I’ll admit that I almost yawned at the thought of the Alienware AW2726DM, as I figured it was yet another 27-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor. Technically, that’s true, but this screen’s superpowers aren’t in its commendable panel specs, and it certainly won’t woe you with additional fancy features. No, instead, Dell has created a display that delivers what a thousand bucks used to get you for under $400, and that is frankly incredible.

I’d even go as far as to say that the Alienware AW2726DM puts plenty of the best gaming monitor contenders out of the race based on price alone. Other brands have been working on building a kingdom of sub-$500 before now, but I’m used to seeing options by lesser-known brands like KTC use the same WOLED panel that was high-end in 2023 to only just hit that bracket.

Effectively, the gaming monitor landscape is a completely different place three years later. Now, unless you’re gunning for absurd refresh rates, you can easily find a 27-inch 1440p panel with 240Hz capabilities infused with Quantum Dot OLED abilities, and while the Alienware AW2726DM cuts back on extras to make a $349.99 price tag happen, that hardly matters in the face of ridiculous value-embued vibrant visuals.

Feels can be deceiving

I want to note right away that upon taking the AW2726DM out of its cardboard prison, it admittedly felt like I was unboxing an Alienware screen from a few years ago. Everything from the fact that you have to screw the pedestal stand to the back ( the last reviewer to use this sample misplaced the VESA screws, so I had to use my spares) to the minimalist square base that doesn’t quite feel like a style choice stood out.

I wasn’t offended by the less lavish vibes of the AW2726DM, but it did serve as a firm reminder that we’re talking about a mid-range monitor. Dell always likes to signal product categories through feel, which is why the Alienware AW2725Q pairs a ridiculously dense 27-inch 4K panel with a bougie bubble getup that requires no screwing thanks to a quick-release system.

The stand also fully incorporates cable management into its plinth, and I’ll get to what’s happening with the AW2726DM. First, though, I want to float the idea that none of those small touches really matter when you’re paying under $400 and getting a more than cromulent QD-OLED 27-inch 1440p experience. Yes. I’d rather not have to fetch a screwdriver to whack together a screen in 2026, but hey, if it can contribute to prices this affordable, I’ll happily ditch the “ready in two clicks” world.

You spin me right round

Given that the stand is a no-thrills, screw-based, square base with nothing to really offer visually, you’d think I’d be done talking about it. However, there’s a sneaky extra hiding under the base of the AW2726DM, as not unlike the much more expensive Sony Inzone M10S II, it has 360° movement. The square is sitting right on top of what reminds me of a microwave plate, allowing it to spin round (like a record, baby) rather than using a traditional pivot.

There’s something slightly odd about spinning a square, but the 360° pivot is smooth enough. No, it’s not as slick as Sony’s setup, and the fact it adds height to the frumpy, angular pedestal doesn’t help the visual side of things. But, the part that matters is that offers up circular movement with ease, all while even going above and beyond the Inzone M10S and its sequel by including a vertical 90° pivot alongside the standard tilt.

You’ll tire of me circling back to price, but again, we’re talking about a $349 monitor. The Alienware AW2726DM could have probably gotten away with doing zilch extra with the stand, but instead, Dell decided to include a useful 360° mechanism as a gesture, just so you don’t feel like it completely sidelined extras in the name of affordable screen specs.

What cable management?

You wire warriors out there aren’t going to like this, but the Alienware AW2726DM doesn’t know the meaning of the word cable management. The plinth lacks even a basic through-hole for the DisplayPort and HDMI under the usual lip, meaning there’s nowhere for them to hide. Since the power supply is built in this time around, that means you’re immediately faced with a chonky AC cord to conceal, and unless you get creative, you’ll see it hanging out on the right-hand side.

Here’s the thing: I fully believe every monitor should come with a stand (looking at you, Dough Spectrum Black 27). At the same time, I get why Dell has stuck with the absolute basics here in the name of a lower price. If you really want things to look super clean and stylish, you’ll probably end up looking at monitor arms or more lavish extras, and those are going to provide you with on-board cable management solutions.

It’s all in the price; if the Alienware AW2726DM came in at over $500, I’d be dunking on Dell for the zero attention to cable management. At the same time, it’s strange that there isn’t at least include a clip for the back, as that’d help bunch together wires behind the 27-inch panel, so they’re not just *there*.

Glare that’s easier to bear

This is yet another glossy QD-OLED display, so I fully expected the Alienware AW2726DM to fall folly to my south-facing window. The reflective screen absolutely suffers from glare exactly how you’d expect, but it’s nowhere near as aggressive as I was anticipating. The anti-glare coating is clearly hard at work preventing the panel from becoming a mirror like the Philips Evnia 32M2N8900, and with the screen powered on, it does a better job kicking reflections to the curb than many other QD-OLED options.

When powered off, the Alienware AW2726DM lacks that distinctive purple hue that other QD-OLED monitors present in daylight. Theoretically, that means you’ll get truer blacks even when playing in very bright rooms, but your mileage may vary based on setup placement and how direct light sources actually are. This model is still using the same Quantum Dot polarizing film that catches light in the same way, as that’s fundamental to the pros as well as the cons. But hey, as far as my test setup is concerned, you could almost mistake this screen for a WOLED when it’s powered off.

Joystick joy

I’m about to surprise even myself, as while I always make a point on moaning about monitors not coming with remote, Dell has really dialled in its OSD joystick. That is to say that the nub on the Alienware AW2726DM is pleasant to use compared to most I’ve tried, offering easy-to-reach controls close to the right-hand side, paired with an on-screen interface that’s very toggle-friendly.

At its price, the Alienware AW2726DM was never going to come with a remote control. I’m perfectly comfortable dunking on more premium displays for going without, but the fact that Dell’s screen offers up a better joystick than many other models out there speaks volumes. It’s still my least favorite way to access screen features and specs by a long mile, and while I’m giving this screen a “pass”, you can fully expect to hear me shout about wireless buttons for many reviews to come.

On-screen features

While I’m on the OSD, you wouldn’t know that this is a cheaper QD-OLED display flicking through the Alienware AW2726DM’s options and settings. It still has all the picture modes, smart HDR dials, and OLED care options you’d expect from any modern Dell monitor, and you’ll have practically everything you need to enjoy the same experience as on a higher-tier model.

The real difference here is actually found between brands. The essence of a high-end monitor has changed, and you now have screens boasting dual-mode resolution and refresh rate abilities, alongside more customizable OLED care options and tricks like anti-VRR flicker if you need speedy competitive clarity. You won’t find that with the Alienware AW2726DM, but you won’t be missing any of the fundamentals or those more gaming-focused toggles, like crosshairs and frame counters.

A visual punch above its price range

I want to lay down some basic facts before sharing my Alienware AW2726DM visual impressions. To start, this is a 1440p 240Hz monitor, and on paper, that’s not super impressive when you’ve got QHD options pushing 540Hz. While it’s a QD-OLED display, that tech is also not so lavish in the face of new Tandem OLED panels that stack multiple light-emitting layers to raise the brightness bar.

And yet, the Alienware AW2726DM still feels like the sort of vibrant, high-end panel you’d pay over $500 for. There’s always a point where all the lavish tech premium players have been enjoying becomes the norm for everyone else, but I wasn’t quite expecting QD-OLED to enter that zone this quickly, especially given the overarching woes of gaming hardware prices right now. For the price, this screen will put a smile on the faces of anyone with a sub $400 budget upgrading from an older IPS panel or even a cheaper WOLED, and its achievements really outweigh the caveats.

I don’t want to bury those said caveats under words of excellent value adornment, so I’ll start with the AW2726DM’s brightness. Dell’s display measures in at around 250 nits in SDR and up to 440 nits in HDR True Black mode, so it’s behind many contenders on paper. In real-life scenarios, the results feel slightly more dialled back than that, and just like traditional QD-OLED setups, I’d stick to light-controlled rooms for the best results.

Outside of some brightness drawbacks, there’s little room for complaint with the AW2726DM’s vibrancy, colors, and black levels. Having already tested a bunch of Dell’s QD-OLED options, I’m of the opinion that this cheaper Alienware model hits all the same notes, providing rich visuals with colors that pop nicely. If I were to plonk this panel next to its higher-end counterparts, I do suspect I’d notice a difference in contrast, if not some varying results due to the dialled-back brightness. But, in a normal situation, you’ll be able to easily appreciate what this monitor provides.

I wasn’t really expecting anything less from the Samsung QD-OLED panel at the heart of this Alienware screen. It certainly has all the nerdy specs to back up its abilities, including a 99% DCI-P3 coverage and 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio. That translates to exceptional vibrancy in everything from indie romps, to the high-end PC capers, and dare I say, PS4 outings and retro games (hold your horses, more on that is coming).

Just like with any PC-focused monitor, pretty visuals are half the story, as these screens need to hold their own in competitive shooters. That still applies even when dealing with a more “casual” QHD 240Hz setup, and I’m pleased to say this screen feels just as responsive as comparable panels I’ve tried. Having just wrapped up playing Overwatch and other first-person shooters on screen with 720Hz abilities, I can naturally feel a difference when lying around as Pharah. It’s not something I’d say you’ll notice unless you’ve subjected yourself to demonic display refresh rates, though, and it still feels as responsive as any other OLED with a 0.03ms GtG response time.

Retro gaming ruin

I’ve started testing more gaming monitors on the bench as retro console screens, and while that might sound strange, I do it with dutiful purpose. You see, while it’s reasonable to assume all screens will play nice with upscalers and adapters, I’m finding that most options don’t know how to handle specific resolutions, resulting in either squished aspect ratios, forced widescreen, or blurriness due to mismatched scaling.

The Alienware AW2726DM sadly fails to play nice with anything that isn’t a “standard resolution.” In fact, the Samsung panel pretty much handles the GBS-C set to x in the same way as the Sony Inzone M10S II. It misinterprets 1280x960 as 1280x1024, meaning the integer-scaled 4:3 visuals of consoles are squished into 5:4, while 720p is forced into widescreen. It virtually means that if you’re looking into how to connect retro consoles to modern TVs or monitors, you shouldn’t specifically pick up this screen with that in mind.

Okay, yes, very few people will be looking specifically for a QD-OLED Alienware for retro gaming. That’s not to say lots of players won’t pick this screen up with the intention of playing classic capers on it too, and since it is a bit iffy with handling the right resolutions, it means you might be better off looking elsewhere. I should note that the quirks aren’t inherent to this panel’s price point, and ultimately, the issues stem from a lack of provisions in the firmware rather than a general incompatibility.

Should you pick up the Alienware AW2726DM?

I don’t want to be dramatic, but the Alienware AW2726DM marks a big moment in the QD-OLED scene. As an option from what is usually a more premium-focused brand, this 27-inch 1440p display changes what to expect for under $400, serving as one of the best-value gaming monitors I’ve tested for quite a while.

There’s no point pretending the AW2726DM can trade blows with the absolute best screens out there, as it dials back brightness and drops virtually every other hardware feature to hit its target price. I can absolutely respect Dell for doing that, though, especially since extras like USB hubs, KVM switching, and RGB tomfoolery aren’t universally appreciated by all players.

If you simply care about getting an excellent QD-OLED display and you’re not fussed about bells and whistles, the Alienware AW2726DM is a no-brainer. We’ll no doubt see other options fight for supremacy in the sub-$400 range soon, but until that happens, Dell’s delightfully affordable display is the one I’d watch out for.

How I tested the Alienware AW2726DM

For a month, I used the Alienware AW2726DM as my main gaming monitor while also testing the QD-OLED display on a specific workbench. During that time, I assessed qualities like anti-glare, brightness, and vibrancy while weighing up its features and abilities against its price point.

To ensure that my testing stayed true to real-life scenarios, I used the Alienware AW2726DM with a PS5, PC, and an HDMI upscaler for retro consoles. That allowed me to test responsiveness in shooters like Overwatch while assessing brightness and vibrancy across single-player releases.

For more information on how we test gaming monitors, swing by our full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy for a full rundown.

Prime Day gaming laptop deals are here, and they have a tough task this year. 2026 has seen component prices (and therefore laptop prices) surge incredibly quickly, and the last few weeks have incurred a serious lack of credible discounts. That's all changed today, with early discounts hitting a number of our favorite models - just don't expect Amazon to have anything to do with it.

Both Newegg and Best Buy are running their own competing Prime Day gaming laptop deals this week, and they're offering far better discounts overall. In fact, out of some of my top picks, Amazon features only rarely.

While prices on some of the best gaming laptops aren't going to rival those of previous years, there are still RTX 5060s for the low $1,000s and RTX 5070s at the $1500 mark - and that's not something I've been able to celebrate for a few weeks now.

Quick links

• Amazon: starting from $499
• Dell: up to $2,580 off Alienware
• Best Buy: RTX 5070 from $1,232.99
• HP: up to $1,100 off Omen
• Lenovo: up to 32% off Legion
• Newegg: Acer from $949.99

Today's best gaming laptop deals

Why are gaming laptop prices higher in 2026?

The current component crisis and RAM shortages are to blame for increased gaming laptop prices. As AI manufacturers hoover up all the memory, consume-facing brands are being squeezed. With higher demand comes higher prices, and it's the final product that sees the biggest sacrifice.

I'm seeing a number of gaming laptop deals working to circumvent these issues; dropping their memory sizes from 32GB to 16GB, reverting back to cheaper graphics cards, or dropping display specs. However, most of the rigs that have already left the factories in 2026 are seeing a serious upcharge.

Thankfully, there are still a few 2025 machines still kicking around - and they haven't felt the same purse pinch. While I've noticed slightly higher rates even on these older rigs, their numbers are much easier to stomach. Indeed, most of my top picks up above are a year old now.

If you're after something more substantial, we're also getting you ready for this year's Prime Day gaming PC deals and Prime Day monitor deals. Or, take a look at the Prime Day tablet deals we're expecting for something lighter.

The hybrid Alienware 15 has just hit the shelves, aiming for a budget friendly price point for a hybrid work / play device. With all that in mind, though, the only two configurations you'll find on Dell's store today are the RTX 5050 and RTX 5060 models - and the latter will run you up to $2,299.99.

So far, so confusing.

Dell is also rolling out RTX 4050 (and even RTX 3050, but only in select territories) options for its slimline machine, but even the 40-Series config starts at $1,299.99 for an AMD build. If you're dropping that far back in time, you're not spending more than $900 to stay comfortable.

It's certainly not the first time one of the best gaming laptop brands has dropped back a few generations to keep prices low, but right now you're spending $1,500 minimum to get yourself an RTX 5050 model.

The Alienware 15 is available in two flavors; AMD and Intel, with RTX 4050, RTX 5050, and RTX 5060 GPUs shared between them. AMD options come with either a Ryzen 7 260 or Ryzen 5 220, while Intel is supporting with Core 7 240H and Core 5 210H chips. RTX 50-series models will offer Alienware's Cyrotech cooling tech and weaker configurations will have slightly less junk in the trunk.

Base level Alienware 15 gaming laptops ship with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. That's roughly half the storage I tend to see in entry level gaming laptops, and we're not even starting off cheaper than the rest of the competition here. The MSI Katana (my current top budget gaming laptop) does offer 512GB options, but for between $1,100 and $1,200 when paired up with an RTX 5050 and 1080p display.

There are some nifty extra features in here - upgradable RAM and storage compartments (if you can find components), a 180 degree hinge, and up to 100W USB-C charging all keep things flexible enough to satisfy productivity and play. There's also some serious attention paid to the chassis itself, with a durable polycarbonate resin design, soft rounded corners, and up to 2oz liquid spill resistance. Whether or not that's going to be worth the extra spend compared to last year's budget-friendly alternatives will depend on how much gaming you'll do vs work.

Dell doesn't need its Alienware 15 to run the most demanding games at the highest graphical settings. This machine isn't sitting alongside the Alienware 16 Area-51. It's pitched as an everyday (albeit high-end) laptop that can also run more complex games than your standard ThinkPad. It takes what we used to turn to the Dell G-Series for and folds it into the realm of the best Alienware laptops. Does $1500 make sense even in this context? Maybe not, but it's getting closer.

I say that because, price aside, this actually looks like a neat little machine. Without component crises, it could have been an $800 - $1,000 rig with the same simple to-do list as Apple's MacBook Neo. $1,299 for an RTX 4050 machine in 2026 isn't a good deal, though, no matter how much cheaper it is compared to Alienware's premium rigs.

• See all Alienware laptops at Dell

I'm also hunting down all the best Asus gaming laptops and the best Razer laptops for more options.

In CES tradition, Dell has unleashed a new wave of the best Alienware gaming PCs, and this time, it's all eyes on the Area-51. Not only is the rig line-up getting revamped configurations, but the boujee builder has teamed up with AMD to arm the range with AMD X3D processors. The catch? Well, you're still looking at almost $4,000 for the cheapest system.

That's not to say the new AMD-powered Alienware Area-51 range isn't impressive, but the cheapest models showcased at CES 2026 do largely give mid-range vibes. You're getting an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, and a 2TB gen5 SSD, alongside an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D chipset for $3,949.99, so a chunk more than other branded builds. That said, RAM prices are still monstrous as we enter the new year, and you are paying more for the luxury of an AIO cooler and a spacious case.

Okay, look, I don't want to dunk on the Alienware Area-51 for its price. It's probably going to be a rough year for PC gaming in terms of cost, and while I can't see myself recommending the $7,000 RTX 5090 build with a Ryzen 9 9950X3D to basically anyone, the GeForce RTX 5080 version might be a quick, but expensive way to secure a very high end machine that'll rip through the latest games in 2026.

Since its return last year, the Area-51 range has been catering to DIY PC enthusiasts who would have skipped on machines like the Alienware Aurora R16. Unlike previous builds, it ditches proprietary parts, instead opting for a standard ATX motherboard that will accommodate 3rd party options should you upgrade. Not that you'll necessarily want to swap out the included mobo, as it includes PCIe Gen5 graphics and SSD storage support, as well as a swanky all black aesthetic.

In every way that matters, this is a conventional, upgradeable rig, but Dell has carried out some of the hard work for you by optimizing the fan layout to achieve positive air pressure. The company claims this helps the rig run "13% cooler, 45% quieter, while driving 25% more airflow," so you shouldn't have to worry about tweaking things to boost fps via thermals.

There are absolutely cheaper options out there for players seeking the best gaming PC build possible, but the new Alienware Area-51 is worth a look if you have the funds. I'd be slightly horrified if many of you have the cash to splash on the RTX 5090 model, but the addition of new X3D processors and even just including 32GB RAM in a time when equivalent kits will cost you around $400 makes the other SKUs worth considering.

• More Alienware gaming PCs at Dell
• More gaming PC options at Amazon

Building from scratch? Swing by the best CPU for gaming and the best graphics cards to wrangle the perfect rig. Alternatively, take a peek at the best gaming handheld options for on-the-go play.

I love playing a game of "spot the pixel" when testing gaming monitors, and even 4K displays can fall short. However, the Alienware AW2725Q is the one screen that has managed to thwart my silly test game at every turn, and despite being a 2025 model, it's been given the Memorial Day deal treatment.

Over at Dell, you can currently grab the 27-inch Alienware AW2725Q for $799.99. It'll set you back $899 at full price, and while it's $50 short of its brief introductory discount, I'm still hyped to see $100 off one of the best gaming monitors I've tested this year.

Keep in mind we're talking about a QD-OLED 4K 240Hz panel, so while $800 is still pricey, you're getting solid premium specs. An incredibly dense 166 PPI count is just one of this screen's high-fidelity tricks, and if you come for the sharpness, you'll certainly stay for the quantum dot contrast.

Compared to standard WOLED panels, QD-OLED displays can typically provide a wider color gamut and elevated brightness. This helps panels like the Alienware AW2725Q pop harder when it comes to HDR and accurate vibrancy, which helps ultra-detailed PC outings stand out even more at 4K. I started my Avowed playthrough using this screen and found that foliage was both super crisp and rich, in turn painting a more magical version of Obsidian's fantasy realm.

Sadly, QD-OLED superpowers do come with a few quirks, as the semi-glossy coating used with the panel type does come with glare issues. You'll also notice a blueish tint to blacks when playing in brighter rooms, which can impact that inky black vibe that makes OLED tech so mesmerising. If you can control your gaming room's lighting, this shouldn't be a deal breaker, but it can be a little annoying in certain environments.

Outside of its visual abilities, the Alienware AW2725Q also happens to be one of Dell's best-looking gaming screens yet. The 2025 line-up wears a curvier pedestal that reminds me of 2000s tech, and the colorway this time around is a subtle purple that's designed to catch the light in a really pleasing way. You're also getting some nice extra features like HDMI 2.1 support (meaning it's a nice PS5 monitor option), eARC audio output paired with Dolby ATMOS, and a USB hub with lighter 15W Power Delivery abilities.

Ideally, you'll want to pair the Alienware AW2725Q with a higher-end gaming PC, as something with a GPU like the GeForce RTX 5080 is going to fill the 4K 240Hz brief without dialing back on settings in new games. My ruile of thumb is that if your rig costs less than your monitor, there are probably cheaper alternatives that will fit the bill better, as there are plenty of strong 1440p contenders like the Alienware AW2725DF that will cost less ($649.99 at Amazon right now) and can hit faster refresh rates.

Still searching for the perfect panel? Swing by the best 4K monitors for gaming or best monitors for Xbox Series X to expand your search. You'll want to peek at the best gaming TVs too if you need something a bit bigger.

Competition in the 4K gaming monitor space is heating up, but the Alienware AW3225QF is sitting pretty at the top thanks to its 240Hz abilities. It just so happens to also be back down to its lowest ever price right now, and it's well worth your attention seeing as its a curved QD-OLED panel.

At Dell, you can grab the 32-inch Alienware AW3225QF for $899.99 thanks to a chonky $300 discount. This is actually only the second time this specific model has reached under $900, as it leaped back up in price just before Black Friday. Not too shabby considering we're just weeks into 2025 and it's still what I'd describe as one of the best 4K monitors for gaming.

Plus, this Alienware AW3225QF offer helps put other 4K price cuts into perspective. For instance, you can pick up the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 for $1,099.99 at Amazon right now, I would argue you're better off spending $200 less for Dell's take on QD-OLED tech. That's not to say the G8 is a bad monitor, very far from it, but specs are certainly on the Alienware model's side.

Should you buy the Alienware AW3225QF?

I have a thing for big 4K monitors, and the Alienware AW3225QF is out to impress with its 4K 240Hz QD-OLED panel. Dell hasn't remotely held back on spec with this curved model, and it's the type of gaming monitor you'd want to have to hand if you're going to pre-order the RTX 5090 or buy an RTX 5080 when the new-gen GPUs arrive.

This is also a screen that'll satiate anyone craving an extra level of PC immersion. Dell's 1700R curved panel is going to fill your field of view with exceptional visuals that pop thanks to the QD-OLED side of things, while DisplayHDR 400 will trick your eyes into believing lighting effects. Even if you're looking for a PS5 monitor, this screen will fill that brief too thanks to its HDMI 2.1 compatibility and low latency abilities, although I'd only do that if you use Sony's console at a gaming desk since it's a curvy panel.

That said, its illustrious specs also serve as a reason not to pick this monitor up. That might sound a little odd, but hear me out, as I'm trying to stop some of you more budget inclined gamers out there needlessly splashing out. Yes, the QD-OLED screen is going to inject your favorite PC games with vivid colors and contrast regardless, but if you're rocking a cheaper build, chances are you're not going to be pushing 4K 240Hz.

With that in mind, anyone with a cheaper graphics card or a more budget gaming PC should have a peek at lower-spec models instead. Dell has also discounted one of our best gaming monitor picks, the 34-inch Alienware AW3423DW, bringing it down to $649.99 from $899.99. It's packing the same QD-OLED heat as the 4K model, but dials things back to 1440p 165Hz - a more reasonable bar to try and hit using a midrange PC.

Ultimately, you'll want to think carefully about whether you need a 4K 240Hz monitor before splashing out on the Alienware AW3225QF. Now is certainly the time to strike if you are able to play the latest games with maxed out specs and zero settings compromise. However, I'd always match your screen desires to specs before going deal hunting, as that'll be the thing that'll save you more pennies.

Looking for more displays? Check out the best ultrawide monitor and best monitor for Xbox Series X. Alternatively, swing by the best gaming TV for larger living room options.

Dell just launched the Alienware Aurora R16, and the company’s latest gaming PC looks surprisingly normal. Not only does the rig’s case feature an almost traditional cuboid design, but it takes up less space than its R15 predecessor and allegedly makes less of a racket. You could say this is the most down to earth Alienware system yet, but it still packs all the high end specs you’d expect from a PC with space age vibes.

There’s a good reason why budding PC gamers are drawn to the best Alienware gaming PCs out there, but I’ve always found Dell’s case designs a little obnoxious. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen worse cases in my time, especially at LAN events around 13 years ago. However, Aurora builds like the R15 feel needlessly chonky, and its curves are arguably ageing like milk in terms of setup gaming PC aesthetics. 

Thankfully, the Alienware Aurora R16 looks to go back to basics in terms of shape, and I’m totally on board with the philosophy behind this build. In a press briefing, Dell revealed that the new 2023 rig will reduce total case volume by 40%, all while maintaining the same internal space. This fact hammers home how much extra, needless bulk was strapped onto the R15 in the first place, especially since the R16 is still a 25.2L system.

In addition to the volume reduction, Dell says Alienware Aurora R16 is 20% quieter and maintains cooler CPU and GPU temps thanks to the new design. We’re still talking about a similar AIO cooler setup as the R15, but subtle changes to airflow channelling appear to make all the difference. The R16 even still has that glowing ‘AlienFX stadium loop’ for air intake, which feeds from the side of the case to a 120mm fan at the front.

As for specs, the Aurora R16 is undeniably top of the line, armed with your choice of the best graphics cards by Nvidia and 13th gen Intel CPU. The base model comes in at $1,749 and is rocking an Nvidia RTX 4070 paired with Intel Core i7-13700F, but you can max things out with an RTX 4080 and a top of the line Core i9-13900F. You’ll also be able to opt for up to 64GB RAM and dual drive storage options include two 4TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD or a 1TB SATA hard drive. 

 Are absurd Alienware designs gone for good?

The R16 looks to be a huge turning point for Dell’s Alienware approach, but there’s a chance that oddball designs could return in the future. During the press briefing, the company’s PC Gaming Lead Matt McGowan revealed that “new and radical” system designs are already in the works, meaning the traditional cuboid R16 system might just be temporary. Not that I think we’ll necessarily end up with a spherical R17 that’ll roll off your gaming desk, but I hope Dell sticks with its new approach of removing needless case heft. 

We’ll hopefully be able to share an R16 benchmarks with you soon, and we’ve got an Alienware Aurora R15 review for you to check out in the meantime. That latter closer look should help you decide whether to opt for the subtle new build or pick up the older system with that infamous bulky case. I mean, some of you out there might actually prefer the old design, and we’re not going to dunk on you for your personal preferences. The biggie, at least for me, will be whether the redesign is easier to upgrade, as I have a sneaking suspicion that proprietary parts will still serve as a burden.

The Alienware Aurora R16 officially launches August 3, but we're still waiting for stock to hit Dell's storefront. For now, why not take a peek at the best Alienware gaming PC deals available now, as you could save a few pennies on a previous version.

Looking for something portable? Check out the best gaming laptops for a collection of great mobile rigs. We've also got you covered when it comes to the best gaming monitors, as your rig deserves a spectacular screen to go with.

CES 2023 has brought with it a whole host of new Alienware gaming laptops, and there's plenty new to celebrate this year. Whether you've been eyeing up some new RTX 40-Series graphics cards, or old faithful is starting to buckle under today's releases, it's well worth checking out what's on the horizon for one of the biggest brands in PC gaming. 

Dell's CES 2023 announcements covered both the Alienware X-Series and M-Series of gaming laptops, dropping brand new releases in its existing lines and refreshing one of the newest additions to the gang. The bottom line, though? It's all about size. Rather than reinventing its 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch entries, Alienware has opted to split the difference and bring new 16-inch and 18-inch models to market. The latter monster seems to be a growing trend for this year, with Acer also taking its 18-inch Predator Helios to market in 2023 as well. From the dizzying heights of the Alienware M18 to the luxury of the X16, there's a lot to dive into here. 

Dell produces some of the best gaming laptops on the market already, but it's well-known that even the best Alienware laptops can sacrifice comfortable temperatures for raw horsepower. Last year, Dell developed its cooling systems further, and 2023 takes things to new heights, with Element 31 being applied to both the CPU and GPU in a variety of new configurations and even the dinky x14 R2 chipping in with a Smart Fan system. Such advancements in efficiency have been matched by that typical horsepower, with RTX 40-Series (the 4090 looks to be making its way to the x16) and new generation Intel and AMD processors keeping everything ticking over as well. Whether Dell's caught up with its power-hungry components in its thermal management remains to be seen. 

Overall, though, there's some exciting gear in the arsenal for 2023, with high-end configurations all marked on the calendar for Q1. 

Alienware x16

The most impressive newcomer is the Alienware x16, a middle-man between the existing x17 R2 and x15 R2 models that brings the line well and truly into 2023. Featuring a new Legend 3 design with a Lunar Silver colorway up for grabs, the RTX 4090-capable machine sports a 16:10 aspect ratio with a new 240Hz QHD+ resolution on offer. 

Add in Intel's new 13th generation processors and all that RTX 40-Series power, and you've got yourself a particularly impressive machine. However, the most immediately noticeable upgrade is that AlienFX-enabled precision touchpad. 15% larger than that of the 17.3-inch model, RGB touchpads were a statement feature when the X-Series first launched, though were only available on top-end configurations. Abandoned in the second round of machines, this attention-grabbing feature looks to be back for 2023, though we don't know yet if all models will offer such illumination. 

The Alienware x16 also has another tool in its arsenal - audio. Dell has announced that there will be six speakers in every configuration, including two upfiring tweeters and a dual-woofer in the bass ranges as well - all paired with Dolby certification. 

The first round of high-end x16 laptops will launch in Q1 2023 offering Intel and Nvidia configurations at $3,099. Entry level models will follow later with prices starting at $2,149.99. 

Alienware M16

Don't fancy shelling out for that luxury aesthetic? The Alienware M16 takes the sturdy yet powerful M-Series to a new form factor with its 2023 debut. Dell has announced the middle child to its line at this year's CES event, with the 16-incher offering up 13th generation Intel and the latest AMD Ryzen processors and next-gen Nvidia GeForce RTX / AMD Radeon GPUs. It's not just a matter of size, though, there are some significant performance upgrades under the hood here.

Alienware's Element 31 thermal paste is now applied to both the CPU and GPU to help with heat dissipation, with both components covered by a larger vapor chamber to keep that temperature even lower as well. With four ultra-thin fans in the chassis, Dell estimates that it's increased internal airflow by nearly 25%. The M16 will also ship with user-replaceable DDR5 RAM and configurations range up to four M.2 SSDs, netting you a max of 9TB storage. 

A 16:10 aspect ratio accompanies a QHD+ resolution with either 165Hz or 240Hz refresh rates available on the majority of configurations. If you're looking to push the boat out, the M16 also boasts an impressive 480Hz option as well, though pricing is yet to be revealed. A new FHD webcam, improved hinge, and Cherry MX ultra-low profile mechanical keyboard option are all present and accounted for as well. 

The Alienware M16 will launch in high-end configurations in Q1 2023, starting at $2,599. Additional options will follow later, with entry-level prices starting at $1,899. 

Alienware M18

Then we hit the biggun. The Alienware M18 marks Dell's first move beyond the previous 17.3-inch form factor. This is a massive 18-inch machine, threatening to just nudge the seams of your backpack a little further, all in the name of incredible power and efficiency. Under the hood, you're picking up the same components as the M16 above, with plenty more space to let all those pieces breathe. 

The draw here is that big screen treatment, and the additional cooling and performance benefits found in larger machines by default. The only other difference between the two announcements (as far as we've found so far) is that the M18 will ship with two keyboard options rather than three, doing away with the budget single-zone RGB model. 

Again, the Alienware M18 will launch in high-end Intel and Nvidia configurations in Q1, starting at $2,899. Later, cheaper, builds will be available from $2,099. 

Alienware x14 R2

Last year, Dell introduced the Alienware x14 - a supremely thin gaming laptop with the same luxurious design as its larger siblings but without any of the additional heft. CES 2023 has offered up the next iteration, offering the same minute form factor but with extra attention paid to cooling. Similar to the larger models above, Element 31 is now used on both the CPU and GPU to keep things moving smoothly, though the x14 R2 only offers this upgrade in certain (read pricier) configurations. 

You're still covered even if you drop this extra feature, though, the x14 R2 also employs what Alienware calls 'Smart Fan' control. The individual fans within the chassis can work independently, at different rates, depending on readings from sensors within the machine. 

While the x14 doesn't exactly pack the most powerful graphics cards (there'd be no space for them), it's still an excellent addition to an already zippy machine. Dell has also upped the x14's audio quality, offering Dolby Atmos certification on all models, and boosted the display to offer a 16:10 QHD+ resolution in the lineup as well. You can still expect 13th generation Intel processors, but there's no word on an AMD option at the moment, as well as GeForce RTX graphics. 

The Alienware x14 R2 will launch with Intel and Nvidia entry-level specs at $1,799 in Q1. 

After something a little sooner? We're also rounding up all the latest Alienware laptop deals and our favorite gaming laptop deals of the week as well. Or, if you're more interested in the competition, we're also bringing you all the best Razer laptops and the best Asus gaming laptops available. 

The best Alienware gaming PC options have been serving up space-age goodness and speedy specs for decades. You could argue you're better off building your own system or even just opting for a cheaper brand, but ultimately, you won't quite hit the same boutique build vibes as Dell's tailored sci-fi systems.

At this moment, the best Alienware gaming PC overall is technically the Area-51 since it's now the flagship machine. If you've got deep pockets, you can opt for an RTX 5090 build paired with the latest Intel or AMD CPUs, but you will typically pay more for Dell's boutique machine than you would for alternatives. Keep in mind that hardware and component prices right now are bananas, so Dell's already lavish prices are reaching ever higher.

It's for that reason that, when it comes to the best Alienware PC for most players, the Aurora R16 still reigns supreme. Dell has dropped the numerical moniker since the conventional-looking machine succeeded the egg-shaped R15, but it's the same setup that will still furnish you with premium GPUs like the RTX 5080 or keep things tame with cheaper RTX 5070 and 5060 options. If you were planning on grabbing a Steam Machine, but reckon over a grand is too much for a lower-spec box, it could be wise to put that money towards a higher-spec, extra-terrestrial rig instead.

The quick list

The best Alienware gaming PC overall

The Area-51 is back, and it just so happens to be Dell's best Alienware gaming PC right now. It wins out thanks to its cutting-edge spec options blended with conventional design elements that make it easier to upgrade, but it does come at an equally monstrous price point.

Design: The main appeal of Area-51 is, without a doubt, its conventional design. That might sound a bit bland for something bearing the Alienware badge, but this rig (mostly) ditches proprietary elements and components. I might look like a larger version of the Aurora R16, and it sort of is, but inside you'll find heaps of space, a standard ATX motherboard, and the option for third-party cooling.

For the most part, you can treat the Area-51 like a regular gaming PC, which means you can upgrade it as you see fit. While you can swap out things like the GPU and RAM in other Alienware models, this specific model won't hit you with many curveballs while doing so. Dell basically makes good on that marketing promise, although you will need a $35 adapter kit to retain elements like the RGB case lighting and front IO ports.

Features: The Area-51 retains both Alienware and regular gaming PC features by still including things like its Cryo-Tech AIO cooler and boutique build vibes, while also allowing you to upgrade it however you'd like. That's both good and bad depending on how you look at it, as it means you're getting a no-nonsense rig, but it's one that honestly feels almost like any other premium system in this price range. Still, power is the focus here, and with build options letting you hit blistering specs via the RTX 5090 and Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K CPU, it trades blows with the very best systems out there.

Performance: I've fully tested the RTX 5090 version of the Area-51, and it's just as beastly as you'd expect. 4K in the latest games is the expectation with this machine, and even Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing on isn't much of an issue. If you take advantage of Nvidia's DLSS Multi-Frame Generation tech, though, you're talking about sky-high frame rates that'll satiate even the very best gaming monitors out there.

The Alienware Area-51 pulls off top-end 4K performance without getting too toasty, with temps rarely reaching beyond 72°C. That's before you even get to making your own tweaks to the build, so while it's targeting DIY enthusiasts, hands-off players will be able to kick back and enjoy ripping frame rates out of the box, no matter the settings.

Verdict: The Area-51 is ridiculously expensive, but when it comes to the $5,000 RTX 5090 system specifically, you'll struggle to find a similar build for less. If you're looking for the best Alienware rig right now, this is it, but you will have to pay a pretty penny for flagship specs bearing the Zeta-head logo in 2026.

• Read more: Alienware Area 51 review

The best Alienware gaming PC for most players

Now that Area-51 is a thing, the Aurora now feels more like the best Alienware gaming PC for most players. The latest iteration still holds onto the same elements as the "R16", and you can still pick from punchy SKUs that pack up to an RTX 5080. However, you're trading absolute power for a smaller case and some Dell proprietary shenanigans that help it stick to a more affordable price point, even though it does just look like a baby version of the flagship.

Design: Dell claims the Aurora R16 runs 7% cooler than its R15 predecessor, and it's 20% quieter to boot. That's going to appeal to anyone worried about high-spec gaming thermals, as the new design allows the build's AIO cooler to perform efficiently. Arguably, it also looks better than previous models, featuring a case that looks conventional. That said, if you're an Alienware fan, you're likely not looking for a down-to-earth system in the first place.

Features: There are a few constants with Aurora gaming rigs, like AIO coolers, custom motherboards, and RGB lighting. That said, the R16 ditches a lot of Dell's usual DNA for a more refined approach, focusing instead on getting the most out of the expensive parts inside than acting like a PC peacock. Now that the company's systems come with DDR5 options and speedy M.2 drives, it feels like Alienware rigs are properly equipped to take on conventional rivals and receive less scrutiny from enthusiasts.

Performance: In testing, the new Aurora provided punchy performance in our benchmark games, hitting higher figures than the R16 in Cyberpunk 2077 specifically. Performance was more than adequate at 4K in the likes of Baldur's Gate 3 too, with averages remaining steady across lengthy gaming sessions. Keep in mind that if you pick up an Nvidia version, you'll also have DLSS at your disposal, enabling you to theoretically double frame rates using AI upscaling and frame generation.

Verdict: I know some of you out there will be disappointed with the Aurora R16's fairly conventional approach to case design. However, when it comes to raw performance and having universal appeal, the Aurora still makes an impression. If you're not reaching for the stars in terms of specs, and aren't fussed about complete upgradability, this is the machine to grab, especially since it's starting price is way lower than the Area-51.

Read more: Alienware Aurora R16 review

The best budget Alienware gaming PC

The Alienware Aurora R15 is a powerhouse pre-build that'll make short work of your Steam library, even at 4K with ultra ray tracing enabled. The rig's lofty specs and curious case design embody the brand's out-of-this-world vibe more so than even the newer Aurora R16, but there are a few caveats to consider when it comes to upgradability.

Design: Dell's Alienware rigs traditionally look a little funky, but the R15 could be the last machine to feature an otherworldly aesthetic. Its space-capsule-inspired case isn't going to be everyone's jam, and you certainly won't be able to lazily sit things on top of this beast. However, its RGB lighting and weird shape are iconic and will turn a few heads at LAN events, should you lug it to any big multiplayer outings.

While there's nothing stopping you from cracking open Dell's capsule PC and tinkering inside, you might find there's little you can actually change. The proprietary motherboard inside only features two DIMM slots, meaning your options are limited when it comes to upgrading RAM. There's also not much space unoccupied within the case, so trying to squeeze different parts inside could be something of a difficult voyage.

Features: Some of the R15's biggest features are tied to its aesthetic, with a custom motherboard and AIO cooler working to provide a unique flair and elevated efficiency. Compared to the R14, Dell says it has increased airflow by 19%, and the resulting GPU noise has been reduced by 32%. Not that you want this rig to blend into the background, which explains why it features flamboyant RGB lighting throughout its design that can be customised using AlienFX software.

Performance: We've put the Aurora R15 through our usual benchmarking tests, and it's clear that the rig has awesome capabilities. Supporting up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, Intel Core i9-13600K CPU, and 32GB DDR5 RAM, we're talking about specs that could rival any machine in the market. The result? Well, the setup can run Cyberpunk 2077 at 147fps at 4K with ultra ray tracing settings enabled, albeit with a helping hand from DLSS 3 AI upscaling.

The Aurora R15 also isn't the quietest system around, but not because it's overly noisy. Its plastic case seems to create strange acoustics that produce an eerie sound, which is perhaps appropriate given its extra-terrestrial design. It also tends to creak a little as internal temperatures rise and fall, which sort of sounds like it's going to transform and take off.

Verdict: The Aurora R15 is the best Alienware gaming PC we've tried to date, and it's got plenty to offer on the performance front. That fact alone might make up for its upgradeability pitfalls, as you probably won't need to even think about switching out its core parts for many years to come. While it's now a few years old, it remains my "budget" pick since you're more likely to find it discounted out in the wild.

Read more: Alienware Aurora R15 review

Best Alienware gaming PCs - Frequently asked questions

Best Alienware gaming PC 2024: Minimum specs to look for

When looking for the best Alienware gaming PC, you want the most bang for your buck as possible, especially when Alienware products aren't the cheapest you'll find. You want to make sure that your rig is futureproofed with solid specs, but what are these? We've supplied our minimum spec recommendations for in 2024 down below.

In particular, we'd look to secure an NVMe, Gen 4 M.2 SSD, as we consider these the best SSDs for gaming. As for capacity, don't get your wallet out for anything less than 500GB. Yes, there are some exceptions. If a prebuilt PC comes with a hybrid storage system, so 250GB of SSD combined with 2TB of HDD, maybe it's alright. But ideally, you don't want an SSD in your machine that's less than 500GB.

Elsewhere, look for a 13th Gen Intel Core i9, or AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 processor, as these are often the best CPUs for gaming. 11th Gen, or 5000 series AMD CPUs are the absolute minimum we'd shoot for in the year of our lord 2024. These chips will perform just fine, but they won't be futureproofed going forward. Also worth keeping in mind, is that DDR5 RAM is only compatible with certain motherboards, and by proxy, will only reach its top speeds with a newer generation CPU.

The choice that will impact price the most, is whether or not you get one of the best graphics cards. At this point in time, we'd recommend an RTX 4060 and above, since these are now readily available and much more affordable. If you've got the budget, you'll perhaps want to pick up a build with a shiny new RTX 4090 inside, as that way you'll be able to smash through system requirements for new releases with no compromise. That said, the new Aurora R16 actually caps out at the RTX 4080, so keep that in mind if you're looking for the absolute best Aurora rig in terms of performance.

In terms of memory, we'd look for 16GB of DDR4 as a minimum. If you can get DDR5, then even better, just make sure your motherboard supports it. It's also worth noting that some builds only come with two DIMM slots, meaning there will be limits on how many modules you can use to upgrade.

Lastly, it's important to highlight that there are major design differences between the the Aurora R16 and previous machines, as the latest version features a more traditional shape and refined cooling system. So, if you'd rather opt for something less flashy, picking up the newest model might make all the difference.

The recently revived Area 51 systems also make for a good blend between old and new, as the premium system is designed to be upgradable. It's perhaps still not as versatile as an ordinary rig since it uses some Dell-specific parts, but it's specs and design certainly cater more to enthusiast needs.

How to choose an Alienware gaming PC

Picking an Alienware gaming PC might feel straightforward, but it's easy to focus on the wrong specs or overpay for an older model. Dell releases new configurations yearly that feature new GPUs and CPUs, and since we're now entering a new graphics card generation with the GeForce RTX 5000 and Radeon RX 9000 series, it's worth double checking specs to ensure you get good value for money.

That's not to say you should automatically pick up the latest Alienware gaming PC. In fact, opting for an older model can save you money while still providing you with fantastic specs. Sure, you won't want to spend top dollar on a machine with an RTX 4090 inside if you can get one with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, but there's certainly a balance that can be struck.

I've been buying PCs of all shapes and sizes at this point, and shopping for Alienware gaming PCs feels like second nature. If you're trying to work out how to choose the right rig, you might want to break the each aspect down into the following categories, as that way you'll get a better idea of what you need.

Price: Naturally, you'll want to come up with a budget before hunting for an Alienware gaming PC. Dell's pre-builds can be pretty expensive, but setting financial boundaries can stop you from going overboard, not to mention it'll help you work out if you should even pick up an Aurora rig or go for another brand with a more approachable MSRP. Once you've got a feel for what's possible with your specific funds, you'll have a better idea of what systems are practically available to you.

Specs: Many of you will want a souped-up system with great specs, but carefully making sure you're getting right components is vital. The last thing you want is to get excited about a machine boasting the latest CPU, only to realize you've picked something with either not enough RAM or a lower tier graphics card than preferred. That's why I like to go through each model's spec sheets and ensure I've selected optimal components for what I need, as it'll save any upgrade frustration in the future.

Design: Every now and then, Dell likes to revamp the look of its gaming PC line-up. Last year, it released a rather conventional looking Alienware Aurora R16 rig that almost looks like a regular rig, and that could be a big turn off for players seeking a space age vibe. If you consider yourself in that category, deliberately aiming for an older model like the Aurora R15 could be a wise decision, while anyone who isn't into weird looking egg shaped cases will want to embrace the latest model.

Upgradability: Dell's gaming machines aren't renowned for their upgradability, but considering future components before buying a machine is wise. If you know for a fact you'll want to completely overhaul your system with new cooling systems, processors, and other fundamental parts, investing in the new Alienware Area 51 will grant you access to a more upgradable design. If you simply want to swap out RAM or a graphics card when the time comes, the Aurora R16 is still good for that without being a complete pain.

Glossary: Alienware gaming PC terms explained

Aurora: The specific brand name given to Dell's newest Alienware gaming PCs. The first model, the Aurora R1, arrive back in 2010, and there has been 16 versions released yearly since then.
AlienFX: The term used to describe the RGB lighting included with both Alienware gaming PCs and laptops. The latest model, the Aurora R15, features what Dell calls a "AlienFX stadium loop" that surrounds the front vent and provides illumination. Customizations can be made via the Command Centre app.
AIO cooler: The liquid cooler used in most mid to high-end Aurora builds that fits straight to the CPU and to either a 120mm or 240mm radiator at the top. Opting for system with liquid cooling will result in lower fan noise and lower temperatures overall.
Cryo-tech: A variant of Alienware's liquid cooling system that features additional RGB illumination and a thicker five-blade radiator.
Dark Side of the Moon: The name given to the black and red colorway included across the Alienware Aurora family. These specific models normally features AMD graphics cards and processors.
Lunar Light: A term used for the white and blue version of Dell's Alienware PCs. The last version to release with this colorway was the Aurora R15 since the newer R16 only comes in matt black.

How we test Alienware gaming PCs at GamesRadar+

Our expert team spends countless hours putting gaming PCs through their paces, and Alienware rigs are no exception. While performance capabilities are at the forefront of our testing, we also closest consider specs, design, features, and price to determine whether a system should make our recommended list.

In a way, gaming PCs are multiple products in one, and our tests involve benchmarking each system's graphics card and CPU in addition to the entire rig. To maintain consistency, we use a set collection of games to collect data on frame rates, temperatures, and general performance, which can be then used to compare against alternatives.

Our a full rundown, check out how we test gaming PCs for more information on our benchmark procedures. Alternatively, take a peek at our hardware policy guide for insight into how we conduct all of our reviews.

You'll also find guides to the best gaming mouse, best gaming keyboard, and best gaming monitor if you're refreshing your whole setup as well.

Early Black Friday Alienware deals are now live across Dell's site, though those gaming laptops and PCs are still looking particularly premium. Compared to the rest of the desktop and laptop landscape, Alienware rigs are some of the most expensive options available - and its holiday sales isn't quite cutting the mustard right now.

That said, there are still worthwhile discounts to be found. Monitors and accessories haven't been hit with the same price increases as their PC counterparts over the last year, and I've been seeing retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and sometimes Amazon undercutting Dell's own Black Friday Alienware deals a lot more as well.

RAM shortages and other rising component costs mean the best Alienware PCs and the best Alienware laptops are hitting higher MSRPs than last year's, we're still expecting to see savings as we creep closer to the holidays. Computing devices generally see an average 20% discount over November's sales (Adobe), so Black Friday Alienware deals could be a beacon of light.

Last year we saw Amazon's Prime event kickstart the entire season in October, with November-worthy discounts landing across competing retailers a month in advance. These savings were replicated in the weeks leading up to Black Friday itself, only to be stuck right back on the shelves during the main event. That's why we're kicking off our coverage now, rounding up all the biggest Alienware deals ahead of Black Friday so you know what's available and when to jump in or hold off for a better price.

Retailers to watch

• Dell: 6% back in Dell Rewards
• Amazon: accessories from $33
• Best Buy: save up to $900
• Walmart: laptops from $899

UK:

• Dell: double rewards available
• Amazon: monitors from £229
• Laptops Direct: save with refurbished

Best Alienware deals ahead of Black Friday

For more setup upgrades, check out the Black Friday Secretlab deals we're expecting to see.

Getting your hands on a cheap Alienware Laptop deal is a special find in 2023. These are the best of the best, comprised of the latest and greatest components that are available today. That's why finding a reduction on any of these models can be a little troublesome. 

All things considered, these still aren't cheap Alienware laptop deals - for truly affordable rigs you'll have to move away from the top shelf and look more toward mid-range and budget lines (the M-Series and the x14). Still, we're showing you exactly how to do that, and where to find the best offers today. 

We're rounding up all the latest Alienware laptop deals right here. You'll find all the lowest prices on top and budget models from all around the web right here, so you know you're getting the best value for your cash. We've kept this list trimmed to the machines we know will offer great prices during sale events, though anyone on the hunt for a cheap Alienware laptop will be well served by the current market. These are some of the best gaming laptops available right now, though, so we wouldn't expect prices to be dropping lower than $1,300 / £1,300.

The very best Alienware laptops don't drop to these kinds of prices too often. However, we do spot heavy discounts on RTX 3080 rigs from time to time so if you're looking to invest, it's worth keeping your eye on Dell's own gaming laptop deals. 

• Browse all the latest sales at Dell

Today's best cheap Alienware laptop deals

While these rigs are still pricey, discounts are so frequent that you'll often find cheap Alienware laptops taking price cuts of hundreds of dollars / pounds. You'll find all the lowest prices on the latest Alienware laptop deals just below.

Cheap Alienware M15 laptop deals

With the Alienware M15 R5 and R6 now firmly off the shelves (if you do spot a discount make sure it's cheaper than $1,499 / £1,499 - some retailers are inflating costs), the R7 is taking its time in the sun. We're already starting to see a few discounts rolling in on this 2022 model during major sales events, so it's all to play for if you're browsing at the right time.

The Alienware M15 R7 packs a serious punch but hasn't seen too many discounts since its launch. The last few weeks have been a little kinder, though, with the first rounds of saving starting to trickle in. If you're looking for a saving on the latest and greatest you'll likely find around $100 - $200 / £100 - £200 off on this model at best right now, though that could all change in a few months' time. 

Entry-level configurations (i7-12700H processor and RTX 3050 Ti graphics cards) start at around $1,499 / £1,499 - though we have seen that price dip to £1,360 in the UK before now. 

Cheap Alienware X14 laptop deals

The Alienware x14 may be part of the brand's premium lineup, but with a limited list of configuration options, it's actually already cheap considering its brand and range. The cheapest configuration packs an i5-12500H processor and RTX 3050 GPU for $1,499.99, and the whole spec maxes out at an i7-12700H and RTX 3060. That means this is a cheaper but less powerful model, still packing some excellent display and chassis tech with that luxury Alienware finish, but all at a much lower price.

Cheap Alienware X15 laptop deals

Alienware's X line starts off with the original X15, released in 2021. This model looked to shake up the design of the line, with a thinner, lighter form factor that sits just as well in a backpack as it does on a desk. Starting prices sit at $1,999 / £1,999, so you're getting a comfortably mid-range spec (in terms of Alienware laptop prices anyway). Of course, this machine is still packed with some serious components which means it runs a little heavier than the ultrabooks its design mimics.

Dell is very much leaning into the super slim trend with this release, with a 16.3mm profile. There's also new cooling tech packed in here, with some super smart thermal limiting features to boot. That means you're paying not only for the components inside this premium chassis but also for the engineering to pack all those bits and bobs under the hood.

Since launching in mid-2021, we've started to see more and more Alienware laptop deals hitting this model in the last few months - especially after the new R2 model launched at the start of the year. If you're after this premium model, we'd recommend checking out an RTX 3070 laptop configuration for the best value for money, though if you really want that display to shine you should aim for an RTX 3080 laptop. 

The Alienware x15 R2 is also now on the shelves, but we're not seeing prices dropping quite as far as those on the R1. If you're not fussed about getting the latest and greatest, we'd recommend sticking with the R1 for now. However, if you do want to invest, you'll find all the latest prices on the newer model below.

Cheap Alienware X17 laptop deals

The original 2021 Alienware X17 brought more than just a larger 17.3-inch display to the party, and now that the R2 is out in the wild, discounts are far more forthcoming. You're getting a handful of extra ports (another USB-A, DisplayPort, and LAN), and a mechanical Cherry MX keyboard to support the premium chassis. With all that extra gear, then, you're looking at a much higher price here. Starting prices are set at $2,099 / £2,099, but we've started to see more and more savings hitting this high-end device in recent months, with some offers dropping as low as $1,699.

However, if you're looking for a larger screen but don't want the additional heft that often brings, this is actually a well-priced machine already. 17.3-inch devices usually carry a slightly premium, but the Alienware X17 price isn't too far a shot away from the X15 so the upgrade isn't too much of a leap. That $2,099 base price is just $100 more than the similarly specced X15, after all. 

We are seeing a few more Alienware laptop deals on the X17 these days, so there is a little wiggle room on that premium price point.

Where to find more cheap Alienware laptop deals

There are plenty of retailers regularly offering cheap Alienware laptop deals, in both the US and UK. We'd always head straight to Dell first, as we see regular price drops on more budget-friendly models as well as additional promo codes throughout major sales events as well. However, plenty of big-name stores also stock these machines as well.

US: Best Buy | Dell | Amazon | Newegg | B&H Photo | Adorama

UK: Amazon UK | Currys | Laptops Direct | Overclockers UK | Argos

More gaming laptop deals

While tempting to aim for, we realize that Alienware's premium price point is just too high for many laptop hunters. You'll also have to leave the Alienware line if you're after an RTX 3050 laptop. However, do not fear as we know of a whole bunch of excellent gaming laptops that will bag you power and performance on a smaller budget.

These models are all from excellent manufacturers who have gaming pedigree and have released some of our non-Alienware favorites over the years. Below is our pick of the bunch of those that will offer somewhat of a similar level of performance, but you can also check our guide to Razer gaming laptop deals as well.

We're also rounding up all the best Razer laptops and the best Asus gaming laptops out there, but if you're after something a little more permanent it's worth checking out our guides to the best gaming PCs and the best Alienware PCs in particular.

The best Alienware laptop I've tested so far is the 16 Area-51, a portable rig designed with performance at its forefront. This is a showpiece, with some unnecessary flair, but it also scores the highest in my benchmark tests and comes with the widest array of components all while still saying compact in its footprint.

The Alienware 16X Aurora poses an interesting value question, though. If you don't need the highest framerates from one of the best gaming laptops around, this more affordable entry still offers up excellent performance for the price and comes with its own sleek design to boot.

I've been testing rosters of the best Alienware laptops for years now, putting each one through its paces across both in-game and synthetic benchmark runs. You'll find all my top picks just below, but it's also worth noting you're browsing at the right time. We've got Black Friday Alienware deals just on the horizon and things could get a lot spicier.

The Quick List

The best Alienware laptop overall

My favorite configuration:

The Alienware 16 Area-51 is the best Alienware laptop overall right now, and it's just had an OLED facelift. That's been a long time coming for these machines, they were starting to feel a little left behind compared to the rest of the market.

The Area-51 brings a few new design quirks to Alienware's gaming laptop range, from the transparent viewing window on the underside to the RGB fans and slight iridescent finish on the main chassis. That glass panel isn't going to be seen too often (it's on the bottom of the laptop after all), but the changes are neat when noticed.

I found the softening of the design a lot more impressive. Instead of a large, boxy, sometimes angular, case we've got rounded corners and gradual slopes for a smoother feel overall. It's still among the heavier machines on the market, and comes in at 1.12-inches thick, but it feels more streamlined than previous iterations.

The Alienware 16 Area-51 diverts more of its resources to being a desktop power house. Configurable all the way up to the RTX 5090 and with Intel's latest CPU options, you're getting high-end components here. Those rear ports also give the game away, allowing for an excellent range of connections that all stay out of sight.

Of course, there's also that fantastic keyboard. Granted, I reviewed the mechanical option, but it's well worth considering the upgrade. Everything is clacky and super satisfying here, offering a slightly heavier experience than other models - but one that will offer far greater precision.

The HP Omen Max 16 did beat the Alienware 16 Area-51 in my benchmarks, though only in certain battles. The RTX 5080 model I tested put slimmer RTX 5090 machines through their paces, often beating the Razer Blade 16 in framerates. That's all for far less than Sneki's top-of-the-range configuration.

If you're after high-end performance without a massive 18-inch footprint, the Alienware 16 Area-51 is the best machine on Dell's shelves right now. Prices are fair compared to the rest of the competition, though you do prioritize performance over extra features like display quality.

Read more: Alienware 16 Area-51 review

The best value Alienware laptop

My favorite configuration:

The Alienware 16X Aurora avoids the premium pricing of the Area-51 range while still offering a surprisingly premium-feeling chassis and 60fps+ framerates in 1080p (and most QHD runs). The new device brings long-needed improvements to your display, with a new matte OLED screen offering a particularly impressive visual aspect. Meanwhile, the bump up to an RTX 5070 Ti is going to help those looking push more demanding games in higher resolutions.

The Alienware 16X Aurora still carries some of the more premium design elements over from the Area-51, with a shimmer effect on its main chassis that catches the light between blue and purple in a similar manner. It's a little thinner as well, offering a more portable experience overall, thankfully without the rear cooling shelf of previous mid-range models. An anodized aluminum construction puts it above competitors in its price range from other brands as well. It is, however, a little heavier than other 16-inchers in its range so it's not ideal for longer, more regular commutes.

The OLED panel here manages to deftly sidestep the glare issues that plagues other models, all while still appearing vibrant and punchy.

Ports are placed to the rear of the device, with a couple reserved for the left flank. This makes it incredibly easy to hide all your wires in a more permanent desk setup, though just note that you're swapping the Thunderbolt 5 of the Area-51 for Thunderbolt 4. That's not going to be much of a problem, it would only pop up if you're planning on connecting to multiple 4K high-refresh monitors, and the RTX 5060 / RTX 5070 wouldn't fare too well anyway.

We did note that the keyboard on the new 2026 model feels a little softer than the previous iteration, without that satisfying snap and bounce under the hands.

The RTX 5070 2026 Alienware 16X Aurora I tested kept up well with similarly chunky machines like the Asus ROG Strix G16 and slimmer rigs like the Razer Blade 14. You're looking at rock solid 1080p performance here, whether it be Cyberpunk RT: Ultra or Shadow of the Tomb Raider, while QHD performance starts to dip below that 60fps threshold when more demanding games up on the dancefloor. Still, that's pretty usual for an RTX 5070 gaming laptop and the 16X Aurora managed to post some impressive numbers considering it was operating with half the supplied RAM compared to its competitors.

Solid performance, a premium chassis, and a price tag that holds its own against the competition makes the 16X Aurora the best Alienware laptop from a value perspective. If you just want to get your games up and running without breaking the bank, this is where you should be looking.

Read more: Alienware 16X Aurora 2026 review

The best budget Alienware laptop

The Alienware 15 is the brand's latest endeavor, aiming for a budget price point but only really hitting it in relation to the rest of Dell's lineup. While discounts can drop these machines under four-figures, they're still pricey by previous years' standards - especially if you're looking at the RTX 5060 configuration. Still, for RTX 4050 and RTX 5050 outings, this is the Alienware laptop you should be looking at.

The Alienware 15 hasn't been designed to run the latest games at their fastest, but that means it gets away with a much slimmer waistline. This is a sleek rig catering to those after a high-performance daily work laptop, with the ability to run a few lighter games in the evening. Still, you're getting Dell's premium engineering in here, which means a sturdy build quality and full-sized keyboard.

Pitched at the bottom end of the market, the Alienware 15 looks its best when it's paired up with an RTX 4050 or RTX 5050 GPU. RTX 5060 options run far more expensive than competitor lineups. Pairing those entry-level graphics cards with Intel Core 5 and Core 7 processors keeps things conservative, but be wary of those 8GB RAM configurations. They're few and far between on the shelves, but they can catch shoppers out - if you're running any games on this thing you'll want to be aiming for a minimum of 16GB.

Storage is where you can make some sacrifices to keep those Alienware prices down. The brand's budget model cuts things all the way back to 512GB in its cheapest configuration, which is certainly workable if you're economical with your downloads. If you typically play more than a couple of games at a time, though, you'll want to boost that up to 1TB.

On top of all that you've got a 165Hz FHD+ display, a nice uplift from the 144Hz we typically see on budget-minded rigs. It means you'll have a nice runway for that RTX 5050 to run at higher speeds in more competitive titles, while also keeping everyday scrolling and browsing smooth as well.

Ultimately, the Alienware 15 only makes sense for those set on picking up one of Dell's devices. It rarely offers the best value against the rest of the market, but then neither do more premium models in this range. If you're spending as little as possible on a hybrid work and play machine that can travel with you, this is Dell's model for you.

The most powerful Alienware laptop

The Alienware 18 Area-51 is a behemoth with the widest selection of configuration options and the heaviest form factor. That means it can ramp all the way up to an RTX 5090 with 64GB RAM behind it, while pushing those components to their limits with ample chassis space and additional cooling. If you're going for framerates over form, this is what you need.

The Alienware 18 Area-51 doesn't want to go on long journeys with you. It wants to replace a desktop PC. This is a massive 4+kg machine, with the footprint of the largest rigs out there, it's not going to sit well in a backpack. Still, with a whole load of space to let those components rev their engines, and handy rear-mounted ports, this machine was made to be left on your desk.

Thunderbolt support (4 for RTX 5070 and below, and 5 for RTX 5070 Ti and above) means you're getting a high-speed connection to an external monitor, and a solid set of speakers means this thing could run your entire desk setup.

It's not for everyone, though.

Leaning hard into heavy grunt work, and with a general lack of display prowess on the battlefield, Alienware has made some sacrifices here. Yes, the 300Hz panel is going to be faster than most gaming monitors, but if you're going for pure immersion it's going to give you far less than a slower Mini LED or OLED experience. The standard IPS is brighter than other Alienware laptops, but it still can't compete with more luxurious panels further down the price bracket.

Alienware doesn't really care about that for this rig, though, which could explain why it's not included in the 2026 OLED refresh lineup. This is a machine that lives and dies on its performance, whether you're running it solo or as part of a larger monitor setup (I'd recommend the latter).

The Alienware 18 Area-51 isn't cheap, but with the brand's highest power output and top of the range components it's going to serve those investing a high-performance-at-all-costs rig particularly well. Just be sure to keep it plugged in.

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Also tested

How we test Alienware laptops

Finding the very best Alienware laptops is no mean feat. Of course, Dell only produces so many ranges and models per year - but not each one carries its price tag the same way. We run all gaming laptops that pass our desks through a series of industry tests, while working and playing with them for a considerable amount of time in every day life. That way we can accurately judge the value proposition on offer, and determine just how far that price tag will take you.

Our testing covers everything from GPU performance to portability. We use 3D Mark's Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad for an easily comparable benchmark of raw performance, while also testing in-game using Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Cyberpunk 2077, and Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered. Older Alienware laptops may have been benchmarked with other titles, including Returnal, The Talos Principle 2, and Metro Exodus, but all machines are benched against Tomb Raider and Total War.

Each of these benchmark runs are completed at 1080p and 1600p, across both high and highest settings. We perform each test three times, taking an average score as our final results.

Outside of the numbers, though, we make sure to use each laptop as we would our own. That means running all daily work and play through the machine, both connected to an external monitor and in isolation on a desk. It also means we travel with each rig.

Battery tests are performed in the real world. Each Alienware laptop is charged to 100% before the stopwatch is set. Then we spend one battery run working from the device, with any RGB switched off and display brightness set to 50%. We then do the same with recent games.

You can find more information on how we review the products we recommend in our full Hardware Policy, and we're also showing you exactly how we test gaming laptops for more details as well.

How to choose an Alienware laptop

Alienware gaming laptops can get real pricey real fast, especially if you're shopping the more premium tiers. That means it can pay to make sure you're getting the model and spec that closest aligns with your own playstyle and needs. There are four factors to consider when narrowing down your options, and if you work through each one you should find yourself at the perfect Alienware laptop by the end.

Size

These machines come in three sizes these days; 15-inch, 16-inch, and 18-inch. The smallest is designed to function more as a premium everyday laptop, go with you to work or school, sit nicely in a backpack, and still run your games in 1080p when you get home. You'll find a power drop in these smaller devices, though, so it's worth balancing your needs in the spec department as well.

16-inch machines are generally considered to be the best for most players - this is where you'll find the value-focused Aurora line (but also a more premium Area-51 model). They can still travel with you (and do so far easier thanks to newer shelf-less designs in Alienware rigs), but offer plenty of screen space and the internals for some fantastic performance.

The 18-inch Alienware 18 Area-51 is for those who keep their gaming laptops on their desk, only really moving them when needed. They offer a desktop-like experience with loads of ports, bigger configuration options, and a massive display, but at the cost of portability.

Spec

Next you'll need to get down to the numbers. Once you've chosen which chassis size you're after it's time to fill it with some components. It's worth noting that larger Alienware laptops will give you access to higher powered GPUs, so if you're on the hunt for an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 build you'll be looking at the Alienware 16 Area-51 or Alienware 18 Area-51. That's only for those really looking to push the highest possible framerates in higher resolutions, though.

The majority of players can easily swing an RTX 5060 for a fantastic time, with the RTX 5050 serving up players of lighter or more casual games much better. Not sure which camp you fit into? The RTX 5070 is your middle-of-the-road mid-ranger.

You'll need a minimum of 16GB RAM these days, which all Alienware laptops currently offer - and I'd recommend opting for at least 1TB of storage to keep things moving free as well. If you're running an RTX 5070 Ti or higher, I'd recommend moving up to 32GB RAM. Not all specs will automatically upgrade you these days, what with current component shortages, but you'll get more out of your purchase.

Display

You've already decided on the size of your laptop, so you'll know already how big your screen will be, but there's more to consider here. Alienware sometimes allows its laptops to be configured with different screen specs, often bumping up refresh rates and the expense of higher resolutions. If you're a competitive gamer you can run all the way up to 480Hz on some rigs (an insanely fast display that will handle motion incredibly smoothly), however the vast majority of players should be aiming for a QHD+ panel at either 165Hz or, ideally, 240Hz.

It's also worth noting that some Alienware laptops (at long last) now come with OLED displays. This is going to give you a much better color vibrancy and brightness compared to the brand's older panels (this was a real thorn in Dell's side for a long time). Right now, though, you're limited to either the Alienware 16 Area-51 or Alienware 16X Aurora if you want that fancy panel.

What is the best Alienware laptop?

The best Alienware laptop overall is currently the Alienware 16 Area-51. This is an expensive brand, but the 16-inch model pairs the best price-performance ratio of the bunch, while still offering more premium features.

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If you're between brands, check out the best Asus gaming laptops and the best Razer laptops for more options.

The Alienware x15 R2 is the next instalment in Dell's high-end gaming laptop line, boasting top-of-the-range configurations and the range's celebrated slimline design. This is no budget machine, though, with prices kicking off at $2,149.99 for an entry-level model. However, the luxury baked into every corner of this machine is well worth the investment if you're looking for a statement piece to take on the road. 

We took a $3,399.99 configuration out for a spin, stress-testing the i7-12700H processor and RTX 3080 Ti graphics card inside over a period of three weeks to see just where Alienware's latest model sits in the world of the best gaming laptops. 

Alienware x15 R2 design

True to form, the Alienware x15 R2 maintains the subtle but slick aesthetic of the rest of the x-Series line, but it feels considerably more impressive in this 15.6-inch form factor. The 14-inch Alienware x14 is one of the slimmest laptops we've ever tested, but it feels like a lesser feat with that smaller form factor. By contrast, the 17.3-inch model still feels bulky by virtue of that massive display. The x15 R2 has hit its Goldilocks zone, one-upping even the best Alienware laptops before it.

This is a serious slim machine, measuring in just 0.6-inches thick and weighing just over 5lbs. There aren't too many gaming laptops capable of cramming these kinds of specs into a chassis this small, and still remaining light enough to sling into a backpack.

The Alienware x-series employs one of my all-time favorite gaming laptop aesthetics, and while nobody was expecting Dell to deviate from this language with the 15.6-inch release, it's still worth celebrating here. You're still getting that crisp white lid, inset hinge, and soft-touch matte coating all coming together to create a premium feel and clean aesthetic. RGB LEDs are present in a ring around the ports situation on the back, through the Alienware logo on the lid, and in a per-key capacity across the keyboard as well.

Lifting the lid, the clean white top gives way to a matte black soft-touch base. The trackpad included here is a little smaller than other options on the market, but by no means the smallest, however the keyboard layout is one of the most helpful I've come across. That's down to the small column of keys running down the right hand side of the deck, offering dedicated volume controls and a mic mute button. It's rare to find a laptop keyboard that offers these buttons without relying on the function row, making for a particularly smooth everyday experience.

Alienware x15 R2 features

Diving into that keyboard a little further, you'll find a nice set of responsive tappers here. There's a little more resistance to each keypress, which may fatigue over some time if you're planning on typing extensively. However, they snap right back up into position with a clean click making for excellent use during the repeated keypresses of a more intense gaming scenario. 

Alienware also boasts that the new x15 packs four fans and a proprietary 'Element 31' thermal solution to ensure this skinny profile can handle the tech crammed inside it. I'd like to see how many fires I could start without these components, though, as the x15 R2 still runs incredibly hot when at full whack. Those thermal concerns did start to impact performance after around an hour of gameplay on a hard, uncluttered surface so there's certainly room to amp up the cooling even further here. 

There's also a lot of Alienware software pre-loaded onto this system, and most of it can be done away with. The Command Centre is the only program I actively used during testing, providing a clear interface for RGB, fan, and performance controls. 

I was particularly pleased to see the port placement return to the back of the device, though with only a single USB-A, many will have trouble keeping all their accessories connected. I would still expect to see at least two USB-As in this day and age, considering the vast majority of gaming keyboard and gaming mouse models still use this connection. After spending over $2,000 on a laptop, the last thing I would want to do is shell out for a hub just to plug everything into it. Still, there's a Thunderbolt 4 and power-delivery USB-C up for grabs here as well.

One of the Alienware x15 R2's best features is its face. The screen on this thing is particularly impressive, offering up a crisp, bright picture and excellent vibrancy. While the color range isn't quite as expansive as the competition, I was still blown away by the pop of Borderlands 3 and the bright crimson hues of Control. 

Alienware x15 R2 performance

The Alienware x15 R2 certainly posted some impressive numbers in our RTX 3080 Ti configuration. With blazing scores across stress tests like Time Spy and Firestrike, the R2 out-paced an RTX 3080 Razer Blade 15. Considering these two models are generally at the top of the 15.6-inch gaming laptop pyramid, those are some pretty important numbers. In-game performance didn't let up either, powering through heavier games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Metro Exodus without even thinking about dropping below 60fps - and doing so on a gorgeous display to boot. 

From the leaves of the Tomb Raider jungle to the sunset of a Total War: Three Kingdoms battle, everything held up notably well here, with that smooth 360Hz refresh rate ensuring the whole experience was silky smooth on top. 

However, all that horsepower generates some serious heat and, as mentioned earlier, the Alienware x15 R2 still isn't too great at dissipating it. Of course, slimline laptops are universally struggling to keep up with the components being packed inside them, so it's not too concerning the that skinny R2 burns hot. However, this machine grows so hot it does put additional pressure on the system, dropping frames and jittering slightly after a longer period of use. I never noticed any discomfort around the keyboard or sides during these warmer moments, though.

Should you buy the Alienware x15 R2?

If you're looking to invest in a high-end machine that's easy on your backpack straps, the Alienware x15 R2 is tough to beat. In this configuration at least it's capable of some monstrous performance, all while maintaining a super slim form factor and a luxurious design packed with quality of life features. The price tag certainly matches that premium finish, though. 

Starter configurations are already well over $2,000, so if you're after something a little less expensive it might be worth checking out some more budget-minded brands. Gigabyte's laptops regularly pack these top of the range components into smaller price tags by sacrificing chassis luxuries, but you'll also find some solid performance in the Alienware M15 R7 if you're sticking with Dell. This mid-range model can be configured just like the x15, but drops that final flourish to keep the price a little lower. 

How we tested the Alienware x15 R2

I used the Alienware x15 R2 as my main gaming laptop over the course of three weeks, running all my everyday play through the device and stress testing across a range of extra games and industry benchmarks. I played Borderlands 3, Control, Cities Skylines, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider in a casual setting, but used Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Metro Exodus for in-game benchmarks. On top of this, I used Fire Strike and Time Spy for stress graphics testing, as well as PC Mark 10, Cinebench, and Crystal Disk Mark for productivity benchmarks. You can find out more about how we test gaming laptops in our full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

We're also rounding up all the best Razer laptops on the market as well as the latest Alienware laptop deals for more discounts on top machines. Or, take a look at the week's biggest gaming laptop deals. 

The Acer Nitro 5 laptop has seen many iterations and featured in many best gaming laptop lists, but this recent addition is certainly a solid entry. 'Why?', you ask? Well, it’s packing a GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, perhaps the best budget graphics card on the market right now, and with a price point of $1,129, it’s certainly one of the more budget-conscious gaming laptops available at the moment.

A shiny new fifth-generation Ryzen processor and a gentle update to the external chassis makes for an appealing package on paper. Looking at the spec sheet, everything else seems to be pretty much what we’d expect from a 1080p RTX 3060 laptop. So how does the new Nitro 5 measure up? Let’s take a look.

Design

This Nitro 5’s physical design doesn’t differ much from older models; the casing is all-black plastic, which picks up fingerprint marks very easily but feels quite resilient considering that this laptop isn’t too heavy at 2.3kg. The power and charge LEDs are set into the hinge, making them easily visible whether the laptop is open or closed. The dual-fan cooling system draws in air at the sides and vents it underneath, meaning that you won’t have hot air blowing on your hand if you’re using a mouse.

Opening up the lid, we see a little more screen bezel than we’d ideally like, but not so much that it ruins the overall aesthetic of the laptop. There’s a nice big trackpad aligned with the spacebar, and the membrane keys are printed in white with thick white borders around those all-important ‘gamer keys’ (that’s WASD, the arrow keys, and the dedicated button for NitroSense, Acer’s system monitoring and tweaking software).

The keyboard on our Nitro 5 has four-zone RGB backlighting, which can be customized but naturally doesn’t allow for per-key addressing. It looks good, though; the LEDs shine brightly through the keycaps and can set to a number of dynamic presets using NitroSense. Some cheaper models of the Nitro 5 come with all-red backlighting rather than addressable RGB.

Features

That RTX 3060 GPU is the star of the show here given its place as a great budget entry into the best graphics card market, but it would be wise not to discount the Ryzen 5800H that serves as the central processing unit of this gaming laptop. An octa-core chip with a max boost clock of 4.4GHz, it promises solid performance in CPU-bound tasks without too much waste heat generation.

Outside the CPU and GPU, we’ve got a respectable 512GB of SSD storage (around 485GB in practice with Windows 11 installed by default) and 16GB of high-speed DDR4 RAM. The Nitro 5 has a decent selection of ports too, with three USB-A and one USB-C joined by an ethernet port and HDMI output for connecting a second display. The charge port is located on the rear edge, to keep your desk free of cable clutter.

Speaking of displays, the screen is actually where the Nitro 5 falls down for us. It’s not terrible by any means; a pretty run-of-the-mill 1080p LCD panel with a 144Hz refresh rate - much needed for esports titles, where framerate means everything - but the color reproduction is lackluster and the maximum brightness isn’t great either, making some games look a bit washed out. Realistic shooters like The Division 2 and Warzone look fine, but the vibrant color palettes of Overwatch and Valorant definitely look better on other laptops. It’s not ruinous, but we expected better.

The keyboard feels pleasant to type on and is suitably responsive for gaming, with minimal flexing in the frame on hard keypresses. There’s a decent amount of travel to these keys and accidental presses were at a minimum during our gaming tests. The trackpad is decent too, with a firm click and smooth surface. The speakers, while perfectly adequate, are not particularly impressive so we’d recommend using a PC headset for gaming.

As mentioned earlier, the Nitro 5 comes pre-loaded with NitroSense, which is less bloatware-y than many manufacturers’ proprietary software. It lets you keep an eye on your component temperatures and adjust fan speed profiles, as well as tweak the RGB lighting and audio presets. It’s simple but easy to use, so it gets a thumbs up from us.

Performance

When it comes to 1080p gaming, this Nitro 5 does a solid job. All but the most demanding games should run comfortably above 60fps at maximum graphical settings, and those that don’t can still achieve it with only a minor reduction in graphics. The RTX 3060 is also ray-tracing-enabled, though great performance with ray-tracing turned on is still largely the domain of the RTX 3070 laptops and RTX 3080 laptops in the portable world, truth be told. Notably, the 3060 demonstrated extremely consistent framerates in all of our game benchmarks, with a bit less performance variation than we’ve seen in other GPUs.

The Ryzen CPU is no slouch either, with solid performance in both single-core and multi-core workloads. CPU-bound games such as real-time strategy titles run reasonably well (see our Total War: Three Kingdoms benchmark scores) and the Nitro 5 exceeded our expectations in the Cinebench test. Startup times are incredibly quick, and we didn’t experience any lag in Windows 11 even with two dozen Chrome tabs open.

Unfortunately, SSD performance wasn’t quite up to snuff. This is a PCIe 3.0 system, so we weren’t expecting staggeringly fast drive speeds, but the sequential write speed of this SSD was surprisingly slow, only just scraping above 0.6GB/s. This almost SATA-level of transfer speeds is thankfully offset by a relatively quick read speed just shy of 2.5GB/s and theoretically shouldn’t cause any issues loading games. It’s something to be mindful of if you’re planning on routinely moving large files around on your laptop or between external drives.

The battery life of the Nitro 5 is also bordering on dismal, with the ‘balanced’ power preset offering less than two hours of gaming on battery power. In Acer’s defence, gaming laptops are hardly renowned for their incredible battery life, but the Nitro 5’s does feel particularly unimpressive. If you’re only planning on using this laptop plugged in - or you can tolerate the reduced performance of eco-mode when on the go - it shouldn’t be an issue for you.

Should you buy the Acer Nitro 5?

As a starter gaming laptop, or cheap gaming laptop, the Nitro 5 is a solid choice. Looking at the performance of our review unit, we’d probably advise against getting one of the cheaper RTX 3050-equipped models, but any version with a 3060 or better should be quite future-proofed for the next few years of game releases.

There are a few pitfalls here that we’d have liked Acer to avoid, but nothing that ultimately destroys the viability of the Nitro 5 as a desktop-replacement gaming machine. It’s also a reasonable choice for productivity, provided you’re not aiming to edit photos or video on that screen, which combined with the fair asking price makes it a good pick for university students or working gamers on a budget. All in all, one of the better iterations of Acer’s default gaming laptop, and a wallet-friendly portable powerhouse.

We're also rounding up all the best Razer laptops and best Alienware gaming laptops on the market right now if you're looking for more portable powerhouses.

Or if you prefer your gaming machines static, then check out the best gaming PC guide. And to ensure your setup is as comfortable as possible, check out the best gaming desks and the best gaming chairs too. 

Which gaming PC brand you should buy is a question as old as the platform itself, and with so many options available on the market in 2022, it can be easy to get lost in the haze. That's where we come in. We've combined both our knowledge and hands-on experience to discern which of the best gaming PC brands are right for you. Whether you're taking your first leap into PC gaming or are after a suitable replacement rig, we've got you covered with everything you need to know. 

Now, it should be known that gaming PCs are typically always going to be significantly more expensive than the likes of Xbox Series X stock or PS5 stock, and that's unlikely to change. This makes the gaming PC brand of choice particularly important, as any way you slice it, it's still a sizable investment even on the budget end of the scale. This is especially true when factoring in configurations running the likes of the best CPU for gaming and best graphics cards for gaming, as the faster and more powerful a rig is, the pricier it becomes. 

Another important factor to which gaming PC brand you should buy is going to depend on the storage, especially if you've been eyeing up one of the best SSDs for gaming and best RAM for gaming. Setting your sights on the fastest respective models inside a prebuilt system is going to make for an overall smoother experience. This is why we recommend strongly considering a build with an NVMe SSD if possible. It's now rare, even in cheap gaming PCs to only feature HDDs, so you should be covered here as long as you give things a more thorough look. 

Whether you've been curious about which gaming PC brand you should buy for a while or are just want to see what's available now, you'll find our top picks below.

The gaming PC brands to consider in 2022

Of all the companies making gaming PCs right now, we've managed to nail down to the best four to suit most budgets and preferences. Here's the gaming PC brands that we consider to be the best and why. 

Alienware makes some of the better prebuilt gaming PCs on the market right now, and they're generally available in four configurations at the time of writing: the Alienware R10, R12, R13, and R14. The Alienware R10 and R14 are built upon the newest Ryzen processors, the Ryzen 5000 series, and the Alienware R12 and R13 feature up to both 11th and 12th-generation Intel Core processors respectively.

As a general rule, the R10 and R12 machines (being the older of their two respective generations) tend to go on sale more frequently and with deeper discounts. All Alienware Aurora gaming PCs can be bought as listed or customized to add things such as more RAM, a different graphics card, or increased storage capacity. This makes the manufacturer one of the easier choices to recommend in terms of which gaming PC you should buy, as you're getting technologically relevant parts with an extended warranty from a trusted seller.

Alienware is a go-to gaming PC brand for good reason, as Dell's craftsmanship combined with reliable customer service make for a great user experience. What's more, you're benefitting from a suite of specialist software which not only easily controls things like the cooling or the lighting, but makes such tasks easier to understand than some other brands. 

Buy if...

• You want something ready to go out of the box 
• You're after a PC to last several years 
• A manufacturer's warranty is important to you

The Acer Predator Orion line's biggest advantage as a prebuilt is that the entry-level models are very aggressively priced, particularly the Orion 3000 models (of which many configurations are available). In the mid-range, you've got the Orion 5000, and the higher end of the scale is reserved for the Orion 7000 and Orion 9000 models. 

A major benefit that the Acer Predator Orion series has over some other prebuilt machines is that they are very easy to modify, being housed inside standard mid-tower cases. This means that it's less trouble to open them up and add more RAM or swap out other key components with minimal messing around, thanks to the lack of any custom-machined housings. 

As a result, this is the gaming PC brand that you'll want to buy if you are after a more traditional prebuilt with less bloatware onboard than some others. We've had a lot of good things to say about various Acer Predator Orion gaming PCs, such as our glowing write-up in our Acer Predator Orion 7000 review, where we described it as "nothing short of exceptional".

Buy if... 

• You want a competitively priced rig
• Upgrading in the future is of interest to you 
• You want a more traditional gaming tower

The Corsair One series is right up there with the most powerful, and most expensive, gaming PC brands on the market right now. That premium price tag is due in part to the small form-factor of the machines themselves. What makes the Corsair One stand out from other premium PC builds is the small, console-sized chassis, being not much bigger than that of an Xbox Series X. 

Aside from the physical presence of the Corsair One series, there's the hardware inside which is usually always top-of-the-line as you would expect for machines that can carry price tags of $5,000 in some instances. We praised the newest of the line in our Corsair One i300 review for its outstanding thermal performance, quiet operation, and compact nature. 

Corsair's foray into PC building hardware is defined by specifically engineered hardware to accommodate for proprietary components. When you buy a Corsair One PC, you're also getting some of the company's best case fans, AIO water cooling, and chassis design, too. 

This is the gaming PC brand for you if you're after a rig which would be just as at home on your desk or under your TV in the living room. 

The only real drawback, however, comes at the cost of the design itself, as it's virtually impossible to upgrade or get inside for upgrading/replacement purposes. This means that you're beholden to what's in the machine for the duration of its lifespan. With that in mind, though, there are so many Corsair One models on the market that finding exactly the CPU, RAM, and storage space that you want shouldn't be much of an issue at all. 

Buy if... 

• You want top of the line hardware 
• The console-sized form factor appeals to you 
• You want reliable Corsair components inside

The HP Omen series of gaming PCs are built with the ethos of being understated and surprisingly affordable for what your money gets you. Unlike some other prebuilt brands in this roundup, it is more than possible to buy a decent spec unit for well under the $1,000 mark, making the entry-level options viable for those on a budget.

You can find the HP Omen line available in many different setups, from the cheapest of the lot being the Omen 25L to the more enthusiast-marketed Omen 40L and Omen 45L. The only real downside that we can tell you about the Omen line is that the internals can be a little cramped, making upgrading a little challenging, but not as difficult as other builds. 

Naturally, the more you push the components inside, the pricier things are inevitably going to get. However, we've generally seen that the scale of the price-to-performance ratio carries over very well for what's inside machines in our experience. Take our HP Omen 30L review, for example, where we said that it was "a gorgeous piece of hardware". 

Buy if... 

• You have a specific build in mind 
• You're after a quiet gaming PC 
• You are fond of the aesthetics 

The best boutique gaming PC brands

If you want to get your hands on something which you can get inside to chop and change, then you might be more well suited to a boutique built gaming PC. These brands do not manufacturer their own hardware, but instead will use consumer grade components on the market, such as air coolers, AIOs, specific RAM kits, etc, for more personalized machines

Perhaps the most prolific name as far as boutique-built gaming PCs go, ABS is exclusive to Newegg and consistently delivers some of the cheapest machines featuring today's hardware. Chances are if you're searching for the likes of an RTX 3070 PC or RTX 3080 PC specifically, then an ABS built-rig is going to be significantly more affordable than some other listings. 

Price aside, you can generally find the ABS line available in three key variants depending on the amount of power you want; ABS Master (entry-level), ABS Gladiator (mid-range), and ABS Legend (enthusiast). Generally speaking, prices are going to start from around the $999 range and escalate up as high as $4,999 depending on the hardware.

Basically, ABS is the boutique-built gaming PC brand that you'll want to be aiming for if you're after aggressively priced machines with no bloatware from a reputable seller. It's very much a case of what you see is what you get with them. 

• ABS Master | Entry-level rigs from $999.99
• ABS Gladiator | Mid-tier machines from $1,199.99
• ABS Legend | Enthusiast models from $2,999.99

Buy if...

• You want an aggressively priced gaming PC 
• Specific components are important to you 
• You want an unmodified user experience free of bloatware

Skytech Gaming is one of the more well-established boutique gaming PC brands you can buy at the moment. What makes it stand out from the crowd is that you can typically find the likes of the Skytech Azure, Chronos, Prism II, Shadow 3.0, and Archangel 3.0 through not only Amazon but trusted retailers such as Best Buy, as well as going direct. 

A major advantage aside from the visuals is that listings commonly detail everything that's inside of the rig. This means you're able to see exactly what wattage PSU is inside, how fast your RAM is going to be, and which motherboard the system is built on before you make a purchase. Transparency is always appreciated here.

We've been fond of Skytech Gaming PCs for some time now, especially for the more aggressively priced mid-range options. You can typically expect to find RTX 3060 and RTX 3070 enabled configurations for some of the cheapest rates online, too. This is the gaming PC brand for you if you're after something stylish that won't cost the Earth. 

• Skytech Blaze II | Best Buy | Amazon 
• Skytech Shiva | Best Buy | Amazon 
• Skytech Shadow 3.0 | Best Buy | Amazon 
• Skytech Prism II | Best Buy | Amazon 

Buy if...

• You're after a stylish custom gaming PC 
• You are working with modest budgets 
• You have specific configurations in mind

Chances are if you've ever browsed the likes of Amazon or Best Buy then you'll no doubt be familiar with iBuyPower. The company's rigs are featured heavily in the search for custom gaming PCs and have a good reputation for delivering on what you're paying for. Perhaps most known of the brand's line-up is the Slate MR, but there's also the Trace MR, and the Gamer Xtreme lines which are perennially popular. 

Due to just how expansive the coverage of iBuyPower machines are across many retailers, it's very easy to find a respectably priced rig rocking enough power to suit most budgets. While iBuyPower does deal in the higher-end of things, arguably, its biggest plus is how various models cater to the entry-level and mid-tier buyers. This makes iBuyPower's gaming PCs ideal for a first time PC gamer, or a suitable replacement to buying the parts yourself. 

• iBuyPower Slate MR | Amazon | Best Buy 
• iBuyPower Trace MR | Amazon | Best Buy 
• iBuyPower Gamer Xtreme | Amazon | Best Buy 

Buy if... 

• You want a custom gaming PC from a reliable brand 
• You're after something entry-level or mid tier 
• You want peace of mind of buying from trusted retailers

Frequently asked questions

With PC gaming being quite the investment at the best of times, we've combined our knowledge and experience to tackle more of the internet's burning questions. 

Make the most of your new gaming PC with the best gaming monitors, best gaming keyboards, and best gaming mouse. Plus, if you want to know whether you should overclock your PC, we have the answer.

And so it begins: OLED technology has finally arrived for the PC in the form of the Alienware 34 AW3423DW, a stunning new gaming monitor and the first of its kind for the PC and the internet's best gaming monitor lists.

The basic form factor is familiar enough. The 34-inch panel, for instance, has a gentle 1800R curve and 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio. Some of the specs are relatively routine, too, like the 175Hz refresh, which is quick but hardly world-beating, and 3,440 by 1,440 native resolution. But that OLED panel. Oh boy. It’s something special. We’ll dig into the details momentarily, but figures like the 0.1ms claimed pixel response and 1,000 nit brightness hint at just how extraordinary this monitor might be. A literal game-changer? Time to find out - but you can order it from Dell if you're sold already. 

Just before we get into it properly, however, it’s worth noting that the Alienware 34 AW3423DW isn’t really suitable for console gaming. It’s not unusable in that context, but it’s a lot of money to spend for a suboptimal experience; it really isn’t designed for console use.

Design & Features

Front and centre is the 34-inch ultrawide OLED panel, enhanced by quantum dot technology for even more vibrant colours. OLED tech has two obvious advantages over the LCD panels used in almost all gaming monitors to date.

First, OLED screens are much faster, as that 0.1ms response implies. That makes it at least five times faster than the best LCD monitors, on paper. In practice, the gap is even bigger. An OLED pixel can go from completely off to fully on in around 0.1ms, whereas an LCD pixel takes five times longer to complete just part of that transition, and more like 10 to 20 times longer to complete it. There is no comparison.

OLED panels also have full per-pixel lighting. Each pixel is its own light source and can be switched off entirely, in effect delivering perfect black levels and infinite contrast. By comparison, LCD monitors muck about with various forms of local dimming to compensate for light bleeding through pixels that are supposed to be switched off. That’s never going to be as good.

Anyway, Alienware rates this monitor at 1,000 nits peak brightness, which is very impressive for an OLED panel, though as we’ll see, it’s a slightly misleading claim. Other than the OLED panel tech, other highlights include Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate (and thus an easily earmarking it as one of the best G-Sync monitors of this year too), impressive colour accuracy with 99.3 percent coverage of the demanding DCI-P3 digital cinema space, 175Hz refresh, and three-year cover for the risk of OLED burn-in, which is reassuring.

As for connectivity, two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort socket are provided. However, the HDMI interfaces are limited to 100Hz refresh, which is part of the reason why this screen isn’t a great choice for a PS5 monitor or Xbox Series X monitor. The Sony PS5, in particular, also doesn’t support the 21:9 aspect ratio.

Performance

The new Alienware 34 AW3423DW is a tricky display to assess. First impressions on the Windows desktop underwhelm. For starters, the pixel density from the 3,440 by 1,400 native combined with the 34-inch proportions isn’t impressive. What’s more, in SDR mode, the panel looks a bit dull, even at maximum brightness. 1,000 nits? Not even close.

Unlike a lot of so-called HDR monitors based on LCD tech, this OLED monitor needs HDR enabled to strut its stuff, even with SDR content. Two HDR modes are included, HDR 400 True Black and HDR Peak 1000. The latter allows for higher peak brightness in small areas of the panel when displaying HDR content, but actually looks less punchy most of the time.

It’s the HDR 400 True Black mode that works best more often. And, boy, does it ‘work’. Firstly, the response is incredible. We’ve never seen the classic TestUFO pixel response animation look so crisp. It’s remarkable.

In game, it’s just as impressive. Everything stays so clear and sharp, no matter how quickly you rip your mouse across the mat. Then there are the colours. And the contrast. Suddenly, just about every LCD monitor we’ve ever seen looks a bit watery and translucent, as if you’re viewing everything through a filter. This OLED panel really does deliver incredible depth, stability, and clarity of in-game image thanks to that per-pixel lighting.

Take CyberPunk 2077. We’ve never seen it looking so fabulous in HDR mode. With many supposedly HDR-capable LCD monitors, it actually looks better in SDR mode. Not here. Whether it’s searing shafts of sunlight in outdoor scenes or the contrast between inky blacks and neon lights in moody indoor bar settings, the impact is spectacular. 

Deathloop looks outstanding, too. The colours pop, the contrast really draws you in and the incredible response keeps everything looking so crisp. Speaking of speed, even Call of Duty: Warzone looks fabulous, and that’s not something we’d normally say. There’s almost no softening of the image no matter how fast you whip the camera around to the next target.

For context, all this doesn’t suddenly mean that a really fast LCD monitor is awful. Indeed, when it comes to latency, an LCD panel with a much higher refresh will be superior. Latency tends to be a weak point for OLED technology and though we didn’t sense any subjective lag, if online competitive shooters are your thing, this panel won’t be ideal. But once you’ve seen what this Alienware can do in terms of contrast and HDR performance, it’s awfully hard to forget.

For the record, SDR content looks fabulous in HDR 400 mode, too, provided you bump up the SDR brightness setting in the Windows Display Settings Menu. In fact, that’s how SDR content looks best, so once you have the AW3423DW setup up properly, you’re done. You don’t need to switch modes for SDR and HDR content.

If you’re worried about OLED burn-in, look closely at the AW3423DW’s panel and you’ll see that it’s over-provisioned with pixels to the tune of about 20 on both axis. This allows Alienware to shift the image every so often to reduce the risk. It’s a bit like wear levelling in an SSD. That said, only time will tell how well it all holds up.

As for other OLED quirks, we sense the general panel brightness varies slightly according to what is on the screen. This is an ABL (Automatic Brightness Limiter) system doing its thing to control overall power consumption and protect the panel. It’s fairly subtle but worth noting.

Overall - should you buy it?

Gaming monitors will never be quite the same again. The Alienware 34 AW3423DW sets new standards for contrast, HDR performance, and response thanks to its OLED panel. We’ve been waiting an awfully long time for OLED to arrive in a gaming monitor, and it hasn’t disappointed.

That said, this monitor isn’t an all-round triumph. At this price point, there are far better screens for multi-purpose computing. The relatively low resolution and pixel density ensure that, as does the lack of USB-C connectivity. If you demand the very last word in low latency, this probably isn’t the best choice, either. But for most types of gaming and provided that no long-term quirks and issues arise, including burn-in problems, this is surely as good as it gets. Here’s hoping this is just the first step towards a brave new age of OLED gaming for the PC.

To round out your gaming screen research, be sure to check out the best 4K monitors for gaming, the best 120Hz 4K TVs, and the best gaming TVs to ensure you're across all your options.

Nobody can claim right now that Dell has been sleeping on the job. The previous iteration of Alienware’s flagship 17.3-inch gaming laptop has barely been out for a year, and Dell is already pushing ahead with a shiny new version, naturally packing the latest in hard-to-find GPUs.

Yes, the new Alienware x17 R1 is a full-blooded RTX 3080 laptop under its sleek chassis, backed up by a powerful octa-core Intel processor and all the other internal hardware one of the best gaming laptops and one of the best Alienware gaming laptops needs. All of this is wrapped up inside a carefully redesigned exterior, promising to blow its predecessor out of the water. Of course, that performance comes at a price; our review model breaks through the $3,000 / £3,000 barrier and overall options start their prices at around $2,200 / £2,100.

Design

While it’s not a wild reimagining of the iconic Alienware laptop design, the x17 R1 does have one unique hook that grabs the eye as soon as you boot it up. The trackpad - a dull black rectangle on previous models - is now a vibrant RGB quadrilateral! Shockingly, this doesn’t improve your gaming performance, but it sure does look good.

Elsewhere, the RGB lighting seen in older iterations is still kicking. In addition to per-key RGB across the keyboard, the Alienware logo glows gently and a large ring of lighting surrounds the ports on the rear of the chassis. The exterior finish is a clean, familiar white (sorry, ‘Lunar Light’) while opening the lid reveals a black interior, all the better to showcase all that RGB - and to focus your eyes on the on-screen action.

The hexagonal venting above the keyboard also makes a return from previous versions, but hidden beneath it is a new proprietary cooling system. Dell reckons this is a pretty big deal; four internal fans and a specially-designed thermal interface material means that the x17 R1 should run cooler than its ancestors - although the bar is admittedly low there.

Features

While it can be purchased with a conventional 1080p display, our review model of the x17 R1 has a 4K panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 4ms latency. And what a gorgeous screen it is; colours are incredibly bright and vibrant, and gaming landscapes look absolutely stunning with the power of one of the best graphics cards, the RTX 3080, behind them.

In addition to the impressive display, Dell gives customers some different options for the keyboard too. Our unit has a traditional laptop membrane keyboard, which feels pretty good for both typing and gaming, but for an extra hundred or so dollars or pounds, you can spring for a mechanical version using Cherry MX ultra-low-profile switches for a superior gaming experience - something that evokes the feel of one of the best gaming keyboards.

Joining the GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card is an Intel Core i7-11800H CPU, 16GB of high-speed RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The latter two of these are upgradable to 64GB and 2TB respectively, although that naturally leads to a further price hike.

The new cooling system means that some of the ports have been repositioned to the rear of the laptop, leaving just the charging port and headphone jack on the left and right sides respectively. At the back, we’ve got a healthy selection: Two each of USB Type-A and Type-C (one of which is Thunderbolt 4 enabled), HDMI 2.1, microSD, Ethernet, and mini DisplayPort.

Beyond that, there’s not much else to highlight; the x17 R1 is already a powerhouse, and it doesn’t need many bells and whistles to show off. Killer Wi-Fi 6, an IR webcam with Windows Hello support, and a TPM 2.0 chip for Windows 11 support all serve to round off the package.

Performance

It should come as no surprise to anybody that the Alienware x17 R1 is among the best of the best when it comes to gaming laptop performance - pushing the likes of the best gaming PCs even, and echoing the level of performance that you'd get from Alienware gaming PCs, too. Although the Shadow of the Tomb Raider test gave us some unexpectedly low results during 1080p testing, we found that the x17 R1 never dipped below 60fps at 1080p and 1440p resolutions in any of the games we tested.

At 4K, we get a slightly different story, but nothing that really surprised us. This compact RTX 3080 can’t quite keep up with its chunky desktop siblings, but it still offers incredible performance for a laptop GPU. Everything we tested was playable above 30fps at 4K, with esports titles like Overwatch running comfortably above 60fps. Engaging RTX settings in compatible games did result in a performance tradeoff, but not as bad as we saw in previous-gen GPUs.

The processor seems to be holding the x17 R1 back somewhat in certain games; for example, strategy title Total War: Three Kingdoms is CPU-bound, and didn’t perform quite as well in benchmarking as the other games we tested. To verify this, we monitored processor temperatures and also tested Total War: Warhammer II, which saw similar results and a toasty CPU.

So, how does that flashy quad-fan cooling system hold up? Well, this laptop certainly does get warm while running games, and in ‘performance mode’ the fans are extremely noisy (though not noticeable if you’re wearing a top PC headset for gaming). We’re not convinced that the new cooling setup is really that much better than older models, but intensively stress testing the CPU and GPU didn’t see us hit dangerously high temperatures so it does at least work pretty well.

A bigger issue for us was the fan noise while idling or running non-intensive programs. Even just sitting on the desktop with the system powered on produces quite a high-pitched whine that will likely prove irritating for some users. Whether this is a result of the quad-fan configuration is unclear, but it wasn’t as pronounced in older Alienware laptops.

Should you buy the Alienware x17 R1?

Despite its noisy fans, the Alienware x17 R1 is a beast of a gaming laptop that will serve as an ideal desktop replacement for any serious gamer. Not only does the subtly altered chassis look fantastic, but the gaming performance is top-notch, suitable for the most demanding games in glorious, vivid 4K.

Our biggest qualm about the x17 R1 is likely to be shared by many potential buyers: the blistering £3K+ price tag. It does come with a year’s premium tech support from Dell but the fact is that this is a seriously expensive laptop. The likes of an RTX 3060 laptop or an RTX 3070 laptop are going to be easier on the wallet, but if you’ve got the cash and want the best, though, the x17 R1 blows its predecessors out of the water.

We're also rounding up all the best Razer gaming laptops on the market right now if you're looking for more slimline designs.

 If so, we'd also recommend checking out the best gaming desks and the best gaming chairs for a full setup. 

It’s been years since Dell has released an Alienware laptop with an AMD processor, but the new ‘Ryzen Edition’ M15 R5 promises a return to those heady days of pairing AMD chips with Nvidia GPUs. Our review model comes with a shiny new Ryzen 7 5800H processor, and one of those mythical RTX 3060 GPUs we’ve been hunting for on eBay - making it a fully-fledged RTX 3060 laptop; the desire of many.

Being an Alienware gaming laptop, the M15 R5 has a fairly high price point. This model clocks in at around the $1,500 / £1,500 mark, while the highest-spec version clears the two grand mark easily. It’s no small asking price for a gaming laptop, but if it's one of the best gaming laptops - featuring one of the best graphics cards and best CPUs for gaming - then it might just be worth it. Let’s take a look.

Design & features

The new M15 R5 has seen some small adjustments to the chassis design, likely to emphasise the fact that this is a new, Ryzen-powered version of the M15. The overall aesthetic is still familiar; the RGB light ring on the rear is still present, as is the sunken hinge and hexagonal venting above the keyboard. The overall design sees a few more rounded edges than previous models, as well as a new keyboard layout.

This R5 only comes in ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, which is a fancy name for ‘matte black’. It looks good, complementing the bright RGB lighting. In addition to the glowing stadium ring and Alienware logo on the rear, the keyboard has customisable four-zone LED lighting beneath it. The matte finish is a magnet for grubby fingerprints, however, so watch out.

That new keyboard layout we mentioned isn’t actually a good thing, even though the keys themselves feel wonderful to use. The volume control keys have been shunted to a vertical row on the right-hand side, shifting and truncating the keys in the bottom-right corner in such a way that the new layout simply feels a bit unfamiliar. The trackpad is also a bit small for our liking, although it handles well and has a satisfying click. You'll definitely be safer adding one of the best gaming keyboards and a contender for best gaming mouse, for sure.

In terms of build quality, we’d say that the M15 R5 conforms to the industry standard. Like Razer laptops, it’s not flimsy or shoddily constructed by any means, but we definitely have seen laptops with sturdier designs. A slightly more robust hinge would’ve worked wonders here.

The M15 R5 has a 1080p display with a snappy 165Hz refresh rate, ideal for twitch shooters like Valorant. Colour reproduction here isn’t the best we’ve seen, but it’s certainly above average. The screen is reasonably bright and has a small bezel (for a fifteen-inch gaming laptop) housing the 720p webcam. Sound is handled by a pair of integrated speakers, which perform well - but are nothing on a PC headset for gaming or some of the best computer speakers, naturally.

The 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM in our review model aren’t exactly the most exciting components in the world, but we were overjoyed to find that both can be easily replaced by the user with a simple screwdriver. Too many gaming laptops solder their parts to the motherboard, preventing future upgrades. The existing RAM does run at a swift 3,200MHz, which benefits the Ryzen processor significantly.

Physical connectivity is uninspired, with the usual gamut of USB-A, USB-C, and HDMI ports. Ports such as the SD card reader have been axed from this model of the M15 for no clear reason. Three ports (and the AC charger plugin) are located on the rear edge of the laptop, which will be a boon for neat freaks but a potential bane for anyone with limited desk space.

The M15 R5 also comes with the Alienware Command Centre pre-installed, but you can save yourself some time and ignore it because it truly sucks. Wonky proprietary software for system tweaking is nothing new, but it certainly takes guts to do it this poorly. The ACC offers a lot of features, but is slow, clunky, and unintuitive; a nightmare for the inexperienced techie trying to create a fan speed profile or adjust the RGB lighting.

Performance

You might imagine that the star of the show here is the RTX 3060 GPU that powers this laptop’s gaming capabilities, but that’s not really true. The 5800H processor is the real hero of this machine, offering processing power inline with its Intel counterparts but at a lower price-per-part and with superior battery life.

Note that while this is good for using your laptop on the go, gaming without being connected to mains power will result in significantly reduced performance due to GPU wattage throttling. This is the case for virtually every gaming laptop, though, not an issue exclusive to the M15.

Both single-core and multi-core workloads are easily handled by the 5800H, as it chewed through our processor benchmarks with ease. The RTX 3060’s performance is solid, if not spectacular, offering good 1080p performance in most games at max settings. CPU-bound titles (like the Total War series) actually performed a lot better on average thanks to the 5800H.

The M.2 NVMe drive inside this machine falls short of the figures we’ve come to expect to see from similar SSDs, but it is still seriously fast, to the point where load screens in games are extremely brief. While this might be a weaker NVMe offering, it’s still orders of magnitude faster than a conventional hard drive.

Our main issue with the M15 R5’s performance wasn’t actually a performance issue, per se, but rather how hot the machine got while running. This wasn’t just during games, either: just leaving the system idling after booting it up resulted in the underside of the laptop heating up to almost 55C.

The heat seemed to be concentrated on the base and the area above the keyboard, so sitting at a desk and using the M15 was perfectly comfortable. Placing this laptop on your actual lap, though, is out of the question. After a mere fifteen minutes of basic word processing, the M15 was uncomfortably hot against our thighs.

The reason for this heating issue is unclear, as the M15 has a sophisticated thermal solution including two fans, a vapor chamber, and four separate copper heat pipes. The fans did get noisy during stress tests, but not to an unbearable degree. Thermal monitoring didn’t indicate any worryingly high component temperatures, either. It’s not a huge problem - the M15 is big and heavy, so it’s best placed on a surface anyway - but it could prove annoying for some users.

Overall - should you buy it?

The Alienware M15 R5 Ryzen Edition is a bold new outing for Dell’s out-of-this-world brand, showcasing the potential power of AMD’s latest laptop CPUs with a supporting spec list that makes for a fierce gaming machine that could rival some of the best gaming PCs at the RTX 3060 PC level, easily. The option to swap out the memory and storage (the M15 actually has two compact SSD slots, so you can add a second drive without needing to remove anything) means that this laptop is more future-proof than many competitors.

We do wish it ran a little cooler, but the performance can’t be argued with and this is one of the best-looking Alienware laptops we’ve seen in a while. Our complaints feel minor in the face of the M15 R5’s capabilities and aesthetic; this is a solid gaming laptop with plenty to offer the discerning gamer.

Dell’s G5 series of gaming laptops have been through many iterations, and we’re not entirely convinced by this one. On paper, it slots nicely into the market as a reasonably priced entry, providing decent all-round 1080p gaming performance with a broad selection of models with specs and prices to fit every gamer’s needs. Our review model is a middle-of-the-road version - no performance to emulate that of the best gaming PC here!

In practice, this new G5 doesn’t quite measure up, largely due to physical design issues. These complaints likely won’t be deal-breakers for everyone, however; some potential buyers might love features that this reviewer despised. Read on to find out if the G5 5500 is the best gaming laptop for you or one that’s safe to skip.

Design

The G5 5500 is a bit of a chunky boy, despite its 15.2-inch screen not being the biggest nor brightest we’ve seen in a gaming laptop. The entire chassis is formed from hard black plastic, with a full-scale keyboard truncated slightly to fit above the large trackpad - both solid enough but they won't be bothering anything on our best gaming keyboard or best gaming mouse guide for quality; you'll want to add one of them respectively, separately. The weight can vary slightly depending on the spec, but all models sit at around two and a half kilos; hardly the most portable we’ve encountered.

The back of the screen has what Dell refers to as an ‘Interstellar Dark’ finish, which is a sort of reflective effect that makes the black casing sparkle with a faint rainbow sheen. We think it looks horribly tacky, but perhaps others will like the odd glittering finish.

Unfortunately, the cheapness doesn’t seem to end there. The thick central hinge with fluted edges angling towards it is a design that gaming laptops seemed to have left in the previous decade, and we wish it had stayed there. It gives the G5 a somewhat dated appearance, and it isn’t particularly robust either, resulting in the display trembling somewhat during rigorous typing or gaming.

The membrane keyboard features muted backlighting, which looks appealing, but the G5 manages to override what would be a pleasingly understated aesthetic by adding a bright RGB light strip that runs across the front edge of the laptop. You can turn this off, but it feels like a superfluous addition. Again, some readers might love the sight of RGB lighting spilling out from beneath their laptop, so this does come down to personal taste.

Beyond the light strip, there’s nothing much to write home about when it comes to the physical design of this G5. There’s nothing missing either, to be fair; while the aesthetics won’t appeal to everyone’s preferences, the 5500 has everything a standard gaming laptop needs.

Features

We’ve got all the ports we could ask for here, with three USB-As joined by a Thunderbolt 3 compatible USB-C and an ethernet port. There’s also a mini DisplayPort and HDMI output if you want to hook it up to a second screen while you’re at home.

The screen is a fairly run-of-the-mill 1080p LED-backlit panel you wouldn't see on best gaming monitor lists, but it offers good maximum brightness and impressive colour density for the price point. The 144Hz refresh rate is a great inclusion, ensuring that this laptop is well-equipped for twitchy shooters like Valorant and CounterStrike, which demand high framerates.

Charging is provided by a monster of an adapter block, which supplies a 68Whr battery. You’ll need to keep it plugged in for any lengthy gaming binges, though, as the G5 can only manage around two to three hours of continuous gameplay with the brightness turned up; less if you use the built-in speakers. Battery life for standard use is a bit better, lasting around eight hours when performing tasks such as web browsing and word processing.

The star of this show is the CPU, a hexa-core i7-10750H chip that does plenty of heavy lifting. CPU-bound games like the Total War titles shouldn’t struggle here. Graphics aren’t quite such smooth sailing, handled by the GeForce RTX 2060, a GPU that is now more than two years old. It’s a reasonable component to pair with the 1080p display, though, and it keeps the price point sensible. Supporting these parts is 16GB of high-speed RAM in a two-DIMM configuration.

Once again, there’s little to set the G5 5500 out from the crowd, even if there are no glaring gaps in its resume. The webcam is a bog-standard 720p affair. There’s a 512GB internal SSD, which sounds like a lot but will be quickly consumed by anyone who likes to keep multiple games on local storage. For reference, downloading Call of Duty: Warzone would consume over a third of that drive space.

Performance

As predicted, the 10th-generation i7 processor at the heart of this laptop had no trouble in our tests. Other benchmarks painted a slightly less convincing image, but considering the asking price, we weren’t disappointed. The G5 did get rather warm during testing, even with the dual fans working overtime, so we’d advise against setting this laptop atop your lap.

Surprisingly enough, ray-tracing might actually be an option on this laptop, provided you’re willing to dial down the graphical settings a bit. The brutal benchmark offered by Metro Exodus didn’t crack this machine; in fact, we’d wager that just about any game should be able to hit 60fps without needing to lower the settings too much. Games with low graphical requirements (say, Fortnite) should run like a dream at 1080p.

One slightly unimpressive result came from the CrystalDisk benchmark, which tests read and write speeds for the internal SSD. Despite being a third-generation NVMe drive, a format that traditionally allows for transfer speeds of up to 3.5GB/s, the G5’s storage struggled to break 1GB/s in write speeds and only managed around 2.2GB/s in sequential reads. In practice, though, this deficit isn’t likely to be noticed by the vast majority of users, as this drive still comfortably outpaces the SATA storage found in many older laptops.

Overall - should you buy it?

Looks aren't everything: if the external design doesn’t put you off, the Dell G5 5500 is a fairly priced gaming laptop that gets the job done. It’s nothing special and doesn't seem to impacted by the influence of Dell having Alienware laptops in their wheelhouse, but performance is generally good and there are no major bum notes to worry about.

For anyone looking to buy their first gaming laptop, this is a pretty good choice. The cheaper £899 model packs half the RAM and the excellent 1660 Ti GPU, which should offer performance only slightly behind the 2060, which makes it a potentially more appealing option for gamers on a budget. Conversely, the £1,199 version has an RTX 2070, which probably won’t offer improved performance quite in line with the price increase. Even with the release of the new RTX 3060 laptops, RTX 3070 laptops, and RTX 3080 laptops, this is a fine choice for those not chasing frame-rates or those who want a gaming-capable work or home laptop without breaking the bank.

Our review model sits in the middle, and we feel comfortable recommending it to anyone who wants a no-nonsense PC gaming experience at home and away. It’ll work best as a desktop replacement system, ideal for working from home when you’re not busy gaming!