2017 Alienware 15 R3 (Kaby Lake) Review
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- Lisa Gade reviews the updated version of the Alienware 15 R3, refreshed with Intel 7th generation Kaby Lake CPUs and improved cooling for lower temperatures vs. the Skylake model. We look at the model with the Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB 7200 RPM HDD and a 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD. There’s an option for the Core i7-7820HK overclockable CPU with this refresh, and you can get the Alienware 15 with your choice of NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti, GTX 1060 and our GTX 1070.
The laptop is available with 1080p IPS, 1080p TN 120Hz and 4K IGZO displays. It has a multi-zone backlit (AlienFX) TactX keyboard and backlit trackpad. Killer WiFi and ethernet are standard. Pricing starts at $1,200 and our model sells for around $2,100.
The irony of Dell ... the company that offers the smallest and biggest bezels :D
I have Dell XPS 15 9550. Magnificent machine, terrible software!
Screen issues are gone, but issues with the Sound card persist; you plug headphones, sound no longer works even if I remove them. I couldn't even get rid of that AudioMaxx software. I also had problems with PremierColor. Honestly, coming from HDD-arena, I hardly noticed but I agree a Samsung SSD would have been perfect. Perhaps I might upgrade to 960 Pro someday.
I went for the SMALLER !
the chin is like, massive, its like my chin if I tilt my head down, 7X size
I just cannot express how much I love my 2017 Alienware 17 R4. People love to hate on Alienware ever since it merged with Dell, but I think that the growing pains of that merger are mostly over and we are getting some incredible laptops again. When I had my 2016 MSI Stealth Pro, I used to laugh at Alienware laptops and thought they looked ugly and bulky like some cartoonish gargoyle. But in person you realize what you are actually getting is the M1 Abrams tank of gaming laptops complete with a disco light show should you want it. These are SOLID and I mean SOLID gaming laptops. They are definitely not for carrying around all day, but are perfect for someone like me who takes it back and forth from home to work and sometimes coffee shops when I am in the mood to publicly broadcast my nerdy pride!
I cannot express how much i hate my 2016 Alienware 17 R3. Worst laptop I've ever owned. Sooo many problems and bugs. Oh and all R3 models have heatsink problems (heatsink not polished and bad thermal grease) so you can't use the overclock feature (tried on to laptops). Sleep mode bugs out Nvidia Optimus so all programs will be run on the nvidia card = Battery life less than 3 hours even when only surfing the web. Everyday I find something that's shit. The most annoying thing is the slow performance in Windows 10. Not sure if it can't handle having anti-virus software installed or something. Sometimes simple tasks take 30 seconds to do (that should take less than 1 sec) for no reason at all. Alienware NEVER AGAIN (don't get me started on how shit their desktops have become).
Wow, sounds like you got a swath of issues in one fell swoop with your R3, sorry to hear that. They stepped it up with the R4s though so hopefully those kind of issues have been minimized in this generation. :( Maybe there are some ways to work through those issues you are having?
Is your laptop less than a year old purchase wise or do you have an extended warranty? Alienware has recently greatly improved the honoring of their warranty repair and replacements, if you are still within your warranty period, they may be able to help you out!
Bugs/reliability of programs: Maybe it is time for a reset or clean install of Windows on your R3 and/or to go into device manager and update your drivers if you haven't already. It sucks that you should have to even do that, but it may be your best bet.
Slow performance: I am not too familiar with the line up of 17 R3s, does yours only have a spinning hard drive or does it have a boot SSD? If it is only a spinning hard drive, that will make any laptop seem numbingly slow compared to an SSD. An upgrade to an SSD could greatly enhance your performance and speed of program boots, as well as battery life to a degree. Also, have you tried CCleaner or used other cleaning software for it? I would also make sure your computer isn't running a million background processes and having too many programs boot at startup.
Sorry again your experience has been so crappy, I only shared the joy of my experience to let people like yourself know that the newest gen is showing some wonderful promise for the brand!
Hope that helps or encourages you!
I saw a video about ones made before December time frame having heat issue, but there is a fix out there. All the ones made after that date are supposed to have these issues fixed
LoneSoldier29 that is true according to Lisa and many other sources. Not to mention, Alienware has gotten really good at honoring their warranties; I had bought a 2016 17 R4 and it had really bad backlight bleed. I called them up and they just replaced it with the brand new 2017 17 R4 instead of fiddling around with replacing the panel and what not! That is top tier customer service by anyone's standards and that was just a little over 5 weeks ago!!
It's funny you post this; I'm considering buying one (I thought it'd be out of my price range but the local Microsoft Store has a really good sale on right now), but a friend of mine was saying since Dell bought them, they suck, it looks like it was built in 2004, and it's too heavy to be practical. But I use mine in pretty much the exact way you use yours, lol. And I argued that it's built like a tank (I got a laugh when Lisa said the same thing), which is important to me cos I *hate* shopping and would rather buy a really solid laptop that will last me 5-6 years or more than buy a cheaper one every few years. That graphics upgrader thing would be cool, though honestly I doubt I'd need it cos I mostly play older games/games with poorer graphics. 'Course, I dunno how realistic my ideas are, cos all I've ever owned is a really crappy Acer laptop in 2008, and then a 2009 MacBook Pro (which I'm using at this moment). So I dunno how Windows holds up; seems similar to Mac in terms of potential longevity, especially in that tank body, lol. But yeah, your post is too funny, & how on the money it is with regards to what I was pondering :P
1995 called, they wanted their bezels back.
I know your comment is a joke, but if the bezels were any thinner, your legs and table would be melting off, figuratively of course.
lol, the chin bar though
I love mine, honestly, you get over the bezels in the first day, and, ironically, I love the extra space at the bottom, hear me out, it raises the actual screen up a few more centimeters than most others do, and that actually eases my neck while using this while laying down, or reclining. Of course this thing is huge, it's Alienware, but it's built like a tank, accidently dropped mine from about four(ish) feet, not even a scratch, and no damage to components either!
checkitimawesome Don’t know why everyone complains about bezels that didn’t even use to be a thing. Plus if you have thinner bezels your screen is more likely to be damaged.
people are complaining about the bezel but in person the whole laptop is beautiful, the bezel won't bother you
I have to say, having read so many comments about the bezel, you're 100% right. Depending on the situation the matte black bezel simply vanishes, and overall, the device is very elegantly designed. In my case I'm using a 17 r4 with a UHD display, and with my eyes on that, all else is immaterial.
Ry Man thr bezels bug me to where it's a deal breaker it looks like 2001 laptop
Clous von Do you even have one?
maybe your 17r4 has that tobii bar... which makes everything 2017 again
Agreed. I have the 15 inch and it doesn't bother me at all.
Ordered this laptop❤ Thanks Lisa!
Holy bezels
joris yauw I have the 17 inch and they don't look nearly as bad as they do on 15 inch.
the reason why I'm considering buying the 13 inch
don't get OLED. OLED is notorious for burn-in and colour-shift, which is basically guaranteed to happen on a laptop screen since the same icons are statically up on the screen for extended periods of time.
ArtymusPrime All you gotta do is not leave icons on the background, auto hide the taskbar, and change the background every hour or so (and with an OLED screen, that's a joy) and you'll never get burn in
Why would i want to go through such an inconvenience just to use a screen technology that doesn't offer me anything more than LCD does for a lower price and higher quality?
Their 17 R4 w/ Kaby Lake 7700HQ + 1060 runs so cool. GPU maxes out at 62°C under heavy load
Is that the thickest bezel in history of anything bezel ever?
I think we can all agree that they should make the bezels a little thicker...
how does it feel beating all the old school big/famous electronics media outlets, like CNET, etc, being one of the best and most viewed reviewers, and so quickly? it's impressive. Congratulations. You deserve it, you are really pleasant and to the point
Still using mine and it is smooth as butter!
My new laptop died after 2 weeks, i had this till 2020 after i packed it well and set on my storage, now i use it again one of the most best laptop in my life, i watched the video again because doesnt remember what storage type have on it.
I love your videos, it help me a lot decide which laptop should i buy
I have this and personally for me the bezels does not bother me at all.. I think because the screen is the same size as other 15 inch laptops, but idk. I was worried when I wanted to buy it but now using it its no problem
Love this keyboards. Why all ultrabooks don't have keyboards like this
coz ultrabooks are thinner than those keyboards standalone. (jk
Some are which is actually hilarious
I have an issue with my keyboard, the backspace and the left shift keys produce a harsh clicking sound when pressed at certain angles
Hi Lisa, do you have a review for the Alienware 13 R3? (Or will you have one?) Thanks!
4:40 - Getting to the fans on my Asus gaming laptop is an absolute nightmare, to the point where I'm just dealing with the noise and kind of keeping my fingers crossed. Can't even really clean them. Nice that they're right there on this model. Yes, I am jealous.
I saw this video 2 weeks ago. Configured and ordered mine on Dell.com. THANKS LISA..... Its a beast and your suggestion on having the 'Killer Wifi Chip' was awesome. I can immediately feel the difference over speeds on my Surface Pro 3. Even got $350 off from Dell Sales team -Again a suggestion Lisa had made.
Could not be happier.
It's so easy to spot the influences from the Dell Latitude line. Would not surprise me if Dell had engineers moving back and forth between the two branches.
Just ordered an Alienware 15 R3 from Dell. This review helped me decide which one to choose between the Alienware or the Asus rog thanks for a great video.
9:18 - would you expect the 256GB option to get similar speeds? I'd assume so, but thought I would ask anyway.
Yes, I would expect similar speeds with the 256 gig SSD.
Love your reviews :). And LOVE my Alienware 17R4. After a little thermal pasting and underclocking, the laptop performs like a CHAMP, with average CPU temperatures over a 2hr gaming session rarely going above 55-59 celcius when gaming (2K - Skyrim SE with MODS galore, Doom, Andromeda, and Tomb Raider (Rise of ))
Varun Vesuvala why would you underclock your CPU?
Excellent temperatures!
I bought one of these on black friday then re-sold it on ebay after the sales ended for the same price i bought it. It's a really nice laptop and has great spec. It's quiet enough and runs at decent temps. The downside is that its weight makes it far less portable than i'd have liked it to be (which is the reason i sold it). I already have a decent desktop that is heavy, don't need a laptop to be the same. I have high hopes for EVGA's upcoming SC15 laptop. Hopefully that will pack a punch and be more portable.
The Alienware 13 is a much better option of you want portability. The reason you stated is the exact reason I didn't go for the 15" version. Pretty happy with 13, a portable beast.
Look at the Aero 15 if you want portability or some of the MSI GS series
I like your honest opinion about the TN. That's exactly what I experienced and being the sole reason I returned for. Eventually settled with the IPS version. TN is absolutely "game-breaking". The expensive graphic card running 120FPS doesn't mean A THING if the monitor displaying those frames is shit.
I love your reviews Lisa! So very smart, tons of useful info. Thanks and keep up the great work!
anyone finding themselves somehow suddenly lost interest in gaming? it is the feeling after you gamed for a while but then gets the feeling where all the games out there are kind of the same that kind of feeling.
maxlol0 ive had that but it comes back you just need to play really good game
I blame the gaming companies, they are all money hungry and not making quality meaningful games anymore. It’s rare to find a solid well built game anymore. Activison and EA make majority of the games and they only care about money it sucks, you gotta get into role playing games, Imn my opinion, those give you a purpose in gaming
Love your reviews, always straight to the point and informative :-)
At least it does look a little thinner, finally from the 90s size to one from the early 2000s. I'd say we'd be waiting until 2030 for a Alienware laptop that is the size of of typical modern laptop. :P
You just won a subscriber :)
i confirm that it peaks around 83c while gaming on ultra on most games.
Thanks for the review Lisa.
You said that you are using a 15 model with the IGZO display. What is the contrast ratio and color gamut of this ?
Cheers
I just bought 15R3 7700HQ from a Dell exclusive showroom in Chennai, India it's really an awesome laptop but it has heating issues. I got max temperature of 97°C(room temp is 28°C-30°C air-conditioned) while running Unreal engine's Heaven Benchmark. I'm going to post the same in many network just to help other buyers so don't take it as a spam.
Balakrishnan Srinivasan are you a gamer ? if yes when did it hit 90 degrees ? Cuz im looking forward to buy this for mild gaming and CREO and CATIA Softwares
Vignesh I think there is Quality Control issue so I'm not sure whether all this model have the same issue that I had. In a flat surface in a normal room temperature I got Max 97°C while running Heaven benchmark for 10min that temperate reduced a little after lifting the laptop.
Loove your reviews! they made me decide for the AW15R3 i7-7820HK GTX1070, My temps when gaming after undervolting the CPU are 68 C for the CPU and 60 c FOR GPU, I wanna do the termal repaste so I can safely overclock the CPU
Thanks for this helpful review. I need your help to know which is the best choice of the displays that Alienware offer for the 15R3 which are FHD-IPS 60Hz, FHD-TN 120Hz, or 4K-IPS in terms of gaming and accuracy of color and how beautiful photos can be viewed???
Thanks
"It might destroy anything else in the backpack" xD that's badass, built like a tank indeed.
Ahh I'm in love with it! Even the bezels don't look bad in person cuz the rest of the package is sooo good... beautiful!
Great review as always! Can Raid 1.0 be set up on this updated AW 15 R3?
not sure why people complain about bezels, I personally use it in clamshell mode, connect it to an external monitor (Asus Rog 4k) and don't have to deal with the bezels. I got used to them anyways.
mel pe maybe those complaining don’t use the laptop in clamshell mode ?
i don't understand how they put so little screen in such a big frame. Even older thinkpads that were built with durability in mind didn't leave so much unused space on the upper half!
I seen one on QVC but will wait on reviews
Hilarious pic mate
8:10 the 4k display has optimus too right? I thought only the panels with gsync doesn't have the optimus. :(
Was that 6hrs of battery life with the stock 60wH battery or the 99wH battery?? I don't think you specified which was in your test model.
lisa, is the upgrade from gtx 1050ti to 1060 worth it in the alienware 13? im still a kid here, ur opinions are greatly appreciated.
Just a note, when you're benchmarking Witcher 3, the unlimited frame option is the farthest left on the slider, not on the right- It's a strange one for sure, but that's how it is :)
What would be the best budget laptop in your opinion.
Hi Lisa I love your reviews. I have one question, recently I purchased 32GB 2666Mhz corsair ram for Alienware 15 r3 2017 model. But in my bios the memory speed shows only 2400Mhz. Can you give me a solution why the clock speed shows lower in the bios?
Hi!!! This laptop can also be used for modelling and simulation right ?
What about the services provided for the laptop. Is it good to buy?
You can get gsync with the 1080p IPS panel.
Holy crap is that a thick bezel... I could understand a bezel that wide on a tablet, when you need somewhere to grip it, but I imagine trying to hold a seven pound gaming laptop by its screen would not end well for anyone involved.
Can you do a video on the Dell 7567 IPS refresh?
Great review, Lisa. Thank you.
Hi Lisa, What microphone do you use for recording ??
Hey, Lisa!
What are your impressions on Andromeda?
People seem to be really disappointed with the game.
HOLY BEZELS BATMAN
I would trust Lisa with my life
Lisa, would love to see you review the new Asus gl702vm kaby lake revision. I know you've done the sky lake.
The bezels make it look like I'm sitting in a movie theatre
are these still shipping with toothpaste instead of thermal paste? I have an Alienware and love it, but I had to replace the paste
Lisa, can you please review the kaby lake 17 r3 with 1070 and 4k panel demonstrating the differences between the 15R3 and 17R3 like the lcd panel quality and the speakers?
Won't the 1050Ti be a good option if one was going to buy the external Graphics Dock at a later date? I'd imagine it would help with battery life as well.
Careful AW r4/5 no longer support Optimus (apparently due to the display being linked directly to the dGPU). Check the Dell forums before going for a non-GSync panel to extend battery life.
Is there any way (for example the model number) to know if you are getting the Kaby lake version?
I picked up the skylake version on refurb clearance dirt cheap ,after repasting same temps. max. mid 80 and thermal pads still need to be changed.
I have a Y50 and want to get a newer gaming laptop. Is this worth getting or is the Y720 the better way to go?
Will you be reviewing the new surface?
How long would the battery life on the tn panel last? On regular usage, like CZcams or office work
just wondering if u think that the r4 model for the AW 15 will be available in 2018??
The price is 3 times more than ps4 pro. Is the graphic quality can do 3 times more than 4k ps4 pro?
I want to buy gaming pc or notebook but still thinking is it worth with that price?
Does the 15 R3 or 17 R4 base screen (FullHD IPS) come with Optimus by default? I couldn't find anything indicating it has G-Sync or anything anywhere in the Control Panel or GeForce Experience saying it has "Optimus". Does no G-Sync by default mean system managed auto-switching Optimus Graphics for these Alienwares?
I mean the previous version you had but in a i5 6300 is that a good one? And can you replace the CPU in it?
This laptop would be pretty sleek looking if they had a smaller bezel and edge to edge glass like the 15 R2.
Please review the Lenovo Yoga 720. It seems to be such a good laptop
Do you think I would get heat issues with a GTX 1070 on this beast?
what are normal cpu temps for this pc while gaming
just out of curiousity? i picked 1 up a couple days ago
Please do the review of the OLED ALIENWARE 13 R3!!!
Nice review as always, how are the fans compared to the 2017 Razer Blade 2014? I have that one and I'm considering buying the Alienware 15 R3 for my son;s graduation this month. Do you think the i5 with the 1060 can be ok and handle VR too in the future (Oculus rift) or I'll need an i7?
nah, that config is too weak for future vr games. the asus gl502vs is a better option for the money at 1400-1500$ at microcenter. you can also try dell outlet for cheaper alienwares
Thanks, It needs to be an Alienware as my son is set on that laptop, then an i7 7700HQ, 16GB Ram and the GTX 1060 should be good right?
Also Batman VR just released system requirements
Processor: Intel™ Core™ i5-4590 equivalent or greater
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce™ GTX 1060 / GTX 970 or AMD Radeon™ RX 480
Thank you, the issue with something higher than the GTX 1060 is heat, I had a laptop with a GTX 1050 and it was dead silent even under fully load with Witcher 3, then I got a GTX 1060 and the heat and fan spinning is 100% more than a 1050, with a GTX 1070 the heat will be greater too.
if you want it dead silent, then you need the 17r4 which is too big and heavy
any news on r4 yet? wanted to get AW15 but im not sure getting the r3 or wait for r4
what exactly did they put inside those bezels, they are quite thick! and it's not even a touch screen, why it need such big bezel, want to tear it down....
Impressive how a TN panel can get 95% of sRGB while many laptops with IPS screens barely get more than 60%
TN panels can have excellent color gamut, their downfall is poor black levels and thus low contrast.
I guess then some animals are more equal than others ;) Just because a laptop is marketed as having an IPS screen doesn't necessarily mean it's any good
Regardless, appreciate your work as always. You're one of the best tech reviewers out there :)
would you opt for this over the dell xps 15 9560? full spec to full spec
much awaited
lisa - thank you - how would you review This model for a film maker running multiple apps like premiere cc, after effect etc... can you talk about ingest, rendering and working with 4K raw footage? :)
I have dell xps 15 and it heats up a lot so I am thinking to buy 2017 Alienware 15 R3 with maximum configuration is its screen as beautiful as dell xps 15 ? and any other laptop that's better then Alienware 15 R3 can you comparison of it with razor blade 2017 ?
Which should I get, the Alienware r3 with i5 with g-sync & 1060 or Dell 7567 with 1050ti & IPS?
Does playing with the contrast in the nvidia control panel solve the problem?
Lisa can you do a review for the Gigabyte AERO 15 laptop please?
Howdy, i am having my doubts between alienware 15 r3 and ASUS GL752vs with 1070 gtx,
can you give me your opinion on this one. thanks ! :)
Is the HP omen 17 with 8gb gtx1070 worth buying? I was going for msi gt72vr dominator pro but people reported many issues with the build quality and screen (sry not related to this video but I'm seriously confused)
Did they pull that out of a time capsule?
I read that Alienware 15 r3 now ships its 1070's with an OC edition which preforms better than the 1080 max q. I wonder if the max q 1080 which you can also get in the 15 r3 is better than the 1070 OC due to power consumption. Lisa I think a new video on this would be awesome! Power vs. Portability
Where did you read that at?
Jason Woods 1070 overclock on the aw 15 is pretty overdone. That would heat up the AW more than the small frame could handle. You'd get a better performance at first but after a while you'll experience throttle and eventually just perform equal to an unOCed 1070
I want the one with the i7-k processor!
I'm having a hard time deciding between Asus ROG and Alienware. My biggest issues are pricing, Quality Control and Customer Service. While Asus is generally a lot cheaper than Alienware, I'm worried about any issues as they're company doesn't have a great Customer service record.
Which one would people recommend? Pros and cons?
Dell has lots of sales to up to 50% of, so in Australia it would be 1500 dollars for a 1070.
This is nice, but so much bezel and very heavy. Love the upgradability. When you make it this heavy why not just buy a desktop?
what game is being reviewed with the zeppelin ?
I have this, and I'm afraid the fans are pretty loud during gaming (1070). Obviously noise is subjective, but it is distracting for me and anyone sitting near me while I game.
Could you recommend any laptop for architecture programs as lumion, AutoCAD, SketchUP please?
How do i know if its a late 2016 model or the new model with better heat sinks etc.....my friend is selling his and I'm tempted to swoop it from him if it's the later model
can you tell me which screen i should go for, 1080p ips or 1080p gsync ips, i heard that gsync has light bleed and less sharp than normal ips version
People are dumb. I have one the bezels don't bother me at all. The quality of the screen is better than most other laptops in the price range. I've seen laptops with thin bezels but they also have crappy screens with low contrast etc.
hate it or love it... even if in near future.. they start using a roller on the Alienware, ill buy one for me... and a spare for me.
Can't wait to see the Asus zephyrus