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Alienware X14 review: fast and thin, only far from perfect

This size reduction comes with a mix of practiced and slightly disappointing results

Past February eleven, 2022, 8:00am EST

A welcome trend is well underway in the realm of gaming laptops: some of them are getting smaller. The latest visitor to get on board with this is Alienware and its new X14. This is a thin xiv-inch gaming laptop that'due south completely unlike from anything else that the visitor offers. There's now something on Alienware's menu for people who still see gaming equally the main course yet also agree portability in high regard.

It's non an oversimplification to say that the X14 is basically a shrunken version of the visitor's larger, pricier, and more powerful 15-inch X15. It's thinner, lighter, and, every bit you might expect, far less powerful. Equally expected, Alienware made some compromises to fit everything into a smaller chassis. The X14 has fewer ports, and some of the futuristic (admitting divisive) RGB LEDs along its rear (seen hither on the X17) are absent. Then there are issues that impact usability, like slow battery life and a cramped keyboard. I'll get to those more below.

On the other hand, I'1000 impressed that the smaller X14 retains many of the same features that define the larger models. It has a capable 12th Gen Intel processor, lightning-fast RAM clocked at 5,200MHz, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. In terms of performance, this does not run like the compromised auto that I idea it would be. It'due south certainly not priced like a compromised machine, either. Alienware stated at launch that the X14 would cost $1,799.99, but the company is really offering a $1,649.99 option, along with two higher-tier models.

The X14 can be configured with two processor options: the 12-cadre Intel Cadre i5-12500H or the Intel Cadre i7-12700H 14-cadre processor. It starts with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM clocked at 4,800MHz, but yous can upgrade to upwardly to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory clocked at 5,200MHz — currently the fastest speed available in a laptop. In terms of graphics, the X14 has the RTX 3050 by default simply tin be upgraded to a more than powerful and slightly more than power-hungry RTX 3050 Ti or RTX 3060.

The unit of measurement I tested is the current top-of-the-line model, which will retail for $two,299.99. It has the xiv-cadre Core i7-12700H processor, the RTX 3060, and 32GB of five,200MHz RAM. If you get a lower-spec model, the storage can be increased after the purchase, though the RAM is soldered to the motherboard and can't be inverse.

The blueprint of the X14 is similar to that of the other X-serial laptops, but tweaked slightly to accommodate its smaller size. Alienware'south fair Lunar Lite colorway covers the display'southward enclosure, besides every bit certain parts of the chassis. And surrounding the keyboard, the X14 has a rubberized texture that keeps my palms in place while typing. It has a more gamer-focused design than some high-finish gaming laptops that take all-metal designs, just it's subdued compared to some of Alienware'southward older machines.

All of the X14's ports are located effectually its back instead of being carve up between the rear and sides on the larger X-series laptops. Hither, you'll find 3 USB-C ports (two of which are Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports, though all support charging and DisplayPort ane.4 video out), a 3.5mm headphones jack, an HDMI 2.one port, a UHS-II microSD card slot, and a USB-A port. The X14 has fewer ports than the X15 or X17, but the casualties might be small, depending on your needs. In the size reduction, 1 USB-A port, mini DisplayPort, and the Ethernet port were lopped off. Still, it's a consolation to accept so many USB-C ports here.

Parts of the X14's keyboard got a piffling lost in translation, though. While it's mechanically fine and placidity to type on, the layout feels cramped — peculiarly along the right side. The fundamental placement is actually no different from Alienware's larger X-series machines, just some of the X14'southward most crucial keys (for my line of work, at least) are too small on the X14. The one that tripped me upward the most is the X14'due south right Shift fundamental. I sometimes confuse it for a forward slash while quickly typing due to its size or hit it when I want to arrow up in a document.

It's too tough non to get frustrated at how close the Delete central is to the power push button, too. Though Alienware — seemingly aware this could be an issue for some people — cleverly made the ability button tougher to click than the other keys.

The X14 has a 14-inch 1080p brandish that offers Nvidia G-Sync adaptive sync to brand games wait smoother and more responsive. It has a 144Hz refresh charge per unit and a 7ms response time. For creators, it supports 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color infinite. Alienware claims that this display can reach 400 nits of brightness, and at acme brightness, it crossed my threshold of "wow, that's too bright for me to await at for very long."

What'due south new in Alienware's 2022 X-series models is the introduction of Dolby Vision HDR, which volition give compatible content a more realistic, contrast-rich look, as if you're viewing it on a Television set that supports the HDR standard. The catchy affair is, notwithstanding, that unlike using a Television receiver, the X14 doesn't brand information technology explicitly articulate when or if y'all're watching something in HDR. Games that I tested on this laptop seemed to await ameliorate, with more contrast, as well as deeper blacks instead of washed-out grays, but I sometimes questioned whether this feature was on or not.

I also didn't know whether to arraign Dolby Vision on a brandish quirk that I noticed. When I'd switch between night web pages and light ones, the screen would auto-accommodate the brightness afterward a few seconds. Automatically adjusting the brightness is typical HDR beliefs, just we couldn't ostend what caused this to happen. Alienware didn't rule out that this display'due south pre-installed ComfortView Plus blue light filter software could be causing this.

To see how the X14'southward gaming chops stacked upwardly, I loaded up Halo Infinite's multiplayer feel. The settings defaulted to low across the board, simply it consistently ran at around ninety frames per second when I bumped the graphics slider upwardly to high. Indoor maps like Aquarius ran smoother than larger, outdoor maps, but operation was always stable and ordinarily above 60 frames per 2d.

The X14 is a proficient-looking, compact gaming laptop.

I was initially concerned about how fast-paced games might expect given the display's 7ms response time. I usually play on a desktop at home, connected to a 1ms-response-time monitor. But playing a few matches in Halo Infinite allayed my concerns that this particular spec would hinder the experience. I'm certain information technology would look different when compared head-to-head, but I but couldn't tell the difference mid-match, and so long every bit I'm getting no-scope shots with the Skewer weapon, I'm happy. And I appreciated how smooth everything looked — in-game and outside of gaming — on the 144Hz refresh charge per unit screen. Information technology'south difficult to go back to 60Hz screens after yous get a taste of silky-smoothen scrolling.

Ruby-red Dead Redemption ii put upwardly an boilerplate of l frames per second in its built-in benchmark with all graphical settings set to ultra, which isn't bad for a thin gaming laptop. With Nvidia's DLSS (AI-based graphics upscaling) switched to auto way, ultra settings provided a boost to an boilerplate of 57 frames per second in the benchmark. Given these results, when I knocked some settings downwardly to loftier (and more memory-intensive settings down to medium), immigration the 60 frames per 2d threshold wasn't too difficult for the X14. I've said it earlier, and I'll say it again: DLSS is a blessing to accept for machines similar this ane that otherwise would struggle to run games at their highest settings.

I also tried a game chosen Exo One on the X14 to test out the arrangement's Dolby Vision-gear up brandish (offered in every configuration). Running this game at its highest settings wasn't a claiming for the X14, and the display's dissimilarity was more impressive than I expected. Exo 1 starts out with dark scenes, and though there was no indicator, it seemed as though an HDR outcome was switched on. The black nothingness of outer space looked similar a much deeper blackness than what I've seen on other gaming laptop displays. It fabricated me excited at the prospect of playing games like Deathloop, No Man'southward Heaven, and others that are rich in lush colors and contrast.

Alienware had to compress its cooling system for the X14, but regardless of the task, the X14 does a commendable task running relatively cool and serenity. It pushes warm air out of its rear and from the vents located forth the sides close to the display swivel. The X14 didn't get uncomfortably hot, nor were its fans unreasonably loud.

By default, the X14 automatically switches betwixt using the integrated and dedicated graphics depending on the app that you're using. So when I launch a game, a toast notification tells me that Nvidia Optimus has switched to the GPU. And when I quit, there's a 2d-long hitch as the system switches back to the Intel Iris Xe graphics. This sort of graphics-switching tech isn't necessarily new in models that have multiple graphics options, but companies like Alienware, Razer, Asus, and others are making a bigger deal out of the feature with this year's models.

Not to exist hyperbolic, but I was diddled away by the X14'southward chops in exporting 4K video in Adobe Premiere Pro. During our test, which runs a five-minute-33-2nd 4K video through the export process, the X14 completed the task in three minutes apartment. Puzzled by how good this outcome was, I did it again, and information technology provided similar results. Terminal twelvemonth, it was challenging to notice whatsoever gaming laptop that could accomplish such a speedy feat, merely to my surprise, this downsized model certain can sprint through exports.

The X14 uses the same kind of sturdy hinge every bit the larger X15 and X17.

This swift operation seems to be a feature of Intel's 12th Gen Alder Lake mobile processors. In Monica Chin'south review of the far-more-expensive MSI GE76 Raider, which has Intel'south Cadre i9-12900HK processor, it tore through the same consign in only nether two minutes. And then, it'southward encouraging that spending far less on the X14 (that MSI model runs for $3,999.99) tin however get you very promising results in this item employ case.

For ultra-portable gaming rigs like the X14, battery life is almost as of import as raw power. And that'south where Intel-based laptops accept seemingly plateaued, as opposed to AMD's past couple of CPU generations, which have shown vast improvements in efficiency. With Microsoft Edge running over a dozen tabs that I need for work, the X14 lasted just over 4 and a half hours. That's a couple of hours less than what I was expecting, particularly since Alienware brags that its 80Wh bombardment is the largest chapters ever put into a 14-inch gaming laptop.

This only acceptable battery life is non far from my experience with Alienware's bigger 15-inch and 17-inch gaming laptops. I'k confident that the incoming wave of AMD-equipped models will improve on the results that we've seen so far with Alder Lake.

Fortunately, the X14 conveniently charges via USB-C, and information technology comes with a compact 130W USB-C charger. What's more, Alienware says that y'all can use any USB-C PD charger to charge the X14. But unless you're using a relatively speedy ane, the X14 may actively drain instead of charging. With an 18W USB-C charger that I had lying effectually, the X14 slowly drained (even in power efficiency mode) instead of charging. So, I'd only suggest parting with the included 130W USB-C charger if you plan to charge the X14 as it sleeps.

The X14'southward pocket-size, only wide trackpad is serviceable, just not all that satisfying to use.

Whether you get the X14 primarily for gaming or for other tasks, I suggest investing in a headset or headphones every bit well as a mouse. Alienware touts Dolby Atmos back up, merely like most other gaming laptops, the X14's speakers didn't sound particularly great. It just sounds like nearly laptop speakers to me: abrasive at high volumes and lacking in warmth.

As for the trackpad, definitely get a mouse. I'chiliad not the biggest fan of trackpads in general, but this 1's small-scale and kludgy. It supports all of the usual gestures as a Windows Precision trackpad. But I wish it had improve feedback or at least physical switches that offered more than satisfying tactility.

Alienware isn't breaking new ground with the X14. Other brands like Acer, Asus, Razer, and more are now years into incorporating 14-inch options into their respective lineups. And some of them aim higher, offering better performance in this small course factor. That doesn't take abroad from the X14 being a big bargain for Alienware. It's also a big bargain for coincidental gamers who've always wanted an Alienware that tin can fit more easily into their lives (and backpacks).

Though, considering that its toll hovers around $ii,000 for specs worthy of playing the latest games, it'south hard to recommend this over more powerful gaming laptops — fifty-fifty if they are bigger. And with many of 2022'southward most exciting options coming on the horizon, like the fourteen-inch Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, you should at to the lowest degree wait and encounter how they stack up on release. For a few hundred bucks more than the X14's high-end option that I tested, the $2,599.99 Razer Blade 14 comes with a higher-resolution QHD screen and a faster RTX 3070 Ti graphics chip.

But if y'all've ever wanted a smaller Alienware laptop, it's here, and information technology'due south not bad. And hopefully, the side by side iteration volition be even ameliorate.

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Source: https://www.theverge.com/22928060/alienware-x14-review-gaming-laptop

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