gaming laptops around, Alienware (opens in new tab) isn’t exactly known for budget pricing. It’s for a good reason, though, since Dell’s gaming subbrand excels in its PC gaming hardware category with some of the most powerful portable machines with a slick aesthetic often imitated by its competitors.
Alienware x15 R2 specs
Price: $2,199.99 (-$1,000) (opens in new tab)
Display: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080), non-touch, 360Hz
CPU: Intel i9-12900H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop
RAM: 32GB LPDDR5
Storage: 512GB
Weight: 5.18 lbs. (2.35 kg)
Luckily, the sci-fi-themed vendor is offering some out-of-this-world discounts on some of its previous-generation models that can still stand up in a head-to-head battle against more cutting-edge equivalents. Cutting a gigantic $1,000 off the standard asking price from at least one variant, the Alienware x15 R2 is a gaming laptop loaded with killer components that can still handle practically any game you throw at it.
Considering some gamers wouldn’t rush to spend a thousand dollars on a complete machine, this is a tremendous amount of cash to knock off a laptop with some of the best-performing hardware from the last generation of Intel CPUs and NVIDIA (opens in new tab) GeForce graphics.
Packing a 12th Gen Intel Core (opens in new tab) i9-12900H processor with an RTX 3080 laptop GPU alongside 32GB of LPDDR5-5200 RAM crushes the recommended specifications for plenty of games releasing in 2023, effortlessly rendering at the native 1080p resolution of the x15 R2. There’s also the option to push for up to 360Hz refresh rates if you’re into competitive gaming and need as much FPS as possible.
If you’ve been turned off by the premium pricing of Alienware hardware in the past, this is an incredible chance to pick up a beautiful gaming laptop that promises to remain relevant for years to come. A $1,000 saving is no small change when it comes to a high-end i9 CPU and one of the best RTX 30-series (opens in new tab) laptop GPUs.
How about something cheaper?
An alternative offering might seem like a lighter saving with a $500 discount, but considering it comes in at just under $1,200, the 14″ Alienware x14 is just as tempting. The shell matches the more expensive x15 R2 above, with only an inch smaller screen on the x14, keeping the same 1080p resolution.
Alienware x14 specs
Price: $1,199.99 (-$500) (opens in new tab)
Display: 14″ FHD (1920 x 1080), non-touch, 144Hz
CPU: Intel i7-12700H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
Storage: 512GB
Weight: 4.06 lbs. (1.84 kg)
You still get an Intel and NVIDIA pairing for the CPU and GPU combo from the previous generation, with a 12th Gen Core i7-12700H up to handling most portable mid-range gaming alongside the RTX 3050 Ti. 16GB of LPDDR5-4800 RAM is plenty of memory for most titles, sharing the weight with 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM on the NVIDIA GeForce GPU.
Even titles that lay a little outside of the capabilities of the x14 can play without screen tearing thanks to the magic of NVIDIA G-Sync (opens in new tab), compatible with its 144Hz panel with a rapid 3ms response time. If you’re primarily playing online shooters released in the last few years, you’ll appreciate the smooth refresh rate capable of a locked 120fps on more lightweight titles.
Despite the lighter hardware, ultra-modern Wi-Fi 6E support is built into the x14, offering the fastest wireless networking speeds around. Whether playing at home or connecting to a local café for a quick game, you’ll get the best connection possible. It’s a capable machine with the same slick aesthetics as its chunkier sibling and sold at a $500 discount. Two options for premium portable gaming that’ll impress any visitors, even the alien kind.
