Alienware 13 Pre-Release Speculation Thread

The M11x series all had them and they gamed just fine, enough so that people still use them to game on... seriously, this attitude of "fail" is a bit much really given past direct evidence that they fine for anything but serious multitasking which frankly is not what people generally are doing with gaming laptops, at least not when they are gaming.

 

If its using an ulv processor then it would need to have some other advantage to compensate over competitors. Eg is it much thinner or are they cramming in a higher end gpu as a trade off. It's an ok decision by itself but you have to use the leeway that gives you some how.

 

Yeah this is exactly what I was trying to get at. ULV in a >1" thick 13.3" chassis? Fine, you better make good use of that bulk like a monster GPU or an optical bay or whatever other feature that would make you stand out against other competitors.

Actually steviejones said it best:

 

I think it will just be offered with a ULV processor in the base configuration, and will support up to some "low level" quad-core CPU. But, on one hand, I also agree with Steve when he says it will be a failure. I don't believe it will stick around for more than a year (or generation). On the other hand, I hope we're all wrong and this product surprises us.

Base configuration: Until Broadwell is released:

CPU: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/benchmarks/ultrabook/4th-gen-core-i7-4558u-i5-4200u.html
GPU: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-850M.107795.0.html
Screen: 1366x768p, upgradeable to 1080p or 1440p.

 

Essentially its a 13" version of an M11x which did well enough to spawn three generations (and yes there were equal or better 11" designs at the time) and still in demand. If the only real contention is the processor and GPU combo, then I think there is little doubt AW/Dell will upgrade it if the market demands it, or as you said offer a couple higher options at launch. Dell/AW is not idiotic in reading the market; they have lot more research on the question than anyone on this forum and experience in what works and what doesn't. That doesn't mean they can't make mistakes, but to the point, I believe Dell believes it made a mistake with the AW 14 design and is attempting to fix it in the market with the AW 13..

The AW 14, it's older sibling is just routinely criticized in every review as too chunky relative to it's competitors, while that doesn't bother the uber-enthusiast, it is a key factor in the market today, right or wrong and affects a lot of people's buying decisions when they read those reviews, particularly in the $1000-$1300 price range. Hard-core gamers sweat every generation of GPU/CPU and are never really happy for long, but this is not AW/Dell's target market with this system, it's more the casual gamer or h/c gamer who relies on their desktop for serious gaming but wants a decent portable gaming capable laptop. it may well turn out to the be the decision to go so thick on the AW 14 design that was the "fail" in the long run at least as far as the market is concerned.

 

Yet the 14 is one of Alienware's best sellers. I don't think things have changed since the AW14's release. I doubt the 13 is here to take over from the 14. I think its likely another weak machine jumping on the Steambox bandwagon.

 

I'm going to assume it will be cheaper than the Alienware 14 - around $899 for the base configuration. If this holds true, then I may purchase one for class/studies (and light gaming or movies during breaks or in between classes) and will share how it handles. Alienware has always had a configurable lineup. So, odds are this AW 13 will as well. Worst case scenario, it does not meet my needs or standards and I sell it on eBay for a hundred dollars less or so. I doubt it will be that bad, though. Obviously, this notebook is targeting a different group of people than the rest of the lineup. But it's still going to be designed for gaming, just not how the AW 18 is.

EDIT: It better support at least one 2.5" SSD and one mSATA SSD slot with two (2) SODIMM slots!

 

Why would you do that? I mean I'm a fan of one 2.5"drive and one m.2 or msata drive. I use the m.2/msata one for a 500Gb SSD, and the 2.5 inch for a 1 or 2 TB drive for all kinds of other stuff I want to carry with me (movies mainly). Otherwise if you were to use 2 SSDs, 2 m.2 ones would be better.

And I sill have hopes (I mean I wish SOO BAD for it) that they will bring an alienware 14 upgrade (while keeping a performance difference between the AW 13 and 14 with the ULV CPU) using one of the new rumored 870MX GPU's

 

Why would I do that? To have up two 1TB SSD's in RAID. What you do is up to you, lol.

EDIT: I'm happy with this.

 

Wasn't saying it failed to sell a reasonable amount, just saying that while it may be a top seller for Alienware, that doesn't mean it's considered successful in market penetration,

I suspect the AW 14 is not doing quite as well in the market range as Dell would like... hence the slimming down and emphasis on a more mobile feel.

I personally think this occurred: AW/Dell, frustrated with the bad press and support issues (namely the hinge) of the original M11x series, despite good press and selling relatively well, pulled the plug prematurely. Even owners yearned for a 12 or 13 at the time lamenting the 11" screen as being just a bit too small. The M14x/AW 14 was born as the follow-up design, but it was not inline with the evolution of the market demands as time progressed, being too chunky and carrying an CD/BR drive that most owners don't even care about these days. Reviews and sales were good but not outstanding, and they are either replacing the AW 14 in the line up for now with the AW 13 to meet recurrent demand for a lighter system but not going back to the 11" scale as it is too small a market for the demand. I also believe that the ULV processors will not be the only choice down the road, but may be initially.

And if you think I am anti-M14x/AW 14, know that I am writing this on an M14x-R2 that is my workhorse laptop - and I still may opt for the AW 14 if it gets a GPU upgrade

 

In that case you haven't read my post really good.
I said in case you want 2 SSD's it's better to have 2 m.2 or 2 msata drives. You can still run your 1TB SSD in raid, and you have saved a lot more space. I said why would you want to have the inconsistency of the 2 drives. Of course unless you already own an SSD of 2,5 inch and want to add another msata one next to it is a different story.

 

I don't like having mSATA SSD's as primary OS drives. It would also be nice for those who would like to go the cheap route and have a standard 2.5" HDD cached by an mSATA. Either way is fine with me, as long as it has two ports available. That was the point I was trying to make. What type doesn't necessarily concern me. The two I mentioned just happened to come to mind while making the post.

 

What's wrong with a ULV CPU?
I think its a really smart move to differentiate the machine from the competitors. It isn't just about the physical profile of the 13" machine, almost all machines in this class of chassis have heat issues with full voltage CPUs (e.g. the Razer Blade which has issues despite being bigger). I think the key word to describe this machine is "elegant" as opposed to "workhorse" for the W230SS. Basically, decent overall performance, less heat, less noise, svelte profile and great battery life. Compared to the chunky 14" model, this is what I'd classify as superb design work if they pull it off, essentially it is the same elegant engineering in 13" that the M17x is to the DTR market.
This ULV unit will let the 860M breathe more as the CPU outputs less heat. Plus additionally, the ULV chip allows the machine to be extremely portable as well (especially if Dell uses quality power efficient motherboard components and ICs). I wouldn't complain about a 13 inch machine that can play the latest titles reasonably well AND has 8+ hrs of battery life.

 

I think my point may have gotten lost through all these pages, but essentially: you don't need a >1" thick chassis to properly cool a ULV, that's why it's ULV in the first place with severely clamped down TDP and used in ultrabooks for the most part. So, if you are going to stick a ULV in >1" thick chassis, you better make use of that extra bulk.

The Razer overheats because it has an 870M and is 0.7" thick, so you're using a much hotter GPU and reducing the thickness -- that's a double whammy.

The W230SS is 1.26" thick, and with a 4810MQ quad core the CPU runs around 80-85C when gaming, with BF4 MP heating it up to 92C, but that's an exceptional case as BF4 MP is known to tax the living crap out of CPUs. So, while temps are not "ideal", they're not exactly "alarming" either. Plus the W230SS has a single fan cooling both CPU + GPU.

From the pictures I can only guess that the AW13 will have comparable thickness with the W230SS, but will sport 2 fans. So putting a ULV in there to me is simply laziness on Dell's part.

 

We don't know if it will be ULV only. There may just be a base configuration with ULV processor(s). For all we know, it could be:

Intel® Core™ i5-4200U
Intel® Core™ i5-4210M
Intel® Core™ i7-4558U
Intel® Core™ i7-4710MQ

There could be many options. All we know for sure is that there will be a ULV processor. Not that it will only be offered with ULV processors.

 

Is the i7-4710MQ still considered a UVL processor?

That processor doesn't seem bad at all

 

No, it's not a ULV. I was just trying to make a point.

 

Can't be those as some are socket based and some are soldered. You won't find them using both as they require different motherboards and heatsinks.

 

Was just about to say: are any of the ULV chips socketed?

 

It was just an example to show that we don't have a crystal ball to see into the future to look at the configuration set for the AW 13.

 

That's fair, but the majority of the criticism leveled against the AW13 (including mine) was the decision to go ULV. You brought up a good point that it could just be the base config, but then Meaker's post reminded me that mobile Haswell ULV chips only seem to come in BGA flavor.

I suppose it's possible they could offer BGA quad cores as well (4702HQ, 4710HQ), but an Alienware with soldered CPU+GPU is just... I dunno, so un-Alienware lol

 

Hmmm... guess it depends on your experiences... this is true for the M14x-R2/AW 14 and the M11x-series....

 

It's time for a change. It's not surprising to see a company do what other companies do in order to remain competitive in the market. I'm not a fan of the ULV processor either, but it's a damn 13" notebook. What do you expect? I would never have expected so much from a 13" notebook, let alone be able to game on one. You guys are acting as though you should be able to get AW 18 performance from this notebook or something, and are disappointed because you can't.

 

not much from a 13"? ahem, w230ss, ahem
in terms of competition, apple was off the mainstream for a long time with its ridiculuous 16:10 lcd and that didn't affect how much apple was making. the point is you don't have to follow the norm to be competitive

 

I'm not referring to Apple. Apple does not making gaming notebooks. And you missed the point of my post. This is coming from someone who has only owned 17" and 18" notebooks. So, yeah, you're quoting my personal opinion, which is only an opinion - a 13" notebook is nothing in comparison.

 

The M11x is understandable, because there simply isn't room to put a socketed CPU in there (the Z-height would increase a 3-4 mm just due to the socket alone). The M14x/AW14 at least had a socketd CPU.

What do I expect from a 13" notebook? Not much tbh (despite what you may think given my posts). BUT considering the competition that's offering thinner and lighter systems with more powerful hardware, what's the point of the AW13?

Yes they have overheating issues, but apparently the Blade 14 with 4702HQ and 870M can manage to keep thermals around 85C if a proper repaste is done. (see HTWingnut's post) Then there's the W230SS that manages thermals despite a full quad core. If Dell is so concerned about heat then bring back the M11x, at least there they have a legitimate excuse to go ULV, not to mention it will be thin(ner) and light(er), and will probably be able attract the thin and light crowd more.

Again, most of my criticism toward the AW13 is that given the competition, it brings absolutely nothing to the table.

And honestly, my respect for the Blade just skyrocketed after seeing those temps, and realizing there's still room for improvement if Razer didn't do a half-azzed job at making the heatsink. 4702HQ + 870M in a 0.7" thick chassis no less.

 

Maybe it wasn't Alienware's intention to blow the competition out of the water with this notebook? Maybe they just wanted to jump into the same pool everyone else swimming in? It's Alienware's first 13" notebook. There is room for improvement, and plenty of time to make it happen.

I think you (and others) are overreacting - it's new and unfamiliar. Therefore, you dislike it. The same thing happened last year with the 2013 redesign of the Alienware lineup. Everyone said the 2013 refresh was going to be crap. Turns out, pretty much everyone that said so has come to like it. All I'm suggesting is that you give it a chance before completely dismissing the possibility that it may be an acceptable addition to the lineup.

EDIT: Out of my own genuine curiosity, you don't own Alienware, do you? Judging from your signature, you do not. Your other posts around the forum suggest you dislike Alienware as well. So, why are you so invested in the discussion of this notebook? I'm not going around bashing Clevo's new notebooks before they even come out.

 

woah woah woah hold your fire right there bro.
like I said before, being competitive doesn't mean you have to follow the norm.
none of us are saying we should expect 18" performance from a 13", that's like asking a 5 year old to do multi-vars calc. what we are saying, however, is that it should be what an alienaware should be.

given the how thick it is, you can't really have the excuse of not having enough room for cooling or whatsoever.
if the clevo w230ss can handle a quad core then there's really no reason for an alienware to go with an ULV processor. this is simply not being competitive, but rather losing in the competition because of worse hardware.

that said, I don't expect this to be as good as an AW 18, but I do expect to be at least on par with its competitor. it has every potential to do what its competitors can, and there's simply no reason to not let it do so

 

No I don't, but I have friends who do. I'm not going to claim I know the products inside out but I am familiar with them.

You're right, I dislike the "new" Dell and the Alienware it's been putting out simply because I feel Dell is starting to destroy the Alienware brand. If you read some of my older posts I had nothing but praise for the M18xR2. My comments regarding declining quality of support and NBD service is based on what I've been reading on the forums. I don't remember if it was Mr. Fox or someone else but one member claimed that he would never allow a tech to touch his machine and would only use them as a parts delivery guy. The general consensus around here also seems to be have the tech deliver the parts but do the repair yourself.

As for why I'm so invested in this discussion, because I actually want (or rather, wanted) to purchase an Alienware at some point in the future. But looking at what Dell is doing and the direction it seems to be taking, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. The comments are the result of my frustration that Alienware no longer seems interested in upholding its reputation as a premier enthusiast brand, and is instead going mainstream (as I have said many times). There's nothing wrong with that, but when it comes at the cost of runing your own brand reputation, that's just wrong.

Finally, I don't think I'm "bashing" Alienware. Bashing would be saying something like "Alienware is overpriced pos" and leaving it at that without giving any reason or thought. Much like how a lot of people on NBR like to say "Clevo runs hot and loud and has terrible build quality and terrible warranty" and present that as the dogmatic truth. Not saying Clevo doesn't have issues, but a lot of it is either exaggerated, subjective, outdated stereotyping, or just downright actual bashing.

 

For the tenth time: we don't know if they will offer only ULV processors or not. You act as though you know this. For all we know, it could be the base configuration that has only the ULV processor. The only thing the reviews/leaks suggest is that it will support "i5 and i7 processors." That does not mean ULV only.

Alienware loves to price gouge with upgrades. I guarantee you there will be several upgrades available for the AW 13, just like there are for all of their laptops and desktops.

 

There is no such thing as a thin, light and small, notebook that is capable of meeting my performance expectations. There is no such thing because nobody makes one. Needs and expectations will vary by customer.

Based on the incomplete information available regarding this new machine, I think we should all take a wait and see approach after the machine is released. We will then have a better idea what the specs actually are and see how it performs. If it is better than expected, great... if not, then each potential purchaser will need to decide if it is something they want based on personal preferences.

 

There is a video on youtube with an alienware rep talking about the specs. He said that there will be i3, i5 and i7 option s. Its a God is a geek video.

 

I would love to have a 13" with a rocking non-scaled resolution and 880m (or soon to be better) card, with an extreme processor... but how much would it be for the market that would buy it and is a cost-effective cooling solution available for one? I think that's the key - what is a realistic expectation for such a positioned product without taking the easy way out like Nvidia with the Razer that is ridiculously hot and is essentially a throw away device for the cost IMHO due to short component lifetimes (MSI is guilty of this too). I also question the expressed need to play the latest games at max settings on a 13" device... seriously, is your gaming pleasure that diminished if you have to suffer the pain of sustained 45 fps instead of a 120 fps?

 

Personally like I said, I'm not bothered by the M13, but it's what benchmark it maybe setting is what has perked my interest. Such as this unknown port, what is it? What does it do? Will it be rolled out to all new Alienware laptops? Screen resolution: Again setting a benchmark of incoming screens for the Alienware line up that can offer more then 1080P. And, most importantly a chance that the Alienware power head logo could be coming back! I miss that little guy!

It could be any interesting time for Alienware in the coming months, especially with a new line up imminent. Are models going to be replaced? Done away with?

I'd also be interested to know if anyone from Alienware (they know who they are) or Dell have read this thread? In a few small weeks it's managed to get 29 pages of comments and has been viewed over 17 thousand times. So there is a lot of good feedback that they could be learning from this, or maybe that was the whole point of getting the news out long before it's due to be released?

 

Not yet. I imagine two or three generations after Maxwell there will be.

 

Yeah, after my son goes off to college, I wouldn't hesitate to get the AW13 if the specs are decent with a great screen. Hopefully the official specs will be released soon and we can put all these rumors to rest

 

All the bitxhin aside from other posters, this is still very exciting .

 

I'll be interested to see what the build is like.

 

I sure hope they've fixed the keyboard ghosting.

Cheers.

 

Mr Fox, of course it won't meet your performance expectations because they're out of any ordinary man's league but remember, some of us need to have a thin - light notebook to take around college and hell, this would have been the best of both worlds for me. I had to buy a Samsung ultrabook because I couldn't lug my G73JH every day to college on my 3 hour daily commute...

 

You have no need for such a device, therefore you haven't a reason to buy one. Other people, however, may be interested in a reasonably powerful and portable little laptop with a high resolution display. If the price is competitive, I may consider buying one.

 

As i said everyone has their different needs. Be more concerned about what niche it fills rather than matching a specific user. It's a hard market to really shine in so that's why I'm interested in exactly what they think will make it stand out.

 

From what I remember reading, this comes with 2 2.5'' bays right?

I plan on doing raid 0 with my 2 SSDs, seems possible right?

 

It supports 2 SSD's. I'm going to assume one mSATA and one 2.5" (7mm) like the AW 14.

 

Can you still run raid 0 with mSATA and a regular 2.5'' SSD?

 

If they are the same brand, yes. You could get Samsung 840 EVO's.

 

Came across this article:

New Alienware 13-inch Laptop Promises Pro Gaming Without Backache | Kotaku Australia

Not sure if the information is entirely reliable, but had a nice little tid bit about using full-voltage processors:

Soo maybe we're all worried for nothing

 

Hmmm interesting. As Meaker said, "it's a hard market to really shine in so that's why I'm interested in exactly what they think will make it stand out." Considering what they're up against, yeah, I'll be watching this space.

p.s. Sager NP7338 supports 1 x 2.5" SATA plus 2 x mSATA slots simultaneously.

 

I think If you want thin and light for school, get a tab and the 18 got everything else

 

The website is simply reporting falsely is likely.
Many many websites reported full cpu first but then alienware talked with them to update it that it's ULV not full CPU and it's why plenty of articles like engadget etc were corrected, they wouldn't readjust/correct an article unless they were contacted
For those who enjoy it "good for you" i can put a shoe inside a laptop with alienware logo and some would still wants it, you are a minority, majority were clear this is DOA