Dell Updates Alienware Laptops With Kaby Lake CPUs, GTX 1050 GPUs

Dell revealed the newest version of its Alienware 13, 15, and 17 gaming laptops, joining the Intel Kaby Lake and Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti/1050 graphics party and giving the company’s flagship notebooks a lower starting price.

The new Alienware laptops feature the latest 7th generation (Kaby Lake) Intel processors, with the 13-inch model offering up to a Core i7-7700HQ, and the Alienware 15 and 17 supporting up to an i7-7820HK unlocked processor. All three can be equipped with up to 32GB (2 x 16GB) of DDR4-2400, but faster speeds are available at lower capacities (there are 8GB and 16GB configurations that feature DDR4-2666).

Although all three of the new Alienware laptops gained a GTX 1050 Ti or 1050 option, the configurable GPUs are vastly different between each model. The Alienware 13 offers the widest variety of the new Nvidia 1050 Ti/1050 GPUs, with options for a GTX 1050 2GB graphics module, in addition to 2GB and 4GB versions of the GTX 1050 Ti. The Alienware 15 and 17 only received a single GTX 1050 Ti 2GB option, but they also offer an AMD Radeon RX 470 8GB GDDR5 graphics module, and the mainstream GPUs gives the new versions of Alienware’s notebooks a lower starting price.

The Alienware display options remain unchanged from its previous iterations, with the Alienware 13 offering up to a 2560 x 1440 OLED display, and the 15 and 17-inch models offering resolutions up to 3840 x 2160. The Alienware 15 doesn’t support a 2560 x 1440 option, but its 3840 x 2160 screen is an IGZO IPS panel. The Alienware 17’s 1440p display option features G-Sync and a 120Hz refresh rate, and its 1080p and 4K IPS screens can accommodate Tobii eye-tracking technology built into the hinge.

Storage options of the Alienware laptops also go unaltered from its previous iteration, with the Alienware 13, 15 and 17 offering up to a 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD, with options for multiple drives (but no RAID configurations). However, only the Alienware 15 and 17 offer 1TB HDDs (the 13 simply can’t accommodate 2.5-inch drives).

The new Alienware 13 comes equipped with a 76WH lithium-ion battery, but you get a choice with the Alienware 15 and 17. A 68WH battery comes standard, but you can upgrade to a 99WH lithium-ion battery for even more runtime.

Dell’s new Alienware laptops are set to arrive in just two days (January 5), with the Alienware 13, 15, and 17 starting at $999, $1,299, and $1,349, respectively.

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LaptopAlienware 13Alienware 15Alienware 17
Processor Options- Intel Core i5-7300HQ- Intel Core i7-7700HQ- Intel Core i5-7300HQ- Intel Core i7-7700HQ- Intel Core i7-7820HK- Intel Core i7-7700HQ- Intel Core i7-7820HK
ChipsetIntel HM175Intel CM238Intel CM238
Memory Options- 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400- 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2666- 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400- 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666- 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400- 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400- 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2666- 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400- 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666- 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2133- 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400- 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400- 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2666- 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400- 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666- 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400
Graphics Options- GeForce GTX 1050 2GB GDDR5- GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 2GB GDDR5- GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5- GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5- GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 2GB GDDR5- GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5- GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5- Radeon RX 470 8GB GDDR5- GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 2GB GDDR5- GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5- GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5- GeForce GTX 1080 8GB GDDR5X- Radeon RX 470 8GB GDDR5
Display Options- 13.3” 1366 x 768 TN - 13.3” 1920 x 1080 IPS - 13.3” 2560 x 1440 OLED Touchscreen- 15.6” 1920 x 1080 IPS - 15.6” 1920 x 1080 60Hz IPS w/ G-Sync- 15.6” 1920 x 1080 120Hz TN w/ G-Sync- 15.6” 3840 x 2160 IGZO IPS- 17.3” 1920 x 1080 IPS - 17.3” 1920 x 1080 IPS w/ Tobii IR Eye Tracking- 17.3” 2560 x 1440 120Hz TN w/ G-Sync & Tobii IR Eye Tracking- 17.3” 3840 x 2160 IPS w/ Tobii IR Eye Tracking
Storage OptionsUp to 1TB PCIe SSDs (M.2)- Up to 1TB PCIe SSDs (M.2)- Up to 1TB HDD (2.5”)- Up to 1TB PCIe SSDs (M.2)- Up to 1TB HDD (2.5”)
Battery76WH Lithium-Ion- 68WH Lithium-Ion- 99WH Lithium-Ion- 68WH Lithium-Ion- 99WH Lithium-Ion
Dimensions10.6 x 13 x 0.87 inches12 x 15.3 x 1 inches13.1 x 16.7 x 1.18 inches
Starting MSRP$999$1,199$1,349
Derek Forrest
Derek Forrest is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He writes hardware news and reviews gaming desktops and laptops.
  • adgjlsfhk
    why would someone want a $1000 laptop with a 720p screen?
    Reply
  • Syed_Listening
    Great to see OEM's building notebooks with Kabylake so early.. Kabylake i7-7700K - quad-core hyper-threaded CPU is rated the best
    Reply
  • Syed_Listening
    Great to see OEM's Dell , HP, Lenovo building notebooks with Kabylake so early.. Kabylake i7-7700K - quad-core hyper-threaded CPU is rated the best
    Reply