What you need to know
- Dell announced the Alienware x15 and x17 gaming laptops today.
- The x15 is the "world's most powerful sub-16mm 15-inch gaming laptop," according to Dell.
- Both laptops feature 11th Gen Intel Core H-series mobile processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series laptop GPUs.
Dell announced the Alienware x15 and x17 gaming laptops today. Both laptops feature the latest internals from Intel and powerful NVIDIA RTX 30 series laptop GPUs. Despite their powerful graphics, the x15 is under 16mm thick, and the x17 is just under 21mm thick.
The X-Series laptops run on 11th Gen Intel Core H-series mobile processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series laptop GPUs ranging up to the RTX 3080. The x15 supports graphics power up to 110W, while the x17 goes all the way up to 165W.
The x15 and x17 have CHERRY MX keyboards with 3.5mm ultra-low-profile designs. The displays of the laptops range from FHD with a 360Hz refresh rate up to 4K UHD HDR400.
Alienware x15
| Category | Alienware x15 |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H Core i9-11900H |
| RAM | 16GB, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 RTX 3070 RTX 3080 |
| Storage | Up to 4TB M.2 PCIe SSD Dual SSDs RAID 0 |
| Display | 15.6 inches 1920x1080 (FHD) 300 nits, 100% sRGB 165Hz, 3ms 360Hz, 1ms, G-Sync 2560x1440 (QHD) 400 nits, 99% DCI-P3 240Hz, 2ms, G-Sync |
| Ports | USB-A 3.2 (Gen 1) USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2) Thunderbolt 4 microSD card reader 3.5mm audio HDMI 2.1 |
| Connectivity | Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675 Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Camera | Front-facing 720p IR camera |
| Keyboard | X-series thin AlienFX lighting 1.5mm travel Anti-ghosting |
| Security | IR camera |
| Battery | 87Wh |
| Dimensions | 14.16 x 10.92 x 0.63 inches (359.7mm x 277.3mm x 15.9mm) |
| Weight | From 5 pounds (2.27kg) |
| Color | Lunar Light |
Alienware x17
| Category | Alienware x17 |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H Core i9-11900HK |
| RAM | 16GB, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz 32GB, 64GB DDR4 XMP 3466MHz |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 RTX 3070 RTX 3080 |
| Storage | Up to 4TB M.2 PCIe SSD Dual SSDs RAID 0 |
| Display | 17.3 inches 1920x1080 (FHD) 300 nits, 100% sRGB 165Hz, 3ms 360Hz, 1ms, G-Sync 2560x1440 (QHD) 500 nits, 100% AdobeRGB 120Hz, 4ms |
| Ports | Two USB-A 3.2 (Gen 1) USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) Thunderbolt 4 microSD card reader HDMI 2.1 Mini DisplayPort 1.4 RJ45 Ethernet 3.5mm audio |
| Connectivity | Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675 Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Camera | Front-facing 720p IR camera |
| Keyboard | X-series thin AlienFX lighting 1.5mm travel Anti-ghosting CherryMX ultra low-profile AlienFX lighting 1.8mm travel Anti-ghosting |
| Security | IR camera |
| Battery | 87Wh |
| Dimensions | 15.72 x 11.79 x 0.82 inches (399.23mm x 299.49mm x 20.9mm) |
| Weight | From 6.65 pounds (3.02kg) |
| Color | Lunar Light |
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Since thinner laptop bodies can run into overheating issues, Dell worked on several ways to keep the x15 and x17 cool. The laptops have five patent-pending designs centered around cooling that are exclusive to Alienware.
The x15 and X17 feature the next generation of Alienware Cryo-Tech cooling technology. Part of that tech is Element 31, which is a thermal interface material made from Encapsulated Gallium-Silicone liquid metal compound. Dell states that the X-Series laptops deliver up to a 25% improvement in thermal resistance over competing products thanks to Element 31.
The laptops also have more traditional cooling methods, such as Alienware's (patent pending) Quad Fan design. That fan is controlled by Smart Fan, which uses AI to improve application performance. The laptops sport vents on their backs, tops, and bases.
The Alienware x15 and x17 will be available on June 1, 2021, starting at $1,999 and $2,099, respectively. At launch, both laptops will be available in a limited number of configurations. On June 15, 2021, all configurations of the laptops will be available for purchase.
These laptops have powerful internals all the way up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080s. Despite their graphical power, they have incredibly thin bodies.
