Alienware 13 (2016) Pre-release discussion thread.

I really look forward to reviews of this little power-packed machine. Coming from another 13.3" notebook that's a quarter as powerful, I'm really interested to see how Dell has stuffed all that power into a small space, and the thermal performance...

 

By making it less small

 

Indeed - you can definitely get the same specs in everything from an MSI GS43 to a Aorus X3 to a Razer Blade, all the while being considerably lighter and smaller in some cases. So that is not a feat in my book, if you go for the AW13 it's because it's cheaper, because you like the design or build quality better, and/or like some of its unique features. It's the latter for me, I want to try OLED and I like the AGA concept a lot, especially at Dell's reasonable price (I'm looking at you, Razer Core).

 

What gpu you you got? 860m? Even that's 1/3 of 1060 laptop version. Prob 1/4 of desktop version though lol


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just managed to find this page for those that need something to fill in back and forth for days before its ready to order.

https://eu.alienwarearena.com/products/new-alienware-13

 

Man, I was waiting to get a Razer Blade for them to come in stock at the MS store near me and hoping news of the AW13 would be able to change my mind as I have always been a huge AW fan. Unfortunately for what I am looking for this new 13 will not work for me and I will have to look to something else. As much as I would love to have that OLED display, I can't bring myself to get a smaller size screen for bigger overall dimensions of the laptop, and the weight of it kills me. I was looking to get away from something thicker and heavier to replace my AW17 and these 13s are still pretty hefty.

 

The Alienware 13 will likely have the new Kaby Lake Core "H" processors, and the traditional 7200U and 7500U.

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/core/laptop-gaming-i7-h-series-video.html

 

??? how does that promo video tell you that?

 

It didn't. The Alienware arena advertisement above did. My post was to imply that "H" is not "HQ."

Out of curiosity, are you really an old guy? You don't act like it.

 

That's a video from 2015. It's for the Broadwell processors, not Skylake or Kaby Lake. And the only i7-H processors in the Broadwell family were all HQ.
I don't think that video tells us anything.

 

I'm aware of that. Read my post above. You guys always take my words out of context.

http://www.ultrabookreview.com/11638-intel-kabylake/

There will be low-voltage Core H quad-core processors. Alienware says, "i7 H" processors.

 

'H' isn't 'HQ', that's correct. But the Alienware Arena website quite clearly states: 'We are carrying H-class processors on a sub 14-inch notebook. These are the same quad-core, full-voltage, mobile processors found on the Alienware 15 and 17.'

It's straightforward enough that the CPUs will be HQs. If it's true that the AW13 will be released on the first of November, then we are looking at the 6700HQ and possibly (though unlikely) the 6820HK.


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I hope they do offer the 6700HQ. But Kaby Lake is introducing new Core-H low-voltage quad-cores, so I'm inclined to believe those are more likely.

 

They even said 'full-voltage'... As reflected in my edited post, this notebook is supposedly slated for release, or at least announcement, tomorrow. Quad-core Kaby Lake isn't due 'till Q1 2017. It's likely that we'll get Skylake HQ CPUs, most likely the 6700HQ.

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They also said "full-throttle" gaming. Alienware likes to say a lot of things.

They did throttle quite a lot.

 

Add must be a rotation, not in my browser

No, I'm not elderly

 

The 2400 and 2667 is the reason why it is i7 quad and not i5 quad because it only supports up to 2133 whilst i7 does. They've already claimed it to be full voltage so It cannot be a ulv quad and Kaby lake quad is not making it out till 2017. It HAS to be 6700hq even if there's no 6820hk.


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Those would likely be called HQ too, not H. The only H-processors are the i3-H processors.
I mean, it's fine to say there will be H-processors (because as redundant as it sounds, there's an H in HQ), but when someone (not you) thinks it implies "likely no HQ", then we have a bit of a problem. The message isn't as clear.
Anyways, if the 13 R3 is supposed to come with Kaby Lake-only, they may just do a pre-order thing like they did with the 13 R1 with i7. Although no one wants to be waiting for months to get their laptop.

 

I feel like we've beaten this one to death. It's been safe to say for a while now, that we are going to see the i7 6700HQ in the AW13 (hopefully tomorrow).
Why?
- Quotes on this page
- The product page that was released early a few weeks ago
- The original 15/17 announcement, in which we were both confirmed that the 13 would get a full quad i7, and that the laptop would launch mid November (which is too early for Kaby Lake quad)
...and so on.

In all likelihood, tomorrow is a pre-order launch and they will start shipping around mid November as they claimed originally.

Now whether they will include a 6820HK is a good question (they should, given Aorus and Apple, but who knows), and whether they will have low-spec Kaby Lake dual cores is also a valid question. I can't wait till tomorrow!

 

I think the biggest question to ask is the price. Now that it has an HQ processor (and whether it is the base or not is another question to consider), how much more expensive will it be to the 13 R2?

 

I would be happy if the base model started at $899 with the 7200U, GTX 1050/1050Ti, and FHD display. I'd expect the top model to be around $1799.

Wonder if NVIDIA will release the 1050(M) soon. http://www.geforce.com/hardware/10series/geforce-gtx-1050 I'd expect to see the 1050 as an option on the base.

Spoiler: Benchmarks

 

The 'base model' will likely contain the specs that @PMF mentioned... 6700HQ and 1060.

Honestly, if Alienware did use a 1050, they might just as well have used a 965M to cheap out and be done. The 1050 is so weak that it isn't even funny. 1050 Ti isn't much better.

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I highly doubt the base model will have a 6700HQ and a GTX 1060. What would the other configs have? 6820HK?

The base models have always had dual-core CPU's and lower GPU's.

 

At best, the 13 R3 will start with the i5-HQ and a GPU weaker than the GTX 1060. Right now, I'm leaning towards the RX 460 as the base GPU, much like how the Alpha R2 starts out with the R9 m470x and goes up to a GTX 960. The 13 R3 is confirmed to have an RX GPU, but we just don't know which one.
However, that still doesn't tell me anything about its price.

 

We should see the configuration page soon, right? They usually come a couple weeks before they start shipping (e.g. "Will ship in 16-21 business days").

Tomorrow would be nice. I want to order one asap.

 

Yeah, we should probably just wait. Give it at most 14 hours (maybe more), and the pages will be up.

 

I like in the benchmark they miss out the 480. if the 470 was very close in bf1 then the 480 matched the 1060 or beat it but of course nvidia want to make their card look superior. They even showed a 950 spanking the 460.
Mind you these scores are desktop 1060 so we will be within 10fps difference maybe for mobile.

As for base option I think it's 460. I so hope it's not a 470. It will delay my purchase.

Going to sleep now that it's 1st Nov 12:15am. Hope to wake up. Refresh the page and a 1060 and loads of lush options to choose from. Oooo I can't wait


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Well, for starters that ain't gonna happen until Jan at least, right? That's when the notebook 1050 is due according to the latest rumors.

However, if I was Alienware, I would also definitely not go there. The last 13 did not sell well at least in part because it was just way to under-powered in the CPU area. Plus, do you really think people are going to buy a 5.5lbs laptop with a 7200U and 1050? In that weight segment, you can get a 6820HK and 1070 (Aorus X5) - obviously with compromises, but still the difference between your suggested base model and that is mind-blowing.

$899 is super unlikely too - that would be too far in Dell Inspiron Gaming territory, plus the current 6200U, 960M and 720p (yes, 720p lol) one goes for ~$949.

I think that the base might well be the i5 6300HQ, purely because that's the base on the AW15. Given the 13 has become very heavy for it's size, I think, check that, I hope, that the cooling solution is basically the same as the one in the 15. And as such, I'm really hoping for a 6820HK - it will make the choice over the Aorus X3 much easier (which has the 6820HK, and is also launching tomorrow).

 

The Alienware 13 is their best selling laptop. It will sell regardless of the CPU because consumers are not knowledgeable enough to recognize a bottleneck and are distracted by the aesthetic appeal and puffery that comes with owning such a system. From a business perspective, selling the system at a low price point (approximately $900 for the base model) would greatly increase overall sales revenue of the Alienware 13 product, as they already have the manufacturing in place for the production of the XPS 13 lineup, which utilizes a large majority of similar components.

I've studied business operations and management for nearly half a decade. Having a cheap base model is very cost effective. Of course, this doesn't mean they will have one, but I would not dismiss it because you believe the system is "too heavy." That is an absurd assumption based on nothing but opinion. It is far more likely we will see a dual-core base option with a lower end GPU and FHD display. They would avoid product cannibalization in doing so.

Spoiler: "Up to"

Alienware loves to use those words. I'm surprised it doesn't say, "Up to Windows 10 Pro." Don't put it past them to have a cheap base model and multiple configuration options for each segment. Anyway, it's not worth debating. We should see the configuration page available in less than 6 hours (if rumors are correct).

EDIT: It's also quite common for them to add hardware options as time goes by.

 

Haha, I love your posts dude, you are so far in your own little reality bubble and nothing can burst it even when you are proven wrong again and again and again like in the Pascal thread. This is the first time I finally get why though - "studied business operations and management for nearly half a decade". If you're that new to this, just learn one simple thing: don't be so extreme in your statements, especially when you have nothing to back them up. Perfect example - the 13 is not their best selling model by a long shot, what makes you say it is? I know it isn't but I can't share what data I do have, so we can do something simple: how many ratings do each of the models have on Dell.com? 989 for 13", 3745 for 15" and 5222 for 17". The number of ratings is a solid proxy for number of buyers. You will find the same outcome on Amazon.

The system would be too heavy for the specs you listed, that is not based on opinion. Have you seen any customer research on what is important to laptop buyers? Surprise, weight matters big time, and a dual core w/ 1050 at 5.5 lbs would be absolutely ridiculous. You either build a system for low power and go with U CPUs or high power and H CPUs. Note that the list price of the 7200U CPU is *higher* than a 6300HQ.

You mentioned cannibalization yet you seem to be missing the extreme case of cannibalization you are proposing - by pricing an AW $899 they would be cannibalizing the Inspiron Gaming model, as well as potentially the XPS. These products should not be competing with one another, since you are spending 2x the R&D but not getting 2x the revenue and margin, meaning you are messing up your own margins.

 

Says the man making "extreme" comments. You want to make this personal now? That's fine.

First of all, when was I proven wrong about anything? Are you referring to there being an "M series" that I claimed would exist? I saw, with my own eyes, the actual NVIDIA documentation which mentioned a mobile series and labeled them as "1050(M)" at the time. Just because they adjusted the name doesn't mean I was wrong. The specifications are identical. If there were to be a 1080M, it would be the current 1070. Take a look at the spec. sheets and compare them to past x80M models. They altered the names to match the desktop counterparts more closely.

My statements are not extreme. In what way? That is subjective to the reader. You seeing them as extreme does not make them so. The world does not evolve around you and your opinions. There is evidence that the Alienware 13 is the best selling product in the Alienware lineup available online. You can see this in all of their released earnings reports at the end of the fiscal year. The smaller form factor systems always generate the greatest revenue as they hold the lowest price point. Alienware sells nearly two times as many Alienware 13's as it does 15's, and about 40% more 15's than it does Alienware 17's (B2C).

First thing's first, I never said the Alienware 13 will be priced at $899. Investing twice as much in R & D? Have you ever read a production line document? Dell has streamlined production of the Alienware 13 and 15, sharing nearly identical processes of manufacturing with the XPS lineup, including components and the PCB on which the components lie. The entire Alienware lineup is based off of a single design.

EDIT: When I say "about" or "around," you guys read or interpret it as "exactly." Taking my words out of context and manipulating the meaning with your opinion does not make my statements extreme.

 

I'm sorry if you felt this got personal - while my comment was certainly about your behavior, the goal is not to make it personal, the goal is to have a fruitful, reasonable, and adult discussion. Feel free to tell me where I have been extreme, as far as I can see I have made no comments that are not backed up either by common sense or, as much as possible, backed up by data and evidence. This is where I feel you keep falling short, and this is what I meant by extreme - suggesting the improbable with high certainty and no evidence. Like in the Pascal thread, you are making claims that go against what is most likely and what has shown to be true thus far. That would be fine, but ever heard of "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence"? The stranger and more "out there" the claim, the more the onus is on you to justify why you are making it.

The Alienware 13 sells far less units than the 15 and 17. That is true, and I have given you a publicly available way to verify this, please do give us a link to what source you are pointing at to back up your point. I would be super interested.

Yes, investing twice as much in R&D. Yes, there are sometimes shared platforms which can help you save costs and I think is what you are alluding to, but we were discussing the low-end of the gaming segment with that talk of $899, and the AW13 and the Dell Inspiron Gaming model (which are the models in this space) have virtually nothing in common, short of being made by Dell. The claim of "the entire Alienware lineup is based off a single design" is another great example of something that is highly unlikely, yet I do not see some justification to such a large claim.

 

Honestly, it's late and I don't care enough to argue about this. The figures and whatnot I refer to or mention come directly from documents I receive from NVIDIA as a shareholder.

Let's all just be happy that the Alienware 13 may be available for sale tomorrow!

 

The website hasn't been updated.

 

http://www.techradar.com/news/alien...cs-into-a-13-inch-laptop-with-an-oled-display

quick review: http://www.idg.tv/video/71536/alienware-13-review-this-compact-gaming-laptop-is-a-sight-to-behold

4.5/5

 

My guess is around 2 PM CET. Generally when some sort of announcement is made by an American tech copany

 

They just updated the url in the navigation bar, page is still empty though.

 

First video review:

 

Starts at $1200 ^^

 

Here's another review: http://www.pcworld.com/article/3135...-the-first-oled-gaming-laptop-has-landed.html
According to the reviews, it starts at $1199, packs a bigger battery, has 2 M.2 2280 slots, still offers the TN HD panel, and comes with at best an i7-6700HQ.

 

If it doesn't overheat like the new 15 we might have a winner.

 

http://www.dell.com/ca/p/alienware-13-laptop/pd
Well this popped up. However, there still is no mention of any other GPU, so the AWA page of the 13 R3 is not looking as credible as it once was.

 

This is looking promising, although I am weary of purchasing this due to heat/throttling issues, or future OLED issues popping up within a couple of years :/...

 

What OLED issues?

 

Longevity issues mainly, perhaps burn-in, or just other colour/accuracy/uniformity issues as it is not a technology that has been widely used by laptop manufacturers.

You still see dodgy IPS panels these days, so it gets me worried about adopting a new technology - and it is Dell/AW so, just have to read all the issues they currently have.

 

prices are up http://www.dell.com/ca/p/alienware-13-laptop/pd

 

Believe that is the Canadian site. US site has the page up, but only the starting price of $1199 and no purchase button yet.

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/alienware-13-laptop?~ck=mn

 

dont know about anyone else but that

Canada site has all config though waiting on uk prices so could be a while ;(

 

Yeah, its nice to see, but Canadian prices gave me sticker shock.