First review of Alienware 14!

going from a r1 it would be a worth while upgrade GT555 to gtx765! but the blade is pretty epic its just a matter if i can handle not having gigabit and hdd space

the new design is lame imho; why make it heavier, noiser, fatter + less battery life

turning the 14" into a luggable instead of a portable

 

Alienware 14 Gaming Laptop Review - IGN

Pretty superficial review as expected from a consumer site. Im tired of these BS reviews that don't take temperature readings or even take the back cover off. Common notebookcheck, waiting for you.

I still havent found one picture of the 14 with the back cover off.

 

from the IGN'S review:

" Battery life, on the other hand, is expectedly limited. In PC Mark 8 battery testing, which accounts for gaming, casual browsing, and media viewing behaviors, the Alienware 14 lasted for anywhere between 2 to 3 hours. I tested the machine at 50-percent display brightness and with the LED 'AlienFX' system turned both on and off, which surprisingly, resulted in only a 10 minute battery life differential. Taking gaming or other GPU-taxing software out of the mix increases the run time, but only by an hour under the most energy-conscious of settings. Though hardly ideal, the Alienware 14's shortcomings in battery performance are common for the category.

Other less desirable elements pervasive in the gaming laptop realm and carried over to the Alienware 14 include a fairly noisy fan system. During gaming sessions, the fans run at full blast, drawing cool air from vents on the bottom and blowing it out the back. This is a stark contrast to the Razer Blade, which generates a fraction of the noise. But in exchange for the constant buzz of the fans, the Alienware 14 maintains a cool surface temperature for lap use."



Short battery life... maybe the new 6 cell battery (instead 8 cell) pack explains this?

 

It's all because of that optical drive. without it they can probably put another fan and a 9 cell battery in there. An optical drive is a nice thing to have but only when it doesn't affect other aspects of the design. In a 14inch form factor that is just not possible.

 

john,

Can you tell me your window's experience index (WEI) on your 14''?
Also how's the range on the killer wifi NIC?

Thanks in advance

 

The 750m is a "rebranded" GT(X - LOL) 660m with GPU boost 2.0. The GTX765m is effectively a rebranded 670MX with GPU boost 2.0 and higher base clocks.

Judging by the M14 prices on the UK dell website (& DMX dimension), it is comically overpriced compared to the MSI GE40 (760m - downclocked 765m) & the 13" Clevo model available soon from various re-sellers (PC specialist / Scan etc). The 4700MQ/765m config is £1,700 not including a SSD:

Alienware 14 Gaming laptop Deals, E-Value Codes and Discount Coupons

This price has to be a joke surely? £1,700 is quite a bit more than a Clevo 15.6" based machine with a 4700MW / 780m config (Scan).

 

I like how you criticize rebrands but you have a Fermi rebrand in your Laptop.

 

Here is a comparison of the 14" display of the new Alienware 14 vs M14x R2. Taken from Alienware facebook page and used snipping tool for the side by side. Enjoy

The new 1080p display of the new AW 14 is definitely more vivid and colorful and has no glare w/ better viewing angle.





If pic didn't work, try this direct link

http://i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz166/alcalite/NewAW14vsM14xR2display_zpsddbe8a0f.jpg

 

Nice screen on the new R2 but the extremely thick screen bezel on the bottom looks twice as thick as the R1.
I still don't get why the new model has to be so thick and huge for a 14" laptop. The new design I can live with but the weight and size is almost as big as 15" latops that you can get with GTX 780M. I wish they kept the M15x around for a refresh at least you get a MXM slot for future upgrades.
So anyone getting one soon?

 

I already ordered my Alienware 14

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

Morning IKAS, i forgot to pm you back in regards to the GE40 and i have been playing with it the last few days. You can read about the pros and cons that i wrote at the ge40 owner's thread section.


Anyway back to the AW 14, it is now being called AW 14 and not M14x R3. I ordered the AW 14 a few days ago and it's currently "in production" stage with the gtx 765m and 1080p IPS display as my added customizations. If you read my ge40 pros and cons, i had issues with it especially the high temps and uncomfortable heat. I think I am beginning to understand on why the G46 or M14x is slightly on the heavier and thicker side compared to the new GE40 or Razer. With the G46 sitting at 5.5lbs with dual fan cooling and the new AW 14 sitting at 6.1lbs ( lighter than R1/R2 at 6.5lbs) with a single fan.


Although i did not see any throttling with the GE40 while monitoring it with hwinfo and msi afterburner graph, the heat was just too much on the left side area that it became so uncomfortable that i had to raise my left hand up and down constantly because it was just too uncomfortable.


Now i dunno how the new Razer 14 is going to be since that is even lighter and thinner than the GE40 and has a gtx 765m compared to 760m but it will probably heat up also and possibly throttle but we will find out in the coming weeks when Razer 14 owners get theirs and gets some proper testing and reviews. Plus i already took out the Razer 14 in my list of possible 13-14" laptops to buy since it was lacking an ethernet port, card reader, and optical drive then i have my suspicions about the 900p screen on the razer 14 to be mediocre like on the GE40 where it was grainy and the blacks being slightly greyish and for $1,800+, i'm not too excited about the display.


Now my opinion in all of these is that, i'd rather have the 13 or 14 inch laptop at around 5-6lb and at 1.2-1.6inch thick if that will cool the high end cpu and gtx class gpu properly without uncomfortable heat or throttling. If i wanted a really thin and super light machine with long battery, I would just grab a MBA/Vaio Pro or Thinkpad x230

 

@Benchmade,

Excellent input, I'll await your review on the AW 14. It has a single exhaust, so I'm a bit worried and I hope they resolve the cooling issues. I have 3 possible 14'' laptops right now that I'm waiting on, they are the AW 14, Blade, and G46 VR. From the temps that john listed, the Blade 14 has very impressive cooling considering it's size.

 

Sure it only has 1 exhaust but the 1 exhaust may have more area than the 2 exhausts on the razer blade because of the height.

 

@Benchmade 42
It's a great choice bro, hope you love it, when are you getting it?

 

Hopefully bro! I honestly thought GE40 was the one until I played with it, the one thing that bothered me the most about it was the keyboard ghosting which was very surprising and caught me really offguard because I had the msi x460dx with the exact keyboard as the ge40 but w/o keyboard ghosting


My AW14 went into production 4 days ago and I have an EDD of July 15 but i'm hoping to get it much earlier.



@Nivaku. Yep will do when I get it hoping real soon lol

 

Looking forward to an in depth review of the Alienware 14, from a NBR member.
The current reviews available from websites are pretty contradicting and do not really describe the temperatures.
I am most curious to see how the cooling system performs under load.

Otherwise I'm impressed with the build quality of this system.
Had a look at this video: Alienware 14 Quality of the housing and keyboard (inner components) - YouTube
My takeaway points would be (Overall conclusion) :
1) Stout system built with quality materials
2) User upgradability is not forgotten (At least you don't void warranties with cleaning fans or switching out HDDs/SSDs)
3) In terms of performance I believe its as high as it gets within the 13"-14" department
My only gripe would be the weight, wish it were 2 lbs lighter as my current laptop is of similar weight.
Having to travel often forces me to look for a lighter alternative.

Anyways, I'd like to say "thank you!" in advance for the upcoming reviews and also congratulations to our soon-to-be owners!

 

I'm curious about how durable the interior is. Could Dell be compensating for something by throwing around this "more than 60% metal" tagline? I wonder what is not metal.

Still, it might impress me.

 

Oh thers no doubt build quality is very good and they use quality components it's the performance that counts

Anyway I hope we see good reviews on the cooling and fan noise.

 

This suggests that LaptopMagazine did not test the 14's IPS screen:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/721403-official-alienware-launch-discussion-thread.html

Note that the brightness of the 1366x768 screen is almost the same as what Laptopmag reports.

 

The chassis looks like it encases the entire backside of the notebook, Much like the M14x. So the only way to service it is probably by taking the keyboard off and palm rest off. I hope this is the case.

 

But I think it is unlikely the single fan will move more air than the double fans. Will be interesting to see hands on.

 

Well with less area the fans would need to spin faster to move more air. Which with how "quite" the razer blade is doesn't sound like the case.

 

If it is unobstructed I don't think that is really the case. Two fans at lower rpm will be quieter than one moving the same amount of air.

I am not a mechanical engineer, I am a chemist and physician, but if the fans are able to generate sufficient static pressure, which can be achieved at low rpm, they should be able to move a decent amount of air despite the smaller aperture. And the fact that there are two of them will give a huge advantage. Really not sure why alienware continued the single fan.

Personally I would much rather have two fans, more battery, and no optical drive. It certainly is hard to find the perfect laptop I suppose.

 

That would be awesome. I can't even remember that last time I used the optical drive in my m14x.

 

Is it just the angle of the camera or the new laptops are bigger?
Design wise they look way better, but I agree they could have done better job with cooling.

 

We don't even have numbers to compare the razer blade and aw 14 yet.

 

Seriously! Someone get on that

 

Well the razer blade 14'' it's thermal is pretty decent considering it's dual-exhaust system. About 85*C CPU load running prime95. GPU was at 75*C on load according to one of the users who received their laptop. That's extremely decent temps on both CPU and GPU. I'm just waiting on AW reviews to get their laptops so I can see what temps they have. Honestly if the AW does the same I'm going with the AW since it's cheaper and the form factor for me in terms of size and weight won't matter to me much.

 

What if you are playing BF3 and loading both.

I'm more curious about that.

The m14x R1 could handle the cpu just fine hit 85C on its own as well but when bf3 came on phew, forget it.

 

You should go with AW regardless anyway. The Razer 14 @ $1,800+ plus tax does not have an Ethernet port, no card reader, no optical drive, a subpar 900p screen vs the AW 14 having all those 3 things missing plus a 72% color gamut FHD IPS Display and customizable alienfx lighting and also don't forget better warranty where they come to your house to fix it or they pay for return label shipping 2 ways.

The only reason to get Razer 14 is if you like super thin and light laptops and i'd rather have the xtra 1-2lb weight to get all the things I mentioned above and having the xtra weight and thickness will guarantee proper cooling because I experience this with the GE40 eventhough it did not throttle after hours of testing gaming on it, I know the ge40 isn't probably going to last because of the high temperatures and discomfort in just laying my left hand on the leftside keyboard and palm area and cpu temp racing as high as 95-98 in just minutes of starting a game.

 

The alienware may be the better choice, for you, and for many... but to go with the alienware "regardless" is not a great idea. If the Razer indeed has comparable cooling or perhaps superior, why would you not consider it. If budget, that's fine, valid point.

Personally I dont want an optical drive. As in its a negative for me. I could care less about a card reader. Ethernet and screen, big pluses, and I agree a potential reason to choose aw, but its a trade off. And reading proper reviews when available and considering options is wise.

 

Considering i got mine for 1265 usd vs 1865(With tax on the Razer) I'll take the AW 14. 33% cost is a ton. Also a better screen.

 

Like I said, price is 100% valid. Can't argue with a budget.

 

Yeah, no doubt. If they offered it with a HDD @ 1500 USD it would be a reasonable debate.

 

I had a chance to check out my friend's brand new Razer Blade. the screen is godawful. the viewing angles are horrendous, and it just isn't that bright. Granted, I am coming from a MacBook Pro, but I've seen FAR BETTER screens on entry level laptops that cost less than half the blade.

shame on Razer. They should have offered an IPS option, just like Alienware. Then the laptop would have been a contender.

Its ridiculous that owners in the Razer forum are forced into complaining about the screen on a $2000 laptop.

 

The Razer 14?? If it is then i knew the 900p panels in the 13-14" aren't very good with low color gamut, lower contrast and slighty greyish blacks.

 

Just wanted to comment on some of the posts at the start of this thread where people complained this Alienware is disappointing.

When the previous m14x models were released people kept complaining about two things:

The first and most important: the gpu was too weak, and references were made to other brands offering a better gpu in 'same sized' laptops (i.e. I deliberately didn't say same screen size)
The second complaint was the screen.

Alienware listhened to these demands, giving a better screen and a better gpu. Now people are surprised this laptop is so thick. Ofcourse it its thick, would you rather have a thin laptop with a gt750m?

I guess some people are never satisfied, but for me Alienware made a decent gaming notebook again, which is a machine with a lot of graphic power which you can take with you. That is the only realistic definition of a gaming notebook.

If you want something thin and quiet, go ahead buy it. Just know that your fans get weaker over time as well. [In my good 5.5 year old acer it is said that after 2500 hours the rubber cord/elastic of the fan already starts to lose its full strength. (I use my laptop 6-10 hours a day, if you count 6 hours for a year thats 2190 hours, so i'm probably at around 10.000 by now]. So if the temps already reach 80-90 celcius in a new product, be sure to count in an extra 5-10 after a few years.

 

Yes, the Razer 14. Stunning machine flawed with a substandard screen. Even after calibration the screen was lackluster. And worse, the viewing angle sweet spot was very narrow.

 

View attachment 98087

I know Aw has better screen more ports + DVD. but razer has the same gpu, similar CPU and thermals to match.

I use to be an alienware fanboy but come on. AW/DELL need to do more than just change a screen and put on some alumnium trim.

After waiting 3 years for the AW redesign we as consumers deserve a better effort by a company that is much larger than razer.

 

The cooling capabilities of the Razer 14 are worse than the Alienware 14. Just sayin'.

That and I personally hate the idea of the unibody design that they use. Essentially using the Macbook body for a gaming notebook. Eww... :x

 

@imglidinhere,

Do you have actual thermal temperatures on the CPU/GPU load and idle on the new AW 14? I already know the thermals on the Razer 14, and it's pretty decent

 

Do you have gaming temps and not benching temps?

We are all more than likely interested in those more.
As for the Razer screen. IPS screens are thicker /endofstory

 

@kevin ^

People have posted gaming temps and were quite favorable. Much better than previous m14x and r2 with less noise- but I haven't seen any official reviews on that yet, so should be taken with fair amount of skepticism I would think.

 

Also, how did you get the aw so cheap? Phone or internet discount? Assuming you got the 765 and ips correct?

 

Yes, model in my Sig.
1. Used Chat got 100 off. Down to 1399.
2. Had 10% off coupon from BBB for a complaint from a previous laptop.
3. Called to cancel offered another $75 off.
4. I also got NBD shipping free by chating them back saying it was never offered ( It wasn't)
5. It wasn't offered because i used a Dell advantage so i'll also get a 5% Gift Card.

Edit: (It will be around 1265 after tax, i haven't done the exact math.)

 

Any idea when your getting it?

 

I don't even think Dell could tell you that.

Wish i could. Sorry.

 

Sounds awesome, when I price it out comes to almost $1800- just with 675m and 1080p. Shoot for that price easy choice I would say.

 

Yeah between the 5% gift card i also have 15% off an accessory. I'll basically get the backpack for 5 bucks.

 

@Hookerlips ,

Can you link the temps that people are posting on their AW 14? I seem to cannot find it here, I just want to compare the thermals to other laptops.

Thanks