Verdict
The Alienware x14 is the universe ’s slight gambling laptop computer , and it impresses elsewhere with good gambling operation , a wild processor and a great pattern , screen and keyboard . That said , more gambling oink is available from other 14 - in machines , and the speakers and barrage both contend to perform .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Alienware x14 is the gaming brand ’s first heavyset laptop , with the interior decorator at Dell managing to cram an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 andIntel Alder Lakeprocessor inside this pint - sized portable .
The auto I ’ve reviewed is the priciest x14 usable , before remembering and storage upgrades , setting you back $ 1899 /£1849 / € 2049 . That compare well to theRazer Blade 14which costs $ 1999 / £ 2199 / € 2199 for a modelling offer the same GPU and cover and an AMD central processing unit .
At the other end of the scale you ’ll find the all - AMD update of theAsus ROG Zephyrus G14 , which undercuts the Alienware with equivalent spectacles with a price of $ 1649 / £ 1699 .
Those prices place the Alienware x14 right at the centre of the market place , and that ’s impressive considering the hardware – but how does it perform in the real world ?
Design and Keyboard
The Alienware x14 is not only smaller than its stable companion , but looks superb too thanks to an eye - catching black and white design , proving bolder than the fatal Razer and mature Asus .
Alienware ’s articulated lorry pairs big pattern with telling material body quality . This is a reassuringly rich laptop , and it ’s only 14.5 millimeter thick – slimmer than both rivals and any 15.6 in notebook computer . I ’d merrily throw the Alienware in my bag ; it would n’t weigh me down , nor would I be concerned about make damage .
The Alienware x14 design is n’t flawless , though . This laptop computer may be slimmer than both of its competitors , but its 1.79 kilogram makes it heavier and the 263 mm depth means it ’s deep , too . So while the x14 is robust and slender , the Razer and Asus laptops are arguably more compact .
As with other current Alienware models , the x14 ’s ports sit along the laptop computer ’s back edge . There are twoThunderbolt4 interface with force delivery and DisplayPort , a future - proof HDMI 2.1 socket , and a USB 3.2 Gen 2Type - C socketalongside a full - size of it USB 3.2 Gen 1 port and microSD slot . On the inside you ’ll finddual - band Wi - Fi 6Eand Bluetooth 5.2 .
The x14 does n’t feature wired internet or a fingerprint reader , but it does let in a webcam that sustain Windows Hello . The x14 ’s speakers are loud , but timber is lacking as a upshot of muddy output . I ’d factor a headset into your laptop computer budget .
The x14 ’s keyboard offers 1.2 millimeter of travel , extra medium keys and a fast , crisp action that makes up for the shallow buttons . It ’s got n - key rollover , but only single - zone RGB LEDs . The extra buttons and the brisk typewriting action intend a more substantial experience than the Razer , and this keyboard is just as expert as the Asus ’ typewrite unit .
The trackpad is modest and a bit steady , and the wrist - balance is narrow-minded . Anyone who wants to play games – no matter what genre – should use a USB mouse , and check outour Best Gaming Mice guide .
Screen
The Alienware x14 ’s showing twin its 1920 x 1080 resolution with Nvidia G - Sync , which tops out at 144Hz alongside a 3ms reaction time . That ’s a solid stipulation , and it matches the entry - stage Razer Blade .
A peak light of 446 nits means that the x14 ’s panel works well for both indoor or outdoor use , and the contrast proportion of 1312:1 redeem great astuteness and shade .
That ’s a bright , bold offset , and the x14 ’s video display rendered 99.9 % of the sRGB gamut and 97.7 % of the DCI - P3 colour place – so it can bring forth any shadowiness needed by any biz . The Delta E of 2.42 could be a moment more accurate , but that resolution is n’t wayward enough to stimulate issues .
This screenland is bright and more exact than that of the Blade , and it outpace Asus ’ panel in benchmarks . However , therefresh rateisn’t fast enough to sate demanding eSports gamers , and the x14 is n’t sell with any substitute options .
In contrast , the Razer is deal with a 2560 x 1440 panel at 165Hz , albeit for $ 2599 / £ 2699 / € 2899 . And while the Asus does n’t offer up swifter refresh rates , its 2022 framework offers a 16:10 aspect proportion that render extra picture element , and it ’s also built in a 2560 x 1600 variant .
Performance
The Alienware x14 ’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 offers 6 GB of remembering and 3840 flow processors , and in this laptop it has a power grasp that runs between 60W and 75W. That ’s modest considering the GPU can peak at 115W , but it ’s no surprise given the size of the notebook computer .
The Core i7 - 12700H has six Hyper - Threaded performance cores with a peak boost fastness of 4.7GHz , round out the internals with 16 GB ofDDR5memory and a 512 GB PCIE 4.0 SSD , deliver top - notch read and compose focal ratio of 6766MB / sec and 4810MB / sec to check loading screens do n’t overstay their welcome .
The Alienware x14 zipped throughHorizon Zero Dawn’sUltimate preferences at 77fps , and it playedBorderlands 3at 63fps . You ’ll have to make graphical compromises only in the toughestray - describe titles , and most games will turn tail at a smooth 60fps . The x14 ’s 262fps result in Rainbow Six Siege goes far beyond the display ’s 144Hz refresh pace , so it will be capable to do by any eSports championship .
In the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark , the x14 scored 7760 , which well outpace the RTX 3060 in the older Zephyrus G14 . Now , though , the updated Asususes an AMD Radeon RX 6700S. And while that GPU does n’t support ray - tracing , it has a 100W TDP and slews around 8400 points in Time Spy – so it has greater graphical power . The Blade will be a chip quicker , too , thanks to a 90W-100W TDP chain of mountains on its own RTX 3060 .
Switching to the x14 ’s overclocked mode did n’t improve performance , and the Alienware ’s minor RTX 3060 means you do n’t really have the power to output to the 8K/120Hz displays supported by HDMI 2.1 , unless you want to run undemanding games .
This sound negative , but the x14 still delivers sizeable top executive for mainstream gaming , happily tackling any prominent - name claim . The Alienware ’s slower GPU highlights how this machine diverge from rivals – alongside the RTX 3060 , the x14 is available with cheap RTX 3050 and RTX 3050 Ti core and Core i5 processors , while the Razer scales upwards with the RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti , and the Asus deploys the Radeon RX 6800S.
None of these approaches are forged ; they ’re just different . Pricing reflects each companionship ’s strategy : the entry - level x14 cost $ 1499 / £ 1449 / € 1749 , while the dear Razers soar beyond $ 3000 / £ 3000 / € 3000 .
The x14 fights back in the processing benchmark . The Core i7 - 12700H delivered top - grade Geekbench 5 results of 1716 and 12,800 , and both beat the Ryzen 9 6900HX inRazer ’s latest Blade – that laptop scored around 1600 and 9600 points . The x14 ’s PCMark 10 mark of 7481 squeaks ahead of the AMD crisp , and the x14 maintains a more significant tip over the Ryzen 7 6800HS used by Asus in its updated Zephyrus G14 notebooks .
That ’s an encouraging performance . The Intel chip ’s huge speeding mean this laptop will contend any mainstream content - conception task , include photograph and video editing . Multi - tasking is n’t an issuing , with you able to open as many internet browser tabs as you like . The x14 is better than either rival for originative task and difficult workload .
Not astonishingly , though , the summary x14 offer mixed thermic performance . There ’s obtrusive fan noise when gaming and the x14 was louder than the Razer ; but a headset take care of the noise and the x14 was quieter during piece of work place . And while the Alienware ’s exterior became strong while gambling , the Razer was far hot .
Battery
Dell has swot an 80Wh battery inside the Alienware x14 , but do n’t expect anything specially ground - breaking from this small laptop computer .
During a gaming test the x14 lasted for 1hr 11mins with reduced performance . That ’s on a par with the Razer , and it think of that you should stick to the mains when gage .
Alienware ’s auto ran a work benchmark for 5hrs 14mins and work telecasting for just over six hours . You ’ll get to lunchtime if you ’re careful ; but the Asus and Razer machines were both far good – the Blade handled 12hrs of video .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
agreat carrying out :
The x14 have large 1080p gaming speed alongside top - notch CPU exponent inside a slight , stalwart and well - balanced design – it ’s a slap-up all - libertine .
:
The x14 is fast in games , but other 14 - inch laptops are faster – and often deliver just assault and battery life , too .
Final Thoughts
The Alienware x14 is the slimmest gambling laptop in the reality , and inside its thin , robust and sound - looking innovation you ’ll find decent gaming power , a wondrous CPU and a smashing cover . That said , you should hunt elsewhere if you want even more play power or lengthier battery life sentence – but be prepared to make up for it .
Trusted Score
How we test
Every play laptop computer we review goes through a serial of unvarying hinderance design to approximate fundamental things include physique quality , performance , screen calibre and battery life .
These let in stately synthetic benchmarks and written trial , plus a series of actual world checks , such as how well it runs when run a AAA game .
FAQs
By default , Alienware offer a one - class warranty with the x14 ; but upgrades are available .
The x14 can be beefed up at the point of purchase with 32 GB of storage and up to 4 GB of entrepot , but larger Alienware machines offer more upgrade choices . The internal memory is solder , so it ca n’t be swapped .
