Why you can trust CNET
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you purchase through our links, we may receive a commission. Opinion on the ethics declaration
Two new mainstream Dell laptops with slim, all-metal designs are also debuting.
Matt Elliott Senior Editor
Matt Elliott is an editor at CNET and focuses on laptops and streaming services. Matt has over 20 years of experience testing and reviewing laptops. He has worked for CNET in New York and San Francisco and now lives in New Hampshire. When he’s not writing on laptops, Matt enjoys gaming and watching sports. He loves playing tennis and hates how many streaming services he has to subscribe to in order to watch the different sports he wants to watch.
Skill Laptops | Desktop Computers | All-in-one PC | Streaming Devices | Streaming platforms
Before today, you would have had to spend a minimum of around $1,700 on one of Dell’s Alienware laptops (however, Dell’s revolving discounts mean you’d likely pay less than that figure). With the arrival of the Alienware 15, the price of entry dropped to $1,300.
Of course, you’ll have to accept some compromises to achieve that lower price, but the Alienware lineup has expanded downward to attract more gamers, especially those who find themselves on tighter budgets in this era of supply shortages and rising prices.
Dell also announced two consumer laptops today, the Dell 14S and 16S. Let’s take a look at the three new models.
The new entry-level Alienware
The Alienware lineup now includes three tiers, with the new Alienware 15 at the bottom, the 16/16X Aurora in the middle and the flagship 16/18 Area-51 up.
The Alienware 15 offers a choice of current and previous generation Intel and AMD CPUs and Nvidia RTX GPUs up to an RTX 5060. It’s based on a 15.3-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and a 165Hz refresh rate, wrapped in an all-plastic chassis. These are pretty uninspiring display specs, as is the 300 nits brightness.
The AMD and Intel options are each a generation or two behind. You can choose between a pair of AMD Ryzen 200 series processors (a Ryzen 5 220 or Ryzen 7 260) or a pair of Intel Raptor Lake chips (a Core 5 210H or Core 7 240H). Dell says it will soon add Ryzen AI 400 processor options.
GPU options span three generations: RTX 3050, 4050, 5050, or 5060. Graphics chips are limited to control thermals. The RTX 3050 and 4050 are set at 70 watts and the 50 series GPUs top out at 85 watts. It’s a sacrifice you make by ditching the Alienware 16X Aurora, which I tested with an RTX 5060 running at its full 115-watt capacity.
The Alienware 15 also lacks the Aurora’s aluminum top panel which adds a touch of style and more rigidity to protect the screen. It also lacks the Aurora’s RGB keyboard backlighting and only illuminates its keys in basic white.
A few factors I liked to see for the Alienware 15 are related to expandability and durability. RAM and SSD are not soldered to the motherboard and can be replaced or expanded.
Okay, let’s talk about prices. AMD-based models start at $1,299 and Intel-based models start at $1,349.
Alienware 15 prices
| Processor | GPU | RAM | SSD | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen5 220 | RTX4050 | 16 GB | 512 GB | $1,299 |
| Ryzen7 260 | RTX4050 | 16 GB | 512 GB | $1,399 |
| Ryzen7 260 | RTX5050 | 16 GB | 512 GB | $1,459 |
| Ryzen7 260 | RTX5060 | 16 GB | 1 TB | $1,849 |
| Core 5 210H | RTX4050 | 16 GB | 512 GB | $1,349 |
| Core 7 240H | RTX4050 | 16 GB | 512 GB | $1,449 |
| Core 7 240H | RTX5050 | 16 GB | 512 GB | $1,509 |
| Core 7 240H | RTX5060 | 32 GB | 1 TB | $2,299 |
The price above is the US list price. I would expect Dell to release various configurations of the Alienware 15 with some regularity until you can find a sale price under $1,000 for one of the lower-end configurations, as the Alienware 15 is less attractive when you can find a 16 Auroras reduced to just $1,200.
Slim twins: the Dell 14S and 16S
Dell has announced a new laptop series that sits between its entry-level Dell laptops and its Dell Plus line. The new Dell 14S and 16S are slimmer versions of the base Dell series and feature an all-metal chassis. And they seem very thin: Dell lists a thickness of just 0.6 inches for the 14- and 16-inch models.
The Dell 14S is available in Frost Blue or Sky Blue.
Dell/CNETThese new consumer laptops offer a selection of Intel Panther Lake processors, from the Core Ultra 5 322 to the Core Ultra 9 386H to the Core Ultra X7 358H with the flagship integrated Intel B390 GPU with 12 Xe cores. I’ve tested laptops with this processor and they offer a compelling blend of slim design, quiet operation, and long battery life with enough 3D performance to satisfy casual gamers.
Display options abound, with basic IPS and superior OLED panels, with and without touch support. You can equip either model with up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.
The Dell 16S is a slim 16-inch laptop based on Intel Panther Lake processors.
Dell/CNETOften a manufacturer will offer a sparse port selection when going for an ultra-thin and sleek design, but thankfully that’s not the case here. The Dell 14S and 16S have a wide array of ports with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI connection, and a headphone jack.
I can’t wait to test them out to see how they compare to two of my favorite thin and light laptops, the Asus ZenBook A14 And Zenbook A16.
The Dell 14S and 16S are available now. The Dell 14S starts at $1,270 and the Dell 16S starts at $1,320.
Matt Elliott is an editor at CNET and focuses on laptops and streaming services. Matt has over 20 years of experience testing and reviewing laptops. He has worked for CNET in New York and San Francisco and now lives in New Hampshire. When he’s not writing on laptops, Matt enjoys gaming and watching sports. He loves playing tennis and hates how many streaming services he has to subscribe to in order to watch the different sports he wants to watch. See full bio
