Best Dell Alienware 15 R3 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

Alienware returns with a brand new model: the 15 R3. A laptop dedicated to gaming, which seeks to combine power and finesse with an Nvidia GeForce 1080 Max-Q graphics card.

Presentation

In the gaming laptop landscape , Alienware has been there for so long that the brand is almost part of the furniture. However, it continues to innovate, with for example an Alienware 13 with an Oled screen , or the model tested today, with an Nvidia GeForce GTX Max-Q graphics card . The objective here is to offer the buyer a relatively thin, but powerful PC, because it has a GTX 1080 graphics card. On paper, the Alienware 15 R3 therefore offers an interesting compromise. It remains to be seen whether it transforms the test.

Best Dell Alienware 15 R3 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. Alienware 15 R3 AW15R3 Laptop with Quad-Core i7-6700HQ up to 3.50 GHz Turbo, 16GB DDR4. 128SSD + 1TB HDD, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX1060 6GB GDDR5 (Black)

2. Alienware AW15R3-7376SLV-PUS 15.6″ Gaming Laptop (7th Generation Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM. 128SSD + 1 TB HDD, Silver) VR Ready with NVIDIA GTX 1070

3. Alienware 15 R4 Gaming Laptop, 15.6″ FHD IPS Display, Intel Core i7-8750H. 16GB DDR4 RAM, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1060, Windows 10, Black

4. 2019 Dell Alienware 17.3″ FHD IPS High Performance Gaming Laptop | Intel Core i7-8750H Six-Core. 32GB DDR4 RAM | 512GB SSD Boot + 1TB HDD | GeForce GTX 1070 8GB | Backlit Keyboard | Windows 10

5. Alienware Gaming Laptop, 15.6″ Full HD, Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD. 1TB HDD, GeForce GTX 1070, VR Ready, Silver AW15R3-7003SLV-PUS

Construction

Alienware does not change its habits and always offers a computer with lots of LEDs everywhere on the chassis. A dedicated ” gamer ” aspect that is a bit archaic, fashion is now more sober for PCs. But the manufacturer does not deviate from its creed and offers lighted lines on the edges, on the keyboard, the trackpad and the logo on the back. LEDs which, thanks to the preinstalled AlienFX software, are fully customizable. Note however that the design has changed slightly in recent years, wanting less flashiness than on the old models, but Alienware will always remain Alienware at this level.

The presence of a GTX 1080 Max-Q graphics card allows the Alienware 15 R3 to keep a certain finesse (2.5 cm). The impression is reinforced by the angular design of the PC, which takes up the traditional lines of the brand. We thus find the aluminum cover, as well as the soft plastic surface around the keyboard.

The keyboard unfortunately has not changed either. It is therefore always just as unpleasant, with a somewhat short stroke for a PC of this category and a poorly controlled touch, just like the trackpad which, if it has the merit of being lit, does that act of presence. A player will quickly plug a real mouse into USB.

The connectivity of the Alienware 15 R3 is very complete: two USB 3.0 ports, two USB Type-C ports, an HDMI port, a DisplayPort port, a 3.5 mm jack combo, an Ethernet port and a proprietary port for connect an external graphics card.

More

The heating is controlled; the chassis does not exceed 44 ° C at the hinge. Note however that the temperature rises to 46 ° C at the rear at the fans – a normal value and not very annoying. Likewise, the noise rises to 44 dB in play, but it is sufficiently muffled and diffuse to remain him too acceptable and not very annoying.

Power consumption is exemplary on this model. In game ( The Witcher 3 ), the PC consumes 170 W; it drops to 26 W on the desktop and in standby, the consumption is zero. Unlike many of its gaming counterparts , the 15 R3 is therefore an energy efficient PC. A very good point.

In general, the Alienware 15 R3 leaves a good impression, although the manufacturer sticked to its worn-out design codes without really taking risks in this area. The result is a classic PC, but still visually efficient, at least for those who appreciate flashing LEDs. As far as construction is concerned, Alienware shows its know-how with a PC that does not heat much and gives off acceptable noise.

Screen

The Alienware 15 R3 has a 15.6-inch (39.6 cm) IPS screen with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 px. Note that the manufacturer offers a version with an Ultra HD definition screen (you have to add € 250 to the initial price), which is logical with an integrated GTX 1080. As the edges of the screen are relatively thick, the screen / front ratio is only 65%.

The performance of the screen oscillates between the very average and the correct. The gamma of 2.2, for example, is fine, but the contrast ratio of 1015: 1 is a bit tight, which can be a handicap in dark games. Same thing for the brightness of 320 cd / m², or the delta E of 5.4 testifying to colors not very faithful. Finally, the temperature of 7,285 K is high, well above the perfect average of 6,500 K, which translates into a slight drift of the screen towards blue. The remanence is correct for IPS, without being exceptional, since it reaches 17 ms; a value that remains too high for a PC dedicated to video games.

Performances

With an Intel Core I7-7820HK processor backed by 16 GB of RAM, the Alienware 15 R3 ranks among the most powerful laptops on the market, at least on paper.

In practice, the PC does not disappoint: it reaches the index of 152 on our test protocol. This ranks it in the top 10 laptops we have tested. It is thus close to the MSI GT75 or the RoG Chimera , equipped with the same processor and which had seduced us on this point. The Alienware 15 R3 will allow its user to do very advanced office work as well as video or 3D editing.

Games

The Alienware 15 R3 is equipped with a GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q graphics card, therefore less clocked and less energy-consuming than a conventional 1080. If the user loses a little power there, he gains in finesse. However, the GPU is accompanied by a 1080p screen only on our test copy and therefore has no difficulty running the big games of the moment.

During our tests (ultra settings, vertical sync disabled, 1,920 x 1,080 px definition) Star Wars: Battlefront 2 climbed to 109 fps. Total War: Warhammer 2 , it reaches 68 fps on the benchmark tool, as Civilization 6. Assassin’s Creed Origins climbs to 81 fps. Only The Witcher 3 disappoints a bit, at only 42 fps. These good scores show that the Alienware 15 R3 is a valid gaming machine, which will satisfy the buyer.

In terms of pure power, the Alienware 15 R3 ranks among the average of today’s gaming PCs , without however reaching the top step of the podium, reserved for SHS Computer.

Mobility / Autonomy

With its 3.5 kg, the Alienware 15 R3 ranks more in the category of portable PCs than laptops. However, its relative finesse (2.5 cm) and the acceptable size of its power supply make it an object that can easily slip into a bag. Perfect for mobile players who like to take their laptop with their friends to play with others, for example.

In terms of autonomy, the Alienware 15 R3 surprises. During our usual test (Netflix in Chrome, backlight off, brightness at 200 cd / m²), the PC lasted 4 hours and 55 minutes, which places it in the high range of current gaming PCs.

Audio

The audio part is often the weak point of laptops for gamers . The Alienware 15 R3 manages to fare well by being just average, whether on its speakers or its headphone jack. The speakers, first of all, properly cover the spectrum of voices – a must for watching videos or chatting online. Only disappointment, a lack of power and a certain weakness in the bass. However, the most curious feature of these speakers is that they are placed on the front edge of the PC. In the playing position, the sounds are therefore propelled against the user’s chest, not his head, which results in an impression of poor sound, when this is not the case.

For the headphone jack, Alienware is content with the minimum. The experience, correct, remains average in all areas, whether in distortion, crosstalk or dynamics. Only consolation, a welcome power, above average.

STRONG POINTS

  • High performance computer.
  • Control of heating and noise.
  • Good autonomy for a “gaming” PC.
  • Design that evolves towards sobriety …

WEAK POINTS

  • A little disappointing screen.
  • Curiously placed speakers.
  • Unpleasant keyboard.
  • … But who has not yet abandoned the LEDs to excess.

CONCLUSION

Well built, the Alienware 15 R3 has seduced us, offering a pleasant experience in play as in more classic use. Despite some obvious flaws, including a screen below our expectations and a design that will not be unanimous, the Dell PC fulfills its contract and keeps its promise: it is a solid gaming computer, in the great tradition of constructor.

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