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- Review count1
- Helpfulness votes30
- First reviewMay 26, 2017
- Last reviewMay 26, 2017
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- Average rating3
- Review comment count1
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentMay 26, 2017
- Last review commentMay 26, 2017
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tralam's Reviews
Alienware Laptop: Enjoy powerful gaming wherever you go with this Dell Alienware notebook computer. It has 16GB of DDR4 RAM to handle complex video game software, and its quad-core Intel Core i7 chip provides fast processing to keep the action moving. This Dell Alienware notebook computer includes a 1TB hard drive for ample storage of files and documents.
Customer Rating
3
Could be a good laptop
on May 26, 2017
Posted by: tralam
This could have been a good laptop but it is somewhat glitchy. Even after installing all updates (it comes with 1607) and updating all device drivers, it would sometimes BSOD while not performing any intensive tasks. Strangely, it never seemed to BSOD during games or more intensive tasks. It doesn't matter if you are on dedicated graphics only or are on graphics switch mode.
The BIOS in this model is spartan, it has very few options and looks like it's from 1983. Beware that if your laptop is glitchy or has problems, and you get a geeksquad employee of the month to test it before accepting the return, you may end up going back home with the laptop because the BB system only gives the option to send to Manufacturer for repair when the techie deems it defective for any reason. Then again, if it would be defective and you therefore lost trust in the model itself, you can't return it within 15 days instead of getting a repair on a new laptop that will, by the time the repair is done, won't be within the 15 days anymore? Ridiculous, but I got it returned regardless with some effort. Beware of this. You'll think "not me" but wait until you are talking to the geeskquad guy who has been there for 15 years and you don't know the BB lingo. You will be going back with the laptop because they simply won't accept it. You have the option to get a prepaid UPS or other carrier label from the return options on your orders page and send it back, but you will have to pay it and then you can hope all goes well in shipping and accepting the return and it may take 10 days before you know anything about a refund. Returning these type of laptops is not at all as simple as they make it sound in their return policy. This was not a special order, a final sale item, or anything like that.
The laptop has really nice features (LED's, materials, expandibility, good cooling, etc.) but when it's not stable then what is the use? Even 1703 won't fix the BSOD if your laptop has the same problem. If I would ever try an Alienware again I would get one with overclockable CPU and better BIOS because then CPU undervoltage (one cause of BSODs) could be fixed whereas on this model you wouldn't be able to adjust voltages. Also, 128gb for the SSD? Why even bother? It has to be at least 256gb or it will fill up in no time and my experience full drives always slow down a lot. Just installing WoW and then pre-installed and such will fill that drive up.
Yes, the power supply is HUGE. Like, you can jump your car with it huge. I do like the LED on the plug end (but you can't turn that off, which is the downside).
As noted, the laptop is heavy. I'm kind of trying to figure out what laptops like this are even good for. I guess if you take it with you to game somewhere else it may be handy, but who wants to game that bad? Otherwise, desktops are much better for everything especially when the thing is this big and heavy. So meh, I'm not that impressed.
I'm guessing I'm treading on some Alienware fanboys' toes but since I never bought into to the branding fad, to me it's just a fancy laptop and not one that worked particularly well (seem to be quite a few of those in other reviews). It's funny with fanboy items like this, when you read the negative reviews you'll notice these always have "5 people found this unhelpful" because they love the product so much themselves they try to invalidate the experiences of others. You don't see that as much with cheaper item reviews.
In conclusion: It was interesting to experience a gaming laptop with nice LEDs and powerful graphics, only to have it fail at the basic stuff like stability. My 5 year old desktop motherboard has a BIOS that looks like it is 25 years ahead of this Alienware BIOS. The screen is OK. I'm not a fan of dull coatings but most screens have that now (it reduces the perception of depth). Would I buy a laptop like this again? Probably not. Maybe it's cool when you don't own a desk? I can't figure it out.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+23points
30of 37voted this as helpful.
tralam's Review Comments
Alienware Laptop: Enjoy powerful gaming wherever you go with this Dell Alienware notebook computer. It has 16GB of DDR4 RAM to handle complex video game software, and its quad-core Intel Core i7 chip provides fast processing to keep the action moving. This Dell Alienware notebook computer includes a 1TB hard drive for ample storage of files and documents.
Overall3 out of 5
3 out of 5Disappointed
By DJRH
This is a powerful laptop but I went through three of them and finally gave up. First one I got the blue screen of death out the box. It went straight to the bios setup and kept rebooting. Second one, I couldn't power it off, the button didn't work so I got another exchange. Last one, nothing but error messages on the screen after attempting to shut down. Good luck going through Dell customer support and finding someone who you can understand you or you them. I spent two hours on the phone with a tech who kept going back to another person to ask for advise which made the experience unforgettable.
tralam
May 26, 2017
Yeah, it wasn't a very good experience for me either. I only got one (lol) but it had BSODs and so was not stable. Quality control (and design) and Win10 suckfest problems must have made this laptop less than it could have been. Not impressed, it made me hate the concept of laptops even more.
0points
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tralam's Answers
Alienware Laptop: Enjoy powerful gaming wherever you go with this Dell Alienware notebook computer. It has 16GB of DDR4 RAM to handle complex video game software, and its quad-core Intel Core i7 chip provides fast processing to keep the action moving. This Dell Alienware notebook computer includes a 1TB hard drive for ample storage of files and documents.
Can this pc run WOw and swtor on max settings? Ultra? And still function well? How many inches is the screen? Thank you?
WoW ran fine on high and ultra. But the laptop itself was glitchy for me, had some BSODs but not during gaming.
6 years, 10 months ago
by
tralam
Alienware Laptop: Enjoy powerful gaming wherever you go with this Dell Alienware notebook computer. It has 16GB of DDR4 RAM to handle complex video game software, and its quad-core Intel Core i7 chip provides fast processing to keep the action moving. This Dell Alienware notebook computer includes a 1TB hard drive for ample storage of files and documents.
Does this have the QHD 1440p screen even though BestBuy lists it 1920x1080? Is it maybe the UHD?
It's HD, so 1920x1080. Mine did not have the 1440p screen. There is a model $200 up from this that has the 1440p.
6 years, 10 months ago
by
tralam
Alienware Laptop: Enjoy powerful gaming wherever you go with this Dell Alienware notebook computer. It has 16GB of DDR4 RAM to handle complex video game software, and its quad-core Intel Core i7 chip provides fast processing to keep the action moving. This Dell Alienware notebook computer includes a 1TB hard drive for ample storage of files and documents.
Which battery 68WH or 99WH?
99, all AW lappies with 1070 or above have 99.
6 years, 10 months ago
by
tralam