Dell announces new XPS, Alienware devices

• Refreshed XPS 15 and 17 features 11^th Gen Intel Core CPU, NVIDIA RTX 30-series GPU
• Alienware x17 set to be thinnest Alienware yet, with unique thermal interface

IF you're in the market for powerful laptops for work or play, it might pay to wait a little. Dell has just announced that its latest XPS and Alienware devices are set to arrive in Malaysia in June 2021.

In a statement, Dell said these include the refreshed XPS laptops featuring 11th generation of Intel Core processors and the thinnest Alienware gaming laptop to date.

The new XPS 15 and 17 laptops are virtually similar to last year’s redesigns, which saw a size bump for the 17-inch model and a redesign for the 15-inch laptop to better match the XPS 13’s design.

What’s different here are the insides. These are productivity machines made highly portable: the XPS 15 packs Nvidia RTX 3050Ti graphics into an 18mm thin design. The XPS 17, on the other hand, sports RTX 3060 graphics in a 19.5mm chassis.

The XPS 17 features a 93.7% screen-to-body ratio, and sports a 16:10 17-inch edge-to-edge display in a form smaller than 14% of 15-inch laptops.

Both feature CNC machined aluminium, aerospace-inspired carbon fibre and Corning Gorilla Glass 6 in their build, Dell said.

Both devices also comes equipped with up-firing quad-speakers featuring Waves Nx 3D audio, which are speakers tuned by multi-Grammy Award winning producer Jack Joseph Puig.

The new XPS 15 and XPS 17 laptops are set to arrive in Malaysia in “early June,” Dell said.

 The XPS 15 configured with a Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, RTX 305Ti graphics and FHD display priced at US$2,030 (RM8,400); while the XPS 17 with Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD storage, RTX 3060 and FHD display is priced at US$2,321 (RM9,600).

[RM1 = US$0.241]

The new Alienwares

Set to arrive mid-June in Malaysia is the Alienware x17, a gaming laptop that is set to be the thinnest Alienware yet. There are no specifics on exactly how thin the Alienware x17 is, but we do know that it features 11th generation Intel Core processors paired with NVIDIA’s RTX 30-series graphics.

More fascinating is its thermal interface, dubbed Element 31. It utilises materials made of a gallium-silicone matrix that is said to deliver a decrease to overall thermal resistance over the previous generation and extraordinary improvement in contact resistance as shown in preliminary testing, Dell claimed.

This is paired with Alienware’s Quad-Fan design, which produces dedicated airflow using evacuative fans and dual composite outlet fans. This helps manage heat and enable high-performance within a thin design.

Dell has stated that the Alienware x17 configured with an 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor, FHD display, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage and NVIDIA RTS 3060 graphics will carry a price tag of RM10,999. That’s pretty hefty, but also par for the course of portable yet powerful gaming laptops.

Also set to arrive is the Alienware m15 R6 gaming laptop, which similarly sports the same Intel Core processors alongside NVIDIA RTX 30-series graphics. This is a 15-inch device with display refresh rates spanning 165Hz, 240Hz and 360Hz.

Customers can configure the device to feature the low-profile mechanical keyboard co-developed by Cherry, which boasts a 15 million keystroke lifecycle, 1.8mm total key travel, N-key rollover tech and per-key AlienFX customisable lighting.

The Alienware M15 R6 is set to arrive end June, and prices start at RM7,999 for the Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, RTX 3060 and FHD display configuration.  

A more affordable entry into gaming laptops would be the Dell G15 TGL. It may not sport the Alienware brand, but this is a gaming laptop through and through, featuring the same Intel Core processors, RTX 30-series graphics, 165Hz display and a thermal design based on Alienware technology.

The Dell G15 sporting Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics and FHD display prices at RM4,199.