Customer Ratings & Reviews

Welp, 1st-the Performance 2nd-Specs, 3rd-Crafted with carbon fiber for durable and elite feel! Specs Overview: -17.3 inch QHD (2560x1440) 120Hz TN Anti-Glare 400-nits VR-ready NVIDIA G-SYNC Enabled w/Tobii Eye-tracking -16GB Memory 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD -NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 with 8GB GDDR5 -overclocked CPUs at 4.1GHz -Alienware HD+IR presence detection camera (Standard) Alienware FHD camera for systems with Tobii IR Eye-tracking presence detection, Windows Hello technology -upgraded Alienware TactX keyboard. -free Watch Dogs 2 Game Bundle(degital download add-On)

I've had the AW17R4 for about a month now. Originally I purchased an MSI Stealth 15. I'm not knocking MSI as I bet some of their products are quality, but the AW is superior in every way in my experience so far. Why? First off is support. Alienware's support site is very easy to navigate and find specific drivers for your machine based on a service tag. Next is speaker quality. The AW is comparable to Mac sound quality. Some will say you'll use headphones so it doesn't matter but not always. The AW sounds fantastic for games, movies, and music with the laptop speakers when you quickly want to hear something. The display is 120hz and UHD. The display is beautiful and plays movies/games with ease. I have a 144hz monitor on a desktop PC and this screen makes transitioning not an issue for me. With other laptops at 60hz the transition is a little annoying if you're accustomed to using a 120hz or higher screen refresh rate. Monitor is gsync supported, which is nice, but I find that I turn it off for FPS games. I prefer max fps and in its current iteration gsync still feels slightly delayed... Speed and overall performance is excellent. Fans kick up when you game but that is part of it. You're fooling yourself if you want a beast machine to run silent when being pushed. Not going to happen with laptops. Lastly, this machine is GIGANTIC. Period. The 17" screen is slight overkill but it's great for gaming when traveling and setting up in a hotel. Not so great for a quick web browse when you're on the couch and you want the laptop on your lap. It will function that way yes, but it's more suited for a desk configuration. Also, finding a backpack for this machine has been a task... bags that fit 17" laptops don't fit this laptop. You need a bag that is 18.4" or larger. This cuts down on selections for bags and also raises the cost. Plan to spend 60-200 for a travel bag. I also wish it had one or two more USB 3.0 ports. I'll get by with what it has but if you need more make sure to get a powered USB hub. Most are not powered and some devices will not function on a non powered hub. Check your device. In closing I'm extremely happy. I recommend this to everyone. If this fits your budget you will be tremendously happy. I treat it like a baby and plan to keep this around for the next 2-4 years. The machine should not fall behind with its specs during that period I imagine.

I knew this laptop would be awesome when I first saw it. It is. Get it you will love it. It does more than I need it to. So the possibilities are endless.

I originally purchased an MSI stealth pro from best buy. I was very impressed by the size and weight. Well, not just impressed but blown away. I couldn't believe they fit so much performance into such a lightweight notebook. I had buyers remorse however. There was just way too much bloatware and I figured if I was going to spend so much money on a laptop for gaming I might as well spend a little more to get something a better. The huge weight difference aside, I am really enjoying the Alienware. It has a gtx 1070 vs the 1060 in the MSI which isn't a big deal . However the qhd and 120hz on the Alienware were a big selling point for me. The build quality feels very solid. This thing weighs almost 10 pounds so I wouldn't expect it to feel like anything other than a tank. I like how you can customize the color of the keyboard quadrants and also things like the track pad, Alienware logo and even lights on the sides of the laptop. I have owned Apple macbooks previous to this purchase and this Alienware feels like the windows Apple equivalent. I have only used this laptop to play WoW so far. I found it odd that the game automatically sets my video settings to medium with this card. I play at 10 on my desktop with a Radeon 290 card. I actually get higher fps when I set everything to ultra with the gtx 1070. Just set render scale to 100%. TLDR: Big and heavy, worth it for gaming.

This is my 3rd AW in the past 6 years, the previous were AW14, AW17r2 and now this big bad boy which so far hasn't disappoint. My other two are still working like a champ after surviving several TDY trips over the years which my wife and niece are now enjoying. This helped with my final decision since I was in the market for an upgrade. It had to be well built to survive my trips and pump out games just as good or better than my gaming desktop which currently has a 980 graphics and acer g-sync monitor. I almost went with the MSI Dominator Pro with comparable specs but after the years of owning AW laptops and on rare occasion using their customer service I decided to stick with them. Here are some breakdowns IMO: Pros - Well built in my case (no pun intended); heard/read stories from others with defects but not with the AW's that I've owned - G-sync looks just as good or better than my PC; granted my pc has a 980 card and this has a newer 1070 running max settings - Love the new redesign overall, it is a little larger in depth but shorter on height and heat management has improved compared to the AW17r2, keyboard still gets warm but not as toasty as the r2. - Keys are responsive and has good tactile, touchpad is placed at a decent location and is responsive - Was not loaded with tons of bloatware - Alienware customization software has evolved nicely; love the AW audio and lighting effects you can personally tailor - Speakers sound very nice for a laptop once configured the way I liked it; wife even complimented on how clear and loud my games sounded even though I knew it probably annoyed her as well lol - Upgradable SSD and HDD, has two additional SSD ports which AW has decent tutorial videos to walk you through on youtube. - My local BB had this in stock! In the past ordered directly from AW and had to wait weeks for it. Cons/Meh - With the increase of depth my swiss gear backpack that my AW17r2 fits will barely fit this beast. Be aware if you plan on traveling with this. - No internal DVD; not a big deal but now I have an external DVD player to pack as well with my other accessories. - Could use a few more USB ports - Haven't played with the Tobii eye tracking yet so no verdict yet - 99wh battery is what to be expected from a power hungry laptop, was not in market of power efficiency since I use this as a traveling gaming desktop. But it will last a few hours for regular internet browsing or maybe a full movie as long as it's not like LoTR - Be sure to get your free Antivirus/Security if it's still offered through BB, I never received mine If you're like me that are gaming enthusiast that travel and need a very nice portable desktop gaming rig then this will be a safe bet IMO. Just make sure you get a bag that will hold this beast and still fit under the airplane seat otherwise pack it in your carry on. I would also consider this bad boy to replace my desktop completely so if you plan on doing something similar I would definitely recommend it. Hope this helps!

I've spent the past 3-4 months researching my next laptop choice. I started off with wanting a portable powerhouse like dell xps 13 / lenovo X1 Carbon but these lacked a powerful video card. Though I don't play games I do want snappy and clean video performance. Truthfully I really wanted a portable desktop that was well build that allowed me to do whatever I wanted at any particular moment in time. The Alienware is definitely well built with lots of performance power. Ram and hard drive is very upgradeable. It's equipped with two larger nvme slots / one half sized m2 and a space for a traditional 2.5 inch sata bay. (I've already maxed the ram at 32 gb and changed the nvme hdd from 128 gb to 1 terabyte Samsung pro nvme. The version of the display I bought was the 4K version giving me crisp and clean text. Power supply is nice and compact. There has been no heat issues during an hour long video rendering. The fans do rev up when needed but the machine was only slightly warm. At this point in time I am very happy with how capable this laptop is and I expect that I'll feel the same way in the coming months. Please do note that this laptop is heavy so keep that in mind when considering a purchase. It is also an oddly sized 17" laptop that requires an 18 - 18.4" laptop bag. It's a very solid choice and worth buying if your needs match it's capabilities,.

This Alienware r4 has almost all the bells and whistles including an Nvidia 1070. So far, everything has worked as advertised. Although a TN panel, the screen is very bright and with its high refresh rate and 2K resolution, it can handle games with ease. I've not experienced the overheating some others have with the first batch of these and hopefully that stays the same. It has every type of connection you need for peripherals as well. The keyboard is very good as well the track-pad. The lighting on this machine is a nice touch. Overall the build and feel is very solid and the laptop looks excellent. The Tobii is a nice extra but only works on certain games. My only con, and the only reason I did not give this laptop 5 stars, is that it lacks an optical drive. Old school gamers like myself still like to have it and in fact need one to load games and programs from CDs. However, I knew that when I bought it and have it hooked-up to an external drive. The price point was simply too attractive to pass up for this great Alienware.

Thermals are a problem with this generation of Alienwares. Get the Dell warranty and be prepared to have it serviced. Also, the price is generally high and not worth it for Alienwares. If you can find it on sale/open box, you might be in for a steal! I know I got this for cheap! The screen on this model was awesome, and I highly recommend. The GTX 1070 is perfectly paired with a 1440p screen. 4K would be a waste.

I looked at all the big overpowered laptops on the market before buying this, and the reason I chose Alienware was the build quality. this thing is made with seriously premium materials. there is absolutely zero flex on any of the components. and the materials all have a very good premium feel to them. Next thing I was shocked by was the cooling... this thing doesn't get hot to the touch and even when I ran cpu and gpu stress tests I couldn't get them to thermal throttle. as for the power..... I mean come on, a GTX1070 and a 6700 i7! it runs almost anything at 1440P @ 60FPS on ultra... the only thing someone might not like about this is the battery life, literally, it only lasts an hour gaming or not... for me its always plugged in at home or at my office, I don't take it with me anywhere else so I'm okay with it, but just a heads up

First off...this is a beast. Heavy. That's the negative.....now the positive...go the extra mile and get the better screen, well worth it. I'm not a game player; do 3d modelling and photos and video...sharp and easy on the eyes. Having the 10 key on the keyboard definitely is a bonus for the Blender program. Having the 17 inch screen definitely is worth the extra bucks for photo editing. Overall, a great machine for what I wanted it for. My only issue was that every now and then it would suddenly go blank for a second or two, got aggravating. I believe this was a "laptop" specific issue so I returned it and am waiting for another one to show up at my local BB so I can "re-buy" another one. That's how much I believe in the product.

Great quality laptop. The build material for the laptop is fantastic and stylish. Definitely not cheap plastic. The screen is fantastic the 120hz really makes a difference. The clarity in low and high light situations is where this machine truly shines. The tobii eye tracking is a hit of a gimmick but works just as intended. It's kinda fun to freak out neighbors or friends who have never seen such a thing before. Highly recommend I mean as for performance the specs speak for themselves honestly. Overall love my purchase. Zero buyers remorse :D I play triple a titles on ultra or epic if epic is available and I never get below 70-75 fps and usually run around 100-120 fps.

This laptop is a total beast. It is thin and light for it's specs and I have yet to find a single game it will not get at least 80fps on ultra settings. It plays Doom on ultra and nightmare settings at 98fps @ 1440 .The screen is incredible. Colors are great and the eye tracking is like something off the mother ship .The only upgrade I have done is to replace the 128gig m.2 SSD with a nvme 500gig Samsung Evo 960.

It is seriously heavy. Yes, there is a decent video card, and processor, and screen... but it's nearly impossible to call it a portable machine, a laptop. Works for me since it kinda has a built in battery and I can use this monster in my truck. The other option was getting a proper desktop gaming station but that didn't work out due to power issues and noise. So I'm stuck with this one. My previous laptop was 11" MBA :) So, if you have enough space to keep it stationary, plenty of patience to search for pixel-size targets on its almost 4k screen and spare 2k$ - go for it.

I have to say that coming from an ASUS Strix, this is a much better value for the money if you are looking for a powerful yet portable desktop (not really a laptop to be honest - too heavy for prolonged use on the lap). I can give it a 5 star rating because I knew what to expect as far as it being a laptop/desktop. Actually I chose it because it's cooling design. The model that I chose is not one of the AW17's that had cooling issues due to improperly installed processors. As far as I can tell the cooling issues are a thing of the past because Dell has corrected the issues in their assembly procedures back in early December of 2016.

Never thought about getting an alienware laptop when I was replacing my HP. Was away when Acer had a price break on their predator series and I am glad I was. I did not want to pay too much over 1k for a new laptop and did research and found this a open box for exactly 1k. It has the QHD screen and G-sync which is/was better than what was being offered by other manufacturers if they had the QHD available it was twice the price. Only negative that I have found is the edges are a little sharp and can get uncomfortable, wish they sold a bumper of some sort for the front edge. Overall this is a great laptop that will last me for the 5-7 years I get out of each laptop I buy

Top-end gaming performance. Highly configurable. Sturdy build. Attractive customizable lighting. Tobii eye-tracking. Plenty of storage. Strong array of ports.

Read the specs, this machine is amazing. I originally bought the version without G Sync, but figured G Sync and a quad HD display was worth an extra $200. My only complaint is the fan gets pretty loud even when playing games like Company of Heroes 2 (I'm not even on games like Battlefield 1 or Overwatch yet). This machine is best used a desktop replacement and is not be well suited for travel. Overall, I'm very happy (especially when upgrading from an old ASUS with 675MX). Be sure to immediately check for windows updates and driver updates out of the box.

Had many options on this gaming endeavor and chose to go with the Alienware 17 with QHD screen. Most games can be ran on ultra, above 1080p at 60 or higher. I haven't had to play anything on medium yet. Build quality seems more premium than some of the competition. I can't say enough good things about this rig.

Look for it on a deal and you'll be getting a ton of horsepower. The 1070 handles games well at 1440p. It is not very portable and looks pretty much ridiculous, so I doubt you'll be walking in to work or class with it. Also buy a matte black skin for the keyboard/touchpad area and a keyboard protector. The materials Dell chose are terrible feeling and pick up every fingerprint.

My son loves his laptop. He likes the fact that he can customize the lights on the frame & keyboard. He said he like the large screen as well.