Alienware 13 Pre-Release Speculation Thread

i7 configuration discounted by another $100. Also eligible for a $50 coupon. Still shipping in late January.

 

I was expecting a drop on the i7 option but not until January after Christmas - wonder if orders were lagging their expectations or they got news of better fulfillment from Intel on chip numbers in Q1?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQqwG_rQx7A#t=69

 

:hi2::smile::smile:

 

Has anyone ordered the AW13 with the 1366x768 TN panel yet?
TN panels supposedly have better slightly response times (like a few ms) compared to IPS displays. Im just wondering if the TN display used in the AW 13 is complete garbage or fairly decent.

 

It's here!









Please send me any requests for video or pictures -- i'll do my best. I'm at work right now so I couldn't take a ton of time with the pictures like I did before.

 

Congrats!

Could you snap a pic of the power brick (and maybe along with something else to better get an idea on the size)?

 

I'm curious how rigid is the power plug in the laptop. I currently have a macbook and it uses a magnet so no issues w/ plug. I had an old laptop where the plug in the laptop would come close after so many times of putting in and pulling plug.

I have a 13 on way as well, expected date is Dec 23rd..

 

Thanks! And sure, I'll take some tonight.

It's a standard Dell plug. It's rigid.

 

Well I just saw a 14 today. It almost covered the top of a whole student desk, whereas my Alienware did not (by almost, I mean only margins of the desk are not covered).
Now I'm really curious as to how small this laptop is compared to the m14x.

 

I'm fresh out of bannas for scale, what can I put next to it for you? Can of coke?

 

That could work. Maybe even a pack of fresh paper or a 100 page notebook.

 

Done.



Don't worry -- it's empty.

 

Okay, so it has some width to it. That's all I really wanted to know. I can live with the thinness.
Screen isn't too small too (I can make some things from the photos), and this viewing angle is good. And the Alien head still looks cool.
And now I am more anxious for February to come.

 

Is the battery easily user-replaceable?

 

Same with the AW14 -- it's internal...replaceable, but not...easy.

 

Someone posted a pix of where the memory and drives are located.. But where is the battery located thou, below the drives?

 

Ok, I watched a video of replacing the battery on the 14, and it looks fairly straightforward. Not as easy as some laptops where you can just slide a latch and pop out the battery. But looks like it just requires removing a bunch of screws, unplugging battery, plugging in the new one, and screwing everything back in place. Hopefully it's that simple on the 13.

Yeah, I was curious about that. Didn't see any pics yet showing where the battery is located.

 

Page 129 has an album.

 

Here's the link.

It shows access to the RAM and SSD M.2 slots. I guess the battery is on the right or left side of that opening, and requires removing one more layer of plastic.

 

It's a tiny battery. The components are all low-voltage and consume very little power. So, this tiny battery is sufficient.

 

Man just looking at it there... it's gonna be a long wait to Christmas Eve for this boy

ETA is the 17th, going to have it wrapped and under the tree.... makes me feel like I am a kid again!

 

Hey Docsteel. I was Tinking the same!! ETA is the 16th, going to have it wrapped and under the tree.... makes me feel like I am a kid again!

 

Did u get the qhd screen? I'm getting the feeling I'm the only one who really wanted that option without hesitation

Also ps called dell to get the 50$ credit being offered now and they kept me on hold so long they gave me 100$ instead but my ship date is listed as 1-14 ;( and its only a i5

 

^^ Yeah,
13 inch QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-Panel TrueLife 400-nits Display with Touch Technology :smile: ^^

 

Alright just placed my order. With 1080p, 8gb ram, 258gb ssd

A qhd is overkill for a 13.3 inch. You would have to use windows scaling or run your native resolution lower. Many recent games would have difficulty running at that resolution given the i5 4210u. Also it's a glossy screen which a portion of people do not like. But it's no means a bad purchase if you want a touchscreen

 

I was thinking it is overkill as well...but definitely want touchscreen. I wonder how wacky it looks when trying to find the right resolution.

 

Those comments on Reborn's album are hilarious. Bunch of idiots that have no idea what they're talking about. I bet none of them have even owned Alienware.

One of them said, "Shoulda got a Sager."

Spoiler

 

Okay here is the battery bar info and a couple of AC adapter pics side by side an APPLE iphone 4S lol.



I can't wait to see the GA in action!!! :thumbsup:

 

Is that a 120W PSU?

 

130W :hi2:

 

So close!

At least they give you an adequate PSU for a change. The 240W on the AW 17 with an Extreme CPU can be too weak when overclocked.

 

Yehhhh!!! Just the person I wanted to talk to. Tell me about the screen, how's the color and contrast? How is the touchscreen feature? Iv heard some arnt as good as others?

 

Ended up ordering one also. Got the i7 version with 256ssd 1080p.

 

Good call on the 1080p screen. Anything more on this is overkill -- the i7 isn't worth it IMO though.

 

Well, i couldn't decide between the two and I am planning on keeping it for a long time. Plus I ended up getting it for slightly less than $1500. I don't expect it to be a huge performance increase from the i5 but I am ok with it.

 

Well we actually don't know this time if the i7 has worth since it is based on new architecture. If it was actually a 4510u and not a 5500u, then sure, it may not be worth it (I think most of us would agree on that). But may there are some gains with the 5500u that justify its upgrade price.

 

Hey everyone! Brand new to the forum. I ordered the Alienware 13!

I got the blackfriday special which was $1199 (comes with 16gig ram + 1080 ips display)
I added the 512gig ssd + $200 dollars
Found a online coupon that saved me an additional $100 dollars
Total price paid was $1299

Ive looked over a million laptops and I decided to get this one. Mainly because of the ability to add the graphics amplifier down the road and the "claimed" Battery life. I am a college student and wanted a laptop that will play todays modern games at a decent level. I didn't want to be stuck by a outlet when I am not gaming. I LOVE the idea of the graphics amplifier because I am always on the go and a desktop really isn't a option for me (to much travel due to work/school).

Perfect for college gamers who don't have the space for a massive desktop.

Cant wait to get it! it will arrive 12/26/14 and I will post pictures and a unboxing video (even though there will probably be a million of them by the time I get mine lol.)

 

I wished I looked up online coupon for Dell.

 

Quickship models now available from dell, might just have to snag one

 

the graphics amplifier is WAY overpriced. i thought about it, but essentially $300 for a case is just too much, you would also need to buy a a high end desktop graphics card (if you don't have one) which is $250-$300+.

 

i don't see the quickship models in the US, all of them say 12/19+

 

I think you're missing the point.

When the proper desktop replacement models are out (ie Alienware 17 R2), users will be able to buy the laptop and game at the highest settings for 2 years, then, for only ~$500, grab a GA and desktop card and continue gaming using the latest generation.

I get thatit might seem expensive to buy it all now, up front. But stretched over a couple of years, it's going to save you a lot more money than constantly upgrading laptops.

 

AH that makes sense. i thought the amp was a AW 13 exclusive, my bad. Although the price of it should be more like 199 or 149.

 

Dell has said future refreshes of the other AW laptops will include the GA port

 

Ditto....(10chars)

 

One of the three banner pages says "Smart Shipping. Superior Gaming." Click on that and it should take you to the page, I think the next splash page after does it too.

Right now it looks like you can order the "Smart Shipping" style, or if you gamble a bit get it slightly later but get a different configuration. If you go the "Smart Shipping" route I noticed you can still apply the $50 off coupon in the cart, so it's a pretty good deal my only gripe personally is you have to go Windows 8.

Everyone who ordered according to this policy should keep this in mind, if you got a system on the 9th or later in November you have a good long time to return it according to this Holiday Policy:

"Extended holiday returns
Extended returns on purchases
made 11/9/14 to 12/25/14,
return deadline is 1/15/15
or 30-days from invoice date, whichever is later. Exceptions
to Dell's standard return policy
still apply, and certain products
are not eligible for return at any
time. Television returns are subject to restocking fees. See dell.com/returnspolicy."

 

After clicking the banner, you'll see certain prebuilt models that will ship within 24 hours.

 

Did someone can test if the AW13 support 3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz ?
It's quite impossible to be sure with datasheets i found !

;-)

 

From GTX 860m page: