Alienware’s New X-Series Laptops: Its Thinnest Gaming Notebooks

It’s been a few years since the last time Alienware’s laptops got a big revamp, but with its new X-Series laptops, Alienware has managed to cram top-tier components into its thinnest systems yet.

Sporting its new Legend 2.0 design language, the new x15 and x17 will get a range of 11th-gen Intel CPUs and Nvidia 30-series GPUs, with Alienware claiming that the new x15 will be the most powerful sub-16mm 15-inch gaming notebook on market.

Now, while that might be an incredibly niche claim to fame considering there are already systems like the MSI Stealth 15m on the market, there’s a lot to like about the new X-series. Practically every aspect of Alienware’s laptop design has been tweaked to improve performance while still maintaining an emphasis on portability, not to mention a number of visual upgrades.

In back, Alienware’s light strip is now comprised of 90 to 100 micro LEDs (depending on the system) to provide a brighter and more even lighting, while the inside of the system features Alienware’s new Cryo-Tech cooling, which uses a new gallium-based thermal interface material to help improve thermal resistance by up to 25%.

On top of that, Alienware is also using AI to power new smart fans that can automatically regulate their speed to optimize airflow, with Alienware managing to cram a total of four fans inside each notebook. And in keeping with the X-series’ focus on lightness and portability, Alienware even created new slim 240-watt power adapters, so you won’t need to lug around a giant power brick while traveling.

The one downside is that while both the x15 and x17 can be equipped with up to an Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and Intel Core-i9 CPUs, Alienware doesn’t provide any AMD-based configs. (Alienware claims the X-series has been in development for so long, AMD CPUs and GPUs didn’t offer the kind of components Alienware needed at the time.)

When it comes to displays, you’ll get your choice of 120Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, or even 360hz displays depending on the model. But regardless of which size (or resolution) you go for, all X-series systems will feature a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, a microSD card slot, and one Thunderbolt 4 that supports USB Power delivery, so you can charge your machine with something other than the standard power adapter in a pinch.

Alienware even added little touches like a new hexagonal speaker grille behind the keyboard and a trackpad with embedded RGB lighting. And while the latter might not be for everyone, I have to admit I’m kind of a sucker for rainbow LEDs. However, the one add-on the x17 gets that’s not available on its smaller sibling is the optional Ultra Low Profile Cherry MX Switches Alienware announced earlier this spring, which Alienware says are simply too tall to fit in the x15.

Now to start, Alienware says it will have a handful of systems with limited configs available for sale today, but if you want to fully customize your own X-series system, you’ll have a wait a bit longer (until June 15) for more options.

The 15-inch Alienware x15 is slated to start at a cool $2,000, with the x17 coming in slightly higher with a starting price of $2,100.