Alienware x17 R2 gets slimmer, gains Intel's 12th Gen CPUs

(Epitome credit: Future)

Alienware is known for a few things when it comes to its gaming laptops. Creating systems that are powerful and pretty with lots of configurations. Oh, and the lights. Lots of blinking, breathing, pulsating LED lights. You're getting all of that with the latest addition to the Alienware xSeries family, the x17 R2. And you're getting a few more bells and whistles thank you to Intel'due south new 12th Gen processors, some new cooling tech and some new Nvidia components.

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Design

The original Alienware x17 was a vision in Lunar White and x17 R2 carries on that tradition. Sporting Alienware'southward Fable two.0 blueprint, the x17 R2 is all sleek lines and rounded corners. And as pretty as the notebook is with its blink-and-you-might-miss-it pearlescence, the centre wants what information technology cannot accept –– in this instance, it'south the off-black tint that Alienware lovingly calls Night Side of the Moon.

And while the x17 R2 maintains its predecessor'south good looks, information technology did undergo a bit of a makeover for the new year, shedding a few tenths of an inch to become Alienware's thinnest 17-inch gaming laptop to date weighing 6.v pounds and measuring xv.7 ten 11.8 10 0.viii-inches, which 0.04 inches slimmer than its predecessor and puts it in striking altitude of the Razer Blade 17 (15.v ten x.2 x 0.78 inches).

For ports, you take a Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB Type-C USB three.2 Gen 2 port, a USB Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, a HDM! 2.1 port, microSD bill of fare slot and a headset jack.

And near those captivating twinkling lights. The x17 R2 is full of them, including the rear vent which is lined in ovular light show, the anti-ghosting keyboard with 100 private mini-LEDs and the touchpad. All of which can be customized via the preinstalled Alienware Command Centre software. And thank you to a team with CherryMX, the x17 R2 keyboard utilizes an ultra depression-profile mechanical keyboard that delivers a nice amount of click.

Display

The Alienware x17 R2 comes with a number of display options for the discerning gamer. You've got a pair of FHD (1920 x 1080) panels, one with a 165Hz refresh rate and a 3 millisecond response rate and another with a 360Hz refresh rate and 1ms response rate. Finally, you lot have a 4K option (3840 x 2160) with a 120Hz refresh rate and 4ms response rate. No matter which panel y'all choose, it will support Nvidia'south G-Sync and Avant-garde Optimus technologies which volition ensure smoothen rendering with little tearing or input lag.

Alienware rarely misses on its panels, just I'1000 hoping to get my hands on the 4K version as it'southward brighter with 500 nits compared to the 1080p screens' 300 nits. I'm a sucker for a super loftier-res, brighter-than-a-candle screen. However, all of the available panels are Dolby Vision compliant which brings dazzling HDR for extremely vivid colors. The system also has Dolby Atmos software which means big audio from relatively minor speakers.

Specs

The displays aren't the but place where y'all get a bevy of option. The Alienware x17 R2 will be among a squad of gaming laptops offering Intel's new 12th Gen processors. Consumers can choose between the Cadre i7 12700H or the Core i9-12800HK CPUs –– both of which I'one thousand incredibly eager to put through their paces in real-world testing. As far as graphics, the x17 R2's base configuration has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU with 6GB of VRAM. All the same, there are several Nvidia listings on the laptop's spec sheet that only say "Nvidia GeForce RTX xxx Series Laptop Graphics." It's a rubber guess that these are either Max-Q or Ti variants of current chips. Or Nvidia might throw a curveball and roll out a 3090 GPU, but I wouldn't bet on information technology.

You lot get either 16 or 32GB for RAM options, As far as storage is concerned, single drive options start at 256GB and max out at 2TB PCIe NVMe M.two SSDs. Dual solutions are in RAID 0 showtime with 512GB up to 4TB PCIe NVMe 1000.ii SSDs.

Oestrus

In gild to proceed things dainty and absurd, Alienware brings its proprietary Cryo-Tech cooling engineering science. However, the company has a few new tricks upwards its sleeve including a new exclusive Chemical element 31 thermal interface material that consists of a Gallium-Silicone matrix. The system also has vapor chamber cooling engineering science and five unique power states designed to deliver optimal performance and efficiency. Finally, you take Smart Fan control technology that enables each fan the ability to speed up, slow down or remain steady independently according to diverse sensors within the system.

It all sounds cool, but I'1000 definitely looking forward to seeing how it all plays out in the existent globe after a five-hr gaming session.

Lesser line

Alienware is coming into the new year swinging for the fences with x17 R2. The second iteration of the svelte system brings all the things I loved about the original (style and performance) and makes slight improvements to continue it at the meridian of my list of gaming laptops. With new components from both Intel and Nvidia in play, I'm excited to see how the Alienware x17 R2 fares against the competition in terms of performance and pricing.

Sherri L. Smith has been cranking out product reviews for Laptopmag.com since 2022. In that fourth dimension, she's reviewed more than than her share of laptops, tablets, smartphones and everything in betwixt. The resident gamer and sound junkie, Sherri was previously a managing editor for Black Spider web two.0 and contributed to BET.Com and Popgadget.