Alienware x14 Review - The world's thinnest gaming notebook requires compromises

After Alienware released the two new gaming laptops x15 and x17 last year, the manufacturer now launches a 14-inch system. The new Alienware x14 follows the same design language and wants to attract customers with its very slim chassis, which contains brand-new Alder Lake CPUs from Intel as well as RTX 3000 GPUs from Nvidia for sufficient gaming performance. There is currently just one 1080p screen with 144 Hz and a DCI-P3 gamut provided for this laptop. The entry-level spec with a Core i5 and RTX 3050 starts at 1899 Euros, but we review the high-end model with the Core i7-12700H, 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 as well as a 1 TB PCIe-SSD for 2399 Euros.
Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! Wanted:
- Specialist News Writer
- Magazine Writer
- Translator (DE<->EN)
Details here
Potential rivals
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
86.7 % | 03/2022 | Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 1.8 kg | 14.5 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
86.7 % | 03/2022 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK R9 6900HS, Radeon RX 6800S | 1.7 kg | 19.5 mm | 14.00" | 2560x1600 | |
87.5 % | 06/2021 | Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 R9 5900HX, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 1.8 kg | 16.8 mm | 14.00" | 2560x1440 | |
83.5 % | 06/2021 | Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM R9 5900HS, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 1.7 kg | 19.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
87.2 % | 09/2021 | Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 2.4 kg | 15.9 mm | 15.60" | 2560x1440 |
Join our Support Satisfaction Survey 2023: We want to hear about your experiences!
Participate here
Case - A small version of the Alienware x15
The design of the new Alienware x14 hardly differs from its larger siblings x15 and x17. The case is supposed to be as slim as possible, but due to the construction where the display hinge is shifted towards the front, the laptop is very deep. For the 14-inch model, in particular, this means the keyboard is also shifted towards the front of the base unit and the palm rests are pretty small. Compared to the larger siblings, there is no illumination at the rear either, only the keyboard and the alien head on the lid of the x14 can be illuminated.
You can only get the new x14 in the Lunar Silver color, which looks good in pictures, but its bright surfaces quickly attract dirt and you have to clean them quite often. The upper part of the base unit, the rear, as well as the display frame, is black, which creates a nice contrast. The bezels at the sides are pretty slim, but the lower bezel, in particular, is very wide and we are quite sure that a 16:10 panel would have fitted here as well. The screen-to-body ratio of the new x14 is just 64% due to the chassis construction.
There is not much criticism for the quality because Dell uses high-quality materials, the build quality of our test unit is flawless, and the stability leaves a good impression as well. We generally like the display hinge as well, but there is still some bouncing when you adjust the opening angle. The maximum opening angle is also limited to around 135 degrees due to the position of the screen.
Top 10 Laptops
Multimedia, Budget Multimedia, Gaming, Budget Gaming, Lightweight Gaming, Business, Budget Office, Workstation, Subnotebooks, Ultrabooks, Chromebooks
under 300 USD/Euros, under 500 USD/Euros, 1,000 USD/Euros, for University Students, Best Displays
Top 10 Smartphones
Smartphones, Phablets, ≤6-inch, Camera Smartphones
The new x14 is very slim at just 14.5 mm, but the gaming laptop is very deep due to its chassis design and it has by far the largest footprint compared to the other 14-inch laptops in our comparison group. All the rivals are pretty close in terms of weight, and in addition to the 1.8 kg for the laptop itself, you also have to add 486 grams for the 130W power adapter.
Connectivity - Alienware with Thunderbolt 4 & HDMI 2.1
There is no criticism for the ports because Dell uses the latest standards including Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.1. In addition to three USB-C ports (one of them is usually blocked by the power adapter), there is also a regular USB-A port. The problem, however, is that all ports are located at the rear (even the stereo jack) and therefore hard to access.
SD Card Reader
The x14 offers a microSD card reader (spring-loaded) at the rear and it accommodates the SD cards almost completely. It is a very fast module and we determine transfer rates of up to 220 MB/s and still 190 MB/s when we copy files from our reference card (Angelbird AV Pro V60).
SD Card Reader | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F (AV Pro V60) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Average of class Gaming (48.5 - 209, n=92, last 2 years) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F (AV Pro V60) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Average of class Gaming (72 - 269, n=83, last 2 years) |
Communication
The Wi-Fi module from Intel (AX211) also supports the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard (802.11ax) including 6 GHz networks as well as Bluetooth 5.2. We determined very good transfer rates in combination with our reference router from Netgear (Nighthawk AX12) and we did not notice any issues with the signal quality during our review period, either. There is no dedicated Ethernet module, if you want to use a wired network, you will have to use a corresponding Thunderbolt adapter.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (1003 - 1501, n=4) | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Average of class Gaming (450 - 1580, n=72, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (1178 - 1623, n=4) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Average of class Gaming (90 - 1700, n=72, last 2 years) | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 |
Webcam
We were a bit surprised that the Alienware x14 only features a 720p webcam, even though there seems to be sufficient space for a better sensor in the top bezel. The picture quality is not good, even in good lighting conditions, and the results are just not very crisp. The webcam does its job, but that’s about it. There is also an IR camera for facial recognition via Windows Hello.

Accessories
The box of the Alienware x14 only contains the 130W power adapter (USB-C). Dell offers plenty of accessories with the Alienware branding, including input devices, headsets, and displays.
Maintenance
The panel on the bottom of the chassis is secured by six standard Philips screws, but there are additional plastic clips, which are very firm and have to be loosened first. After that, you can lift the front part and pull the whole panel towards the front. The first thing you will notice is the large battery and your maintenance options are limited to cleaning the fans and replacing the Wi-Fi module as well as the M.2 2280 SSD.
Warranty
The new x14 is shipped with premium support by default, which also included an on-site service. However, the service is limited to 12 months and you have to pay 323 Euros for an extension to three years or 562 Euros to four years. If you want to be on the safe side, there is also Premium Support Plus, which includes accidental damages (three years for 479 Euros and four years for 657 Euros).
Input Devices - x14 with reduced key travel
Keyboard
The slim construction also affects the keyboard. The basic layout (including full-size arrow keys) is identical to the larger Alienware x15, but the key travel is reduced from 1.5 mm to 1.2 mm and this is noticeable. The typing experience is not bad by any means and keystrokes are still very precise and comparatively quiet, but it is just not comfortable compared to the larger x15. The keyboard supports N-key rollover for multiple keyboard inputs simultaneously.
You can adjust the color of the keyboard illumination, but there is just one zone. The special functions are once again not illuminated (like volume or brightness control), which was already annoying on the larger x15. It is just hard to see the small pictograms in darker environments. The small palm rest will also be an issue if you have large hands because your palm will have to rest on the front edge of the base unit.
Touchpad
Due to the shifted keyboard position, there is not much room for a large touchpad, either. The height of the clickpad on the Alienware x14 is very limited at just 10.8 x 5.5 cm and you will have to reposition your fingers quite often, even during standard cursor movements. The pad itself works well and it sits a bit lower in the base unit, so it is easy to locate with the fingers, but clicking it will result in very loud noises, which appear cheap.
Display - x14 with 1080p and 144 Hz
Dell only offers one display for the new Alienware x14: A matte 1080p IPS screen with 1920 x 1080 pixels (16:9) including fast response times and a high refresh rate of 144 Hz. This is certainly a good choice for a gaming laptop, but some users would probably prefer a higher-res option. The display from Sharp also supports Nvidia’s G-Sync as well as Advanced Optimus technologies.
We determine an average brightness of little more than 400 nits and the decent black value of 0.25 results in a very good contrast ratio of more than 1700:1. The subjective picture impression is also very good and movements, in particular, are very smooth thanks to the refresh rate and the fast response times. However, compared to OLED screens, the pictures are just not vibrant and crisp.
You can only notice some backlight bleeding along the edges on a dark background with high brightness levels, but they are not visible in everyday scenarios. We cannot detect PWM flickering and the measured response times are very fast.
|
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 432 cd/m²
Contrast: 1736:1 (Black: 0.25 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2, calibrated: 0.7
ΔE Greyscale 5.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
87.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.19
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 SHP154D, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK NE140QDM-NX1 (BOE0A1D), IPS-Level, 2560x1600, 14.00 | Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 TL140BDXP02-2, IPS, 2560x1440, 14.00 | Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM LM140LF-1F02, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F LG Philips 156QHG, IPS, 2560x1440, 15.60 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | -1% | -2% | -21% | -1% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 99.6 | 97.4 -2% | 97.2 -2% | 68.1 -32% | 97.8 -2% |
sRGB Coverage | 100 | 99.9 0% | 99.9 0% | 92.4 -8% | 99.9 0% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 87.6 | 85.5 -2% | 85.4 -3% | 67.7 -23% | |
Response Times | 15% | -57% | -261% | -31% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 9.6 ? | 8.8 ? 8% | 16.4 ? -71% | 34.4 ? -258% | 12 ? -25% |
Response Time Black / White * | 7.6 ? | 6 ? 21% | 10.8 ? -42% | 27.6 ? -263% | 10.4 ? -37% |
PWM Frequency | 27170 ? | ||||
Screen | -16% | -1% | -69% | -20% | |
Brightness middle | 434 | 480 11% | 331.1 -24% | 329.4 -24% | 409.5 -6% |
Brightness | 411 | 456 11% | 318 -23% | 311 -24% | 390 -5% |
Brightness Distribution | 89 | 80 -10% | 91 2% | 90 1% | 88 -1% |
Black Level * | 0.25 | 0.48 -92% | 0.36 -44% | 0.39 -56% | 0.47 -88% |
Contrast | 1736 | 1000 -42% | 920 -47% | 845 -51% | 871 -50% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3 | 2.62 13% | 2.25 25% | 4.01 -34% | 3.48 -16% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.1 | 6.71 5% | 4.62 35% | 8.21 -16% | 6.31 11% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.7 | 1.12 -60% | 3.89 -456% | 0.89 -27% | |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.1 | 4.2 18% | 1.7 67% | 3.2 37% | 5 2% |
Gamma | 2.19 100% | 2.16 102% | 2.3 96% | 2.2 100% | 2.16 102% |
CCT | 6204 105% | 7122 91% | 6751 96% | 7070 92% | 6591 99% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -1% /
-9% | -20% /
-10% | -117% /
-86% | -17% /
-19% |
* ... smaller is better
We analyzed the display with the professional CalMAN software and the X-Rite i1 Pro 2 spectrophotometer. The picture quality is already decent out of the box, but the color temperature is a bit warm and you can see a slight color cast towards yellow. The color deviations are also very small and there are just some outliers with DeltaE-2000 deviations (compared to the P3 reference color space) of more than 3.
Our calibration (profile can be downloaded for free in the box above) reduced the maximum brightness by around 40 nits, but it shows the full potential of the screen. The average DeltaE-2000 deviations are very low and all the colors are very accurate. Combined with the fill DCI-P3 gamut, the panel is an excellent choice for picture and video editing.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
7.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2.8 ms rise | |
↘ 4.8 ms fall | ||
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 14 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
9.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 4.4 ms rise | |
↘ 5.2 ms fall | ||
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 15 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (35.2 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18878 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Performance - Dell's thin gamer uses Intel Alder Lake
You can choose between the Core i7-12700H and the slightly slower Core i5-12500H, which has two fewer performance cores compared to the i7. You get at least 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM, but only the slower 4800 modules in combination with the GeForce RTX 3050 or RTX 3050 Ti (both with a TGP of 50W & 15W Dynamic Boost). The faster 5200 RAM is only available in combination with the RTX 3060, just like the upgrade to 32 GB.
Review Settings
We were initially surprised by the TDP configuration of the processor, which was set to 45 Watts. During our test, there was an update from Intel (via Windows Update), which increased the TDP to 115W. This value is not reached by the x14, but it means the cooling solution is the only limiting factor. We, therefore, repeated all our benchmarks and measurements to show the performance level with the updated TDP values.
The preloaded Command Center offers different settings for the cooling, but they do not affect the performance. There is also an additional High-Performance mode, which can be activated via key combination Fn+F1. However, the effect on the actual gaming performance (even during longer sessions) is negligible, but it uses a more aggressive fan curve and the notebook just reaches its maximum fan noise (which is also a bit higher) quicker. We performed all our benchmarks and measurements with the following settings: Normal mode, Thermal: Balanced, Windows Performance slider: Best Performance.
Processor - Core i7-12700H
The Core i7-12700H is a chip from Intel’s new Alder Lake generation and uses a hybrid architecture. In addition to six performance cores running up to 4.8 GHz (including Hyper Threading), it uses eight efficiency cores (up to 3.7 GHz), so the i7-12700H can execute up to 20 threads simultaneously. It is, in theory, a 45W processor, but the CPU can consume much more power, especially in peak load scenarios.
We record consumption of up to 100W for a brief period at the start of benchmarks and it will eventually level off at 55W. You can see this behavior very well in our chart from the Cinebench R15 Multi loop below, where the second run is already limited to 80W. The CPU performance is better compared to the rivals in the first couple of minutes but will eventually drop to the level of the AMD Ryzen 5000 chips or the Alienware x15 with the Core i7-11800H in multi-core tests.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Thanks to the new performance cores and the high clocks, the new Core i7-12700H can often secure the lead in single-core tests. All in all, the results are good for a compact gaming laptop, but we are still quite far away from the performance potential of the Core i7-12700H. This chip needs slightly more than 120W for the maximum clock on all cores (around 3000 points @ CB R15 Multi).
The power consumption of the CPU is limited to 80W on battery power and therefore just slightly lower compared to mains. More CPU benchmarks are available in our tech section.
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
Average of class Gaming (2435 - 34521, n=237, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (4032 - 19330, n=62) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK |
Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (778 - 1826, n=61) | |
Average of class Gaming (527 - 2169, n=234, last 2 years) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 |
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
Average of class Gaming (930 - 13769, n=238, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (1576 - 7407, n=62) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK |
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (300 - 704, n=62) | |
Average of class Gaming (169 - 825, n=238, last 2 years) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 |
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
Average of class Gaming (400 - 5663, n=241, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (1379 - 2916, n=68) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 |
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (113 - 263, n=63) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average of class Gaming (79.2 - 312, n=242, last 2 years) | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 |
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average of class Gaming (91 - 1259, n=239, last 2 years) | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (168 - 732, n=61) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F |
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average of class Gaming (11386 - 140932, n=235, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (22844 - 73067, n=61) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F |
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average of class Gaming (2685 - 7581, n=236, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (2743 - 5972, n=61) | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 |
Geekbench 5.4 / Multi-Core | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (5144 - 13745, n=62) | |
Average of class Gaming (1946 - 22200, n=234, last 2 years) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK |
Geekbench 5.4 / Single-Core | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (803 - 1851, n=62) | |
Average of class Gaming (158 - 2139, n=234, last 2 years) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK |
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
Average of class Gaming (3 - 37.6, n=239, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (4.67 - 21.8, n=62) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 |
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Average of class Gaming (32.8 - 332, n=235, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (34.2 - 95.3, n=61) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 |
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Average of class Gaming (0.375 - 4.47, n=235, last 2 years) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (0.4441 - 1.052, n=61) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Average of class Gaming (2585 - 55084, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (2585 - 17957, n=61) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 |
AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average of class Gaming (12439 - 234848, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (12439 - 90760, n=61) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 |
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
Average of class Gaming (629 - 9930, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (833 - 4242, n=61) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 |
AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average of class Gaming (15371 - 186519, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (57923 - 103202, n=61) | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 |
AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Average of class Gaming (2137 - 30810, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (3249 - 9939, n=61) |
AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average of class Gaming (7135 - 124377, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (7135 - 44760, n=61) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 |
AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Average of class Gaming (18146 - 236139, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (31839 - 144360, n=61) |
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (305 - 1171, n=61) | |
Average of class Gaming (150.9 - 2231, n=227, last 2 years) | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Average of class Gaming (1437 - 29473, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (1437 - 9692, n=61) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (12863 - 52207, n=61) | |
Average of class Gaming (8341 - 52949, n=213, last 2 years) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM |
System Performance
The Alienware x14 is a very responsive system thanks to the modern components including the PCIe 4.0 SSD and the subjective performance impression is excellent. This is also supported by the synthetic benchmark scores, where the test unit can secure a good spot. All the rivals are very close on a high level, however, and you will not be able to notice a difference between them when you do daily stuff. We did not experience any other issues during our review period, either.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
PCMark 10 / Score | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average of class Gaming (4477 - 9331, n=195, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (5986 - 8156, n=12) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM |
PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (9289 - 12144, n=12) | |
Average of class Gaming (7334 - 12176, n=194, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 |
PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average of class Gaming (6161 - 11833, n=194, last 2 years) | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (6161 - 10362, n=12) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F |
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (8950 - 12554, n=12) | |
Average of class Gaming (5288 - 16424, n=194, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM |
CrossMark / Overall | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average of class Gaming (974 - 2295, n=116, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (1649 - 2017, n=11) |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average of class Gaming (907 - 2166, n=116, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (1536 - 1958, n=11) |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average of class Gaming (1027 - 2514, n=116, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (1816 - 2084, n=11) |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average of class Gaming (1029 - 2275, n=116, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (1210 - 2207, n=11) |
PCMark 10 Score | 7170 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (25615 - 80511, n=61) | |
Average of class Gaming (18074 - 80776, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (25586 - 79442, n=61) | |
Average of class Gaming (20318 - 89096, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (23679 - 88660, n=61) | |
Average of class Gaming (15975 - 80441, n=212, last 2 years) | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (76.2 - 133.9, n=61) | |
Average of class Gaming (76.2 - 135.3, n=227, last 2 years) | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
Our standardized latency test includes different scenarios like web browsing, 4K YouTube playback, and CPU load. Our test unit shows some issues and is not ideal for real-time audio applications with the current BIOS versions, but future updates can improve the situation.
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401QM | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK | |
Alienware x15 RTX 3070 P111F | |
Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
Razer Blade 14 Ryzen 9 RTX 3070 |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
Our review unit is shipped with a 1 TB NVMe SSD from Western Digital (SN810), which already supports the modern PCIe 4.0 standard and it manages transfer rates of more than 6 GB/s in our benchmarks. You can use 824 GB for your files and applications after the initial set-up. Dell also offers a 2 TB SSD in its online shop, which costs 100 Euros more compared to the 1 TB drive. More SSD benchmarks are available here.
* ... smaller is better