Is Alienware Worth It? A Detailed Review

Alienware is one of the most popular brands when it comes to gaming desktops or laptops. Apart from its popularity in the gaming community, the hardware from Alienware is the most expensive to have on your gaming desk. So are Alienware desktops or laptops worth buying? Is it wise to put a hole in your wallet to buy Alienware products?

There’s a tug-of-war going on in the market between different brands. Prebuilt PC brands like CyberPower and SkyTech are competing with one another to bring budget-friendly machines for end-users.

Alienware, however, doesn’t follow what going around in the PC market. They are more interested in throwing high-end and premium-priced products into the market.

And there are people who buy Alienware products more despite their higher price tag.

So even if you try to find cheaper Alienware laptops on the market, you’ll end up having the ones that are several years old.

But there’s an answer to this, the reason Alienware is so expensive is that they build performance-based products. And of course, performance comes at a high cost!

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A Bit About Alienware

Alienware is a subsidiary of Dell, an American company known for producing desktop and laptop computers.

Alienware is oriented toward the PC gaming market and is known for manufacturing premium gaming laptops and desktops.

One of the most exciting features of Alienware is its design, in a pool of laptops from different brands, the ones from Alienware always stand out.

Laptops or desktop PCs from Alienware have unique and eye-catching aesthetics to them.

Is Alienware Worth It?

Now, there are a lot of Alienware products available which makes it a bit hard to decide whether to go with this brand or not.

For that, you have to review each available product individually and come to a conclusion. But overall, Alienware products are worth buying as they offer the right value for your money.

We’ll go through some pros and cons to help you understand this in a better way:

High-End Design

As we’ve discussed earlier, the most enhancing feature of an Alienware product is its design.

Alienware products are known for their slick-looking design, and this is one of those features that also contribute to their overall cost as well.

Not every desktop/laptop brand gives importance to aesthetics these days. But Alienware stands still to its roots and offers the most killer-looking products on the market.

Alienware puts focus on designing products with decent-looking aesthetics rather than splashing them with RGB lights all over.

The illuminated Alienware logo from the company looks appealing as soon as you turn on your desktop or laptop computer.

The RGB lights are completely customizable and you set them according to your preference using the built-in software that comes with the laptop or desktop.

However, Alienware products are a bit bulky as compared to other brands like HP, MSI, Corsair, etc.

But this might be due to the fact that Alienware uses powerful hardware, especially in their laptop computer, which increases the thickness of the product.

Alienware has improved its design a lot in the past years, and now they are crafting laptops that are thinner while packing the same level of performance.

Take the example of the Alienware 17 gaming laptop which has one of the most stunning designs in the gaming industry.

Several years back, Alienware products were bulky. But now, the company prefers what gamers really want in a gaming PC or laptop.

So, current generation Alienware products are thinner and slick as compared to what they were in the past.

The gaming desktops from Alienware are also distinguishable based on their design and small form factor.

For instance, the Alienware Aurora R13 gaming desktop can easily be carried out anywhere due to its compact design.

As you can see in the image above, the Aurora R13 looks something similar to a gaming console.

At the moment there’s only Alienware and Corsair that are focusing more on building console-shaped gaming PCs.

The Alienware desktops offer the best value for the money when it comes to hardcore gaming.

There are no unnecessary RGB or flashlights on any Alienware products, which shows that Alienware is more concerned about what gamers really need in a computer.

Alienware products have tough build quality as the company opts for the most durable material for manufacturing their product.

We have tested laptops from Alienware that have a high shock resistance as compared to other brands available in the market.

So, Alienware wins when it comes to eye-catching design, build quality and aesthetics. Surely, the design also sums up the overall price, but it also makes the product stand out in the crowd.

Latest Hardware & Tremendous Performance

Whenever we talk about Alienware, we talk about solid performance. The higher price tag that comes with Alienware products is because of the quality components.

Every Alienware laptop or gaming PC is powered by the latest hardware present at the time of its launch.

You’ll find the latest generation CPUs and graphics cards in most of the Alienware products. This ultimately makes those machines future-proof for upcoming years.

For example, the Alienware Aurora R13 gaming desktop comes with a 12th-generation Intel CPU and RTX 3060 Ti graphics card to crush any gaming or content creation workload.

The gaming laptops from Alienware also carry the same legacy. With a higher refresh rate display panels to illuminated RGB keyboards, they are surely a masterpiece.

The Alienware M15 R6 is a gaming laptop from the company that comes with a 320Hz refresh rate display and an RTX 3070 graphics card to experience stunning visuals.

Alienware provides you with plenty of display options ranging from 60Hz to 320Hz to break the traditional 60fps gaming barrier.

Moreover, you can also pick between 1080p and 4K display panels when going for a gaming laptop. Also, most display screens on Alienware come with a 1ms response time which is ideal for smooth gameplay.

Obviously, going with a higher-resolution display would put more stress on your wallet.

Furthermore, there’s plenty of headroom for overclocking your hardware in Alienware laptops/desktops.

And when it comes to overclocking, most laptops or desktops get overheated as they hit higher clock speeds. But Alienware uses the most advanced cooling technology to overcome heating issues when gearing up your hardware.

All in all, Alienware products are made up for any type of workload. If you are a hardcore gamer or professional content creator, Alienware products are meant for both.

High Airflow and Cooling

The reason most gamers and content creators prefer Alienware products is because of their better cooling.

In laptops, Alienware has introduced a cooling mechanism that uses four fans operating at different speeds to get the hot air out of the system.

In the Alienware M15 gaming laptop, the company has introduced a vapor chamber that uses the liquid phase-changing medium to transfer heat more efficiently.

Also, Alienware opts for the high airflow inside the case when it comes to gaming desktops. Although you’ll find Alienware gaming desktops in small form factor as compared to regular-size desktops, there’s no compromise made by Alienware when it comes to airflow.

The PC case that Alienware uses is big enough to properly circulate the fresh air inside the chamber and then exhaust it out from the back of the case.

Ergonomic Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard quality in Alienware laptops has no parallel to it. Indeed, we have tested many laptops from different brands in our typing test.

We have found the keyboard layout on Alienware laptops to be more ergonomic than others.

If there’s any keyboard that comes close to what Alienware offers, then it’s HP. We have been a fan of HP keyboard layout, but Alienware changed our minds totally.

Although the keyboard layout in Alienware laptops is designed specifically for gamers, it also helps you in other daily tasks like writing, chatting, etc.

The new generation laptops from Alienware come with Cherry MX switches and a long-lasting stroke life.

The keys on any Alienware laptop have tactile feedback to them, and they are made up of high-quality material.

Also, the latest generation Alienware laptops come with precision-point glass touchpads for quick and smooth navigation.

Both the keys and touchpad are illuminated and can be customized through the built-in software. However, the touchpad illumination feature is only present in a few laptops.

Utilities

Just like most branded computers, the Alienware PCs also come with tons of utilities. There are advanced I/Os like USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, Thunderbolt Ports, Micro-SD slots, etc.

In some Alienware laptops and desktops, you’ll find onboard Wi-Fi, and an HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4 port for connecting a secondary monitor.

Also, there are tons of pre-installed software for tuning RGB lights, overclocking, etc.

Warranty

There’s always peace of mind when you buy an expensive laptop or desktop that comes with a warranty.

Alienware offers a limited-time warranty of one or two years with most of its products. This gives you peace of mind to test the limits of your new Alienware product without any issues.

You can also contact Alienware customer service directly on the phone if there’s any issue with your laptop or desktop.

The warranty covers the two-way cost of the shipping and hardware service.

The support team will diagnose your problem and then ask you to send the product to the nearby Dell service center.

The Cons of Alienware

You now know about the benefits of having an Alienware product. But there are some cons that can keep you away from buying an Alienware laptop or desktop.

Cost A Fortune

Although Alienware machines bring more performance to your desk, they are super expensive as compared to other brands in the market.

Many hardcore gamers believe that Alienware products are overpriced and do not offer the best price-to-performance ratio.

For example, HP Omen 16 which is a decent gaming laptop is almost $200 cheaper than the Alienware M5. Both these laptops have close specs and offer the same level of performance in gaming.

So, Alienware is not meant for someone who is super tight on budget. It’s difficult to find Alienware products in the budget category.

Overhyped Specs

Going with high-end specs brings you more performance, but in some cases, you’ll miss out on the extra GHz or GBs that your computer has to offer.

For example, you can install 64GB RAM on your gaming desktop, but there are games available at the moment to eat that much amount of RAM.

So most of your RAM amount will go to waste. Some Alienware products, if not all come with too high-end specs that users really don’t need at all.

We’ve found laptops from Alienware that have a high-end CPU but a mediocre graphics card.

This type of combination sometimes results in a bottleneck. The same goes for the Alienware gaming desktops, they are equipped with features and specs that have nothing to do with extra performance.

Many gamers in Reddit and Quora forums believe that Alienware includes high-end hardware and specs to make extra dollars.

Verdict – Is Alienware Worth Buying or Not?

Obviously, Alienware is worth buying as long as you need a hardcore performance in gaming or content creation. Alienware makes high-end laptops, but they are not cheap like other brands.

Alienware products have a nice aesthetical design to them, have a tough build quality, and there’s up to two years of warranty as well. If you don’t care about budget and all you need is pure gaming or content creation performance, then Alienware is the right brand to go with.

Who Should Buy Alienware Products?

• Someone who is a hardcore gamer and has no budget cap
• Someone who is a professional content or 3D animation creator

Who Should Not Buy Alienware Products?

• Someone who is limited on budget and needs a PC for casual gaming
• Office users

FAQs

Why is Alienware so expensive?

Alienware laptops or desktop PCS are expensive because the brand opts for high-end components to build their machine. Apart from using premium CPUs and Graphics cards, Alienware puts a lot of effort into the cooling and design of their products which adds an extra $$ to the overall final price.

Most products from Alienware are expensive ranging anywhere between $2000 to a whopping $5000 on Amazon and eBay. Some of the most expensive laptops from Alienware are the Alienware X17 R2, Dell Alienware m15 R6, and Dell Alienware m15 R5.

According to my own personal experience, the higher price tag with Alienware products is due to the cutting-edge design, innovative cooling, and latest-generation packed inside their products.

Is Alienware only for gaming?

Alienware mainly focuses on the gaming segment of the PC industry. They also craft gaming chairs, mouse pads, and other gaming peripherals.

You can also use an Alienware laptop or desktop PC in your office or lab, but the gaming touch and massive build quality on Alienware products won’t match your formal office setup.

Do Alienware Laptops Go on Sale?

Alienware laptops do go on sale at Amazon, eBay, Walmart, etc. But even at the Sale price, Alienware laptops are much more expensive to get for budget users. The best time to buy an Alienware laptop for a lower price is around Black Friday or Cyber Monday.