Alienware 18

Specifications

Pricecompare

Reviews for the Alienware 18

90% Alienware 18
Source: BCW - Business Computing World Archive.org version
Factory overclocked to pack a punch with the most intensive tasks and delivering ludicrous framerates on the 1080p display, the Alienware 18 has features you simply won’t find on your average gaming laptop. It looks outrageous and costs a fortune – a similarly-performing desktop PC could be had for a third of the price – but for high-end gaming and other resource-intensive tasks such as video editing,
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/12/2015
Rating: Total score: 90%

70% A gaming laptop with not one, but two of the best GPUs around
Source: Techradar Archive.org version
More so than the Alienware 17 and Origin EON17-S, or any gaming laptop in existence, users should think long and hard before picking up an Alienware 18. There are just far too many more affordable and sensible options out there. For roughly the same price, you can build a desktop around an Nvidia Titan part (or two even) and still have enough leftover to build a beastly gaming machine. At half the price, both of these listed competitors serve up more than enough graphical horsepower to play most games out today. You might have to spend your first moments in-game toning down the settings for the optimal experience, but a more affordable option will leave you with more money in the bank to spend on monitors, peripherals, Doritos or whatever else tickles your fancy.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/17/2014
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 60% performance: 100% features: 60% workmanship: 100%

87% Alienware 18 Review (Early 2014 model)
Source: Notebookreview.com Archive.org version
The Alienware 18 is a one-of-a-kind gaming notebook that excels in nearly every area. Highlights of the Alienware 18 includes its beautiful 18.4” IPS display; excellent performance for all tasks, especially gaming; stealth-like design and AlienFX customizable lighting system; solid build quality; good-feeling keyboard and touchpad; loud speakers; and it even gets respectable battery life (3-4 hours normal usage). The only con that stands out is the glossy display surface which can produce some annoying reflections depending on the ambient lighting.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/03/2014
Rating: Total score: 87%

90% Alienware 18 review: big, heavy and outrageously expensive gaming laptop
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
It's big, heavy and outrageously expensive – and at this price the display could offer better-than-HD resolution. However, the dual GPUs of the Alienware 18 really do provide the strongest performance we've yet seen from a gaming laptop. The only question now is whether the forthcoming GeForce 800M series can outdo that performance, in either single or dual-GPU configurations.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 03/24/2014
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 70% performance: 100% features: 80% workmanship: 100%

Alienware 18
Source: Hardwareheaven Archive.org version
The first thing which will hit anyone opening the Alienware 18 box is its size. This is a massive system and while it is absolutely possible to sit with it on your lap (I am doing that now to write this review) if you slouch, it begins to be an issue looking over the screen and moving about on the couch/chair is a bit awkward and a weight lifting exercise.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 01/08/2014

84% Dell Alienware 18
Source: CNet Archive.org version
Sometimes nothing will satisfy quite like a desktop-dominating monster with an 18-inch screen and a body built like a tank. After a couple of years of ultrabooks and hybrids, it's surprising how much fun a huge PC, one that barely qualifies to be called a laptop, can be.There's a premium to be paid, but the massive Alienware 18 is a show-off-worthy desktop replacement that takes down even the newest PC games, and is just plain fun to use.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/01/2013
Rating: Total score: 84% performance: 100% mobility: 50%

90% Dell Alienware 18
Source: Good Gear Guide Archive.org version
The Alienware 18 is a laptop that walks like a gaming desktop. Downside? It’s going to cost you about twice as much as a gaming desktop of equivalent performance. Upside? It’s going to be much less than half the size. Unless you are one of the world’s few professional gamers, Dell’s Alienware 18 is a luxury item. It is a Lamborghini of Laptops, a Porsche of Portables.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/22/2013
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Alienware 18 Gaming Notebook Review (with Intel Core i7 4930MX)
Source: Kitguru Archive.org version
There’s no denying that the Alienware 18 gaming notebook is a very powerful system targeting the high end audience who want a desktop replacement. It offers significantly more power than many desktop PC’s we have reviewed this year and there are few laptops out there which will be able to compete. We love the design of the Alienware 18, it is very dramatic and will attract the eye of people close by which is exactly what a gamer will want when spending a lot of money. The use of anodized aluminium and soft-touch plastic give the 18 an exclusive look and feel which could only be rivaled by a Macbook Pro. The integration of customisable LED lighting is ensure to entice those gamers who like to show off at LAN events, too!
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/16/2013
Rating: Total score: 90%

Alienware 18 Gaming Notebook Review
Source: AnandTech Archive.org version
Let's get it out of the way: the Alienware 18 is an expensive, niche product. It's a giant, beastly notebook that uses high-powered CPUs and can't be configured with anything less than two GPUs. It has an IPS display and it starts at a pretty intimidating $2,099.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/16/2013

Foreign Reviews

Alienware 18 (Core i7-4930MX, 750GB + 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, GeForce GTX 780M)
Source: PC Games Hardware - Heft 3/2014
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 02/01/2014

Alienware 18
Source: HardwareLuxx DE→EN Archive.org version
Positive: excellent workmanship; very good display; outstanding performance Negative: high price
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/15/2013

Test portable Alienware 18
Source: Cowcotland FR→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Good full HD display; good performance; excellent cooling system; good workmanship. Negative: Price.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 04/02/2014

Dell Alienware 18 – Агент Под Прикрытием
Source: Notebook-Center.ru RU→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Powerful performance; good viewing angles, brightness and contrast of the display. Negative: Glossy display.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/30/2014

Comment

Series:

The flagship product in mobile gaming, Alienware, is back with its latest gaming laptop, Alienware 18. The latest gaming laptop brings a different and fresh design compared to its predecessor. Alienware 18 is one of the latest gaming laptop that still employs a traditional keyboard which is very comfortable to be used when playing games or completing common tasks such as writing. The touchpad on this device is completely lit and looks great in the daytime. Watching videos and playing games on the 18.4 inch screen would be a great relief, not to mention that the screen is capable of delivering a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. This gaming laptop’s stereo speakers pump out a serious amount of quality sound. The Alienware 18 wraps a quad core Intel Core i7 processor 32GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD and a 750 GB hard disk. With dual Nvidia GTX 780M GPU in a SLI setup - each with 4GB of DDR5 memory, the Alienware 18 is expected to run any heavy graphics games with ease. It is fair to say that the Alienware 18 series is the most powerful gaming laptops on the market to date. With a great and silent cooling system, there will be no heat problem at all.

The laptop is bulky and heavy at 6 kg. In addition, it only lasts 2 hours 30 minutes during conventional usage. On the other hand, it is still perfect to be used as a desktop replacement. Unlike other laptops, Alienware 18 runs Windows 7 Home Premium instead of Windows 8. Nevertheless, it is still a great choice for those who are looking for a reliable gaming laptop. For a steep price, you will get the most powerful gaming devices on the market today.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M SLI: Two GeForce GTX 780M graphics cards in SLI combination.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 CPU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops.  

4930MX: Mobile quad-core processor based on the Haswell architecture. Fastest CPU in Q2/2013 with an unlocked multiplier.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

18.40": This display size is a standard format for desktop replacements (DTR). The DTR laptops are heavier to carry, need more power, but texts are easy to read and high resolutions are no problem. DTR are mainly intended for stationary desk use, where weight and energy hunger don't matter. In return, you enjoy the advantages of high resolutions (more details, better legibility).» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.

5.5 kg:

A laptop in this weight range is a heavyweight that you rarely carry around. This is meant for desktops and the devices tend to score with a large display and high performance and replace desktop devices.

Alienware: Alienware was founded in the USA in 1996. The European headquarters is located in Ireland. Alienware has been part of the Dell Group since 2006. The product range mainly focuses on gaming laptops and desktops, which are developed and manufactured by Dell. The trademark is a slightly futuristic design with an Alien as the logo. Additionally, workstations for private and business customers are sold.

As with every brand, there are also some points of criticism with Alienware. Some customers have complained about the high prices of the products, while others have criticized the quality of customer services. There have also been some reports of problems with the reliability and durability of some Alienware products. However, many customers have also had positive experiences with the brand and appreciate the powerful gaming computers.

85.88%: This is an above-average rating. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that about one fifth of all tested models receive a better rating.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

Devices with the same GPU

Devices with Same Screen Size and/or Weight