alienware 17 r4 lcd panel quotation

Genuine Dell original QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) screen assembly for the Alienware 17 R4 / R5 laptop; complete with 17.3" LCD screen, hinges, and casing.

You might remember about a year ago, I reviewed the Dell Alienware 17 R3.  Overall I really liked it – so much that I decided to use it as my daily driver for several months.  Really, the only gripe I had about it is it didn’t fit in my backpack.

So now this year, I had the opportunity to try out the 4th revision of the Dell Alienware 17.  I was a little taken back at the added weight and the increased bulkiness, but I also understood why it was so.  Alienware was trying to do what many other laptop manufacturers have been ignoring: supply a fully powered desktop GPU in their laptop design.  So, were they able to do so and was it worth the extra weight and bulk?  And what about that new 120Hz QHD screen with Tobii eye tracking?  Read on below and hopefully I’ll answer all of your questions.

2x USB 3.0 type A, 1x USB Type-C(Thunderbolt 3), 1x USB Type-C (10Gbps), HDMI 2.0, mini-display port 1.2, RJ45, Alienware graphics amplifier, mic, earphone, noble lock

Usually revision changes involve some pretty minor design differences, but in the case of the Alienware 17, the changes are a little more significant.  Yes, they managed to shave off roughly 5 mm(.2”) on the height and width, but they also managed to add 30mm(1.2”) to the depth.  This is a huge jump and pretty much eliminates any hope of fitting this laptop into a backpack.

The lid is made with a piece of silver anodized aluminum. The top strip is plastic, which houses the Wifi antenna, and there is also a cutout for the Alienware logo. The logo’s eyes will glow in a number of different colors that you can choose from. Unlike the last revision though, there are no extra lights on the back of the lid, as they have now moved to the sides of the lid – a welcome change in my opinion.  Of course you can turn all these lights off, if you desire.

The screen on my model is a matte QHD panel. It’s surrounded by a plastic bezel, but looks good overall.  The bezels on the sides are relatively thin and the top is also somewhat normal looking, with the exception of the angles.  Centered at the top is a FHD webcam.

The bottom bezel is excessively large, but for good reason.  You’ll notice the typical matte bezel with the Alienware logo centered.  This logo can be lit to any color desired, by the way, or even turned off.  But further below is a glossy strip along the bottom.  This houses both the Windows Hello cam and the Tobii eye tracking hardware.  It looks kind of strange having these glossy portions but it’s necessary in order to pass the infrared light.  Think of older television remotes – this is the same concept.

There’s a lot of connectivity on this laptop, but the locations are quite different than all the previous Alienware laptops I’ve seen.  The lighting has also been moved around.  Instead of lights on the front edge, there are now lights on the sides, along the bottom.  Again, I think this is a good move overall – it looks a lot better having lights on the sides of the laptop and lid than on the back of the lid and the front edges (in my opinion).

So on the front edge, there isn’t a whole lot to see anymore.  Only the grills for the front facing speakers.  I’m happy they kept the speaker placement the way it was before because that was one of the highlights of the Alienware 17 in my opinion.  The edge of the palm rest is the same as before, which is a little unfortunate.  It’s a little sharp for my taste, but the slightly reduced height helps alleviate it a little.

The rear of the laptop houses the rest of the connectivity.  There’s an RJ45 ethernet connection, a Thunderbolt 3 capable USB-C connection, a mini-Displayport, an HDMI 2.0 port and an Alienware Graphics Amplifier connection.  The power connection is also on the side, which is an ideal spot to keep the wires out of the way.  Large exhaust vents flank both sides of the back edge as well.  This was a great decision on their part because it really gets the wires out of the way, especially if you plan on using this on a desk with a second or third monitor.

The bottom of the laptop has improved in the looks department this revision.  Instead of the removable plastic panel, there’s an aluminum back plate that’s held on by multiple screws.  Half of the backplate is silver and the other half is a large metallic grill, which also supplies cool air to the GPU and CPU.  I appreciate how big these vents are since they are really hard to inadvertently block, even while on your lap.

The configuration I have has a 17.3-inch 2560 x 1440 px resolution panel, made by AU Optronics (part number B173QTN). You might be disappointed to know that it’s a TN panel, but it’s actually a really nice quality one, with wide viewing angles.  It’s also 120Hz, which makes it ideal for gaming (which is what this laptop is all about, right?).

The side to side viewing angles are very good.  I’m able to read text at the extremes, just like it were an IPS panel.  But the colors start to shift slightly at around 45 degrees.  They shift even more close to 90 to where the whites turn a little reddish.  The vertical viewing angles are a little different.  From the top it’s similar to the horizontal angles except this time the whites turn a little green.  From the bottom, it’s pretty bad and looks like your typical TN panel.  Bottom viewing angles are inconsequential to most, so it’s not too big of a deal.

Color reproduction is also pretty good for a TN panel.  Using my Spyder4Pro, I measured color spaces to be 91% for sRGB, 67% for NTSC and 70% for aRGB.  A good quality IPS display covers 95-100% sRGB, so this falls a little short.  But to be quite honest, I can’t tell much of a difference.

I also measured the brightness distribution of the panel, which can be seen in the chart.  The maximum brightness I measured was 369 nits, which is great if you plan on using this laptop outdoors or by a window with a lot of sunlight.  It also has a matte coating, which will also prevent the glare.  As you can see from my picture taken in direct sunlight, the text is still legible.  At the lowest brightness setting, the measurement was only 18 nits, perfect for night time viewing.

As I mentioned before, the screen is 120 Hz, which is ideal for gaming with first person shooters or other competitive gaming.  The panel is also GSYNC enabled, which is supposed to smooth out and improve the framerates, as well as prevent screen tearing.  The drawback is there is no Optimus, so while on battery you’re using the dedicated GPU and it definitely affects the battery life.  Chances are, if you’re buying this laptop, you’re not too concerned about the battery life.

Dell also offers other screen options, which I don’t have available for review.  The standard FHD panel is the cheapest option which, other than the resolution, I have no other info.  The UHD panel is the most expensive option and is most likely the same panel as in the r3 version I reviewed last year.  If that’s the case, it’s a 3840 x 2160 px IGZO IPS panel with 100% aRGB coverage, 400 nits of brightness and is 60Hz.  You can’t go wrong with that panel, as it’s probably one of the nicest looking ones I’ve seen to date.

I think most will be torn between the QHD and the UHD panels, but my money is on the QHD panel.  For starters, it’s 120Hz.  On top of that, maxing out the framerates on the QHD panel is a lot more feasible than on the UHD panel.  Finally, it’s hard to tell the difference in resolution anyways, unless you’re really looking for it.  Technically, 2560 x 1440 px on a 17” screen becomes “retina” when viewed from at least 20″, and my face is typically 25” away from the screen.  I faced a similar dilemma with the MSI GS73VR and ultimately chose the UHD panel, but that was only because the 120Hz panel was FHD.  If it were QHD, it would have been a different story.

The Alienware 17 model I received is pretty much maxed out with the best options.  It comes with an Intel Core i7-7820HK quad core CPU and an Nvidia GTX 1080 GPU. The 1080 has 8GB of VRAM, which is more than enough for any game you can throw at it. My unit also came with 16GB of DDR4 2400 RAM, which is not the top option, but you can also upgrade further to get 32GB of RAM.

Upgrading the Alienware 17 isn’t quite as easy as the last model, which only had a single screw to open a plastic panel.  This isn’t difficult at all though – it’s just a few more screws.  The panel comes right off after releasing some clips and you have access to the RAM, HDD and three SSD slots.

UPDATE 5/4/17: I’m not convinced it’s a widespread issue yet, but after an additional week of use after writing this review, I’ve had some freezing issues when playing heavy games for extended periods.  It appears to be heat based, as it only happens after very extended periods of time.  A couple others on the forums have this issue as well but most do not.  After speaking with Alienware directly, they claim I have a defective unit and are sending me a replacement.  If it persists, this’ll obviously affect my overall score, but for now I’ll wait and see how the replacement goes.  For now, I would caution you to test your unit thoroughly to see if you have this issue.  A good example for me was 30-45 minutes of DOOM at QHD Ultra settings.

UPDATE 5/12/17: After some help on the forums, the issue has been resolved for me.  If you’re having this issue, it’s caused by a faulty vbios that was installed by the factory.  Downgrading my vbios cleared everything up.

UPDATE 5/22/17: I want to clear something up for my above update.  Downgrading the vbios was apparently an unsupported fix and should only be done at your own risk.  It works, don’t get me wrong, but it’s merely a band-aid to hide a potentially more severe issue.  It drops the clocks and voltages to a point that I’m just not seeing the issue I was having before – but that doesn’t mean there’s not something else wrong and it can’t come back in the future.

Unfortunately, I don’t have an Alienware Graphics Amplifier to test out, but there is that ability to use one with this laptop.  There’s a dedicated connection on the rear.  The amplifier can house a full sixed desktop graphics card and allow your laptop to utilize it instead of the onboard card.

The cooling system on the Alienware 17 is probably the one thing that absolutely had to be overhauled in order for the 1080 to function like a fully powered desktop GPU.  And that added depth to the laptop is almost exclusively for the cooling system.

Radios –This Alienware model comes with the Killer 1435 wireless AC module. Overall, it’s given me a solid connection with no drops in connection or performance. In most parts of my house, I max out my ISP at 90Mbps.  At 50 feet from my router, outdoors, I reached download speeds of about 60Mbps. Bluetooth 4.1 is embedded in the Wifi module.  There is also a Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet controller onboard.

The Alienware 17 has two front facing speakers on the front edge of the laptop, giving you sound that is pointing in the direction of your ears, rather than into your lap or away on the sides. There is also a subwoofer on the bottom to handle lower frequency sounds.  Subwoofer is a loose term, because it’s not that large of a speaker, but it’s larger than the two front facing speakers and has a lower range.

The Alienware Sound Center software can be used to mess with the EQ settings, but it’s not that much different than most of the other software out there in other laptops.  I quickly got the settings I liked best though.

This is still one of my favorite gaming laptops when it comes to the speakers.  Most other gaming laptops skimp in this department, offering quiet speakers that don’t even overpower the fan noise.  Not with the Alienware 17 though – I actually prefer to play without headphones on this one, which is not common for me.

I ran my typical battery test which consists of using the stock “Power Saver” power profile, 20% brightness (90 nits), WiFi off, Bluetooth off, and running a 720p movie in a continuous loop at full screen with the volume muted. I start the clock when it’s unplugged and stop it when the unit performs a self- shutdown. The Alienware 17 r4 lasted a mere 4 hours and 37 minutes before shutting down.  Not long at all, but it’s about what I expected considering there’s no iGPU in use.

The main reason for the low battery life is the lack of Optimus switchable graphics, which allows Intel’s iGPU to be used when the GTX 1080 is not needed.  Since the LCD panel is GSYNC enabled, Optimus is not an option.

If battery life is your concern, though, the FHD and 4k versions of this laptop are Optimus enabled.  You can most likely expect to see battery life results similar to what I got on the Alienware 17 r3.  Beware though, there are also versions that have a 68 Whr battery – if you choose that version, cut all my readings above by 2/3.

Albeit expensive, the sticker price on the model I received is fair.  The bulk of the cost is in the GPU.  There are plenty of cheaper options available though, especially if you go as low as the GTX 1060.  You can pick up a GTX 1070 version for $2000-2300 depending on your screen choice.  The GTX 1060 versions range from $1700-1900.  Finally, there’s a 1050Ti version for $1300-1400, but honestly, if you’re going to go with a GPU such as the 1050Ti, there are far thinner and lighter options out there.

Yet again, I’m still pretty impressed with what Dell has to offer with the Alienware 17 R4.  They managed to keep all their strengths from the previous model and even improve in a couple areas as well.  Sure, it’s bigger, but the performance capabilities surely make up for it… at least in my opinion.

I’m still very happy with the keyboard.  Really, there’s not much I would change about it.  I would like to see a better trackpad in the future though.  I can’t imagine Alienware customers are ok with such a small and barely average trackpad… Especially with the horrendous drivers that they included.  To be honest, if it weren’t for finding those alternate drivers, I would find the trackpad completely unacceptable.

The QHD screen is probably the best move Alienware made – a move I’ve been waiting for a long time now.  I never understood why laptop manufacturers ignored QHD and jumped straight to 4k from 1080p, especially with the incapable graphics cards in the 800m and 900m series.  Now that desktop 1000 series cards are being used, 4k gaming is certainly plausible, but QHD at 120Hz is even more so.  To me, that’s the sweet spot between high performance gaming and still looking nice for day to day productivity use.  Not to mention there are zero scaling issues.

Besides the terrible trackpad drivers, the only other real weakness to the new Alienware 17 is its overall size.  Yes, gaming laptops are thick, heavy and wide.  But they aren’t always as deep as this one is and I believe it’s really going to put some people off.  People who travel with their laptop a lot might find it difficult to find a bag for this one.  To make matters worse, the PSU is also a beast to travel with.

Honestly though, you’re not going to find many other smaller options for the GTX 1080.  If the size bothers you though, you could always consider the Alienware 15, but that maxes out with the GTX 1070.  There are also a few other 17” GTX 1080 options out there, such as the Acer Predator 17X and the Asus G701VI, but both of those laptops are much thicker and have nearly the same or more depth to them anyways.

So to sum it up, if you’re looking for a powerful 17” laptop that has the best specs available, this machine should probably be on your short list.  Maybe also consider it as well for the GTX 1070, but I would probably stop there.  Once you drop down to the GTX 1060, there are many other more portable options available.  Unless Alienware is your thing, that is, then I’d say go for it.

So that wraps this review up.  I hope I covered everything you were looking for in the Alienware 17.  If not, let me know in the comments section below, if you have any questions.  I’ll do my best to answer them.  Also, if you’re interested, check back in a few days and I should have an Overclocking/repasting section added to the review.  I’m just waiting to have a few spare hours so I can put something together.

Bigger, faster, louder. It"s not often that a notebook gains weight and girth in successive generations. In this case, the new Alienware 17 R4 utilizes the extra space wisely for an overall stronger experience that more than makes up for the added mass.

The Alienware 17 series has evolved quite a bit since we first reviewed the introductory model back in 2008. Now,Alienware notebooks have become some of our favorite gaming systems because of their very high quality builds and reliability. The latest Alienware 17 R4 has been redesigned from the outgoing 17 R3 to be even heavier, larger, and faster with core components up to the i7-7820HK and the GTX 1080. This configuration places the system squarely in the enthusiast territory alongside the MSI GT73VR, Acer Predator 17 X, Asus G701VI/G752VS, and the various Clevo barebones from resellers. The i7-7820HK in particular is an uncommon find in the gaming laptop space where the i7-7700HQ or i7-6700HQ are more typical.

Lower-end SKUs of the Alienware 17 R4 can be configured with an i7-7700HQ, GTX 1050 Ti, 8 GB of RAM, and IPS FHD screen for a reasonable price of $1300 USD considering the strong chassis. The SKU on the other end of the spectrum is loaded with the i7-7820HK CPU, GTX 1080 GPU, 4K UHD IPS display, and Tobii eye-tracking IR cameras for games that support the feature. Our test model today is this latter configuration but with a G-Sync-compatible QHD TN panel instead retailing for about $2600 USD.

Speakers: 2.1 + subwoofer, Keyboard: TactX, beveled, Keyboard Light: yes, Tobii Eye Tracking, Killer Control Center, Alienware Sound Center, Alienware Command Center, 12 Months Warranty

Alienware has gone all out in order to make the chassis feel as "premium" as possible. Like the 17 R3, the 17 R4 utilizes magnesium, steel, rubberized surfaces, and ananodized aluminum gray outer lid borrowed from the XPS series to create one of the most rigid gaming systems in its size class. This has its consequences when it comes to weight and serviceability as shown in our next few sections, but there"s no denying that the notebook looks and feels meticulously designed. Brushed aluminum surfaces, glossy plastics, and overly showy accents need not apply.

In terms of rigidity, the base feels very thick with no warping or bending and almost no creaking when attempting to twist the unit. The lid is naturally more flexible around its front corners, but it is otherwise firm on its outer surface and comparatively stiffer than the lids of the MSI GT series and Asus ROG series. One complaint is that the lid and its hinges will always creak when opening and closing the display. It"s not significant enough to be a concern, though it certainly feels out of place on a system in this price range. We can otherwise notice no unintended gaps or protruding surfaces around the unit with the small exception of its inner display bezel. As shown by our image below, some blue light bleed from the Alienware logo can be seen as the bezel does not sit completely flat against the screen, but this is nowhere near as bad as on our previous GT72VR test unit and is unnoticeable during everyday use.

The addition of "jet engine" rear ventilation grilles on the 17 R4 has bumped up both the length and weight of the notebook significantly. The 17 R4 is about 700 g heavier than the 17 R3 while being 40 mm longer and 4 mm thinner. The result is a chassis that feels much denser than before and is one of the heaviest 17-inch gaming notebooks available alongside the vapor chamber-cooled Asus G752VY. In fact, the two are nearly identical in footprint whereas competing systems from MSI are noticeably smaller in length and width. We certainly appreciate the fact that the manufacturer is willing to make a heavier and larger successor instead of going the opposite direction where performance may subsequently suffer.

MSI GT73VR 7RF-296 MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 Asus G752VY-RH71 Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935) Alienware 17 R4 Aorus X7 DT v6 DIN A4 ❌

428 mm / 16.9 inch287 mm / 11.3 inch49 mm / 1.929 inch4.1 kg9.06 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch294 mm / 11.6 inch48 mm / 1.89 inch3.8 kg8.44 lbs426.7 mm / 16.8 inch332.7 mm / 13.1 inch48.2 mm / 1.898 inch4.5 kg9.93 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch322 mm / 12.7 inch45 mm / 1.772 inch4.3 kg9.58 lbs430 mm / 16.9 inch292 mm / 11.5 inch34 mm / 1.339 inch3.7 kg8.18 lbs424 mm / 16.7 inch332 mm / 13.1 inch29.9 mm / 1.177 inch4.4 kg9.74 lbs426 mm / 16.8 inch308 mm / 12.1 inch25 mm / 0.984 inch3.3 kg7.17 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch210 mm / 8.27 inch1 mm / 0.03937 inch5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Gaming notebooks are often packed to the brim with ports and connectivity features since they are typically larger than the average multimedia notebook and can afford the space. Thus, we"re a bit disappointed to see so few integrated ports on the 17 R4. The system carries just two USB Type-A ports (compared to six on the MSI GT72), two video-out ports (compared to three on the Eurocom Sky X7E2) and just two audio ports (compared to four on the MSI GT62VR). The manufacturer has also elected to drop the SD reader from the 17 R3 to force external readers instead not unlike the Razer Blade Pro or EVGA SC17. We can, however, appreciate the fact that there are two USB Type-C ports whereas most notebooks in this category include only one. Users are encouraged to make use of Thunderbolt 3 dongles in order to expand the connectivity features of the system.

The proprietary Graphics Amplifier port makes a return in the 17 R4. While we can see this being useful at the lower 17 R4 GTX 1050 Ti configuration levels, its practicality wanes at higher configurations where the integrated GTX 1070 or 1080 should prove more than sufficient for the next couple of years. Dell claims that its proprietary PCIe x4 Gen 3 GPU docking solution suffers from no dramatic performance hits when outputting to the internal notebook display unlike on the Razer Core.

There are no included extras in the box outside of the usual AC adapter and Quick Start guide. There is not even a cleaning cloth that many higher-end systems tend to include as standard. The manufacturer offers Alienware-branded accessories, carrying cases and, of course, the Graphics Amplifier docking station. Other Thunderbolt 3 docks and dongles such as the Dell DA200 should also be compatible with the system as well.

The bottom panel can be easily removed with a Philips screwdriver and a sharp edge. Its latches are quite tight, so the process is not as painless as on most Clevo or MSI notebooks. Once removed, users will have access to all four storage bays, the WLAN module, system fans, and both DDR4 SODIMM slots. Direct access to the battery and the rest of the motherboard continues to be tricky because of the thick chassis plating protecting key internal components. While this is responsible for the very sturdy design of the Alienware, it also makes troubleshooting more laborious compared to other notebooks with "open" motherboards. It"s a small trade off that may irk some users who prefer easier accessibility.

A one-year limited warranty is included in the price whereas manufacturers like Gigabyte offer two years as standard. Buyers can extend the manufacturer warranty for up to four years with accidental damage protection.Dell is well-known for its extensive consumer support across its consumer and business products and the Alienware is no exception. Please see our

The feel of the QWERTY keys remains unchanged from the outgoing 17 R3. Unlike most other gaming notebooks, Dell is sticking to a beveled layout to reduce the spacing between each key. Feedback is firm yet quiet with no unevenness between keys of different sizes. In other words, the Function keys and Arrow keys are not any spongier simply due to their smaller sizes. Clatter is minimal and keys do not wiggle in place by any large degree. Interestingly, Dell is advertising the Alienware keyboard as "the only keyboard on a laptop with 2.2 mm of key travel", but this is blatantly false as the older Gigabyte P55W V4 was also advertised as having 2.2 mm of key travel. Regardless, this is still deeper than on most Ultrabooks and gaming notebooks where 2 mm of travel or shorter is common.

The AlienFX software allows customization of the keyboard backlight in four preset zones plus the trackpad, Alienware logo, and the rim lights along the outer edges of the notebook. As a result, the system does not include individually-lit keys with 16.7 million RGB colors and is instead limited to a color wheel of just 20 colors to choose from. In comparison, the Lenovo Y900 keyboard is split into seven distinct zones and the latest Aorus systems have full individually-lit RGB keys for a much wider range of effects. Strangely enough, there is no keyboard hotkey for adjusting light intensity and users will have to right-click the AlienFX icon for the brightness slider.

The small (10 x 5.5 cm) trackpad on the new Alienware is also largely unchanged from the 17 R3 with its smooth glide and ease of use. The surface is firm and will not warp if applying pressure with a finger. A larger surface area would have been appreciated, but the small dimensions may have been necessary in order to preserve chassis rigidity.Synaptics software powers the trackpad with a special Alienware-themed UI for adjusting sensitivity and gestures of up to four fingers.

The dedicated mouse keys are relatively quiet when pressed with deep travel and adequate feedback. This is in stark contrast to the mouse keys on the MSI GT series where the keys are firmer, louder, and shallower in travel. The softer keys on the Alienware are still comfortable to use even if they are spongier than on most gaming notebooks, so it is more a matter of preference. For longer sessions, however, we still find it faster to simply double-tap on the trackpad surface instead.

Display options are wider than on most other gaming notebooks. Whereas models like the MSI GT73VR or Asus G701 include FHD and UHD options, the Alienware throws in the more uncommon QHD panel for a total of three different resolutions. This becomes more even confusing as certain resolution panels can carry G-Sync or no G-Sync, 120 Hz or 60 Hz refresh, brighter or dimmer backlighting, or even compatibility with the integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 GPU. In fact, these panels will very likely carry different contrast ratios and color gamuts between them as well, so we strongly suggest potential buyers to choose very carefully in regards to the display. Our small table below shows the different features of each of the three resolution options.

Why not offer a 4K UHD option with the best of all worlds including 120 Hz refresh, G-Sync, full sRGB coverage, and manual or automatic graphics switching? We"ve asked multiple manufacturers this same question and the responses are unanimous - there is not yet a supplier that can provide such a panel in sufficient quantities. Thus, the pros and cons of each resolution option available are understandable at this point in time.

Our test model is equipped with a matte QHD AU Optronics AUO1496 panel that can be found on no other laptop in our current database. Dell promises a 400-nit backlight which we can confirm with our own X-Rite spectrophotometer on the very center of the screen, but brightness drops slightly around the edges and corners for an overall average of about 370 nits. Contrast is middling at about 700:1 compared to almost twice that on the Chi Mei panel of the MSI GT73VR. Again, our measurements below reflect only the QHD SKU of the Alienware 17 R4 as the FHD and UHD SKUs are very likely to exhibit different results.

Subjectively, the QHD display is crisp and both the 120 Hz refresh rate and very fast black-white response times make for an extremely smooth experience. Simple actions like cursor movement or window dragging, for example, feel faster and more responsive. The screen suffers from a light-moderate amount of color graininess that becomes noticeable when displaying a white background such as a Word document or folder window. Such a phenomenon is common across most matte panels and is largely absent on glossy touchscreens. We can otherwise notice no major backlight bleeding issues around the edges or corners of the screen.

Color coverage is approximately 54 percent and 82 percent of the AdobeRGB and sRGB standards, respectively. This is similar to the displays on the Acer Predator 17 X and older Alienware 17 R3 and about average for a high-end gaming notebook. Certain competitors offer full sRGB coverage like the MSI GT73VR or Razer Blade Pro, though these alternatives may not have the same QHD/120 Hz/G-Sync options like our Alienware. For gaming purposes, however, response times and contrast generally take precedence over color accuracy.

Further display measurements with an X-Rite spectrophotometer reveal generally accurate grayscale and colors out of the box. There are slight improvements after calibration as shown by our CalMan results below, but an end-user calibration is not absolutely necessary. Blue and Orange colors are represented slightly less accurately than others. All colors become increasingly inaccurate the higher the saturation level due to the imperfect sRGB coverage of the panel.

The 17-inch Alienware is clearly not meant to be used outdoors for long periods and the base 300-bit backlight brightness is already sufficient for comfortable viewing under typical indoor conditions. Thus, we find the 400-nit display option to be at odds with what the system is attempting to offer. The brighter 400-nit panel is not nearly enough to make outdoor viewing comfortable especially for such a large display. TN panels in general also don"t work so well under outdoor conditions compared to their IPS counterpart, so colors will still wash out. The limited viewing angles make glare more difficult to avoid without experiencing color degradation.

The i7-7820HK is one of the fastest mobile Kaby Lake CPUs available and its performance is predictably impressive. CineBench Single-Thread and Multi-Thread scores are about 10 percent and 25 percent faster than the i7-6820HQ in the latest MacBook Pro 15 while managing to be on par with the desktop i7-6700K at stock speeds. Interestingly, the Asus G701VIK with the same i7-7820HK CPU is able to outperform the Alienware by about 8 percent in single-threaded workloads. Gamers are unlikely to notice the performance benefits of the i7-7820HK as the popular i7-7700HQ is already more than sufficient for gaming.

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PCMark benchmarks rank the Alienware 17 R4 in the same ballpark as competing notebooks with comparable specifications. Subjectively, system boot up and applications launch almost instantaneously with no notable software or hardware issues during our time with the test unit.

A total of four storage bays are available on the 17 R4 - down from five on last year"s 17 R3. Users have easy access to 2x NVMe M.2 2280 slots, 1x 2.5-inch SATA III bay, and the uncommon 1x 2242 M.2 slot. Our test unit is configured with a primary 512 GB SK Hynix PC300 NVMe SSD and a secondary 1 TB Hitachi HGST HDD. The 2.5-inch bay is spacious enough to accept both 7 mm and 9.5 mm HDDs and RAID 0/1 setups are supported through the Intel CM238 chipset.

Sequential read and write rates are fast as expected from a primary SSD, but they are disappointingly average when compared to most other NVMe SSDs. In particular, the Toshiba THNSN5512GPU7 in the Acer Predator 17 X and the Samsung SM951 in the Aorus X7 DT v6 each have sequential write speeds about twice as fast as our Sk Hynix PC300. This is still a slight improvement from the Samsung PM951 in the older Alienware 17 R3, but this seems like a missed opportunity for Dell to source faster SSD solutions instead of the PC300. Meanwhile, transfer rates from the secondary HDD average about 111 MB/s according to HD Tune, which is where we expect a proper 7200 RPM HDD to perform.

3DMark Fire Strike scores are roughly 30 percent higher than both the GTX 1070 in the Asus GL702VS and our reference desktop with a GTX 980 Ti. The Alienware is also consistently ahead of our Eurocom Tornado F5 with the same GTX 1080 GPU, though this may be due to the higher resolution 4K UHD panel on the Eurocom. Our reference desktop GTX 1080 outperforms the Alienware by just a few percentage points while our desktop GTX 1080 Ti is even faster by about 30 percent.

3DMark results translate well into real-world gaming performance. The GTX 1080 in the Alienware essentially matches our reference GTX 1080 Founders Edition card in 1080p Ultra settings on tested titles. The notebook outperforms the GTX 980 Ti and the more common GTX 1060 by about 30 percent and 80 percent, respectively, depending on the title. Many older or less demanding titles are able to sustain average frame rates above 120 FPS on maximum settings to take full advantage of the 120 Hz refresh rate.

We stress the notebook to unrealistically high loads in order to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When under Prime95 load, the CPU is able to maintain a Turbo Boost clock rate of 4.0 GHz or a full 1.1 GHz above its base clock rate. While definitely impressive, core temperature is quite high at 83 C. Switching over to FurMark will put the GPU clock rate to a steady 1519 MHz or slightly below its base frequency of 1582 MHz. Running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously will strip away all Turbo Boost potential from the CPU to a steady base clock rate of 2.9 GHz and a core temperature of just under 90 C. In comparison, the MSI GT73VR under similar conditions stabilizes at both higher clock rates (3.5 GHz) and a lower core temperature (86 C) than our Alienware.

Witcher 3 load is a better representation of real-world gaming stress than both Unigine Valley and our extreme conditions above. Running the title for nearly an hour shows notable dips in frame rates over time from ~79 FPS to ~72 FPS as represented by our graph below, so the GPU is unable to sustain maximum Boost clock rates over extended periods. GPU clock rates can be seen slowly decreasing from 1848+ MHz down to a steady ~1771 MHz towards the end of the Witcher 3 stress test according to GPU-Z.

Both the CPU and GPU become alarmingly warm in the 100 C and 88 C ranges, respectively, so the variable clock rates are likely necessary to keep temperatures in check. Nonetheless, users can be assured that the CPU and GPU will not throttle and will in fact remain above their base respective clock rates of 2.9 GHz and 1582 MHz when gaming at the cost of some very warm silicon. We suspect that the lower-end SKUs of the 17 R4 will run cooler than our topped off configuration on hand.

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The cooling solution consists of twin 60 mm fans and just three heat pipes compared to seven on the Eurocom Sky DLX7 or at least eight on the GT73VR. We were hoping that the size increase when moving from the 17 R3 to the 17 R4 would also result in quieter fans, but this is unfortunately not the case. The fans in the new Alienware are still always active and audible no matter the workload. Thankfully, the fans are insensitive to low-medium processing loads like web browsing or video playback, so users need not worry about constantly pulsing fans and varying fan noise levels.

Running 3DMark 06 or Witcher 3 will slowly increase fan noise until it flattens at a steady 50.2 dB(A). This is significantly louder than what we recorded on the GT73VR and Predator 17 X under similar testing conditions and is actually quite close to the similarly equipped Aorus X7 DT. Of course, this latter model is one of the thinnest gaming notebooks available with the GTX 1080 GPU, so this comparison doesn"t do the heavier and larger Alienware 17 any favors. The 40 dB(A) range is generally expected from a high-power gaming notebook and anything in the 50 dB(A) range can begin to interfere with gameplay. This becomes particularly problematic on titles where sound awareness is crucial such as MGS V. We recommend a pair of headphones if possible.

Dell claims an upgraded 2.1 sound system from the new chassis design. Sound quality is very good as bass is better reproduced and much more noticeable than on most mainstream or thinner laptops. Since the speakers and subwoofer are on the front edge of the notebook, however, the palm rests will reverberate even if on the 50 percent volume setting. The maximum volume setting is very loud and introduces no static or significant imbalances. Despite this, it"s rather unfortunate that the loud fan noise when gaming will make it more difficult to really appreciate the sound quality of the system. We recommend launching the Alienware sound menu and setting sample rate to its 192 kHz maximum and then boosting the bass to get the most out of the internal speakers.

dB(A)0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2038.4382534.534.23135.135.24031.833.2503334.46331.733.28031.234.710031.341.112530.248.41602853.120027.551.425027.851.53152753.540027.455.850027.166.963026.67180026.672100026.671.8125026.473.1160025.569.7200024.865.6250023.868315022.772.3400022.475500022.172.5630021.865.1800021.763.61000021.658.11250021.659.51600021.754.9SPL36.782.6N2.753.7median 26.4median 65.1Delta2.58.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.62.4hearing rangehide medianshow medianPink NoiseAlienware 17 R4Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz

The Alienware consumes more power than many of its competitors under all tested conditions from idling to maximum load. At its minimum Power Saver settings (with AlienFX lighting active), we can measure a consumption of about 37 W compared to 12 W on the older Alienware 17 R3 or 29 W on the MSI GT73VR. Average loads (i.e., 3DMark06) will demand 122 W while running Witcher 3 will draw as much as 180 W.

Two battery capacities are available at 4-cell 67 Wh or 6-cell 99 Wh. Our test unit is equipped with the latter and is slightly higher in capacity than the 91 Wh battery in the Alienware 17 R3. As we understand it, there is no consumer notebook with an integrated Li-Ion battery larger than 99 Wh due to imposed safely limits aboard consumer airlines. The Razer Blade Pro and Aorus X7 DT, for example, are equipped with 99 Wh and 94 Wh batteries, respectively.

Despite the dense battery, runtimes on the Alienware 17 R4 are below average even for a gaming notebook. Users can expect just 3 hours of real-world WLAN use on the Balanced profile setting or about 4.5 hours if idling on desktop on the Power Saver profile. The unlocked i7-7820HK, higher resolution display, more demanding GTX 1080 GPU, and lack of Optimus compared to the Maxwell-powered Alienware 17 R3 all contribute to the short runtimes. Our last Alienware 17 R3 unit was able to last for over 7 hours under similar WLAN conditions and even the new Acer Predator 17 X can last for a little over an hour longer than our 17 R4 configuration. It"s likely that the 17 R4 SKUs with integrated GPU support can run for significantly longer than what we"ve recorded here.

We revere the Alienware 17 series for its high standards in quality that thankfully remain unfazed in this latest iteration. A notebook is about much more than just the CPU and GPU configuration, but also the skeleton and design that fortify the core hardware. At this level, it becomes easier to recommend the latest Alienware over a 17-inch Aorus or older MSI GT72.

We begin to see some issues when at the very high-end configuration level. Our particular test unit is equipped with the fastest CPU and GPU available on the current 17 R4 and the chassis can just barely run these processors reliably at Boost clock rates. Yes, the CPU and GPU will not throttle even when under extreme loads, but core temperatures can reach 90 C or higher when gaming in spite of thefans working overtime at up to 50 dB(A). This is where thicker gaming systems with more developed cooling solutions like the MSI GT73VR or Acer Predator 17 X have the upper hand in temperatures and/or noise.

The findings above and the fact that a Graphics Amplifier port is present actually make for a more compelling reason to purchase a lower-end 17 R4 SKU with GTX 1050 Ti or GTX 1060 graphics. There is a good chance that the significantly lower TDP requirements of these GPUs will lead to quieter fans, lower temperatures, longer runtimes, or possibly all three. Then, users who may demand faster graphics power down the line can simply use the Graphics Amplifier port for future titles. This is the one trick that the Alienware series has up its sleeve against most competitors and these lower-end SKUs are definitely deserving of our full performance rundown to get a bigger picture of the 17 R4 series.

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