Intel Core i9-13900HK performance debut: Alienware x16 R1 laptop review

[Redaktion]

Alienware laptops have traditionally been larger and heavier than alternatives from MSI, Asus, or Razer, but Dell wants to prove that an Alienware laptop can still be thin and just as powerful with the latest Alienware x16 R1. It certainly doesn't disappoint at least when it comes to graphics.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-i9-13900HK-performance-debut-Alienware-x16-R1-laptop-review.725961.0.html

[Neenyah]

Our test unit is a higher-end configuration with the 13th gen Raptor Lake Core i9-13900HK CPU, GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, and 16.0-inch 2560 x 1600 240 Hz IPS display for approximately $3350 USD.

Price: 2150 USD

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[NikoB]

excellent performance even on Balanced power profile

Again, an ugly solution with hellish Intel, instead of 7845HX, 7945HX which are 1.5 times faster at a lower TDP or even better than 7940H(S) - which has about the same performance, but at half the PL2/PL1 levels, while having several times faster igpu and support for 256GB of RAM - which, by the way, is not clear where to insert it - where are the 2 slots actually?

Well, the wild consumption in Idle - 25W completes the terrible picture of the model on Intel!

The noise is again the fault of the low weight and dimensions of the case, with a monstrous cheat on consumption from cheaters from Intel in 2022-2023.
Yes, and in "Quite" mode, obviously, according to the author, everything is bad. To the Dell G5 5587, which is completely silent for hours even with a cheap aluminum cooling system in surfing and the office for Performance mode(PL2=75W/PL1=47W), it is so far...

The screen - as usual, nothing special either in contrast, or in response, or in color reproduction. Average in everything.
Waiting for 4k@144 with eDP 2.1 2000:1+ with A-TW filter to eliminate Glow effects. LG you made such a 32" monitor for the first time in 10 years in 2022! It's time to release the same 4k 16:10 true 10bits 16-18" panels for laptops!

Ports are a terrible decision to move everything back, even the headphone jack. How do developers imagine using in-ear headphones with a long wire of 1.2-1.4m if they lie on the couch with it reclining next to it? In addition, the absence of even though 1 usb-a port on the right and left worsens the operation of the radio mouse transmitter - not everyone loves BT models. And the card reader in the back is also an idiotic decision - it had to be placed in front, like the headphone jacks.

Well, it drives an aspen stake into the model, a stripped-down keyboard - for 16" is a complete failure both for games and for work without a full-fledged numpad with arrows moved down, as in the Legion of the Lenovo series.

Again, the designers in the development department were stoned with something very heavy, and there was no one to stop their violent impulses...

[RobertJasiek]

Allen Ngo improves by giving several GPU benchmarks and noise for Performance but still omits the most important noise tests at Balanced, which has good speed and he subjectively describes as reasonably quieter than Performance. We are not told whether it is quiet enough - without dB values for Balanced.

[julio_por]

excellent performance even on Balanced power profile

Again, an ugly solution with hellish Intel, instead of 7845HX, 7945HX which are 1.5 times faster at a lower TDP or even better than 7940H(S) - which has about the same performance, but at half the PL2/PL1 levels, while having several times faster igpu and support for 256GB of RAM - which, by the way, is not clear where to insert it - where are the 2 slots actually?

Well, the wild consumption in Idle - 25W completes the terrible picture of the model on Intel!

The noise is again the fault of the low weight and dimensions of the case, with a monstrous cheat on consumption from cheaters from Intel in 2022-2023.
Yes, and in "Quite" mode, obviously, according to the author, everything is bad. To the Dell G5 5587, which is completely silent for hours even with a cheap aluminum cooling system in surfing and the office for Performance mode(PL2=75W/PL1=47W), it is so far...

The screen - as usual, nothing special either in contrast, or in response, or in color reproduction. Average in everything.
Waiting for 4k@144 with eDP 2.1 2000:1+ with A-TW filter to eliminate Glow effects. LG you made such a 32" monitor for the first time in 10 years in 2022! It's time to release the same 4k 16:10 true 10bits 16-18" panels for laptops!

Ports are a terrible decision to move everything back, even the headphone jack. How do developers imagine using in-ear headphones with a long wire of 1.2-1.4m if they lie on the couch with it reclining next to it? In addition, the absence of even though 1 usb-a port on the right and left worsens the operation of the radio mouse transmitter - not everyone loves BT models. And the card reader in the back is also an idiotic decision - it had to be placed in front, like the headphone jacks.

Well, it drives an aspen stake into the model, a stripped-down keyboard - for 16" is a complete failure both for games and for work without a full-fledged numpad with arrows moved down, as in the Legion of the Lenovo series.

Again, the designers in the development department were stoned with something very heavy, and there was no one to stop their violent impulses...

The simplified keyboard for 16" is a total failure, that is clear to everyone, as is the few ports on the sides.
I do not understand this model, nobody will buy it and more for that price $ 3350 USD

[LyntonB]

Thanks Allen. I skipped to the end. Looks beautiful and high quality but I just can't understand why it needs to weigh so much. I have a G513 and at 2.3kgs is a tad too heavy. Also why the screen is still around 300nits, just not good enough for anywhere with a bit of bright ambient and nowhere near good enough for outdoor in summer. Asus are killing it with weight and screen brightness/features; I really want to buy another alienware but can't because of these things

[Cubebicky]

It's commonly understood that laptop performance is inversely proportional to thinness.

This still holds true. If it would be 5mm thicker, it would be slim (instead of ultra stupidly thin), but the cooling would be OUTSTANDING with 4(!) fans being 5mm thicker! But again a manufacturer who leaves potential on the table for making a gaming laptop too thin! Where is the point in making a thin M16 even thinner?? "Take the M16", some might say. No, the M16 does not come with 4 big fans, but only 2 plus one small and one toy fan in the middle.

Why don't we get the 4 fan design of the X16 in the M16 with bigger fans?? It's a shame. They could have designed the quietest gaming laptop on the planet with a 25-27mm thin X/M16 with 4 big fans. But the one is much too thin while the other has less fans :-(

Thanks Allen. I skipped to the end. Looks beautiful and high quality but I just can't understand why it needs to weigh so much. I have a G513 and at 2.3kgs is a tad too heavy. Also why the screen is still around 300nits, just not good enough for anywhere with a bit of bright ambient and nowhere near good enough for outdoor in summer. Asus are killing it with weight and screen brightness/features; I really want to buy another alienware but can't because of these things

Totally disagree on the weight. 2.3kg is ridiculously lightweight. I recently transported both my private laptop and my work laptop in one bag which sum up to a total weight of 4.9 kg. No issue transporting it in my car and carrying for short distances. I would not like to transport it everyday for more than 15 minutes by foot. But do you do that?? And we are talking about 2.3kg. This is ridicuolous, as these laptops shall replace a desktop which is 10 times thicker and heavier.