Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Features

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

This is the best Alienware gaming laptop you can buy

Kunal Khullar
By

The world of the best gaming laptops is constantly evolving, presenting enthusiasts with an ever-expanding array of powerful, sleek, and innovative choices. Among these, Alienware stands out as a popular brand name renowned for its cutting-edge technology, performance-driven hardware, and futuristic design.

As gaming becomes increasingly immersive and demanding, choosing the right gaming laptop can significantly impact your experience. In this article, we delve into what we think is the best Alienware gaming laptop that you can buy today, the Alienware x16.

Diablo 4 running on the Alienware x16.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

First showcased at CES 2023, the Alienware x16 is sort of an alternative to the x17. It features a sleek and futuristic design that the company calls Legend 3 and is available in a Lunar Silver color scheme. The lid and bottom chassis are now made out of solid metal with a silver finish that looks really clean, while the inside (keyboard deck and bezels) is all black. It almost seems like Alienware parent Dell wanted to add a hint of its XPS lineup, but at the same time didn’t want to wander away from Alienware’s well-known space age-inspired design language. There’s also a neat-looking loop of RGB lights powered by 100 micro-LEDs surrounding the rear ports.

Recommended Videos

Despite being a 16-inch power-packed gaming laptop, the Alienware x16 has a pretty slim profile, making it one of the thinnest in its category. It has a thickness of 0.73 inches and weighs around 5.9 pounds, which makes it easier to carry around in a backpack.

Alienware x16 hanging out of the backpack.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends / Digital Trends

Like the previous-gen X-series laptops, the Alienware x16 continues to have all of its I/O ports at the rear. While that is great to manage cables, it can be cumbersome in certain situations. There’s a headphone jack, microSD card slot, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, a HDMI 2.1, and a mini-DisplayPort 1.4 connector. Notably, there is no Ethernet jack, but you do get Wi-Fi 6E for fast internet connectivity.

Related

In terms of display, Dell is offering three configurations on the Alienware x16. You can get the laptop with a 1200p 480Hz refresh rate, but there is also the option of 2560 x 1600 resolution available with either 165Hz or 240Hz, which is probably the better choice if you are looking for a sharper gaming experience. All three display options incorporate both Nvidia G-Sync and Advanced Optimus, enabling the system to seamlessly alternate between discrete and integrated GPUs automatically.

The Alienware x16 boasts a sizable touchpad, while the compact palm rest is intentionally designed to create additional space above the keyboard for improved ventilation. The touchpad is equipped with customizable RGB lighting, allowing users to personalize it to illuminate in their preferred pattern or color scheme.

Keyboard and trackpad on the Alienware x16.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends / Digital Trends

The Alienware x16 comes with a comfortable keyboard featuring 1.8mm key travel and top-tier functionalities such as N-Key rollover, anti-ghosting, and per-key RGB backlighting. For those seeking a more tactile experience, there’s also the choice of a Cherry MX ultra-low-profile mechanical keyboard.

As for performance, the Alienware x16 comes with Intel’s 13th-gen mobile CPUs ranging from the Core i7-13620H all the way to the powerful Core i9-13900HK. It can be configured with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 6000 MT/s memory and dual 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSDs in RAID configuration. Graphics duties are handled by Nvidia’s latest GeForce RTX 40-series mobile GPUs and can be configured up to the RTX 4090, with 175 watts of graphics power. The RTX 4050, 4060, 4070, or 4080 are also options.

Dell continues to use its Alienware Cryo-tech cooling technology, which includes a special Thermal 31 thermal compound on the CPU and GPU for enhanced cooling. There’s also a vapor chamber and dual cooling fans that have been improved to deliver better airflow. Do note that the special thermal compound is available in a few select configurations.

Pricing starts at $1,799 for the base configuration, while the top-end model is going to set you back $3,799.

While the Alienware x16 is the sweet spot for most, there are two other laptops in the lineup that are worth considering before pulling the trigger. First, there’s the Alienware x14. This 14-inch gaming laptop is remarkably smaller than the 16-inch model, and though its performance is more limited, the compact size of this device is incredible.

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the Alienware m18, which is currently the most powerful offering from the company. It can be configured with the latest Intel or AMD mobile CPUs, the RTX 4090, up to 8TB of storage, and 64GB of DDR5 memory.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kunal Khullar
Kunal Khullar
Computing Writer
A PC hardware enthusiast and casual gamer, Kunal has been in the tech industry for almost a decade contributing to names like…
The only gaming laptops you should consider for college
Dell G15 (2023) sitting on a coffee table.

The laptop market is a bit strange right now, which is particularly problematic if you're going back to school. We've seen some of the best gaming laptops ever this year, but many solid laptops for going back to school haven't been updated to the latest generation yet, making it hard to settle on one machine.

We've reviewed dozens of laptops in 2023, and there are only a select few that meet the balance of price, performance, and portability that students demand. If you're going back to school, these are the only three laptops you should even consider.
The high roller: Razer Blade 14

Read more
I’m a laptop reviewer, and these are the only laptops creatives should buy in 2023
The MacBook Pro with the default wallpaper, which hides the notch.

One of the most popular laptop categories in recent years is laptops designed for creators, both high-end photo editors and video editors. These users have very specific needs, including fast performance to optimize workflows and displays with wide and accurate colors.

Usually, but not always, these laptops sport 15-inch displays or larger (16-inch panels are becoming the new standard), and they offer high-end CPUs and discrete GPUs that contribute to speeding up the most important creative processes. They're also expensive laptops, so we decided to break down the laptops we've reviewed and provide the best options at each price.
Less than $1,500 -- Acer Swift X 14

Read more
Alienware just changed everything you know about its desktops
Alienware Aurora R16 sitting on a desk.

Alienware's flagship gaming desktop is getting a serious makeover. The new Aurora R16, which is available to purchase now, ditches the angular, obtuse design of Alienware's previous models in favor of a design that feels familiar yet -- if you'll excuse the pun -- alien.

That's clear by looking at an image of the redesigned Aurora R16 above. It's a mid-tower box, much unlike a machine like the Aurora R15, with its massive footprint and large plastic covering that makes it feel much larger than it actually is. the Aurora R16 fits in much better now with the standard crop of gaming desktops, though it still has some unique design choices.

Read more