A Look at the Alienware 13 (late 2015)

Rating: 4.5/5

With the Alienware 2016 OLED display model on the way, I found it fitting to review the unit as a whole--and my thoughts on who this competitive little machine is for.

Price

Let's start with the basics; the Alienware 13 comes in multiple configurations, starting at $999 USD and goes upwards $2000 USD.

Design

The Alienware 13 has a striking carbonfiber-like enclosure and grooves that look like something off a Sci-Fi set.

The chassis is very smooth and comfortable to rest your palms on while typing. The keyboard is evenly backlit and keys spring nicely, (and in any color and gradient variation I must add, but much more on that in a bit.)

The Alienware 13 is pretty slim for a gaming notebook, at just around an inch thick closed; it's also a very portable notebook, at about 2 kilos or 4.5 lbs in weight.

Touchpad

The touchpad is another situation entirely; it doesn't feel smooth in comparison to the chassis or the keyboard--and certainly not like a MacBook glass trackpad, for instance.

Dell probably had the idea that most users would avoid using a trackpad over a gaming mouse anyway, which rings true for me most of the time.

For those times where I'm travelling and resting my computer on my lap, using the trackpad is not a pleasant experience for me at all.

Maybe it's because I'm coming from a MacBook Air, where I only use the trackpad and find the multitouch gestures to be incredibly seamless.

The multitouch isn't as responsive on the Alienware 13 trackpad and the button click isn't very satisfying. The trackpad feels better suited for a laptop that costs $1000 less.

I often accidentally click while touching my trackpad--which means I'd accidentally fire my weapon in a FPS or hit something I wasn't trying to select, if my thumb moves over it during a game.

While the trackpad is usable, it certainly isn't ideal; and I suggest using a mouse where you can.

Even moving the cursor is very difficult and not very accurate when navigating the web.

I'd often slide past the link I want to click on, because the sensitivity is off-putting at times and it's an overall subpar experience for an otherwise good-quality machine.

Ports

The notebook houses an AC adapter port, Kensington Lock Slot, 3 USB 3.0 ports, Audio In, Audio Out, RJ-45 Ethernet port, Mini Display port, HDMI and the notable Alienware Graphics Amplifier port.

Audio

The Alienware 13 sports Klipsch Audio that is very clear.

The volume easily fills the whole room--which is very impressive for a smaller device.

Although the bass isn't as resonant as the reverberating treble--it's something that can be turned up with software like DFX Audio Enhancer.

Many will game with headphones anyhow, although the speakers are more than good enough for listening to Spotify playlists, hearing enemy fire from around or watching some Netflix.

Wireless

The laptop sports a Wireless 802.11 ac network card from Killer. This is fantastic for MMORPGs like Dota 2, Marvel Heroes or any online game.

I've been able to download games from Steam and Origin at an impressive 4 MBps; and while Wi-Fi speed is hugely dependent on your ISP, you can't go wrong with a fast network card.

I've never reached 999 ping.

AlienFX

Many users when they think of an Alienware, they think of the colorful keyboard.

On the new Alienware 13, you can change the color of the backlit keyboard in four different areas, the Alienware text branding, the Alien power button and the Alienware logo along with the two strips of light at the front of the computer.

This is not only great for personalization, but can be changed depending on the application you are using, for notifications and setting a specific themes for games.

Hardware

The Alienware, as can be assumed eponymously, is a powerful system that can be further modified to be outfitted with high-end components.

The Intel Core i7 Skylake CPU and 16 GB of DDR3 RAM are among the most notable upgrades.

The Nvidia 960M GPU can be upgraded from 2 GB of video memory to 4 GB, which is also a plus while playing memory-hungry games like GTA V, which I write about in an earlier post.

The HDD comes standard with 500 Gigabytes and can but upgraded to 1 Terabyte--or to Solid-State storage, which there are slots to fit two SSDs.

The out-of-the-box mechanical hard drive is rather slow and many will find a major difference in boot times to launching apps games with an SSD, which makes the upgrade among the most significant.

Display

The baseline display is a HD 1366 x 768 standard resolution panel.

At a much-recommended FHD IPS 1080p configuration, the display is very crisp at about 160 dpi--a step up from the aforementioned 720p HD TN display at around 120 dpi.

The TN (Twisted Nematic) have far less color accuracy and brightness levels than IPS (In-Plane Switching); on the Alienware 13, the 720p panel is.75x the nit strength at 400 nits--and at a 72% color gamut it's in for a 17% increase in color accuracy.

There is also a 1440p option, however the 1080p is ideal for gaming at a sustainable framerate, while still looking sharp.

You can upgrade further to a touchscreen QHD display at 2560 x 1440 at 400 nits (72% color gamut).

There is now a 4K UHD touchscreen option at 3840 x 2160 resolution--although this is considered by many unable to be fully taken advantage of, on a 13" display.

Gaming at 4K with the Nvidia 960M may also be unplayable at anything other than low-to-medium settings.

Battery Life

For a gaming laptop, the battery life of the Alienware 13 is strong--lasting at around 8 hours of casual web browsing.

While streaming 1080p YouTube videos and downloading 100 GBs of Steam games, I was about to get around 4-5 hours before having to look for an outlet.

While gaming, I got around 2 and a half hours on average--at high graphics settings.

The battery also charges lightening fast, taking around 35 minutes to reach full-charge.

Performance overview

As noted above, the battery life is far better than expected than any other gaming laptop of any sort--although I find the performance substantially increases while using the AC/adapter, as a good PSU is crucial to powering the GPU.

I get 3x the framerate in some games--and with with other less-demanding titles, it's closer to a 20% increase.

Either way, if you're gaming near a power outlet, I suggest plugging in.

Gaming

Having the opportunity to play two games from my Steam library, I can't necessarily give really comprehensive benchmarks.

So far, I've run Fallout 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3--both late 2015 titles.

Fallout 4 runs smoothly at near-max settings (shadows on medium) at a steady 60 fps on the 960M GPU.

Black Ops 3 runs also very well at a steady 50-60 fps at near-max settings, (medium shadows.)

I downloaded my newest title Tom Clancy's: The Division and was unable to play it satisfactorily.

A laptop M-series GPU is not supported by the game and it will only run at low settings.

Now The Division looks good at any resolution, but having been able to max it out on my desktop, I couldn't enjoy the textures as much.

Most won't notice however and the game is very playable at about 50 fps.

The new Alienware notebook line does offer gaming on the go--while supporting connecting to an external display and a full-scale GPU, for a desktop-class level of performance--which brings us to the Alienware Graphics Amplifier.

Alienware Graphics Amplifier

The Alienware Graphics Amplifier is a separate peripheral for the Alienware 13, 15, 17 and 18 notebooks.

It sports a full-fledged PCI-e (x8) slot for a desktop GPU, which can then be connected via __ cable to the back of the laptop.

This graphics amplifier is not exactly the most portable, weighing in at about 10 lbs; you can input the image to the laptop's internal display or an external monitor/multiple monitors.

This essentially can double or triple your framerate when using a GTX 980, for instance.

To give you a better idea, you can see from this Shadow of Mordor benchmark chart that the notebook + graphics amplifier, is just shy 10 FPS from the card's desktop counterpart.

The verdict

Overall, I have many positive things to say, as I'm very impressed with the capability of the Alienware 13; this notebook offers desktop-grade performance, in a compact form factor.

With a modern, streamlined design coupled with much-appreciated features like AlienFX lighting, are sure to add to the overall user experience.

Powered by the 960M GPU and a clear, bright display, games are sure to run smoothly and clearly, for a very enjoyable gaming session; with great customization options, audio quality and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Coupled with a better-than-average battery life and accompanied by an array of connectivity options, including the famous Alienware Graphics Amplifier, the expansion possibilities of the notebook are vast.

Pros:

- Aesthetically-pleasing futuristic design

- Portable gaming notebook
- Fantastic internet card
- Great audio powered by Klipsch

- Strong battery life and charging speed

- Very comfortable chassis and keyboard

- FHD 1080p display offers the best balance between clarity and 60 FPS high-settings gaming

- AlienFX is a very welcome feature

- $999 base model can play most games at high settings

- Powerful configuration options and upgradability

- Easy user accessibility for upgrades

- Multitude of ports

- Optional Alienware Graphics Amplifier

Cons:

- Mediocre touchpad

Why I chose the Alienware 13 and Who It's For

Being a college student in game art and design I can tell you I needed a workstation capable of running demanding graphics engines, while being able to commute around campus and public transportation.

I was debating on purchasing another MacBook Pro, but the minimum graphics specifications weren't met with the AMD card Apple was offering.

I turned to the Asus ROG and the Lenovo y50, but none sported the portability I foremost needed.

For a hefty pricetag, the highest-end Alienware 13 was my go-to, featuring not only portability and a great display, but the required i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM and dedicated GPU which would essentially be folding my desktop and bringing it with me, without the muscle strain.

 

If you're a casual gamer who wants a portable gaming solution, the y50 by Lenovo is probably the better option, sporting competitive specs for a decent price.

For those who really want to play high end games on the go, the Alienware 13 is a great model to check out, that can be tailored to your liking and boasts the available Graphics Amplifier.

For those who want to max-out games, while only travelling on an occasional basis, the Alienware 15 or the Asus ROG is a good place to start.

For those who simply want a mobile gaming powerhouse, opt for the Alienware 17 or 18--or even an MSI laptop.

For those who hardly leave the house, a desktop is a better investment--as you get far better specifications for the price.