Alienware 13 Pre-Release Speculation Thread

This one particular employee is a designer who uses a PC laptop so I'll give him a new laptop only because he's not an Apple Fan boy like 95% of my organizations smh.

 

The i7 is available on the US website, but it's not shipping until the end of January. So, there's something going on there.

 

A 15" and a 13" machine are in no way comparable. Gotta compare apples to apples, guys.

I don't want anything larger than 14", and for the size, the AW13 is still quite powerful. I'm not sure if I'd even want an i7 quadcore - the laptop would become a toaster. I have a 15" laptop with a quadcore and the thing gets way too hot. But a step up from the ULV would have been nice. Regarding "cutting edge", most of that hardware is a toaster for the first 30 minutes, then heat throttled afterwards, with a lifespan of ~1 year due to the stress on the components. Not my cup of tea.

Like Docsteel says, specs-on-paper do not a good machine make. Usability is paramount - I'll take less "power" and more usability (ie - something not being a toaster) any day.

 

I just get the itch that the i7-5500U and i5-5200U won't be available until the GTX 960m comes along if the i7-4510U is shipping that late.

 

Power within realistic reason, that is. I think this implication is going unnoticed by people.

 

I agree but there's nothing out there that fits my needs exactly while I wait for AW 13 to mature a bit. The next best thing is the Omen since I won't buy Razer any longer. Would have gone X3 pro at 13.9 but it doesn't have touch and has it's issues with heat and fan noise. The i7 Aw 13 is out but difficult to order into Canada at the moment and HIDEVOLUTION is still 3 weeks out on the i5 version. I need a laptop right now so I'll grab the HP Omen which has a very thin profile and is under 5lbs (same weight as my m11x R3). My Mission Workshop expandable bag weighs 50 lbs by the end of the day with groceries, bike tools and my work. So the Omen although it is 15 inches is still comparable to the AW 13 in terms of form factor and relative weight. At the moment the AW 13 with the GA could have throttling issues with a GTX 980 desktop GPU so I'm in a waiting game at the moment as an AW 14 could be on the horizon. By Feb/March someone in my biz is getting a hand me down 15 inch Omen.

 

1) We all admit the use of the ULV CPU is a let down - no one is happy about it, its a poor decision

2) We discussed price - you have seen an example of a better price you get when called in - what's the problem?

3) As far as lists of "guys recommending laptops" and no Alienware - so what? Do you buy on what you think is best or do you let others make up your mind? I mean, I agree that getting other opinions make sense... but in the case of Alienware in today's world it's tricky. When Alienware got bought by Dell the meme got started that "it's just a Dell" and one could make a strong argument that a desktop from Alienware makes little sense if you buy your own components and put it together. This argument however got applied incorrectly to laptops which are whole different equation; very few people attempt to build their own laptop, the "its just an overpriced Dell" doesn't apply but for people who only look at specs vs. price, it's an easy argument to make, again, the vast majority who don't take other factors into account. If you look at all the factors and are willing to call in you can get a good price for what it is. That being said, the AW 13 while disappointing from a CPU perspective, is actually a decent system for portable, GPU-bound games in and of itself. Personally I think the question of quad vs dual is a bit overplayed and more of a strict enthusiast question - as a casual gamer/work system it's actually a pretty good design all things considered. The time will come when vendors will have to give up on using dual-cores due to the demands of games or Intel will advance their production processes enough that dual-cores are pointless except for net book designs.

I'll say this: 90+% of the people contriving lists usually have no direct experience with any of the systems they "recommend", they put lists together based on some price point they are interested in and a small set of reviews for those systems that paint a picture they want to see. They exclude AW off the bat because some self-ascribed "expert" on a forum convinces people new to the scene that to be an initiate, they first have to renounce Alienware as "just an over-priced Dell", and then this person just repeats the meme and only ever considers the current brand that is "blessed" with being acceptable. Asus was the in-brand three years ago, nowadays it's MSI, then after a round of all the design issues people experience they move on, ever-circling around the benchmark, Alienware.

Again, as a mobile work/casual gamer system the AW 13 is a good design at the cost you can get it for with a little effort. If you are not convinced by that argument then an AW 13 is not the system that will work for you and you should move on. If fan exhaust sound is no issue, and you can stomach the gamble on workmanship, the Aorus X3 would be a good alternative. If you can wait for a Broadwell and/or 900-series refresh then you might want to wait and see what comes around with CES/PAX in January.

Let's be clear on terms, I think you mean "bottlenecking", throttling would be a reduction in speeds due to heat, etc. To your point, I find it highly odd that Dellienware has not announced a formal stoppage of the AW 14; granted pulling it off the site and from the depot almost instantly speaks volumes... but still, it's strange. I'm still holding out hope for a thinned out AW 14 or possibly 15 even (unlikely, but who knows). I've decided just to wait until the end of CES and PAX in January before making any decision, my trusty M11x's will hold out to then.

 

I think this as well - the thing that concerns me more than a little is that it's highly inefficient to release an i5/i7 ULV based system for a just a couple of months. I suspect we will hear about upgrade news for the AW 17/18 (and maybe a 14 or new 15) in January with just a statement about Broadwell and a 900-series refresh for the AW 13 to "follow later". Would not surprise me one bit if we don't actually get systems offered with the GTX 960m until sometime in Spring 2015, with Broadwell + 900-series releases on the rest of the line one quarter earlier. it's this concern that is making me consider pulling the trigger on a system now, with a plan to flip it later but I would probably lose $500 USD on it, so I really can't justify it. This is sooo frustrating....

 

To me, it's a debate of whether the extra CPU power is worth it. An i7 is out there, but I might plan on getting a GA for desktop purposes (so I really have little care in the GPU since it is hundreds times better than the GT 650m). I already know games with be bottlenecked by the CPU, but if the performance of the i7-5500U provides, what, 5 to 10% more FPS on the GA than the i7-4510U, then the wait would be worth it. Otherwise, I getan almost tricked out laptop now + eGift card (because that always happens in December sales) because productivity.
Then again, telling myself that I would be an early adopter at this time doesn't sound pleasing.

 

With all that being said, the alienware 13 is only worth it in its base config with the 1080p screen. That's it. Any other addon's will just bring the value down. At just over a grand, the aw13 does seem a bit worth it, even though you can get the exact ULV cpu in 400 dollar laptops. That's my plan once broadwell comes out at least. Realize that dell is just working with what they have. They are limited to ULV CPU's in this form factor, and I bet that ULV will be cooled pretty well rather than an overrheating dual/quadcore M processor.. And the gtx 860m is taking a lot of flak. Pending the ULV doesn't bottleneck, this card can get 50+ FPS in bf4 with ultra settings. What other GPU could dell have put in it at this time?

 

So bottom line, it's better to wait till January/February for the new version of the AW13 ?

 

If you can get a base one with 1080p, talk down the cost, you have a decent deal. There is a Lenovo that is very similar without the screen quality, 860m, and build quality that's around 800, so 1000 USD makes sense. And I agree, as a work/casual gaming system it's not bad, the problem is it could have been something special and so much more with a better processor...

No one really knows... but I am dubious personally if there will be a Broadwell release any earlier than spring myself, quite possibly early summer. It's been so long I can't remember, but I seem to recall it being on the order of 6 months between the R1 and R2 M11x... there they were in the same boat, not really wanting to release the original board and processor, but got stuck waiting on Intel or something along those lines, and the R2 was really the system they wanted to release. I think the same thing happened here, they didn't want to lose press to the other competitor pimping an eGPU setup, and pushed the AW 13 out the door a bit too soon.

Of course, being Dell, they could turn around and push one out the door in February, the problem is they are just being so mum it's making it difficult to predict.

 

Well, someone I know pulled the trigger for me to gift me the 13. In cost, though, I have to sell my m14x R2. You might be surprised about something different.
Specs:

1 338-BGBW 5th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-5500U Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.00 GHz)

So, the i7-4510U is a lie (unless someone has counter-proof). It's actually an i7-5500U. I'll be getting it in February, so I'll give a review of this updated laptop. This is weird and wicked.
I posted all of this as a proof of purchase. I need that Recovery USB because I suck when it comes to recovery.

 

That's exactly what I was hinting at here. I figured it was really Broadwell.

 

Have any guesses as to why they never listed the i7-5500U even though it has been announced? The only thing I can think of is because Intel has some embargo on matters like these or something.

 

Hey schizo! was that your other self who pulled the trigger! =D Congrats man! I bet you cant wait till January!

1 338-BGBW 5th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-5500U Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.00 GHz)

Holy cow! It is a Broadwell! Get those plastic cards ready!

 

Makes sense actually, they did say they would ship the i7 at one point when it became available. The site is probably just screwed up... makes a bit more sense why the higher cost, but still a dual-core ... : (

Good to hear though... waiting on something to finalize then pulling the trigger... at the end of the day my M11x's aren't getting any younger

Congratulations though, I am envious :thumbsup:

 

The configuration site or my invoice? Either way, I would still end up with an i7-5500U. If the i7 is staying the same, I would wait for a special deal to get the 13.
I don't plan on getting a GA if anybody is wondering. Maybe when its price cuts by $100. The Dell Advantage 5% back rewards thing will come in handy.

 

The configuration site most likely. Either they 1) always knew it was going to be Broadwell, but someone saw i7 and went with the Maxwell part listing to get the site going (more likely), or 2) the invoice is wrong (less likely). The significantly higher price for the i7 option seems a bit disproportionate but makes the likelihood its truly a Broadwell part more likely, makes me think they are wanting to charge a premium for Broadwell... I wouldn't be surprised if the price on the i7 falls a bit after they move through the i5-Maxwell parts and the holiday rush is over. Damn, was really hoping for a combined Broadwell+900-series release...

 

I really think an AW 14 model is going to be announced at CES. Around Feb or March newer AW 13 but quad core 14. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to get the Omen for the time being and then see what April is looking like for AW.

 

Give me a 14 with a true gaming CPU worth of the GA and a 970m with 4gb
I'd imagine that this is what the 17 will have
but I seriously doubt it, do you know how much better off these guys would be if they gave us some insight on their plans?
I'm personally not waiting and getting my hopes up for the Aliens, I've been to let down too much for too long

 

If the 14 is as fat as it was before, I won't go near it - if they do bring it back, it needs to be sub 1" and pack the 970 (preferably feature a 3k screen also).

It's extremely frustrating that there is nothing in in the 13-14" range that's available now that's worth purchasing (the AW13 i7 option doesn't even count as available now, given the ship date is TWO MONTHS out). I'd have thought manufacturer's would have gotten PCs 'under the tree' in time for the holidays, but I guess not.

 

People poo-poo the idea when I bring it up that we will see a revising of the 14 to a different chassis to more closely resemble the 13, but if they were simply continuing the form-factor they would not have ceased sales of it and removed it from the depot, etc as fast as they did. That's a move that telegraphs that all the remaining stock is being set aside for parts and warranty support. So, either the 14 is kaput with no replacement, or it's going to be revised, with a small chance of moving to 15" size. I would dive on a 15" with UHD screen, 900-series gpu and a full on quad in a design close to the 13... the problem is by cost it would take away sales from the 17 which Dellienware is simply terrified to touch... for the first time in a long time I find myself very torn... waiting on an AW 13, pulling the trigger now and scooping up a remaining AW 14 from Amazon, or even going to a 17. Something is not going right I think on the G/A front, or they are doing what I fundamentally believe is happening over the long haul, a move towards a thinner, lighter design. Maybe indeed the delays in news are both the Broadwell delays/900 series advent/Graphics Accelerator and a mid cycle-redesign... it's unlikely but MSI is giving them a run for their money these days in the market and every kid out there with no experience thinks ultra-book designs must inherently be superior...

 

The Broadwell dual core CPU will still bottleneck a 900 series GPU am I right? So this is not that much of an improprement for gaming because the i5 Maxwell was enough to run the 860 at it's max.

 

I have no idea why the Alienware 14 was so thick, even compared to my older m14x. I do think they should still build a 14, but remove the optical drive and add a second fan, maybe that might help with the thickness. I really liked the design of the older asus g46 14 inch gaming laptop, I dont know why they discontinued it, but it was a step in the right direction, was hoping dell would follow. Right now is a really hard time to be in the market for a new gaming laptop for me. I have some cash saved up just waiting for the right notebook, but it's not there. Waiting for broadwell or skylake, windows 10, new nvidia gpu's. My m14x can barely handle Bf4, low settings.

 

You're right - but I'd still take the option of Broadwell any day even if it is still CPU-bottlenecked.... it's still faster....

The sane thing to have done would have had a dual fan setup, it would have been quieter and probably not as necessarily thick. Overly thick more than anything was the AW 14's weakness...

 

Well guys I also got a killer deal on the graphics amp:

 

Yep such an awkward time in the gaming laptop space. I have to pull the trigger on an Omen on Monday unfortunately. Don't worry Alienware I will be back when Intel plays nice.

 

I'm picking up a 970m Sager PS651SE to save some cash. When the Aliens show they are serious about the GA, no doubt I'll still be waiting with money.. But who knows when that'll be and the momentum I got, to get back into PC gaming from the GA announcement is to much to stop.

 

Wish I could do that but even as a working adult with two decent incomes, wifey frowns upon flipping laptops with the cost/value loss - the downside of being married to an accountant

If I pick up an AW 13 as an M11x replacement, I am stuck with it for a while. I'd give anything to know what AW is planning the next year... I've looked at other vendors and there is always some significant compromise... Lenovo's usually have poor screens, I don't really trust MSI or Gigabyte in general and they are usually too loud, and the list goes on... I wish so much we could go back to having the old "stealth mode" to reduce down power and ergo fan noise... I suppose a "balanced" power setting is effectively the same thing, but still.... something a bit more refined than that.

 

I work as an accountant That's why I stated the AW 13 is only worth it only with a 1080p screen, even then, you'd still have to get a deal, maybe sub 1100.. I've still been quite hesitant about pulling the trigger. I really wish it had scissor switch mouse buttons, love those. But I guess a large buttonless trackpad is what's best for windows 8, (yuck) I guess I'll just play games at 720p on low-medium settings for now on my old m14x. Design wise, the only few things I like about the 13 are the dual fans and the metal reinforced keyboard.

 

and I'll suffer on my 'another PC brand that starts with A' until I'm back in the USA in 4 months for a while. Maybe then alienware will have their stuff figured out...

 

I don't think the trackpad is buttonless; it is just one piece of plastic now, but I'm sure there are 2 to 3 buttons below the trackpad (I too am not a fan of the big square).
The 13 also can be shipped with Win7 Pro, so there's that.

 

To me that's a must for gaming on a dual core these days... Win 7 I mean...

 

I was desparate for something to tie me over for a little bit today. Grabbed the Asus T100t Transformer for a few hundred bucks (came with an external battery and 64 gb external micro sd). Granted, I won't be gaming on this, but after a few hours I really dig the form factor for pretty much everything I do on a PC besides gaming and heavy photoshop. Wish my Razer edge had this form factor or at least a keyboard that works like the transformer's. My M11x is a great comp but without touch it's starting to get really difficult to work in different situations with my staff and the weight adds to my already heavy backpack (nearing 50lbs by the end of the day on my bike).

 

Considering I am getting the 1440p Touchscreen, I decided to research on what screen the 13 would use. Surprisingly, only one other laptop has a 13.3' QHD Touchscreen, the Asus Zenbook UX301. It may not be the same screen panel (13 is a True Life, 400-nit panel versus a Gorilla 3 Screen), but it gives an idea of those wanting the 1440p screen (and yes, you can disable touch through device manager, I think).
Here are two reviews of the Zenbook. For comparison, the 13's screen (the only review that is has ample information as other reviews are either barren or copy-and-pasted).
Oddly enough, when looking at review, the trackpad had a vertical line at the bottom to indicate the left and right "mouse" buttons, but on the config page, no line exists.

 

If i5 ULV can play gtx 860m at its max then how big is the difference between i5 ULV and i7 with the same gtx 860m? I'm close to pull the trigger for AW 13 but concerned about the ability of its proccessor. If i play games like Farcry 4, COD AW , Battlefield, Fifa. is there large gap in perfomance of this i5 and i7 ? thanks

 

Well guys my graphics amp comes in tomorrow -- I'll take some detailed pictures of it.

 

only the GA? not with the AW13?

 

The GA was ordered after my laptop -- but the AW13 is delayed til the 18th of December.

 

What GPU will you be putting in the GA?

Cheers

 

Not quite sure yet, I've got an ASUS 144hz monitor -- so I might just do a GTX 970. Haven't decided quite yet. Any suggestions?

 

According to this thread, an i7-4500u is about, at most, an 18% increase from the i5-4200u. Since the i7-4510u and i5-4210u are faster versions of their -10 selves, the percent increase remains the same.
The i7-5500U is about a 5 to 15% increase to the i7-4500U according to notebookcheck. Chip off 1 to 2% off the min and max, and the most we see between the i7-5500U and i5-4210U is 22 to 30% (in favor of the i7-5500U). This is just a guesstimate. I'm 90% confident with a margin of error of 2% of the min and max.
If you plan on owning the 13 for a long time, I recommend the i7. If not, get the best bang for your buck with the i5.

 

Go Amd for Mantle. Plus you'll have 3 video graphic devices from different companies. Intel for onboard integrated, Nvidia gtx 860m for the dedicated card, an an r9 series in the GA

 

Hi all,

Did the Mini-DP port is capable to do UHD @ 60 HZ ?

Not for gaming ;-) But i want to be sure that i'll can use my 28" 4K with that laptop at the office...

 

Good numbers - the i5 configuration is no slouch, but if the net gain is around 25% between the two... it almost justifies the price difference but even with an attempt to haggle I didn't think I could bring it down to where I would be happy with the difference. I finally pulled the trigger last night on an i5 configuration (1080p,8GB), my plan is to flip it after a year and see what Silverlake (not to mention what Nvidia is doing then) brings to the table and despite the value/cost loss, wifey will just have to deal with it .

My M11x's have served me well, but I need something relatively quiet at times and I have zero confidence in Dellienware to deliver anything remotely quiet in a 14/15" form factor these days, it's just not the game plan for them.

 

I'd go ahead and get something if they were able to get it to me before February, but no luck with any options containing the high res screen :\

 

I would, but I'm worried how it will handle 3 sets of driver software -- Intel, AMD, and Nvidia. The Graphics amp is out for delivery! I'm leaving work for a half day (to work from home) to get it.

 

Upload some pictures of the inside, please��

 

I'm sitting at my kitchen table waiting for it to be delivered! UGHHHH.