Với thiết kế mạnh mẽ, chất lượng gia công vô cùng tốt so với mức giá, nhưng liệu rằng hiệu năng của chiếc Dell Alienware 15R4 này có còn đủ mạnh để chiến các tựa game hiện nay? Hãy cùng ThinkPro tìm hiểu và phân tích kỹ hơn về chiếc laptop này trong bài viết dưới đây nhé.
Thiết kế
Dell Alienware 15R4 là chiếc laptop gaming hướng đến người dùng là các game thủ nên về thiết kế, sự hầm hố vẫn sẽ là điều người dùng có thể thấy được ngay khi nhìn vào chiếc máy này. Vỏ máy được làm từ chất liệu nhôm và hợp kim magie cao cấp, mang lại trải nghiệm sử dụng vô cùng chắc chắn và bền bỉ trong suốt thời gian dài sử dụng. Máy được nhà sản xuất khéo léo trang bị hai dải đèn LED RGB ở phần viền mang lại trải nghiệm sử dụng khá lạ mắt cho người dùng. Trọng lượng của máy khá nặng là 3.5kg và độ dày vào khoảng 2.5cm, nên sẽ khá bất tiện cho những người dùng phải di chuyển thường xuyên.
Màn hình
Dell đã trang bị trên chiếc laptop này màn hình IPS có kích thước 15.3 inch, độ phân giải Full HD, độ phủ màu 97% sRGB, 72% AdobeRGB và độ sáng màn hình 300 nits. Màn hình có tần số quét 60Hz và được hỗ trợ công nghệ G-Sync của NVIDIA giúp cải thiện hiệu suất gaming của người dùng, đặc biệt ở những tựa game bắn súng MMO:FPS khi mà yếu tố tần số quét có thể coi là thứ “quyết định nên những trận đấu đỉnh cao”.
Bàn phím và touchpad
Trong quá trình trải nghiệm người dùng có thể dễ dàng nhận thấy chất lượng hoàn thiện bàn phím và touchpad trên máy là vô cùng ấn tượng. Bàn phím trên chiếc laptop Dell được thiết kế với layout hợp lý, hành trình phím sâu, bề mặt được bo cong, độ nảy tốt và độ phản hồi nhanh chóng. Bên cạnh đó, bàn phím cũng được trang bị hệ thống đèn LED RGB giúp người dùng có được những trải nghiệm tốt hơn khi phải làm việc trong môi trường thiếu sáng.
Tiếp đến, phần touchpad của Dell Alienware 15R4 có kích thước 3.9 x 2.1 inch, bề mặt phẳng mịn, khả năng điều hướng tốt nhờ độ phản hồi nhanh và chính xác với mọi thao tác vuốt chạm đã ngón của người dùng.
Hiệu năng
Bên cạnh vẻ ngoài rất đáng chú ý, máy còn sở hữu cho mình một hiệu năng cũng vô cùng đáng nể trong cùng phân khúc. Cụ thể, phiên bản Dell Alienware 15R4 i7 8750H [tốc độ xung nhịp 2.9GHz và tối đa lên đến 4.8GHz], được hỗ trợ 16GB RAM DDR4 bus 2400MHz, 256GB SSD. Cấu hình này hoàn toàn có thể giúp được người dùng “chiến” được những tựa game AAA tương đối nặng trên thị trường hiện nay. Bên cạnh đó, Alienware 15R4 còn được trang bị card đồ họa NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5, giúp máy chạy mượt mà hơn các tựa game đòi hỏi cấu hình cao và các tác vụ nặng cũng được xử lý trơn tru hơn.
Các cổng kết nối
Dell Alienware 15R4 được nhà sản xuất trang bị đầy đủ hệ thống các cổng kết nối đáp ứng tốt cho nhu cầu sử dụng của người dùng. Cụ thể, máy được hỗ trợ các cổng kết nối bao gồm cổng USB 3.0, cổng USB 3.1, cổng USB Type-C, cổng Thunderbolt 3, jack 3.5mm, cổng HDMI 2.0, cổng LAN, cổng Mini DisplayPort, cổng Ethernet, cổng nguồn và cổng Alienware Graphics Amplifier.
Lời kết
Nếu bạn đang có nhu cầu tìm kiếm cho mình những chiếc laptop gaming tầm trung để chơi các tựa game ở mức cấu hình cơ bản thì Dell Alienware 15R4 là một lựa chọn không tồi. Ở thời điểm hiện tại, sản phẩm Dell Alienware 15R4 đang được cung cấp với mức giá dao động trong khoảng từ 25 - 34 triệu [tùy từng phiên bản CPU]. Hy vọng rằng, bài viết này của ThinkPro có thể mang lại cho độc giả thật nhiều những thông tin hữu ích.
The Alienware 15 R4 is a powerful gaming machine with deep key travel, but it falls behind competitors on productivity tasks.
Pros
- + Powerful gaming performance
- + Keyboard has deep travel
- + Easy to upgrade
- + Bright display
Cons
- - Falls behind competitors on CPU benchmarks
- - Runs hot
- - Bulky
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Gaming laptops are always a balance between power and portability. The Alienware 15 R4 [$1,299.99 to start, $1,849.99 as tested] leans towards the former, with an overclocked, full-size Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU that can tear through high-level gaming and deliver it on a bright, G-Sync display. It’s bulky, but that space also makes it easy to upgrade and allows for deep key travel. But on productivity scores, its 8th Gen Core i7 processor fell behind competitive systems, which may give some users pause.
Design
For better or worse, Dell hasn’t changed the Alienware 15’s design much from years past. It has an aesthetic that makes it look like a spaceship, but this time around, it comes in black. It looks sleeker than the silver design of previous years, but it's still on the chunky side. There’s additional lighting on both sides of the monitor and on each side of the laptop’s base.
The laptop has a 15.6-inch, 1080p display, but you may first notice the bezel, which is massive even by gaming laptop standards these days. It has a traditional style keyboard with programmable macro keys [and customizable lighting]. There’s also RGB lighting behind the alien-shaped power button and on the touchpad. All in all, there are 13 different customizable lighting options. The deck is covered in a comfortable soft-touch material that feels good against your wrists while you type.
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The right side of the laptop has a lone USB 3.0 port, and the left side is home to a USB Type-C, another USB 3.0 port, headphone and microphone jacks and a Noble lock slot. The decision to move the hinge forward from the very back of the machine adds more room for ports there, including an Ethernet jack, mini DisplayPort, HDMI output, Thunderbolt 3 and a proprietary graphics amplifier port.
At 7.8 pounds and 15.3 x 12 x 1 inches, the Alienware is noticeably larger and heavier than competitors. It makes the Razer Blade 15 [4.6 pounds, 14 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches] and MSI GS65 Stealth Thin [4.2 pounds, 14.1 x 9.8 x 0.7 inches] look miniscule by comparison. MicroCenter’s PowerSpec 1510 [6.5 pounds x 15.3 x 10.8 x 1.3 inches] is also smaller and lighter, but not by as much.
Specifications
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Display15.6-inch FHD [1920 x 1080] IPS [60Hz, G-Sync]CPUIntel Core i7-8750HGraphicsNvidia GeForce GTX 1070 [8GB GDDR5]Memory16GB DDR4-2400MHzSSD256GB PCIe m.2HDD1TB 7,200-rpmOptical✗NetworkingKiller 1435 802.11ac 2x2 Wi-Fi, Ethernet jackVideo PortsHDMI, Mini DisplayPortUSB Ports[2] USB 3.0, USB Type-C, Thunderbolt 3Audio2.0 Speaker configuration, headphone jack, microphone jackCameraFHD webcamBatteryOptional 99Whr, 68Whr standardPower Adapter240WOperating SystemWindows 10 HomeDimensions [WxDxH]15.3 x 12.0 x 1.0 inchesWeight7.8 poundsOtherAlienware Command CenterPrice [as configured]$1,849.99
Gaming, Graphics and VR
Armed with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU and 8GB of GDDR5 video memory, the Alienware is a powerhouse that has no trouble with games on their highest settings. When I played Middle-earth: Shadow of War, it ran between 75 and 80 frames per second [fps] at 1920 x 1080 on Ultra settings, without any screen tearing thanks to G-Sync.
On the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark [1920 x 1080, Very High], it ran at 72 fps, blazing past the premium gaming average of 58 fps, as well as the Stealth Thin [GTX 1070 Max-Q], PowerSpec [GTX 1070] and Zephyrus [GTX 1070 Max-Q]. Only the Razer Blade [77 fps, GTX 1070 Max-Q] was faster.
When it came to the Hitman benchmark [1920 x 1080, Ultra], the Alienware ran the game at 92 fps, again surpassing the average [86 fps] as well as each of its competitors.
On Grand Theft Auto V [1920 x 1080], the Alienware ran the game at 74 fps, falling short of the 76-fps average but surpassing all of the other machines.
The Alienware earned a perfect score of 11 on the SteamVR performance test, beating the Stealth Thin, Blade, Zephyrus, and the average of 10.2, so it’s the perfect pairing for an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. The PowerSpec also earned an 11.
In our sustained performance test, we ran the Metro: Last Light benchmark 10 times, simulating 30 minutes of gaming and measuring with HWInfo. Frame rates varied between the runs, switching between the low 60s and high 50s, seemingly without a specific pattern. The average frame rate was 61.2 fps and the average clock speed 3.33GHz. The CPU’s average temperature was 95 degrees Celsius [203 degrees Fahrenheit], and the GPU measured an average of 76 degrees Celsius [169 degrees Fahrenheit].
Performance
It’s no surprise that the Alienware, rocking an Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, 16GB of RAM a 256GB PCIe m.2 SSD and a 1TB, 7,200-rpm HDD, doesn’t slouch. A simple workload of 25 tabs in Chrome, including one streaming a 1080p episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” didn’t case any hiccups at all. But in benchmarks, it didn’t fare as well as other gaming notebooks.
On the Geekbench 4 overall performance test, the Alienware earned a score of 16,981, falling below the premium gaming average [17,634] and performing worse than both the Blade and Zephyrus [which share the same CPU as the Alienware], as well as the PowerSpec with its 7th Gen CPU.
It took the Alienware 23 seconds to transfer 4.97GB of mixed-media files, a rate of 221 MBps, which is much slower than average [472.5]. The Zephyrus, PowerSpec and Blade absolutely smoked it, while the Stealth Thin was a little slower at 193.3MBps.
The Alienware paired 65,000 names and addresses in 50 seconds in our Excel macro thest. That’s slower than average [0:44] as well as the Zephyrus, Blade, and Stealth Thin. The PowerSpec trailed the pack at 1:08.
On our Handbrake video editing test, in which computers transcode 4K video to 1080p, the Alienware completed the task in 10 minutes and 28 seconds. While that’s slower than average [10:17] and the Zephyrus [9:43], the Alienware beat the Stealth Thin, PowerSpec and Blade.
Display
The Alienware’s 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 IPS screen is nice and bright, which is great for all-day gaming. When I watched a trailer for Mission Impossible: Fallout, a sunset over Paris was a mix of vibrant blues and oranges, and it was easy to make out every shard of glass as Tom Cruise smashed Henry Cavill into a mirror. When I played Middle-earth: Shadow of War, I could see the red in Talion’s sleeves, even in dark areas.
The Alienware's display had an average of 311 nits on our light meter, which is brighter than the 282-nit premium gaming average, as well as the Zephyrus, Blade and Stealth Thin. The PowerSpec was just a little dimmer [306 nits].
Alienware’s panel covers 119 percent of the sRGB color gamut. While that's less vivid than the premium average [132 percent], as well as the Stealth Thin’s 150 percent, the Alienware shows off more hues than the Blade and PowerSpec and is about equal to the Zephyrus.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard on the Alienware offers a deep 2 millimeters of travel and requires 78 grams of actuation to press down. While I didn’t get the clicky feedback I like on gaming keyboards, typing was still comfortable thanks to the deep travel. On the 10fastfingers.com typing test, I reached 117 words per minute, the high end of my average range, along with my standard two percent error rate.
The 3.9 x 2.1-inch touchpad is smaller than I'd like, and there is ample room on the deck for a larger one. Still, it’s accurate and responsive to Windows 10 gestures like switching active programs with three fingers and opening the Notification Center with a four-finger tap. The right and left mouse buttons offer a satisfying click.
Audio
If you like your audio loud, the Alienware speakers will be music to your ears. They easily filled a conference room with sound as I listened to Marshmello and Anne-Marie’s “Friends.” Vocals and record scratches were detailed, though some clapping and drums weren’t as defined as I would like. When I played Middle-earth: Shadow of War, even subtle sounds like a sword slashing through the air when I missed an orc were clear to my ears.
There isn’t any audio software on board, like Dell’s cheaper G series of gaming notebooks, which has Waves MaxxAudio Pro.
Upgradeability
The RAM and the storage in the Alienware 15 R4 are a fairly simple upgrade. All you need is a Phillips screwdriver and a plastic scribe for some prying. To get the base off, you have to remove six screws [all of the same length] and loosen one more, which secure the cover to the bottom of the machine.
In our review unit, there was a single, 16GB stick of RAM with a free slot for going up to 32GB. Besides our 128GB PCIe SSD, which you can replace by removing and reinserting a single screw, there’s a slot for yet another PCIe SSD if you need more storage.
Taking out the hard drive requires removing a cover with three screws and then another four screws [of a different size] to remove the HDD from the assembly.
Battery Life
Be sure to take the power brick wherever you bring the Alienware. It lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes on our battery test, which continuously browses the web, videos and graphics benchmarks over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. That’s better than the premium gaming average of 3:40 and far better than the Zephyrus, but both the Stealth Thin and Blade outlasted it by more than half an hour.
Heat
The Alienware gets hot under the collar, even with a light load. After streaming 15 minutes of HD video from YouTube, the touchpad measured 86 degrees Fahrenheit, the keyboard reached 102 degrees, and the bottom measured 113 degrees.
While playing Middle-earth: Shadow of War, the bottom heated up further, to 124 degrees.
Webcam
The 1080p webcam in the Alienware’s top bezel provides clear, colorful images. Even near a window with excess light coming in, a picture I took of myself was detailed and accurate. My blue shirt and navy headphones both appeared as they do in real life and I could pick out individual hairs on my head.
Software and Warranty
Dell includes just a few utilities on the Alienware, most of which are useful. The most notable is Alienware Command Center, which serves as a library for all of your games, as well as the console to control all of the computer’s RGB lighting. It also displays CPU and GPU performance.
Alienware Mobile Connect lets you connect your smartphone to send and receive text messages, and, on Android, mirror your phone. And the Killer Control Center lets you prioritize which games and apps get access to your bandwidth. The only bloatware is McAfee Security, which comes preinstalled.
Of course, there are a few apps packed into Windows 10 that you can’t avoid, like Candy Crush Soda Saga, Disney Magic Kingdoms, Bubble Witch 3 Saga, March of Empires: War of Lords, Drawboard PDF and Autodesk SketchBook.
Dell sells the Alienware 15 R4 with a one-year warranty.
Configurations
Our review unit costs $1,849.99 and includes an Intel Core i7-8750H, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD, 1TB 7,200-rpm HDD, 1920 x 1080 G-Sync display, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 with 8GB of VRAM.
The $1,299.99 base model has an Intel Core i5-8300H processor, 8GB of RAM, a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 with 6GB of GDDR5 video memory, a 1920 x 1080 display and a 1TB, 7,200-rpm HDD.
And if you want the most expensive configuration, that will run you $2,599.99 with an Intel Core i9-8950HK, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 with 8GB of VRAM and the same display and storage as our test model.
Bottom Line
The Alienware 15 is a powerhouse laptop with a comfortable keyboard and easily upgradable parts if you need extra storage or more RAM. Its biggest downside, though, is that it didn’t do as well as some competitors on most non-gaming benchmarks. And then there's the bulk.
Competitors like the MSI GS65 Stealth and Asus ROG Zephyrus M GM501 both have higher CPU scores and are far more portable, but you’re giving up the full-sized GTX 1070 in the Alienware for a Max-Q option in both cases, and each of those are more expensive for similar configurations.
If you want a GTX 1070 on the cheap, find MicroCenter’s PowerSpec 1510 while you still can, but we expect this $1,300, 7th Gen processor model will disappear soon.
That makes the Alienware 15 R4 a fine gaming PC, albeit one on the bulky side. But if you’re going for power, not portability, you should definitely consider it.
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Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and Mastodon @FreedmanAE.mastodon.social.
- AgentLozen Do you think that this laptop's thermal problem could benefit from repasting the CPU and GPU? I've seen laptops float in the mid 80's Celsius, but then drop into the low 70's after a repaste. Reply
- dudka I own this version. Had to disable Turbo Boost to really see the CPU drop in temp... About 20 degrees. Undervolting didn't do much. Reply
- leehyunjaedaniel There is an error on this article. GM501 doesn't have Max Q. It is full size gtx 1070/1060. Also how hot does the core temperatures get while gaming? Thanks in advance! Reply
snapcore
FYI: There is performance mode in the bios that takes the geekbench score up to 2100-2200. Probably improves the performance of the all the benchmarks [especially the cpu bound ones] though likely at the cost of the battery when not plugged in.