Alienware X14 Review - A Bit Too Thin!
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- čas přidán 19. 08. 2022
- Review of the Alienware X14 with an I7-12700H and a RTX 3060. It's a beautiful laptop with so much potential but a few little quirks make me a bit uneasy. Watch for the full review!
Buy Alienware X14 at Best Buy - go.magik.ly/ml/1kxlg/
ASUS Zephyrus G14 ($999) - go.magik.ly/ml/1kxlf/
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED - go.magik.ly/ml/1kxlh/
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 - go.magik.ly/ml/1kxlj/
HP Envy X360 - go.magik.ly/ml/1kxlk/
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I really love the look of this thing but it needs to be a bit more thick and the fans randomly not working is kind of scary! What do you guys think? also, if you missed it I revisited the iPhone 13 pro which you can find here - czcams.com/video/9xMe8KD0Ic0/video.html
It's too thin even for a laptop. And its a gaming laptop.unless it's a chromebook or something
My X14 is actually thinner than my 14" MacBook Pro, lol. Yeah, it probably could have been a bit thicker. And yeah, the Alienware Control Center kinda sucks. I personally haven't experienced this fan thing, but I honestly believe that it's not even worth opening that program. The X14 is already right at the limit of what such a cooling and power delivery system is capable of, given the components and specifications it has, so you're not going to get much improvement in terms of efficiency, power, or fan noise. Either accept the default behavior or return the computer. As for GPU performance, I think an underrated aspect is that the X14 has Advanced Optimus, meaning that whenever possible, it will use discrete graphics to squeeze out the last 5-10% performance, so the 3060 goes a long way, esp. on the 1080p display. When I was trying the G14 out, the MUX switch always required a full restart, so I ended up leaving it off, which kept it from delivering full performance, because when I left it on, it was quite loud and power hungry, like an Intel laptop, but without the CPU performance of Intel. I understand MUX switches are useful for benchmarkers and reviewers, but I feel like normal users need Advanced Optimus, and I hope manufacturers consider that in the future.
How about I give you 500$ for this laptop I am from Iraq 🇮🇶.?
AWCC is a nightmare, it will mess with your fans if you keep changing profiles. I once had it locked at quiet and it seemed nothing would do. Ended up reinstalling it, rebooting, selecting a new profile, rebooting again then it would work. I don't even update it anymore, just stick with an older version that works.
I think it's the issue of windows. I have the same issue with my hp specter and I always should to put hibernate mode before closing it. This issue started when I just updated to Win 11
I have this laptop with the exact specs. You are right, it seems to have a mind of it's own - Dell claimed they use an AI to manage the power between the CPU and GPU, juggling the wattage for the best efficiency. Initially, I thought the AI is trying to take over the system.
The Alien logo light is unpredictable, sometimes it turns off when you closed the lid, sometimes it doesn't. Same as the fan, sometimes it turned into a jet engine at 3am when no one is using it, at other times it just won't start. The Alienware Command Center is unlike other utilities from Asus or HP - it is not just as an app that manage system setting, it controls low level hardware settings in the Bios for wattage and changes critical data in the memory. This made it incompatible with the latest MS security feature that prevents core memory from being tampered. (MS has since released an update to remove that security function for this laptop).
The good news is - after Windows 11 22H2 and the latest 1.7 firmware, everything seems to be fixed. Now the fans don't misbehave, and everything is consistent and predictable as it should be. Now is the best time to buy it.
Have you gotten your hands on an X14 R2? I heard it's only available in the US, so not so many channels have gotten their hands on it and as such there is a lack of general consensus on its qualities/cons. I would like some input from you as a potential customer, thank you.
Hey, can you tell me why alienware command center fails to work with docker?
Hi! Matthew i want to ask you please? Is Alienware 15 R3 still good in 2022?
Does it fit in a Peak Design 20L totepack or backpack?
Thanks for the insightful review, Matt. I think undervolting may cool the cpu more. I wonder if a Ryzen version would make it run cooler?
Like the Video and agree with you :)
The laptop is absolutely gorgeous but I think it's better to wait for the 2nd revision (x14 R2) for Dell to revise and fix the bugs/problems (well, it should not have any from the premium laptop at this price, tbf).
Asus G14 has been around for a while and went through many iterations/revisions/improvements. It's very refined and is pretty much the best 14" gaming laptop today.
Alienware Command Center (AWCC) can be finicky because it’s not just a piece of software it also communicates with the BIOS and various voltage/temperature modules on the motherboard that Dell have embedded.
Generally the various AWCC thermal “Profiles” drastically alter the TDP of the CPU/GPU and the fan curve.
It’s possible that AWCC was between updates, in the middle of background updating one of its modules, or there is a bug in the BIOS causing AWCC to act up.
Definitely contact Alienware. They have good commutation on there team.
I have this laptop since early June, no issues whatsoever with fans. Closing lid while on is just asking for trouble since there is air intake vents above the keyboard. Closing the lid should be set to put windows to sleep on this machine.
If Matte displays mean I'll see Matt's smiling face from time to time, I won't hesitate to buy one for myself.
LOL
@@MatthewMoniz matte displays don’t look as sharp or vibrant as glossy displays. Look at Dave2D’s video
@@BigBoss7777777 yeah was about to say
@@BigBoss7777777 Right. However, matte displays are much more useful and usable... So, wow effect and functionally are quite different things.
@@FuckCZcamsForHandles that’s where brightness comes into play. Glossy and bright is the best way to go. 500 nit OLED is the best laptop screen experience possible currently.
My man, that’s so great of you to mention about the sticker placement.
Always!
Maybe the review unit is faulty? I have this and set my profile to quiet i never hear the fan.
Compared to all other computers in the same size Alienware x14 is the best. I took a month to read and watch everything and to compare and I've just got mine. Almost 10 mouths after its released it is still the best out there.That's the only one with thuderbolt 4 and there is 2 ports! The only one with hdmi 2.1. The only 14" one that weight under 4 pounds and no need for a big power suply who often weight more than the laptop. It is less that 2/3 pound more compare to surface pro 9 with keybord and power suply and surface have no gaming card. Who care if cant change my memory? I have DDR5 5200mhz 32gb and no need for more to work or gaming. The M.2 ssd is the fastest gen 4 on the market and you can upgrade it but 2tb is enough for me and there is also a microSD slot and usb C and A ports for dock, usb keys or external drives. The rtx 3060 is far better then the 3050ti for rog flow z13 or x13 and the screen is larger. And on benchmark the difference between that and the 3070 in other laptop of the same size is negligible. Yes some have better card but without givin enough power to use it well. Playing at 1080p AAA games with maxout is not a problem at all. Intel i7 12 th gen is way better for me than amd, for thudebolot 4 of course but for way more. Speaking of that with thuderbolt 4 you can run a EGPU with external display with a very small difference compared to the same gpu in a destop. I can charge it on all ports. It's the best laptop ever made for travelling and the battery have a great autonomy if you dont play heavy aaa games. Wifi 6E blutooth 5.2. Also with PS Plus and Nvidia GeFOrce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming who need a rtx 3090ti in his laptop? Welcome to 2022! Anyway i have massive tower for that. There is no other competitor with the same stuff pack in so small computer. That laptop deserved at less 9/10 and with almost the half on the price for a Razor!
P,S,: Sorry for my english, Im a french Canadian!
You just need to update the driver to make the fan off when you close the lid
Your reviews are reliable to me, I got exactly what I need to know...
Thank you,
Glad to help, thanks for watching!
Same thing happens with my ZenBook 14. The fans would just stop working sometimes, then after tinkering around it will start working without doing anything in particular
I had the same issue with mine... Set the "Lid Close" settings to hibernate to fix the fans staying on when laptop lid is closed.
This. I had this issue with my XPS 17 and hibernate fixed it. From what I understand it's moreso an issue with Windows' sleep mode rather than the hardware itself.
I don't get the design choices. You got that trunk in the back making the laptop so much longer. Isn't it better to be thicker rather than so long? It would fit in many more bags/places if it was shorter but thicker. Also, what's up with the right shift key being that small? There's no getting used to a shift key that small (i've had a lenovo laptop with a small right shift key like that; it was a terrible purchase decision on my part; i never got used to it). I understand on a gaming laptop you'd like full size arrow keys, but c'mon there's so little room below the arrow keys that there's no use in using them in a game. Half your palm will be off the laptop deck. And fine, i like quick access keys, but those same shortcuts could exist in the function row keys. Couldn't you get rid of those and give us a normal right shift key? Also, as far as the trunk in the back, you have that huge ass trunk AND the keyboard and trackpad STILL have to be pushed down that far? Geez that trackpad is the size of the trackpad on the iPad's magic keyboard. I don't mean to sound too negative -- the thing is that I really like this laptop; i would really consider buying the laptop; there's more good than bad; it's just the bad so critically affects the experience that it makes it impossible to even consider buying.
I really like the way you review and intro tech products especially laptops (workstations like Zbook, Thinkpads etc.) and I'm very keen to know about the review or unboxing of HP Zbook G9 Fury or G9 Studio and Thinkpad P16 as these are most overwhelming workstations of the year with Alder Lake SoC. Can we expect an full review of either of these laptops soon? I would be very grateful if you mention timeframe as well.
I really appreciate the kind words = ) I required the P16 but I doubt i'll be getting it in and unfortunately don't have any plans to review the Fury or Studio. But I'll take a look at them and reach out to HP if they seem interesting. Thanks for watching!
@@MatthewMoniz Wow!!😇😁Thank you so much for putting your time in answering my question, looking forward to see you with P16 video soon hopefully.
It would seem I got lucky. Part of the many updates I needed to do was a bios update. No fan problems at all. I play only World of Warcraft (Retail) and even after hours of gaming on max settings, only without ray tracing enabled, I get amazing performance. I also enjoy the XPS type of experience on the keyboard. I am a touch typist, and this keyboard feels amazing to me. Thank you for the excellent review. I am very happy with this laptop; even though, the Alienware Command Center could use some love from the company's software engineers. I was able to figure it out pretty fast because I am an old computer technician.
And that is why fan settings and a lot of other things should always be set up in the Bios first and then software. That way if the software doesn't work or doesn't get installed the BIOS still has everything set up properly.
So the ram is not upgradable???
I'm not sure if manufacturers are still doing this but while the wifi card is swappable they often have a white/black list so swapping in a new card is a gamble. I had to run a custom bios on a Lenovo laptop in 2013 to upgrade the wifi card.
Also JustJosh also had issues with an XPS and its default software. Reinstalling Windows shouldn't be a solution.
Thank you for the awesome and honest review I was waiting for this video from you
My pleasure 😊
I just recently purchased this laptop and did experience a similar problem. The laptop lid was closed and charging while I went to work. When returning home, I went to pick up the laptop, only to flinch in pain from the intense heat near the hinge. Opening the lid, I discovered that the laptop had an error message and the fans did not turn on. It seemed like the device was still working with the lid closed and at that moment the fans decided not to turn on like the experience you have had with your model. For now I have adjusted lid settings to hibinate when closed in a hope that this may solve the issue.
Did that help solve the issue?
alienware fan here, i love the look of it but like you said, too thin. my m15 r4 gets hot and its thicker with a great cooling system
Windows loves to push AWCC updates out through the MS Store which usually messes things up. I turn the auto updates off and only download through Dell.
I agree that they made it too thin, also that having only 130w of power delivery is a bit anemic. It does look really nice though
I have this same exact spec, and it can most certainly do 1440p. Using the DSR factors in NVIDIA control panel... I can play Elden Ring at high/max settings on 1440p* 59+ fps as well as Escape from Tarkov at 1440p.
Been through a few laptops this year trying to find the right one, and chose it because of the build quality and size/weight. I can slow charge it off of a USB power bank while riding (I travel on motorcycle alot and wanted something tiny)
With some moderate OC settings I'm getting around 8500 time spy scores. I repasted the computer with liquid metal and oiled the fans and it helped drasitcally. I'll have to agree on the fan noise, it likes to rev out. I've found that running in on quiet for daily tasks doesn't push the temps much but if you are going to be gaming or doing something intensive you need to run it in performance mode and just let those fans do their thing. Since I've repasted it I've never seen the CPU temps above 91c, I did not use LM on the GPU tho only arctic mx4.
Now as far as command center, that's an issue with every Alienware. In my experience as long as you start it up as soon as you fire up the computer, and drivers are correct it will do what you ask it to, but I've had my fair share of issues as well.
All in all, I chose this over an X17, X15, Legion 7, and G14. Won't go into all the reasons but it was mainly size/price/carry weight and performance. I bought my X14 from Dell using a preferred account for financing, got the 12700h/3060/32gb 5200/1tb version for around $1650 after discounts.
If anyone would like my opinion between any of these different machines, feel free to ask.
I got the same specs of X14, and I noticed that 1TB and 32GB upgrades were really cheap, which made the total cost really affordable. It might be that they aren't selling very well, so Dell's having to discount them, but I'm glad that I got mine at a very good price. I think it's best to accept that with these components and form factor, tweaking settings isn't really going to change much; just be happy with stock performance, and if it's too loud, then return it. It's a good amount of performance in a tiny package when you consider also that the charger is tiny, too, and very versatile. My fully loaded bag is so much lighter with an X14 than with any other gaming laptop. By the way, it can even do 4K in RTS games, and can drive my Apple 5K monitor at native resolution, though gaming in 5K is obviously not a great experience.
@@mbvglider I am super pleased with mine, went through like 5 different laptops this year trying to find what I wanted. I bought the 3050 ti version at first, and was so happy with the performance of it I returned it to upgrade to the max spec version! I am so glad i tried it
Repasting it did wonders for the fan curve, because it likes to throttle to like 99% fan load when it gets above 90. I also found that although I did get better synthetic benchmark numbers on Windows 11, it's not enough to notice and I just love windows 10 so much more.
Are the fans still loud even with light activity (some youtube, internet browsing, and microsoft word)? I'm mostly choosing the x14 for its compact size to take to class and I'm worried about the fans being obnoxiously loud lol.
@@gryffinclaw97 If you use the balanced or quiet profile in Command Center, they stay very quiet. You will see somewhat increased temps, but the fans wont rev out. But I can be on a remote desktop, two browsers, teams meetings and other random stuff and keep sub 70 temps with quiet fans.
@@gryffinclaw97 Yes. It's loud with light use. Honestly, if quiet matters to you, the G14 is better, but even better is an M1 MacBook Air, and just buy something else for gaming with all the money you save compared to a 14" gaming laptop.
I saw Just Josh and his XPS 13 Plus review where he had to do a total re-install due to the XPS going cranky. Another creator posted he had to do the same with his G14. Loads of comments and the internet full of Dell issues and you are a brave person to be buying Dell at the moment. I would certainly wait and see whether the mess resolves, or do the sane thing and avoid the 12th-gen Intel firestorm.
Zeyphrus G14 has its own problems with the HDMI driver issues, with the AMD software. The dedicated GPU goes on for no reason and sometimes just never turns on. A friend has 2020 version and Reddit is full of such issues in 2020, 21 AND 22 model sadly.
I have an X16, and windows 11 is a such a pain. I get a blue screen every time it goes to sleep, and loading apps is so much slower than my old laptop. Luckily it has two NVME slots, so I'm going to see how linux fares. I'm thinking about returning it and getting the Lenovo equivalent.
the xps 15 is missing the nvidia sticker too :(
I'm thinking about this with the dell xps and surface laptop studio, something to carry around but also play some games downtime
Why not the g14? That thing has better battery life which i assume is going to be important
I ended up with the surface studio. Incredible for editing, writing with the pen, and some light games but definitely got a gaming beast. Build quality is next level though 🤌 gonna last a long time
Is it still worth buying in 2023?
The 14" Laptop is my favorite size, balance between Compact and Good Screen Real Estate
You are absolutely right about it being unpredictable, I have a x17 and it shuts off randomly once in awhile but the thing is once it shuts off once it will consecutively shut off for many times until I go into the bios and stay in it for some time and it doesn't shut off in the bios for whatever reason, I have tried windows reinstall driver reinstall command center reinstall and nothing works. You would think that for the price of these things they should be more reliable but no they are unpredictable and very frustrating to use at times, however it does perform quite well especially in games, but I would definitely rather it being more stable and not have to troubleshoot for hours.
That’s probably to do with temperatures, while you sit in bios the machine does not use much power and it allows the latop cool preventing it from shutting down again, that’s my guess
@@monkiidesigns133 Not thermal throttle, I checked the temp
oh my... it is a very preety alien laptop but however I don't like the no Ethernet cable connector.... wifi isn't good for gaming
My twcaher uses a Mac book for modeling and I can tell the programs run much faster on the windows workstations we have.
Can you suggest anything around 800$ ?
Aero 13 if you want a normal performing, portable, goodbattery timing an amazing display.
Lenovo Ideapad 5 Pro with R5 6600HS if you want performance as well as battery timing while the laptop still being portable. Lenovo Legion 5 (box open) with 1650 if you want dedicated GPU, good battery (on battery saver/ hybrid mode) and performance. Nothing from Dell, from a guy owning 2 dell laptops. (mistake)
Hey @Matthew Moniz! I just got my x14 delivered. I have been installing a few games and such. And I wanted to let you know mine is almost silent when it's not installing anything. So you might want to RMA you laptop because it sounds like you had a bad paste job done. Or maybe make sure you don't have fan boost on. Fn + F1.
That's great news! Maybe you won the X14 lottery but glad to hear its silent. Definitely not my unit. Lots of complaints of similar issues in the comments. Enjoy the laptop!
@@MatthewMoniz It's a shame you have to play more or less the dell lottery to get a laptop that is put together correctly from the factory. I wish they would just flip the motherboard back over so it was easier for people to do the repasting themselves. Would probably save alot of time and effort for both the customer and Dell.
I really like the idea of this. It looks great when it's closed -- but that 16:9 display + chin would be crazy in 2020, let alone 2022. Put a 16:10 display in and reduce the chin (learn from Legion, who do this design better than Alienware) and give it a glossy option, and it would be the best looking gaming laptop around in my book.
P.S. Love the sticker industry segments.
Just got the Macbook pro 14 a few days ago and now I can't look at any other windows laptop the same anymore :'). The screen, trackpad, battery life, keyboard, build quality and performance are on a whole different level. I genuinely don't understand why someone would buy a windows laptop upwards of $1500 (besides for gaming) when you can now get a new MacBook pro starting at $1750 (25% discount).
Also if anyone has any reservations on mac os, so far it's been great and you can tweak it to your hearts content.
Games and specific workflows that are better on windows machines.
I have both. There are many things the X14 can't do that the MacBook Pro 14" can, and there are many things the MacBook Pro 14" can do that the X14 can't do. I tell you what, though. They're actually equally well built, both support Thunderbolt 4, and both charge via USB-C. They actually can easily be swapped in and out of my life because of that. If you're a Mac user and you've thought about buying a Windows laptop, the X14 is actually a great choice. One is all about speed and performance, and the other is more about usability and portability, but they both feel futuristic, cutting edge, and premium.
Dells matte displays are just spectacular these days 👏👏👏
AMD processor and 16:10 screen ratio would make this a great general buy as you could use it for day-to-day as well as gaming. G14 feels like the better buy.
Great review Matt! I actually got my X14 yesterday with the exact same specs as the one you reviewed. The reason I went for a 14" laptop is that I work for a fintech company, currently doing my master's degree in machine learning and I'm part of many student projects/associations so I'm constantly on the move but need a powerful laptop that is also easy to carry around. Plus I love to game when I have free time. I bought a XPS 15 last year thinking the 3050Ti would be sufficient but unfortunately it wasn't. I went for the X14 over the G14 for three main reasons:
1. As you mentioned, the intel CPU is better for my software engineering workload. Although I even hesitated on this since the battery benefits from Ryzen almost won me over.
2. Thinness. Yeah I know gaming laptops aren't supposed to be thin but for me it makes it very convenient to carry around. Combined with a solid feel (feels like a tank to me), it just makes it easy to throw in my backpack with all my books and carry it around. University books are bricks tbh.
3. Warranty and Support. This is probably the biggest one for me. My life revolves around my computer and I can't afford to be days without a computer if something goes wrong. Since Dell offers 24/7 support, accidental protection with onsite repairs internationally, it just makes it a very strong contender for my use case.
Now I'll admit that you have me worried with the fan noise as that wasn't mentioned in other reviews I've watched and I don't want to be that guy in class with the high pitched fan noise during lectures. We'll see I guess.
I don't know if it's just me that has a very specific use case for this laptop or other students/digital nomads have similar needs from a laptop?
My X14 is loud as heck at load, but it does run more reasonably when doing light tasks, so I think in a lecture hall, unless you're running a game, it will not be heard among all the general noise level; it will be loud for no reason at times, but honestly, all Windows laptops do that. All of the things you mentioned were big for me, but I'd add a few more. The charger is tiny, lightweight, and universal, and so when I throw the X14 w/ its charger in a bag, I can also charge my power bank, my MacBook, my iPad, my earbuds, etc. Another thing is that it has full Thunderbolt support, so it will interface nicely with all external peripherals. Lastly, I know that Alienware keeps its value really well if I want to sell my computer later. I actually came from a 2021 XPS, too, but an XPS 17 with a 3060. The X14 is slightly louder, but once I got used to it, it isn't that much worse than an XPS 17 for me. Honestly, it comes down to this: if you want a quiet computer, get a Mac. Every Windows laptop will get loud at times.
@Garrus Vakarian I mean, the first X14 I got was defective, so I bought a G14. That ended up blue-screening a lot, so I returned it and bought a second X14 so I essentially did that, lol. It’s weird that I had two defective laptops in a row, but it does mean that I was able to test drive both platforms and return them.
@Garrus Vakarian At the time I bought the computers, they were actually about the same price because I had a 15% discount at Dell and the G14 was about $1600 at Best Buy. In USA, Dell has all kinds of sales all the time. In any case, things like battery life and fan noise during casual use don't matter to me, since I have a MacBook Pro. For immersive, graphically intensive games like Mass Effect, I prefer playing those on my PS5, so the types of games I like on PC tend to be strategy games like Starcraft, which benefit from CPU more than GPU performance. For those, the X14 actually outperformed against the G14 for me. And I'd rather have more USB-C and Thunderbolt than USB-A since that's more cross-compatible with my Mac. Even among gamers, people have different needs. I do realize that I am fortunate enough to have an income, no kids, and no other expensive hobbies, so I can afford different devices for different needs, so I fully acknowledge that G14 is probably a better choice for people who will only have the one computer and need it to do everything. I don't know why I've had the worst luck with laptops this year, though. My first X14 refused to boot after like 2-3 days. My G14 randomly blue screened 2-3 times a day. My 14" MacBook Pro stopped working, too. Thankfully, I was able to return the X14/G14 and get my MacBook repaired. If I got a Razer Blade 14, I'm sure it would just randomly explode to complete the collection of laptop failures this year. I honestly don't mind failures; they can happen to any manufacturer, and as long as they take care of them, I'm happy.
@@mbvglider Thanks for the feedback! I agree with your additional points, especially for the small charger. I start classes in a week so I'll know soon enough for the noise haha
@Garrus Vakarian I personally don't need a 16:10 display so for me it wasn't a factor in the decision. Also when I was shopping a little over two weeks ago, both the models I was looking at had discounts. With the added warranty on both of them, there was only a 30$ CAD price difference so price wasn't a factor either. For the G14 I was looking at the R9 + 6800 model since I need the 32GB of RAM
Had the same fan issue with mine. Also constant command center issues, driver issues, and build quality issues. I ended up returning it.
I don't blame you. And plus this thing priced at $1,900 is just wayyyyy too overpriced. That is high end laptop cost with barely mid ranged specs lol
Same here, for the legion 5
Good review. Where can i find a 32gb version for 1799?!?!?!
from the dell website
From student point of view, I really like the points you covered in your review.
I was ready to buy this after watching tons of reviews, nobody mention the always on fan noise. Thank you! asus g14 here I go!
HES WRONG! I had the X14 and I barely noticed the fans on idle my cpu sat at around 45c, he either has one with bad paste (repasting should fix it) or he most likely went on the bios and disabled *hybrid graphics* (for his testing) which you prob wouldnt do since most ppl would leave it on AUTO within the nvidia settings. Disabling it forces your gpu to always be on and the fans never turn off.
I should mention I used the x14 at school / Starbucks and no complaints specially from that MacBook crowd 😅
The G14 is super shinny from the back kinda looks like glitter and the cheap material they used turns the white model yellow (reddit), I personally wouldn't use that in public and it has a slow SSD issue (boot up issue) look up redit, overall alienware has better QC
I have been following the channel recently and love the videos
Just asking for people who have been watching this channel for some time, is the sticker think like a unique joke for this channel
Its a an ongoing joke with the channel but lets be honest it's the most important part of the review! Thanks for watching!
@@MatthewMoniz just the fax, in the videos and comments
I never understood this with laptops, gaming laptops in particular.
Why not go a little bit thicker with better cooling solution?
My guess is that whoever is in charge in these companies haven't gamed a day in their life.
Also, rubbery surfaces...it's like they are trying to make these toxic waste sooner than later.
Regarding the fans issue.
I recently watched another review, for a DELL model, where the reviewer had to do a fresh installation of Windows to make it work properly with the temps/fans.
Is Alienware still owned by DELL? Curious.
LOL ya Alienware is still owned by Dell
Yeah i think most normal people dont care about thick laptop unless it hit like 1 inch in 14 inch laptop or make the laptop obnoxiously heavy. If a laptop too thin it will compromise almost everything matter for laptop user experience
I have the x14 and personally haven't had many issues with my x14's fans during non-intense workloads, but they certainly are running a lot. I've run the Alienware Update software, flashed all the latest BIOS, etc. Battery life is definitely mediocre across most alder lake systems. I ended up setting my x14 to battery saver mode whenever on battery, as I don't game on battery. And it's typically been pretty quiet for me. But I think you're probably right about Alienware Command Center being the source of a bug. While actively playing a demanding game like Control, I changed the thermal profile, and the fans went all the way to 0% before slowly ramping back up. So for a bit of time, my CPU and GPU thermals were basically being uncared for just by switching the thermal profile.
make sure you fn+f1 before you start a game, and it will keep that issue from happening. It does on mine anyways!
r23 benchmark... 15.6k multi score...is insane for 14in thin laptop
Hmm. . .I ordered one because of the lowered price and a 10% off coupon. Should be here tomorrow, but if it has any of these issues it will go back faster than Dell would know what happened. I can tolerate the fans being on all the time, but they need to be semi silent. My old Razer Blade 14 from a few years ago was like that and it never bothered me. But if it's audible I'll being yeeting it.
Love the looks a lot of this laptop
Ya it does look pretty sweet
I wish they made this into 16:10 display, cos one of the most reason why people go into laptop is portability with enough screen, thats why people tend just to buy macbook because laptops like this have so much power but mediocre screen display
I have a 14" MacBook and an X14, and 16:10 would not have made the X14 any more or less appealing for me. One has a gaming screen and the other has a productivity screen. One is loud and the other is silent and has good battery life.
The laptop prices of Best Buy are suspiciously low , must be US only. In Canada prices are much higher - no one advertises those...
The laptop prices are legit lol but yes it's U.S only and I agree Canada prices or actually anywhere else in the world are depressing.
Ok..so i am gonna be true....i just bought m15 r7 ..lika a month ago...the fan issue is across all the alienware platforms. The command center just doesn't work , even if you press the turbo key. i thought something was wrong with the fans so called dell technician and they tried to replace the heatsink assembly but they accidently bricked the processor due to element 31 thermal paste. Now i have an bricked alienware from past 1 week and dell is still working on a solution....i mean like really???...they still haven't confirmed my replacement. Very poor service from dell
The touch pad looks so incredibly tiny. This 2022 looks very dated compared to the current HP Omen Transcend 14 that I'm writing this one. Now I know why HP put this O14 effect on the keyboard deck of the Transcend 14...!
Unfortunately, had 3 units come in with problems, from dead motherboards to dead cmos batteries. 3 months of turnarounds and went with a refund, I really wanted to make it my daily driver but needing someone to come in and repair it within a day of receiving it, left me with a bitter taste.
Yikes thats awful!
just think about the next gen, if it comes with an i9 and 3070/80 in this size, it would be fantastic, but the odds are low.
The i9 will be underpowered,and so will the GPU in such a thin laptop to stop throttling.
And what's the point of having a i9 and 3070 or 3080 if you're not getting the best performance from them.
@@NGT4LIFE yeah you're probably right.
why make gaming laptops without ports? theres a select few gamers that tell themselves they want thin and light gaming. normal people want performance battery and ports.
This Alienware Command Center software has always been a mess on every Dell device, what a shame.
Respect for replying to almost every comment 👏👏👏
Again tx Matt and waiting for the lenovo z16
Tomorrow :P
It's good laptop for work but the gaming performance isn't good at all, It gets way to hot unforunately.
Should of had an amd option, might of helped with the heat and battery life
I thought nvidia gpus were more efficient than amd's?
I never know why people complain about ports. 1 usba is fine, mice are Bluetooth. Headphone jack=use Bluetooth, SD card reader, phones use micro SD card, they're more common and makes more sense to have micro reader. It's like reviewers forget that Bluetooth exists
I don’t understand why Alienware is still using this “defective” design since m15r2
ALIENWARE x14 or MSI KATANA17
What type of tasks do you, guys, have at school that you need laptops costing > $1000? 🤔
This is clearly for playing games
Essays.
This exact laptop is obviously not worth it for the money but yeah.. 3D animation.
If you are a student, every second counts. I can't imagine my life with shitty laptops
I studied photography and I always needed a powerful laptop to run Lightroom and Photoshop without any issues or lag. I have a X17 R1 though and it was $3500 lol, but yea, I game too :)
It's interesting that nobody replied, 'I use Google Chrome and often have three tabs opened.'
Honestly, the fans do not bother me much. I think it's a great looking laptop and I will seriously consider buying one.
Wish it came in black
I've got the X14 for about a month and a half - lucky me, they have been solidly dependable so far...and the gaming performance is pretty fantastic....and I especially love the display and the build....personally I find the speakers to be trash though...but i agree, the fans never shut up!
Its so ugly, wtf is that chassis....
@@zihuatenejo thats what I thought but microcenter has all of them (14 inch models) on display and it looks and feels more premium than the other ones
Been a year and so far my keyboard stops working after some minutes of booting and oh the lcd display turns off when I open the laptop’s lid the normal way. I have to open slightly somewhere between closed and open for the display to stay on. ❤ best $2000 I ever spent.
I see a large empty space between the HDMI and 3.5mm port, someone is not doing the homework.
Problems with the Command Center, as always haha This shitty app always shows up when anything bad is mentioned about a Dell gaming device. I have a G15 and i lost my keyboard backlight because of this. Simply doesn't detect the laptop anymore after the last update. (not to mention the amount of ram it uses even closed) They seriously should listen to the consumers and redo the entire app, updates is only making it worse.
The old one was too thick, now it's too thin. Make up your mind, people
They want £1,850 for the 12700H/3060 version here, that's absolutely laughable.
The M16 with the same config & double the storage has been hovering around £1300-1600 the last few weeks, the G14 2022 & G15 are consistently lower priced than that by a couple of hundred quid at least.
Dell are just delusional with their pricing, same as Razer.
The 2022 Razer Blade 17 is honestly the cream of the crop for a gaming-focused laptop; it honestly is worth the price if you can deal with poor Linux support and poor battery life in general, even for simple tasks.
Now I agree that the Blade 14 and 15 are definitely much worse values, especially with the Blade 14 being limited to 16 GB of RAM forever and with very low GPU power limits (the Blade 17 2022 has a full-powered RTX 3080 Ti, which is honestly impressive for how thin it is).
I'm currently using a 2022 Legion 7 with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H and an AMD Radeon 6700M, and for most games, it's fine. I do miss DLSS, and one game I wanted to play, which is Control, runs very poorly with Ray-Tracing enabled due to it only having DLSS and no FSR support, but otherwise, both gaming on Windows and using Linux is amazing on my Legion once I replaced the MediaTek Wi-Fi card with an Intel AX 210.
@@cameronbosch1213 I'm not talking about the 17" models though, that's why I didn't mention the Asus 17" model, I forget it's name but it's also super expensive.
Devices that are the cream of the crop with 3080s & i9s are expected to be in that insane £3000 range no matter what brand.
I'm talking about the rest of the mid tier- great laptops. Basically all of them are significantly cheaper with Asus & even Lenovo legion has some good prices, than Razer
Razer & Dell are so overpriced it's actually disgusting. How can anyone tell me that the 17" dell XPS with no dedicated GPU/a super weak one, is worth almost £3000... When you can get a significantly more powerful machine that's also got great build quality & a great screen for a £1000 less.
Hell there's even OLED laptops that are reasonably priced under £1800 with fantastic internals.
Razer are some of the worst offenders, they're honestly delusional as fuck with their European pricing.
They have great build quality , but notoriously poor customer service & poor thermals that often lead to throttling at the top end Vs their competitors & they're always at least £400 more expensive.
Yea this pricing is absolutely laughable. I picked up last years Asus G15(5900HS and RTX 3070) for $1,200. I can't imagine how Dell can SEE these kinds of sales going on, and charge 60%+ MORE for a laptop that is significantly lower specced.
@@WildfireX The European pricing I'll admit is not great. And the customer support from Razer is really bad, I'll give you that 100%. But if you're buying from Amazon or Micro Center in the U.S., it isn't that bad.
A little too large for 14 inch. Especially with that large exhaust.
I used to be a sticker guy… Now I walk with a cane.
Just get the 6700S G14
This laptop like most gaming laptops has integrated intel Iris Xe along with the Nvidia.
I connected 4 external monitors (3 usb-c + 1 HDMI) and intel Xe supports all of them with gaming on one primary display.
However, when Nvidia surround was anabled, (for multi monitor gaming), games span on only 2 external monitors. One on HDMI and other on the USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort.
The builtin screen and any monitors connected to the other 2 usb-c thunderbolt 4 ports go black. No one games on 2 monitors because of the monitor bezels join in the centre (nvidia surround is better with 3 monitors). This renders the dual monitor support by this 'gaming' laptop useless.
I want to work for the sticker industry. I can break legs.
The last guy that said the same thing is now dealing with PTSD.. Post Traumatic Sticker Disorder. Careful what you wish for !
Your sticker comment always makes me laugh!
Most important part of the video
@@MatthewMoniz it is your signature🥰
Looks awesome..but Alienware remains out of reach always because of its Price
I think it's great, but yeah it should be slightly thicker for better thermal management. Otherwise a very solid 14 inch machine.
It's now 899$, usually goes for 1200 bucks...
That's perfect marketing 😅
Yeah ,since intel only start beating amd at 45w tdp++
Intel should be used on workstation and 3kg++ laptop,not this
i hate the ب on the back of it
Best gaming laptop I have ever owned !
Glad to hear you're enjoying it!
Fans on because of intel chip for sure
Nahh it would be on with AMD too. The laptop is too thin
@@MatthewMoniz just I used to have M16 and the fans turned on and off even when I did nothing. I changed it to G15 and this thing is completely silent :) My assumptions based on my experience. Great review 😎
headphones on the back
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This doesn't look like an alienware laptop..... I really hate the road alienware has taken recently.... the quality really went downhill and don't even get me started on durability and upgradeability
No 16:10 ration screen yet a big laptop chasis. Big pass
ya it being deep it could totally go 16;10
Lists all screen specs except resolution
I listed under the laptop specs later in the video. COMMON It0it0 WAKEUPPPPPPPPP
@@MatthewMoniz what i have to watch the entire video, i ain't got time for that ;)
PC manufacturers stop making the laptops too thin.
Fair review. It's not perfect, but I love mine. I tried the 2022 G14 and honestly, for me, the X14 was simply better. I know that G14 has a lot of militant fans that will tell you that it's the best thing since sliced bread and how could you dare consider anything else, but I felt like all the things that the G14 can do better, like be quiet and have decent battery life, I already have a MacBook that does it better. I only really care about what the computer is like when gaming or when doing demanding work, and I found the G14 to be just as loud. Also, I mainly play strategy games like Age of Empires, Starcraft, Civilization, etc., and I actually got better performance on the X14 than on the G14, probably because those games are heavily CPU-limited. You can always turn down graphics settings; a slower CPU is just a permanent bottleneck. At actual retail prices, the 3060 + 32 GB model is very reasonably priced and should be amazing for most things, and it's actually pretty comparable to a G14. It is true that the fans are hilariously loud all the time. I was trying some OBS recording, and it's funny that my MacBook Pro on software encoding using 30% CPU can stay silent, but a X14 doing hardware accelerated encoding using 1% CPU sounds like a leaf-blower. Anyway, the thing that sealed the deal with X14 vs. G14 for me was that the X14 has amazing build quality and feels firmly like it's a 2022 machine, and the G14 feels midrange and seems a couple years behind, because things like Thunderbolt aren't fully supported and the charger is ridiculously huge, heavy, and 100% proprietary. I know a lot of gamers haven't thought about things like that, but for me, I have Thunderbolt docks and already carry USB-C chargers everywhere. Though the Dell USB-C charger is proprietary in its own way, it's still compatible with other devices and also, it's really light, so it can charge my MacBook or iPad, too. I feel like the X14 will age really gracefully because of this. In 2027 when all 2022 laptops feel underpowered, squeezing 30 extra watts to get 10 more fps of the 3060 GPU won't matter that much. However, it'll be nice that I don't have to carry an oversized proprietary brick everywhere and find workarounds for my TB devices just to continue to get 2022-level performance.
What’s this? An opinion on CZcams? I simply can’t allow this! How dare you have a different opinion than mine!
The g14 can use usb c to charge albeit it isnt full power (im sure with a 100w brick onlu cpu task with igpu is plenty for less demanding game) The fan can be turn down manually. The only thing i feel is the downfall of the g14 is the cpu isnt as powerful as the intel one but most games from now on tend to be gpu bound.
Honestly if you can only choose 1 laptop on the go that can game, its hard to beat the g14 with its full package.
@@sentryion3106 You know, if you can only have one 2022 laptop and can't use any other computer for the next year, and you want to game at some point, then I agree that the G14 would be a solid contender for that. Even so, though there are a lot of people whose favorite games are CPU-bound, and I am among them; I believe that Esport and RTS players will be better off with Intel than AMD CPUs. There are also a lot of people who enjoy gaming, but also just need a powerful CPU on their laptop for whatever reason. Video encoding performance, in particular, is really solid on my X14. Anyway, everything that's bad on my X14, my MacBook Pro covers really well, and everything that's bad about my MacBook Pro, the X14 covers really well, and they can share Thunderbolt docks, the X14 charger can charge my MacBook, too. That's really what it came down to for me. I didn't have that "1 laptop" restriction.
@@mbvglider the cpu performance difference is rather insignificant especially for the shortcomings + paying more. You have a mac 14 to cover the other weakness but i can say most wont have that luxury.
what makes me confuse is that you have a mac AND a x14. The two laptop fight for the same niche so i hardly see the point of the x14. If i were you have grabbed another intel laptop that doesnt have fan issues that has a bigger screen for my gaming use.
@@sentryion3106 It's not insignificant. I got noticeably better performance in RTS games when I compared X14 to G14, as I also did with certain tasks like stabilizing Sony video footage, as nVidia GPUs tend to be better at productivity than AMD, and not all those programs run on Apple Silicon. MacBook and X14 don't really compete for the same niche because although they're at a similar price range, they have different strengths and weaknesses. I like the portability of 14" laptops and I use external monitors when I'm at my desk, so as long as I have Thunderbolt, I can easily go from docking a Mac to an Intel and have all of my peripherals switch over with one universal cable. Another thing that AMD lacks at in 2022: they have very spotty Thunderbolt compatibility. There's a good chance that in 2023 or 2024, AMD laptops will have caught up in those kinds of features, but right now, they don't work as nicely if you have a Mac-focused setup built around Thunderbolt already.
C H O N K and T H I C C
It just made me smile... Right after you said "I bought this with my own money" you ran Best Buy sponsor ad 😁 I do believe you paid for it, but I am sure there was a good amount of discount... nothing wrong with any of it, it's just an observation how they came right after each other 😁
No discount I didn't buy the laptop from Best Buy I bought it from Dell. The laptop purchase has nothing to do with the AD. The ad is strictly for deals happening at Best Buy and if the alienware was part of the sponsorship it would be one of the deals.
@@MatthewMoniz It was just one of those coincidences :) My apology, sir :)