While most laptops are reserved for work, study, and casual entertainment: hardcore gamers will no longer have to stick to ‘normal’ laptops that are unable to play the latest games at full resolution. Dedicated gaming laptops have been out for a while, and the Dell-owned
Alienware line is considered the market leader in producing one of the best gaming machines. The company scores again with the
Alienware 17 R1, a perfect combination of gaming power and performance.
Gamers are guaranteed to start fawning over the Alienware
17 R1 from first sight. Sporting a metal case with a neon-lit alien head logo on the back-panel and black-matte rubber casing on the inside, along with a multi-colour customizable neon-backlit keyboard: the Alienware 17 R1 looks built to last.
Boasting a mammoth 17.3-inch LCD touchscreen, games appear sharp and vibrant from all viewing angles on the Full HD display. Being the cream of the crop of Intel’s processors, the R1 runs on an Intel Core 4th Generation 2.50GHz i7-4710MQ Processor (with 6MB Cache and a 3.50GHz Turbo Mode) which runs the Windows 8.1 (64-bit) operating system, along with a whopping 16GB Dual Channel DDR3L at 1600MHz and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M with 2GB GDDR5 graphics card. All combine to produce the best gaming experience on a portable device.
The spacious 1TB SATA hybrid internal hard drive (@5400 RPM and 6Gb/s) will give you more room to have your media collection always available on this device. It also comes with a DVD RW Dual Layer Slot Load Drive. The R1 has an impressive audio powered by a bilt-in Klipsch speakers and Creative SoundBlaster Pro Studio Software. A 2.0MP Full HD webcam and a dual digital microphone array also allows for crystal clear Skype sessions. Gamers’ connection needs have not been neglected either with 3 SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Ports, a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Port with PowerShare Technology, a Mini-Display Port, a HDMI 1.4 Output, a 9-in-1 Media Card Reader, Killer 1525 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 — all at your disposal.
Yantrick’s Verdict: Packed with capabilites that satisfy the high-performance demands of gamers, the Alienware 17 R1 is also made to impress with its great build quality and handsome design. At NPR 2 lakhs, this is certainly for users that value and appreciate specifications over its price tag.