Our Alienware x16 R1 Review reveals that this model is a prime contender in the Best Gaming Laptops 2023 category. With its sleek design, it distinguishes itself in the competitive gaming laptop market, offering a harmonious blend of aesthetics and functionality. Its 16-inch QHD+ display delivers sharp visuals, while the speakers, albeit with room for improvement, provide a satisfactory auditory experience. The laptop’s performance is undeniably robust, driven by the Intel Core i9-13900HK processor and the Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU. However, while the GPU stands out, the CPU’s performance, when juxtaposed with some competitors, indicates a delicate equilibrium between design and capability. The varied port selection and the customizable lighting elements further amplify its allure. In essence, in this Alienware x16 R1 review we conclude that positions it as a formidable player in the Best Gaming Laptops 2023 arena, presenting a fusion of style, prowess, and features that cater to both gaming enthusiasts and creative professionals.
In our Alienware x16 R1 Review, we delve into how the Alienware x16 R1 emerges as a successor to the robust Alienware m16, positioning itself prominently in the Best Gaming Laptops 2023 category. This 16-inch model adds to Alienware’s diverse lineup, which already boasts 14-inch, 15-inch, 17-inch, and 18-inch variants. Our evaluation centered on a premium configuration, featuring a 13th gen Raptor Lake Core i9-13900HK CPU, a GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, and a vibrant 16.0-inch 2560 x 1600 240 Hz IPS display, priced around Rs 3,95,190.
Alienware’s x16 R1 isn’t just about raw power. Its unique design and enhanced features set it apart. However, its performance, while commendable, doesn’t overshadow competitors like the Lenovo Legion Pro 7, Asus ROG Zephyrus M16, or the HP Omen 16 Transcend. These 16-inch gaming laptops have been gaining traction recently, indicating a trend in the gaming community’s preferences. Yet, with its standout aesthetics and a suite of impressive features, the x16 R1 emerges as one of the top contenders. To explain in detail why, here’s its in-depth review.
Constructed from anodised aluminium and magnesium alloy, the Alienware x16 is both robust and sleek, weighing 2.7kg. Its design prioritises efficient cooling, equipped with four fans, copper heat pipes, and a vapour chamber. The Element 31 thermal paste aids in heat management, though the laptop can get loud during intense gaming. Alienware’s distinctive design, characterised by sleek contours and customisable lighting, is unmistakably gamer-centric. The touchpad, while smooth, feels slightly confined, but the expansive keyboard, devoid of a numeric pad and equipped with Cherry MX switches, offers a tactile experience.
The illuminated touchpad undoubtedly grabs attention, though its appeal is subjective. While I appreciate RGB lighting, the intense colors on the touchpad seem excessive for my liking.
The touchpad by Dell offers a seamless experience with its glass finish, ensuring accuracy and responsiveness to every interaction. However, compared to the expanding touchpad sizes on most laptops, the one on the Alienware X16 R1 feels a bit restricted. To put it in perspective, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 provides an additional half-inch space on both sides.
The x16’s keyboard feels big, thanks to the omission of a numeric pad, allowing for well-spaced keys. It features ultra-low-profile Cherry MX switches, providing a tactile experience. I prefer mechanical keyboards, and the added feature of customizable backlighting on each key, adjustable via the AlienFX software, enhances its appeal.
The laptop’s aesthetic is further accentuated by lights everywhere, from the keyboard to the rear chassis rim, all customizable with 16.8 million colors via the AlienFX software. While the illuminated touchpad stands out, its appeal is subjective, with some finding its vibrant colors overwhelming. In contrast, the keyboard feels spacious, and the inclusion of mechanical switches in a gaming laptop is a notable feature, allowing for a backlit experience with various patterns and hues available through the software.
The Alienware x16, echoing the Legend 3 design of the x15 R2 and X17 R2, boasts a distinctive two-tone colour, anodized aluminum, magnesium alloy, and a unique RGB ring, setting it apart in the gaming laptop arena. While its base is impressively sturdy, the lid and hinges could be more rigid. Despite its slim profile, it has a broader footprint than some competitors.
The Alienware x16 is commendable for its diverse port selection, a departure from many contemporary laptops that lean heavily on USB-C or Thunderbolt. It’s equipped with a mini DisplayPort, HDMI output, dual USBs, two USB-C ports, and a microSD card slot, with a 3.5mm jack for audio needs.
However, its design could benefit from the improved port placement. All connections are situated at the system’s rear, making access cumbersome, especially when the laptop’s size could have allowed side placements. While it offers Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity, the lack of an Ethernet port necessitates an external solution for those seeking optimal network speeds.
While the international model comes with three display options, the Alienware X16 R1 we get in India only has one – a 16-inch, QHD+ 240Hz display with 3ms response time, Nvidia Advanced Optimis, and G-Sync. The maximum resolution support for his display is 2560 X 1600 and what makes this a quad HD+ screen is the added height thanks to the 16:10 aspect ratio as compared to the standard 16:9 ratio found in most laptops.
In terms of colour accuracy, the Alienware X16 R1’s display achieves an average Delta E score of around 3.7. Moreover, additional Calman display tests also revealed that it has 137% sRGB and 98% DCI-P3 colour space coverage. Meanwhile, in the peak luminance test, the QHD+ panel achieved a maximum brightness of around 345 nits. Although it is more than enough for gaming, some laptops like the HP Omen Transcend 16 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i have relatively brighter display panels.
Overall, the Alienware X16 R1’s display is very well-calibrated out of the box and is suitable enough for gaming, content consumption as well and creation. The Alienware X16 R1 speakers have several strengths and a few areas for improvement as well. On the upside, they can get pretty loud, reaching up to 85 dB. The middle and high tones sound balanced and consistent, making them great for most audio experiences. In general, these speakers perform better than many others in their category and even outshine most tested devices.
On the downside, the bass, or the deeper sounds, is a bit weaker than average. Additionally, the bass doesn’t always maintain a consistent output, which might affect the overall sound quality for some users.
The Alienware X16 R1 is one of the most powerful gaming laptops this year. And it is not because of just one but a couple of factors. Starting with the right equipment. The laptop comes with an Intel Core i9-13900HK featuring 14-cores and 20-threads along with a boost clock of 5.4GHz.
The kid in me is really happy because only a couple of years ago we used to dream about processors at the difficult 5GHz clock speed mark. And here we are with such a powerful processor which can easily do so. But I will not be singing praising about the CPUs.
Mainly because compared to the 13900HX and the 13950HX, the latter found in the MSI Titan offers 50% more multi-core performance in Cinebench R23 benchmarks. But the GPU on the other hand offers tremendous performance thanks to 175W TGP and Nvidia Advanced Optimus. Particularly, in GPU-bound games, the Alienware X16 R1 beat out all the other laptops excluding the MSI Titan and the bigger Alienware X17 R2.
Meanwhile, in CPU-bound games, it delivered the same result in CPU open-world games like AC: Valhalla. So overall, the Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU in the Alienware X16 R1 is faster than the standard RTX 4080 by around 15-20%. However, the laptop’s slim chassis also means that Dell has to go with a less powerful CPU despite using one of the best GPUs in its class.
In the Alienware x16 R1 Review, we find that this model stands as a significant addition to the Best Gaming Laptops 2023 landscape. The laptop’s design, echoing the Legend 3 aesthetics, is both modern and functional, distinguishing it in a market saturated with similar-looking devices. Its two-tone color palette, combined with the anodized aluminum and magnesium alloy build, exudes a premium aura.
The 16-inch QHD+ display is a highlight, offering sharp visuals and a swift refresh rate, making it apt for both gaming and content creation. While the display’s color accuracy and peak luminance are praiseworthy, some competitors are offering relatively better display panels. Thankfully, just like many other good laptop displays nowadays this one is also well-calibrated right from the factory which is a good thing.
In the audio department, the speakers present a varied experience. They are loud with decent mids and highs, but the bass needs some improvement in the next iteration. Performance-wise, the Alienware x16 R1 is exemplary. The combination of the Intel Core i9-13900HK processor and the Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU guarantees elite performance across most tasks. Yet, it’s important to recognize that while the GPU is a standout, the CPU when juxtaposed with certain top-tier rivals, looks like a chip that’s designed with both performance and efficiency in mind and not just the former.
The thought behind port selection and positioning needs some scope for refinement. The rear-centric layout might not resonate with all, but the type of ports ensures that most won’t feel the need to add an external USB dock.
Conclusively, the Alienware x16 R1 emerges as a premium, portable, and pricey device featuring an array of features that easily include gaming and other creative tasks as well. While it has its quirks, its core strengths are enough to overlook them, positioning it as a frontrunner as one of the most well-rounded high-end gaming devices of 2023.
