Alienware 13 Pre-Release Speculation Thread

ok then we're talking 'bout the same port, seems to be graphics related as is is located next to the hdmi and mini display port but it isn't a micro-dvi however, a micro dvi is roughly tha size of a regular (full-size) usb connector. This port/connector is way bigger.

Edit: Just found this: "The Alienware 13 is outfitted with a multitude of ports including three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, mini DisplayPort,Gigabit Ethernet, jacks for headphones and mic and a secure lock slot. I noticed a suspicious-looking proprietary port along the laptop’s rear. Alienware reps were coy when asked about this new port and promised more details about its function when we get closer to the time of launch." Source

 

That's exactly what I said, lol.

If it is some sort of connection port for something, could it be for another Alienware product? Maybe the SteamBox?

 

Maybe this machine will feature the upcoming CoreM Broadwell CPUs?
Only 4.5W

Uhm it features normal CPUs:

Alienware 13 (2014) Preview - CNET

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/alienware-13-hands-thinner-smaller-powerful/#/4

False alarm guys

 

It just says i5 and i7. That doesn't necessarily mean 4710MQ. It could be the i7-4500U dual-core processor. They offer an i5 in the AW 14 now. So, I imagine they will offer one for a smaller notebook. I hope it is the 4710MQ (and above), though.

 

Hmmm, good point

 

Good find. We will learn more about this computer as time passes. Hopefully someone will do a decent review of it soon.

 

It's likely to be one of these old cheesy dockstations coming back from dell




Basically Extra USBS-DVI-AC POWER
Dell SuperSpeed USB Docking Station is a sleek, ready-to-use device for connecting your PC notebook to a variety of external displays and devices. A single cable to your laptop provides an instant connection to monitors, Internet, and devices. With high-speed data transfer and multiple video and USB ports, the docking station is a reliable solution for creating a personalized desktop environment.

The idea is when you go back home you simply plug the station to your laptop instead of plugging everything again since the AC power/Keyboard+mouse/External Monitor/ethernet are all already plugged to the station

Or External GPU thing if we are lucky, Use GTX980 on Alienware 13 with the upcoming Nvidia External GPUS

 

That's interesting. So, it could be a DVI type thing.

 

Not going to lie, I do like it and think it would be a decent upgrade from my current m14xr2.

I guess I will have to see all the specs and pricing... also, glad to see the alien power button back

 

As an Alienware M11xR1 owner, DELL/Alienware have peaked my interest once again....just a bit.
A ~2Kg Alienware M13xR1 that one could carry and ...with mystery port.
Have to wait for the detailed specs.

 

Click to view full size!

fingers crossed its a thunderbolt 2 port? its located right next to the 'graphics card' area perhaps its for external gfx cards coming ?

I've been quite disappointed with alienwares' response since: the blade, GS60, aorus etc.. there is plenty of GAMING laptops on the market that are faster, quieter, lighter and better on battery... AW used to be the ducks guts when it came to mobile gaming. even this lousy 860gtx doesn't break any ground.

see what happens i guess; ill still keep chipping away playing on my olde M14xR1

 

But none of those gaming laptops you mentioned have the key ingredient: uncompromised performance.

I mean I kind of get this thin and light fad and why a market exists for thin and light <del>and crispy</del> gaming machines, and it's good that there are companies that cater to such a crowd. BUT it makes absolutely 0 sense for Alienware to jump on this bandwagon, because it goes against the very ethos and founding philosophy of Alienware. Other companies and even Clevo could be forgiven for this (Clevo has an extremely diverse portfolio), but not Alienware, because Alienware was never about compromises or second fiddle performance, and this Alienware 13 simply goes against everything that Alienware <del>stands</del> stood for.

(yes I realize there was the M11x, but the difference there was Alienware crammed as much hardware and performance as they could into an 11.6" form factor without it roasting your hands or nads. Even to this day the M11x R3 still remains the most powerful 11.6" laptop ever built, and that says something)

And I think I should probably stop talking since I don't actually own an Alienware...

 

I disagree, I think they should make thin and light system providing they still offer the full fat versions too. I personally loved the m11x, it was massively compromised for gaming and would never be my primary machine but was great for chucking in my bag when visiting friends etc.

I have an alienware 18 which I love but plan to get one of these 13's when released.

I have looked at the GS60, P34g etc and they all have flaws which I can't get past. The GS60 has a terrible keyboard layout and is really noisy. The P34g V2 has poor build quality. I am hoping the 13 will have good build quality, good speakers, good battery life and moderate gaming, it will be my perfect companion to my 18 and will probably end up being my work laptop too

 

I think that mystery port maybe unique to Alienware? The reason I say that is because I don't reconise the logo. You've got your traditional logo's for thunderbolt, usb, etc. But I can't say I've seen that triangle 'thing' So maybe it is a dock? That's what peak my interest about this laptop, not the actual laptop but what could be next. I'm guessing the other Alienware's will be seeing a touchscreen (no interest to me) but better resolution, special port,and even the Alienware head logo come back (loved that!)

 

Sadly it would appear not. The original article on engaget has an addendum:

An earlier version of this article reported that Dell will be using full-voltage processors in the Alienware 13. It will actually be using ultra-low-voltage CPUs instead.

A real shame, as a software developer a decent CPU is a must for me. I like my 14, but it is a little on the bulky side for travel and this would have been perfect. I won't rule it out completely, but will definitely be looking at other options.

 

Really interesting, if the price of that boy is only about 1200~1500$, I'll get one for my self and say goodbye to my old clevo w230st ( planning to w230ss but thank dell we have Dell 13 ).
----------------
oh, 1 more thing, Will the aw 13 have dual fans - or single cooling system??

 

Looks like a docking port to me.

 

A nice entry level AW for fans that want a smaller form factor, personally I would only get one with a Broadwell/Maxwell combo but it seems nice for those that want a AW that's easier to haul around.

 

P34 V2 Quality is fine, it's a mix of aluminium and plastic thats why it weight 1.6KG if you wants better build quality enjoy your 2.2KG laptop, it's not a flaw or compromised it's a choice that many wants it,

This alienware 13 though? awful ultra low volt CPU that is not even quad core, mid range GPU, 13 in size but identical to the 14 in size which was already bigger than many 15 laptops, it's heavy for its class, it's thick for its class
If it was given to me for free i still wouldn't use it or carry it, a complete waste of time and money i rather simply sell it back and if couldn't i still wouldn't use it it's that bad yes.

 

I think we should see how Maxwell and Broadwell perform before we start bashing "thin" Alienware's. And yes, I know, when this Alienware hits the market, it will have Haswell and Maxwell 860M. But will it eventually have Broadwell and the 900M series Maxwell? Most likely. There will probably be a 960M and 965M.

Just because it's thinner than what we're all used to, doesn't mean it will be a crap laptop. Technology gets better, runs cooler, and allows companies to make thinner products. We don't know anything about Broadwell and Maxwell (nothing from credible sources). For all we know, Broadwell could provide better than Ivy Bridge performance with very low temperatures. Sure, it's not likely, but it's possible, right? We all know Maxwell is going to be extremely energy efficient and should provide a great boost in performance. So, maybe "thin and light" doesn't necessarily mean, "hot and slow" or whatever else you want to call it.

With that being said, I don't like the idea of Alienware competing with UltraBooks. That's just stupid. Alienware designs High Performance Gaming Systems that blow the competition out of the water. Until now, "High Performance Gaming Systems" meant big. Is not that something which can change? If we can get decent cooling and excellent performance in a thin form factor, why not give it a shot?

I'm sure Alienware did their best with this design. Let's not totally dismiss the possibility that it may be a good computer for its size. Pascal and Skylake are also coming out in 2016. They will be even smaller components with even greater performance to give. Maybe Alienware's will just become more portable as components become smaller, more powerful, and more efficient.

P.S. "Thin and light" to Alienware isn't thin and light compared to other companies, lol. The MacBook Air is thin and light. This Alienware 13 R1 is still thick and heavy in comparison.

 

who cares if they can cool ultra low volt dual core cpu and maxwell 860m (which is already out for many months and easy to cool with laptops that are much thinner) by the time this thing is out and you customize it then ship it it's already 2015 Alienware is half a year late at least to the 860m Maxwell party which got released in April and broadwell confirmed not coming this year a while ago, it's Q1 2015

This thing is Utter Failure without any doubt unless they change the CPU/GPU it's DOA

 

Wow you really don't like the idea of this notebook, we get it! Just because you hate it does not mean it will fail. Agreed ULV cpu is not the greatest and I would not choose it if it was my only notebook but the advantages is we will probably get decent battery life. I had no problem with the ULV in my m11x, that little machine rocked, if it had a better screen I would still be using it today for causal games

 

You are so closed-minded.

It's coming with the 860M because Alienware has to refresh their lineup before the end of the year, and NVIDIA is not launching an 860M replacement until Broadwell hits the market. So, it's impossible for them to offer anything else in the Alienware 13 until this time. Also, we still do not know if only ULV CPU's will be offered or not. It may be like the Alienware 14, which has a base model with an i5, but several other options up to the 4910MQ.

 

Personally, I'm still not convinced it will have ULV. CNET is the only place to actually mention it (I've read a lot of "hands on" articles) and they aren't really the most trusted name in tech news. I'll wait till I see something a bit more official before holding judgement. However, I believe you are right... Even IF it does have ULV, it could have other options as well.

 

Give me no 2.5", no optical drive, an mxm slot and the space used for cooling and that would make for a proper 13" alienware.

 

I went back through some of the articles and now the mention of ULV is there, but it seems only Engadget added it as an "edit".

 

The only thing that worries me about the redesign is the lack of an optical drive system. Power consumption rates can be made better from generation to generation resulting in a slimmer cooling profile and that's a good thing; honestly, the weight of my M17x is kind of a drag sometimes, pun fully intended. If you can shave three pounds off the total weight, then I'm at least listening to what you have to say. The next-gen GPU's and CPU's are aiming for a more efficient power usage as well as speed, so this is a welcome addition to the AW lineup.

However, I want the option of watching my blu-rays of Iron Man 2 and Pacific Rim while I'm on the road. Period. It's an entertainment station, a theoretical all-in-one replacement for your tablet, workstation, whatever game console you swear allegiance to and most of your social life. What's the point of having this great display and lightning-fast rendering if I have to go get a $60 player from Target and plug that in? Yes, I know that's the cheaper option, but damnit, that looks terrible. Plus, to be honest, not all the really good content has gone to digital distribution-only, which means I still have quite a few install DVD's floating around my house.

Yes, I know, I can buy an external drive. I don't want to, and I'm willing to pay the higher price to make it all-in-one. Presentation is important, and if AW isn't going to bring back different colors of the anodized aluminum (Nebula Red is still the best), at least throw me a bone and give me the option of a slot-loader.

Rant off.

 

Something this small is almost going to have to go with a pathetic ULV option because there is no room for a heat sink large enough to accommodate a robust CPU option, or meaningful overclocking. That being the case, there is no way to qualify this product, or others with like specs, as a genuine "high performance" system. It's a mainstream system with Alienware branding. There is nothing special about it and it belongs under the heading labeled "compromise" instead. And, that's OK if that's what you want... different strokes... There are plenty of other options in the world of belly button game-capable notebooks that satisfy such low performance expectations.

Their focus should remain on their most expensive products, built with the highest performance core components available, that are capable of living up to the reputation the brand was built upon... and, this definitely ain't it.

 

I am pretty sure that they can do a semi-thin and light gaming laptop while still making high-performance monster like the 18 and 17 AWs, after all, they did it with the M11x and the m14x. They will probably discontinue the 14 once they realize that the 13 will cut sales from it like they did with the M11x.

 

Weak Argument, Other laptops will get whatever new gpus that get released too if not even more powerful gpu since alienware doesn't want to compete with its other laptops range, it's heavy/thick/huge bezel almost 15 in size/no HD slot vs light/thin/smaller in size but bigger screen/hd slot laptops

Close minded? to like this laptop is "close minded" all arguments here are simply wishful thinking don't talk about what you want or whatever to happen, talk about its status as we know it, interested in ULV CPU/860M heavy/thick/no hd slot vs other laptops? Explain yourself because there wont be any sense whatsoever unless this laptop is really silent as i mentioned before this has nothing as advantage 0 vs others and ton of cons.

If you enjoy wasting your mind go ahead but spare us you and others all this "oh you are close minded" "oh you hate it! it wont fail" why do you care if i hate it or love it? it's a piece of tech i'm not talking about you or your family to feel offended
If i say it's a failure obviously it's my opinion you can simply agree to disagree no need to be childish about it "close minded !, we get it go away!" etc

 

I think you missed this part right here:

I think the gripe here is that if Alienware keeps focusing on these "thin and light <del>and crispy</del>" machines, less attention will be devoted to the high performance models, and their quality and performance will not live up to the high expectations of their usual customers as a result. And looking at the AW18 vs the M18xR2 or even R1, you really can't deny that does seem to be what's happening. In addition, although we've gone through nine BIOS revisions, the AW18 still has many issues that need fixing, and the most important ones were simply never addressed.

You can't say the diehard AW fans don't have a legitimate concern, especially given that AW is rolling out the Alpha steambox and AW13 all in one year. Really makes you wonder where their priorities are at the moment...

 

The trouble is all of the competitors are offering thin and light systems so of course Dell are going to want to jump on that train. They are a big enough company that they could easily do both if they wanted. The problem as I see it is that Dell seem to be trying to make profit by gimping and cost cutting the flag ship machines. Even if they did not spend any money/time on the AW13 this would still be happening. You only have to look at the regression year after year of the range, I worry that they will eventually destroy the brand.

I have a small shop selling alienware systems so I have been through hundreds of m14x/m17x/m18x and now the 14/17/18 models. I regularly have to strip systems down for upgrades and you can see the corners Dell have been cutting as years go by.

 

And, it makes matters worse that they didn't lower the price accordingly. They charge as much or more for less. I'm not talking components here, because you cannot get anything better than XM CPU and NVIDIA's top gun GPU unless you get something truly unique like a P570WM, but there are some functional limitations there as well. While they are still providing the best core components available they are cutting corners on the system in general. Paying $4-5K for a flagship product that has draconian restrictions on firmware modding and power handling capacity restrictions is a huge step in the wrong direction and a very anti-customer approach. Factor in the lack of any peripheral capacity that is not USB, you're getting substantially less product and less functionality, for the same or higher price.

 

Fair enough, but I do wonder if spending more of their R&D budget on developing these "mainstream" systems is exacerbating their cutting corners on the flagship models.

As for the P570WM Mr. Fox mentioned, the main limitation is that it's running the X79 platform which will be 3 years old very soon. Although this is more Intel's issue than Clevo's.

Very well said. You pretty much outlined the reasons why I avoided the AW18 and got a Clevo instead lol (Clevo has its own issues but that's another topic). Sad too because I was literally one click away from buying an almost maxed out AW18. Ironically it was this very forum that persuaded me to vote with my wallet and boycott the 18 as well as 4930MX this time around.

 

Yeah it's already pretty much confirmed that the alienware 13 has a ULV Dual Core CPU (ULV CPU's don't even have a quad core version in the 1st place). And the best one reaches 3.5GHZ on turbo boost which is quite low considering it's only Dual core. They had to pick this up in order to achieve a so called 8 hour battery life and reasonable temperatures which is sad. I doubt they will change it after this announcement since I assume they won't be interested in paying the engineers extra money for a redesign to get better temps with a fully fledged notebook CPU. If they come with an Alienware 15 with that thickness a good IPS panel (unlike the alienware 17) and a geforce 880M, i might consider getting one of that. Or of course if they won't discontinue the alienware 14 (which seems very unlikely). Otherwise I sadly have to leave the alienware club even though my alienware m14x r1 has been my best system experience so far.

I hope they will realize the mistake they are making here.

 

What I'm hoping they'll do is have this sort of design for the smaller laptops (the fabled "students looking for a good battery life AW rig) and spend a little more attention on battery life, while leaving the 17 and 18 as the traditional tank-like behemoths that go for power and are actual desktop replacements. Sort of like they did with the M11x and m15x. If this is the new wave for all future designs, battery life over power, then I'm out. I could really care less if my juggernaut's battery won't go over two hours; I plug it in all the time anyway, and I don't watch movies in vehicles because of, weirdly enough, motion sickness.

On a related note, is anybody out there really thinking a 13" display is where they want to go as the display of choice for gaming, versus the larger models? This seems much more aimed at students than gamers. I've tried futzing around with a 13" screen, and after 4 1/1 years of a 17" model, I simply can't go backwards in terms of surface size. It seems far too small, even at enhanced resolution rates.

 

If this is cheaper and has a better GPU than the MacBook 13", I may consider buying one. It will come in handy for classwork (and gaming during breaks). I was going to purchase an Alienware 14 when it got Maxwell, but a lot of people seem to think this Alienware 13 will replace the Alienware 14. And I while I don't agree with that, I can't know for sure. We'll see what happens.

EDIT: I don't understand why the AW 14 doesn't have a CPU and GPU fan like this AW 13. The AW 13 is smaller. You'd think it'd be easier to implement in the AW 14. Unfortunately, they followed the M14x design too closely with the AW 14.

 

13" and 4k is such a waste though. It needs to have HDMI-in like the 17/18 for something meaty to power it otherwise the only thing that will run on it at 4k is a photo's collection. Even then I don't think many people would want to have it double as a monitor at home.

 

That's just one of the configurable options. It won't be stuck with that high resolution. Depending on the cost, it may or may not be worth it.

 

Yeah I realize that. I feel sorry for who ever buys the 4k thinking games are going to run on it.

 

This new boy may look stupid for you Alienware gurus coz you're already very familiar with AW and expect the "traditional" AW feel
But to be honest, this 13" is quite tempting for people who want to buy their first gaming laptop
It still got the sexy look of the current AW lineup, and presumably a more affordable price tag (comparing to the 18" big brothers of course)
And having the alien head start button is great too! (this is a thing I really want)
To be fair, until a detailed review and benchmark result come out, it's unfair to judge it against other competitions. We need the thermal figures and know how the build quality is before we say "it is rubbish, it's not as light etc."

Despite everything, I personally think this 13" could be a great machine, but still not as pretty than the 14"
Look at the rear end of the lid! They screwed up the angle there and it looks really weird

 

Does this means that the "mirror" covering the screen will make a return? or is that only for the touch screen?

 

A person who is going to buy a gaming rig for the 1st time is going to be very disappointed in my opinion. It's a gaming rig of I'm sure not so cheap prices, since the smaller the machine the more expensive it gets. (they have to compensate for the engineers their extra effort they put to make it smaller). And after given such a price, they are getting this rig (probably for school assuming they will use it at least 3 years) that isn't even future proof at all. It is able to run current games on medium-high settings on 1080p 60fps, but just barely, which doesn't even go for every demanding game, so they will be wanting to get rid of it as soon as possible after 1 year or 2.

And your "sexy look" well they took the illuminated touchpad and especially the light strip from the sides which was for me the sexiest thing about the new alienwares. People say that this is perhaps the better solution for students which is again BS imho. As a former student computer scientist, there were people with some bulky gaming laptops, even alienware m17x were in between them. Considerring the alienware 14 already does a compromise in terms of gaming performance compared to other systems (considering the GPU only). It was the bare minimum an actual gamer would go for, which is what I did (bought the alienware m14x r1 the moment it came it. I just love it). I see the alienware 13 as a laptop for a non-gaming enthusiast only that tends to play a game now and then like league of legends. But you can already do that with other laptops that are smaller and better performing.

I waned to see this update on the alienware 14. this 13 is a waste of their money and our time.

 

There is no "future-proof" computer, especially on laptops. You never know what the coming games will demand in terms of performance. But generally speaking, I think the only "future-proof" capable machines are those with SLi/ CF configuration. They have excessive power to spare. When I said it's affordable, I meant it's cheaPER than other systems like a 17" or 18". They can easily cost you $3000-4000. The 13 incher may still be expensive in class but a price tag of <$2000 (reasonable guess?) is more friendly to many people.

The config of the 13 makes some sense. A ULV dual core is not very "Alienware-like", I completely agree on that. But if you just want to game and not those intensive work, a dual core is actually sort of capable. I locked down my 4700MQ to two cores (4T) and found that it didn't affect fps much, as the gpu power will become the bottleneck before the cpu power. And in that test turbo boost was actually disabled at the same time, those two cores were running at base clock of 2.2 GHz. I was able to play most of the big titles that I had.

Don't get me wrong, as an AW fan I'm not very excited by this 13" at all. I'm just saying this new comer is targeting and catering the non-enthusiast market, which in my personal experience is actually bigger than us (enthusiasts). I have a couple of friends who are not computer dorks but want laptops that are high performance (comparing to common machines like acer, hp etc.) They don't care about upgradibility, is it the top in class, does it follow a certain tradition or something like that. They just want it to run the few games they play, fast in normal tasks and look cool. That's it.

It's a sad moment that Alienware is moving away from us enthusiasts. But it's a corporation and it wants money. I'm happy to carry my 3kg AW14 around but most people around me think it's a stupid idea. It's not realistic hoping a corporation to give up revenue and be loyal with a small enthusiasts market. And a machine which is not appealing to enthusiasts doesn't make it a bad product.

 

It doesn't necessarily bother me that Alienware will be releasing a 13. That is irrelevant in my own mind because the product does not hold any interest for me. I think concern is actually not that a system like the AW14 or 13 exists as much as the appearance they are (or will be) abandoning what made them great, leaving perhaps their most loyal high performance enthusiast customers high and dry. If they pour most of their energy into stuff like this it's unlikely the next revision of the Alienware 18 will be a world class enthusiast product. Seeing that the current machine is so badly crippled, the future has potential to become even gloomier than things are today.

 

@hypersonik yeah you are right. I think my anger also comes from the fact that I'm not getting what I want. I have thought 2 years about what laptop to get when started college (used a simple business laptop before that). And when the m14x 1st came out I immediately get the one. You see 15 inch is just a little too big for me. 14 inch is literally PERFECT for me, (I can live with 13, but the performance reduction gets a little too far for me). Now my alienware m14x is 3 and a half year old, waiting to see a 800M lineup on the alienware 14 with enthusiasm. And now I get this AW 13 served in front of me. It's just frustrating I guess, that I won't be getting what I want. In the end I'm paying so much money for it. I push those extra few hundred bucks in there just because knowing that I'm getting exactly what I want, I don't mind paying that extra money. But when I'm giving so much money out, and I'm not getting what I want, is bs right. So currently there is no exact laptop that meats my requirements.

A 14 inch laptop with a 870M (or 860M if I have no other options, or perhaps a 865M if it will come out). An intel core i7 4710MQ (or a similar CPU around that class, since I do some CPU intensive tasks) and a decent cooling that can take some GPU overclocking capabilities (even if it means that I have to disable turbo boost, that is okay), so not in favor of too thin laptops.

There is non. All I wanted was them to put an 870M in the current alienware 14. that's it.

 

I know that feel bro
Before getting my AW14, I was thinking of getting the ROG G46, waiting for it to refresh from the nvidia 6xx to 7xx series, but it never happens. Turns out Asus has dropped the 14" line for good. Luckily at that time Alienware had the AW14 freshly on the shelf so I got this instead. And then I've became an Alienware fan. Maybe after a few years when I have spare cash in my pocket I will get a AW18 too. Hope they will keep their flagship model a truly enthusiast's machine till that time.

 

I petition for the replacement of the Alienware 18 with an Alienware 19, minus the crippled BIOS. :thumbsup:

I truly wonder if they'll ever go larger than the AW 18.

 

Actually, they lost a lot of their loyal ultraportable user base when they abandoned the M11x, this monster was totally unique back in its day and had a huge following. There were a lot of very disappointed AW fans, however, this new AW13 is simply a response to a change in the market. As good as the M14x is, it is still extremely heavy and bulky compared to the more portable competition.