Alienware x16 review: Awesomely powerful and super thin

Price When Reviewed

2949.99

Best Prices Today: Alienware x16

$2949.99

$3,249.99

The Alienware x16 is a standout 16-inch gaming laptop computer in nearly each respect. It’s extremely skinny, however sturdy and impeccably styled with a chassis diffuse with actually beautiful RGB accents that go far past what rivals obtain. But it’s not simply showy, it’s additionally a formidable gaming machine, with desktop-caliber silicon that makes mincemeat of AAA video games. What’s extra, it sports activities a keyboard with a desktop-like really feel. While our efficiency testing reveals the x16 can get fairly sizzling at instances, that doesn’t seem to have a lot bearing on gaming efficiency, which stays within the higher echelon of our PCWorld efficiency charts.

Looking for extra choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best gaming laptops out there proper now.

Alienware x16: Specifications

The Alienware x16 is obtainable in a spread of configurations and at costs appropriate for various budgets. Prices begin at $1,799.99 for a configuration with an Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, a QHD+ show with 165Hz refresh fee and 1TB SSD storage.

Choosing probably the most premium {hardware} for every class on Dell’s web site, nonetheless, will land you a mannequin with an Intel Core i9-13900HK CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, 32GB DDR 5 RAM, 4TB SSD Storage and both a FHD+ show with 480Hz refresh fee or QHD+ show with 240Hz refresh fee.

My evaluate unit leans in the direction of the higher finish of the value spectrum costing $2,949.99 at Dell. It sports activities an i9-13900HK processor, however with an RTX 4080 GPU and QHD+ show with 165Hz refresh fee. Below I’ve damaged down its actual specs as follows:

• CPU: Intel Core i9-13900HK
• RAM: 32GB DDR5 / 6000MHz
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
• Display: 16-inch, QHD+ (2560 x 1600) decision, non-touch, 100 p.c sRGB, 165Hz refresh fee, 3 ms response time, Advanced Optimus, Nvidia G-Sync
• Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
• Ports: 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (with PowerShare), 1 x USB-C Gen 2 (with DisplayPort), Thunderbolt 4 port, 3.5 mm combo Audio jack, HDMI 2.1, mini Displayport, microSD card slot
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 ax), Bluetooth 5.3
• Weight: 6lbs (2.72kg)
• Dimensions: 14.36 x 11.41 x 0.73 inches
• Battery: 90WHr
• Price: $2,949.99 at Dell

How does the Alienware x16’s value evaluate to rivals?

The x16’s primary competitors comes from the Razer Blade 16 and the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16, that are each glorious 16-inch gaming laptops in their very own proper.

Looking first on the Razer Blade 16 and you may at the moment buy a mannequin with an Intel Core i9-13950HX CPU, RTX 4080 GPU and QHD+ 240Hz show for $3,599.99. We reviewed a configuration with RTX 4090 GPU again in May, and it had nice battery life and excelled in most different efficiency benchmarks, but it’s at the moment sporting a price ticket of $4,300 – a cool $1,350 greater than our x16.

Alternatively, a close to configuration of the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 comes with an Intel i9-13900HX CPU, RTX 4080 GPU and a QHD+ 240Hz show, and ships for $2,699.99. While we don’t have efficiency stats on this configuration, this evaluate reveals our x16 can outperform an $1,699.99 M16 mannequin with RTX 4070 GPU and Core i9-13900H CPU, besides in the case of battery life and our PCWorld HandBrake take a look at (see the efficiency graphs under).

Alienware x16: Design and construct

The Alienware x16 belongs to Dell’s X-Series of gaming laptops, that are designed to be particularly skinny gaming laptops, so it’s made with portability in thoughts. That being so, it’s the thinnest 16-inch laptop computer with RTX 4080 sequence GPU you will see. How slender is it? It’s simply 0.73 of an inch by means of its middle, which beats rivals just like the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 and Razer Blade 16. Its full dimensions are 14.36 x 11.41 x 0.73 inches.

Even so, the x16 is constructed like a tank, showcasing a robust magnesium alloy chassis and flex-less aluminum lid. The base is bolstered with stainless-steel and feels fully immovable. Looking across the chassis, you’ll discover eye-catching options all over the place together with its honeycomb-patterned vents, rounded edges, and extensive speaker grilles.

With plenty of metallic comprising the laptop computer, the x16 is, nonetheless, fairly heavy – it weighs six kilos (2.72kg) all up. That’s light-weight sufficient to be movable, however nonetheless fairly hefty to carry. Though, that’s unlikely to discourage avid gamers who will possible be enticed by the chance to commerce of their heavier 17-inch laptops for a premium, smaller-sized unit.

To styling, and I’ve all the time discovered Dell’s Alienware laptops to have beautiful gamer-centric attraction and the x16 isn’t any completely different. The laptop computer’s anodized aluminum end in a Lunar Silver shade contrasts properly towards the black base and palm rests. On the lid you’ll discover an iconic AlienFX emblem accompanied by a big, debossed letter X which seems to be elegant.

Additionally, there are dazzling RGB accents all through the chassis, illuminated by at least 100 micro-LEDs. As effectively because the AlienFX emblem, the standouts amongst them embody the RGB touchpad and an RGB tron ring embedded within the white plastic casing that covers the rear aspect of the chassis.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

To me, the trackpad is the true gem of the bunch. It ripples with good shade like some form of luminescent airplane touchdown strip. It seemed completely aplomb towards the darkish wooden of my buffet aspect desk. Alienware says it’s additionally 15 p.c bigger in measurement than the trackpad within the 2022 Alienware x17, so one in every of final yr’s ache factors has been aptly addressed.

All of this RGB might be personalised with as much as 16.8 million colours within the AlienFX software program app. Additionally, Alienware has launched new RGB lighting behaviors which you too can program within the AlienFX software program. They embody scanner, loop and rainbow wave results, all of which take the RGB expertise past what most gaming laptops obtain.

The different large noteworthy level about this laptop computer’s design is the cooling system. The many vents across the chassis are the primary clue that the laptop computer has formidable cooling {hardware} in it, however there’s one other large clue hiding in plain sight. On the underside a big perimeter foot has been added for carry and to permit air to stream by means of to the laptop computer’s inner quad-fans.

These followers, mixed with the laptop computer’s vapor chamber and the encapsulated Element 31 cooling agent which Alienware has utilized to the CPU and GPU, comprise the primary parts of the x16’s Cryo-tech cooling system.

Alienware x16: Keyboard

The x16’s low-profile per-key lit RGB keyboard with CherryMX mechanical switches felt form of like a desktop keyboard to me. That mentioned, I actually loved the satisfying click on of the switches, which made me really feel like I used to be in entrance of a decked-out desktop rig relatively than a confined laptop computer.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The keyboard additionally felt very spacious. Alienware has very considerately overlooked a numpad, so my arms by no means felt cramped. The keys additionally felt suitably roomy. Despite being low set, they’ve a beneficiant 1.8 mm journey, but they nonetheless have sufficient upward pressure to reply at lighting pace, which allowed me to fireplace off macros with machine-gun like tempo.

The keys additionally didn’t really feel the slightest bit wobbly or mushy. Of course, as with the remainder of the RGB within the x16, they’re customizable to 16.8 million colours and with a spread of fascinating results within the AlienFX software program app.

Alienware x16: Connectivity

All of the x16’s ports are situated in a neat groove on the rear of the laptop computer. Overall, the choice is extraordinarily helpful, with a diversified choice to help all my typical wants – for gaming, streaming, and managing information.

In addition to the compulsory USB-C, USB-A and HDMI ports, you’ll discover a mini-DisplayPort and a microSD card slot – each rarities in a gaming laptop computer and good options to have. One of the USB-C ports is a Thunderbolt 4 port too, which I put to good use, instantly downloading my gaming library in a fraction of the standard time it takes me.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Despite these connectivity wins, the x16’s awkward rear port placement did imply I needed to regularly flip the laptop computer round to plug gadgets in. On the upside, this additionally meant I gained a bit extra space both aspect of me for my espresso mug.

A much bigger grievance was that the RGB tron ring made the ports so tough to see that I wanted to make use of my telephone’s mild function to light up them. It was only a small inconvenience, however one that will lead to some customers selecting to modify the RGB off there.

Alienware x16: Display and audio

Many a strong gaming laptop computer is let down by a substandard show however the Alienware x16’s QHD+ (2560 x 1600) show is an actual gem, brimming with saturated shade and boasting deep commanding blacks.

It’s fairly tall, and in the event you haven’t but skilled the complete advantage of a panel with a 16:10 side ratio), I extremely advocate it. For me, I savored having an entire half inch or so of additional area on the far prime to get pleasure from video games like DOTA 2 and Age of Empires, the place I benefited from the additional map area. The element was additionally very crisp and the movement eminently easy – and that’s regardless of my evaluate unit sporting a 165Hz refresh fee – think about how fast the configuration with a FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 480Hz refresh fee have to be!

The laptop computer’s 1080p webcam is sort of invisible within the prime bezel. On the entire it produces respectable pictures, though at instances I did discover a milky sheen underneath vivid lights.

To make sure the x16’s audio high quality is a minimize above the remaining, Alienware has included at least six audio system within the chassis, consisting of 4 woofers and two upward firing tweeters. These audio system have been co-designed with Dolby, for Dolby Atmos help they usually produce a wealthy and diversified tonal vary with a stable bass drop and robust mid-tones that basically carry a depth to video games with wealthy storylines.

Alienware x16: CPU efficiency

My evaluate unit’s i9-13900HX CPU makes use of desktop-caliber silicon in a cellular bundle. It incorporates a complete of 14 cores (6 Performance Cores and 8 Efficient Cores) that function as much as a mixed max turbo frequency of 5.4GHz. Supporting the CPU is 32GB of DDR5 RAM operating at a really fast 6000MHz clock pace.

To gauge the CPU’s efficiency functionality, I ran PCWorld’s typical duo of CPU-based benchmarks and in contrast the outcomes towards laptops with confirmed excessive efficiency gaming chops. That lineup was effectively represented by 16-inch laptops, no less than one in every of which additionally sported an Intel HX i9 CPU – a Razer Blade 16 configuration with an Intel Core i9-13950HX.

The outcomes of the primary benchmark, Maxon’s Cinebench R20 Multi-Threaded benchmark, present the x16’s i9-13900HX to be extraordinarily potent – it even beat out the Razer Blade 16 with a rating of 7808. In concept this result’s comfy proof that the x16 must be a stellar performer in duties that make the most of all or a number of threads of its CPU – duties like operating AAA video games or encoding massive information.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The subsequent end result which comes from a bespoke take a look at in our PCWorld HandBrake utility casts a small shadow on that distinctive Cinebench efficiency. In this take a look at the laptop computer was given the duty of encoding a 30GB MKV file to MP4 utilizing the android pill preset – with a shorter period thought of a greater end result.

The “shadow” right here is thermal throttling; the Alienware x16 completed the duty a lot slower than the gaggle of comparisons, together with just a few with much less spectacular CPUs. It additionally felt extraordinarily sizzling to the contact, reaching temperatures of round 172 Fahrenheit as the duty neared completion. Just to verify this wasn’t a one-off anomaly I re-ran the identical take a look at two extra instances, however the end result was the identical.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

What does this imply? While throttling in itself isn’t dangerous for the laptop computer – it’s simply the laptop computer defending its {hardware} from an excessive amount of warmth – it does recommend the x16 received’t all the time carry out at its peak. Looking on the slenderness of the chassis and the wattage and {hardware} on provide, some throttling might be going to be anticipated, but Alienware guarantees loads with its Cryo-cooling system and it ought to actually have been as much as the duty right here.

Without finishing up an in-depth evaluation of what’s inflicting the throttling, it’s laborious to say what’s occurring. It would possibly merely be a bug within the software program. Regardless, and regardless of this discovering, the outcomes of the 2 checks nonetheless present there’s great CPU energy out there within the x16.

Alienware x16: Gaming efficiency

Previous PCWorld evaluations have already revealed the excellent energy of Nvidia’s cellular GeForce RTX 4080 GPU – like within the just lately reviewed 2023 Razer Blade 14, which has a Total Graphics Power (TGP) of 140-watt. Here I got down to see what the identical GPU might do tuned to a most 175-watt TGP within the x16.

To that finish, 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark supplied an eagle eye view of the graphics energy on provide. Here within the graph under, you possibly can see the x16’s GPU comfortably outperformed a spread of GPUs – together with the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 with its step-down RTX 4070 GPU. Against the Razer Blade 16’s beefier RTX 4090 GPU, the x16 additionally carried out admirably.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

On to the gaming benchmarks, and on this case, the outcomes have been gleaned from operating the Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmarks. In SoTTR, the x16 outperformed the Razer Blade 16 and the remainder of the sector of comparisons, whereas within the RoTTR benchmark our evaluate unit punched above its GPU division to match the Razer Blade 16’s fps rating blow for blow.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

When ray-traced graphics efficiency turned the primary defining issue, nonetheless, the Razer Blade 16’s GPU pulled away barely from the x16’s RTX 4080 GPU, as demonstrated by the outcomes of the 3DMark Port Royal benchmark.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

This is to be anticipated contemplating the upper variety of ray tracing cores within the RTX 4090 (76 versus 58) and means that this specific configuration of the Blade 16 will possible have an edge over the x16 in video games that rely closely on ray-traced graphics.

Overall, these outcomes present the RTX 4080 in my x16 is a pressure to be reckoned with – its GPU is extremely able to producing glorious body charges in richly textured video games and can possible haven’t any hassle with different graphically demanding duties, like video modifying or rendering 3D fashions.

It’s price noting too, that these outcomes have been achieved regardless of the laptop computer once more getting very popular, which implies that the throttling we noticed earlier than is unlikely to be a lot of a hindrance to gaming efficiency – no less than on this configuration of the x16 with RTX 4080 GPU.

Alienware x16: Battery life

To take a look at the battery life, I waited till the laptop computer was at full cost then switched off the keyboard backlighting and likewise switched the Wi-Fi to Airplane Mode. I additionally turned the sound all the way down to 50 p.c and plugged an inexpensive pair of headphones in to regulate noise. Last however not least, I unplugged the ability and set a 4K Hollywood film to repeat. I then timed how lengthy it took for the battery to expire of juice.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The Alienware x16 lasted simply 4 hours and 20 minutes earlier than switching to standby mode. This means you’re unlikely to get very lengthy gaming time with the ability wire unplugged – I estimate simply two hours. Therefore, the x16 is mostly a laptop computer greatest used plugged in to an AC outlet.

Alienware x16: Should you purchase it?

The Alienware x16 hits dwelling runs in nearly each class, being skinny, stable, trendy and with a stellar QHD+ show that brings textured gaming environments to life in vivid realism. It additionally has a satisfyingly desktop-like mechanical keyboard.

Despite operating fairly sizzling at instances, the x16 outperforms a robust subject of rival 16-inch contenders in GPU and CPU efficiency and produces spectacular body charges in AAA video games. This makes it an especially worthy proposition for avid gamers chasing the very best efficiency in a 16-inch gaming laptop computer.