Alienware Flexes Upgraded Gaming Laptops, Fast OLED Monitors And More At CES 2024
With expected in-person attendance at CES to be stronger than ever, major brands are going all-in on live product reveals. Dell's Alienware division has plenty in-store for its fans and new users alike in the form of big updates to its popular M- and X-series gaming laptops, plus gaming monitors, among others.
This year, Alienware introduced the redesigned m16 R2 (starting at $1,500) with improved Cryo-tech cooling providing 43-percent greater airflow over the previous generation. Even more impressive is the 16-inch m16 R2, which is 15-percent smaller, too. The laptop also features a hotkey called 'Stealth Mode' that kills the RGB lighting should users use the device in a discrete environment like in class or the library. Internally, the m16 R2 rocks Intel Core Ultra H processors paired with up to NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, and new 90Whr battery tech that can get you from zero to 80-percent charge in 35 minutes via Express Charge 2.0.
Alienware's most advanced laptop comes in the form of the x16 R2 (starts at $2,100). Focused on ultimate performance, the laptop can leverage up to 220W of graphical power between the Intel Core Ultra CPU and RTX 4090 GPU. Even the DDR5X memory is fast, capable of 7467 MT/s, supported by up to 8TB of storage. The display is impressive as well at a 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. Keeping all the horsepower in check is what the company touts as its most advanced version of Alienware Cryo-tech cooling ever, with improved Vapor Chamber tech and its Element 31 thermal interface.
For outright grunt, the Alienware m18 R2 (from $1,900) can be had with Intel's Core i9-14900HX and RTX 4090 plus convenient access to overclocking capabilities. The laptop shares the same cooling tech as the X16 R2, but offers even more internal storage (up to 10TB).
Away from laptops, there are two new top-shelf gaming monitors—the Alienware 32 ($1,200) and 27 ($900). Both feature triple-layer QD (Quantum Dot)-OLED, whereby the Alienware 32 offers the world's first 4K QD-OLED in a gaming display, while the Alienware 27 is pitched as first 360Hz QD-OLED (MSI announced one as well). The former is no slouch either at 240Hz refresh rate. When hooked up to consoles, either one will still be capable of 4K 120Hz smoothness.
Last, but not least, Alienware is breaking into the competitive gaming peripheral arena with the Pro Wireless Mouse ($150) and Pro Wireless Keyboard ($200). Wrapped in a lightweight 60g shell, the symmetrical grip Pro Wireless Mouse boasts 4KHz wireless (0.25ms response time) and 8KHz (0.125ms) wired polling rates for fast response and precision. Add 650 IPS tracking speed, 6 customizable buttons, aluminum scroll wheel, and up to 26,000 DPI tracking and you've got yourself a pretty impressive gaming-focused mouse.
The 75-percent form factor Pro Wireless Keyboard doesn't just look sweet with its RGB lighting funneled through its transparent key switches, but is built tough. Each double-shot PBT keycap is capable of 100 million actuations and is molded-in color (not painted) for fade resistance. The keyboard is rated at a consistent 1kHz polling rate regardless of wired or wireless use, and can last up to 798 hours on a single charge (RGB off, 2.4GHz connection).
