Alienware X16 (2023) Review – Is it worth it?

Reviewing the Alienware X16 R1 2023, it boasts robust CPU and GPU performance, featuring the Core i9-13900 HK and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU.

Specifications

Display	16″ QHD+ 2560×1600 Res, 240Hz Non-Touch Display with Advanced Optimus, and NVIDIA G-Sync, CV plus.
CPU	Intel 13th Gen Core i9-13900HK (24 MP cache, 14 cores, 20 threads, up to 5.40 GHz Turbo)
Graphics	12GB GDDR6, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080.
Memory	32GB LPDDR5, 6000MHz
Storage	1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Battery	6 Cell 90Wh
Connectivity	Wi-fi 6E AX16901. 2×2, 802.11ax, MU-MIMO. Bluetooth Wireless card.
Camera	1080p 30fps FHD RGB+IR Camera with Dual-array mics.
Audio	2W x2 tweeter speaker, 3W x 4 woofer speaker.
Price	$2,999.99

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Design and Build

Featuring a lunar silver finish, this laptop exudes a premium and high-end aesthetic, embodying the distinctive Alienware look. The build quality is top-notch, with a weight of 2.651 kilograms (5 pounds 13.5 ounces) and 3.584 kilograms (7 pounds 14.4 ounces) with all accessories.

All ports are conveniently located at the back, facilitating tidy cable management. You’ll find a range of ports, including a 3.5mm microphone/headphone combo jack, Micro SD card reader, USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4, USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 2.1, USB Type-A, Mini DisplayPort 1.4, and the power port.

User Upgradeability

Moving on to internals and user upgradeability, accessing the laptop’s internals involves removing six Phillips head screws. Inside, you’ll find four cooling fans, a 90 watt-hour battery, and integrated RAM (up to 32GB of LPDDR5 6000 MHz). While the RAM is not user-upgradable, the laptop offers two M.2 NVMe SSD slots, providing ample storage options.

Display and Audio

The Alienware X16 R1 (2023) features a top-of-the-line display with a 240Hz refresh rate, 16-inch QHD+ resolution (2560 by 1600), and a 16:10 aspect ratio. This high refresh rate is ideal for gaming, offering a three-millisecond response time, Advanced Optimus support, and Nvidia G-Sync support. The display impresses with its color accuracy and coverage, boasting 100% sRGB, 89% Adobe RGB, 97% DCI P3 wide color gamut, and 86% NTSC. These qualities make it suitable for content creation tasks like Lightroom, Photoshop, video editing, and color grading. With a Delta E-score of 1.22, indicating color accuracy, a contrast ratio of 1150:1, low black levels, and a good white point, it excels in delivering vibrant visuals.

However, the screen brightness, reaching around 300 nits (measured at 285 nits), falls slightly short of expectations, particularly for outdoor use where a brightness level of 400 nits or above would have been preferable. Nevertheless, the display remains excellent for gaming and content creation, with the 240Hz refresh rate ensuring smooth gameplay and fluid navigation through the operating system.

Additionally, it features a 1080p IR webcam for Windows Hello facial recognition, offering notable video quality for a gaming laptop.

When it comes to audio, gaming laptops typically don’t excel, based on my years of experience. However, that’s not the case with this one. It boasts a six-speaker sound system, including two tweeters and four woofers, delivering impressive sound quality that fills up the room nicely.

Performance

PCMARK 10	8,345
GEEKBENCH 6 (Single-core)	2,711
GEEKBENCH 6 (Multi-Core)	14,865
CINEBENCH R20	7,459
CINEBENCH R15	2,877 CB, 194.35 FPS
CINEBENCH R23	2,877 Single-Core, 19,793 Multi-core
3DMARK FIRE STRIKE	33,422
3DMARK TIME SPY	18,221

The Dell Alienware X16 R1 has the Core i9-13900 HK, which operates at 45 Watts and features 14 cores-six performance cores and eight efficient cores with a total of 20 threads. The single-core and multi-core performance, as indicated by these benchmark results, showcases excellent CPU performance. It can handle a wide range of tasks, not just gaming, but also productivity tasks like Microsoft Office, email, and web browsing.

Moving on to the GPU, equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, a GPU with a 175-watt TDP, this GPU enables impressive gaming performance, as reflected in the playable frame rates on popular titles.

Titles	Low	Medium	High	4K
The Witcher 3	425 FPS	349 FPS	305 FPS	115 FPS
GTA V	186 FPS	181 FPS	175 FPS	143 FPS
Dota 2 Reborn	179 FPS	165 FPS	160 FPS	130 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	157 FPS	151 FPS	140 FPS	38 FPS

For example, in Cyberpunk 2077 at high settings, you can achieve a very nice 140 frames per second. Even at 4K resolution, the performance remains solid at 38 frames per second, demonstrating its prowess in processor and graphics-intensive tasks.

The Alienware X16 R1 offers four different performance modes: battery, quiet, balanced, and performance. These presets are accessible in the Alienware Command Center, providing users with a variety of control and settings at their fingertips.

Surface Temps and Fan Noise

When Alienware X16 R1 comes to thermal throttling, it received a score of 94 on the Time Spy stress test, indicating a slight amount of thermal throttling, although not significant. The passing score would be 97, so there isn’t much of an issue with thermal throttling as gaming laptop.

The cooling system effectively regulates surface temperatures, keeping the laptop comfortable to touch. Even the underside remains relatively cool, with the primary heat dissipation occurring at the back through the heating vent. In performance mode, fan noise can reach up to 54 decibels, particularly noticeable during intense gaming sessions. Switching to balance mode reduces noise during everyday tasks.

Battery Performance

Alienware X16 R1 2023 is equipped with a 90-watt-hour battery. On the PC Mark 10 Modern Office 6 battery test, it lasted for 4 hours and 18 minutes, while the video playback test yielded a duration of 5 hours and 42 minutes. However, during the gaming test, it lasted for only one hour and seven minutes, which is expected due to the high power consumption during gaming. As a result, it doesn’t provide extended battery life, which is typical for gaming laptops.

Laptops	PCMARK 10 Modern Office	PCMARK 10 Video Playback	PCMARK 10 Gaming
HP OMEN 16 (2023) 83 Wh (Core i7-13700HX) RTX 4080(145W)	5 Hours 33 Minute	4 Hours 49 Minutes	1 Hours 07 Minutes
Alienware X16 R1 90Wh Core i9-13900HK RTX 4080 (175W)	4 Hours 18 Minutes	5 Hours 42 Minutes	1 Hours 07 Minutes

Compared to the HP Omen 16 and the Legion Pro 7 16, the Alienware performs slightly lower in some tests. However, it outperformed them in the gaming test, lasting for two hours and eight minutes, whereas the Alienware lasted for one hour and seven minutes. Overall, the laptop excels in sheer performance rather than prolonged battery life.

Keyboard and Touchpad

You can effortlessly open the lid with one finger, and it tilts back quite far. There are two keyboard options: the standard one with membrane-based keys and the Cherry MX ultra-low-profile keys, both featuring per-key RGB lighting. We opted for the Cherry MX Ultra, delivering a satisfying click, as expected from Cherry MX.

If you prefer mechanical keyboards, you’ll love it for gaming and long typing sessions. With 1.8 millimeters of key travel (deeper than the usual 1.5 millimeters), it offers a superior typing experience with firmer and clickier feedback. The Dell Alienware X16 R1 keyboard boasts RGB lighting for a cool effect.

However, the touchpad is relatively small for a 16-inch gaming laptop, possibly assuming users will opt for a gaming mouse. Despite its size, it’s responsive for scrolling and gestures in everyday use. While functional, a larger touchpad with more feedback would be preferable. Overall, it’s satisfactory.

Conclusion

So what do I think about the Dell Alienware X16 R1 here for 2023? There’s a lot to like here the 16-inch QHD plus 240 hertz display (that’s the option I would go with), ultra-low profile mechanical keyboard was great, excellent CPU and GPU performance, as well as competitive gaming performance, you’ve got to love that. No major throttling detected, thinner than most 16-inch gaming laptops, and has excellent audio.

Negatives, of course, are going to be the relatively short battery life, no 4K or even OLED option as far as the display is concerned, and the touchpad is on the small side. But, of course, these are not deal-breakers by any stretch.

I think the Alienware X16 R1 offers a lot, especially to the gamer that wants something a little bit more portable in a 16-inch form factor, I highly recommend it for 2023.

86%

86%

Worth for Gamers and Content Creators

The Alienware X16 R1 stands out with its impressive display, powerful CPU-GPU combo, and strong gaming performance. Its design, build quality, and exceptional audio enhance the overall experience. Despite its short battery life, it's a top pick for gamers seeking a portable 16-inch gaming laptop.

• Design

  9
• Hardware

  10
• Display

  9
• Ports

  9
• Performance

  10
• Keyboard

  9
• Touchpad

  8
• Thermals / Fan Noise

  9
• Webcam

  8
• Battery

  6
• Audio

  9
• Value

  7