I love every aspect of this Laptop with the exception of a few major details.
The HD display is totally awesome.
The fast SSD drive makes this thing a bigger speed daemon than it already is.
Some points to consider when trying to make a purchasing decision:
Dell says the HDMI is 2.0, but I've read reviews saying it is 1.4. If this is important to you, be sure to look into this. If it is 2.0, make sure your monitor supports HDMI 2.0 or you will only be able to get 30 FPS on a 4K HD monitor.
The USB ports are only USB 3.1, Gen 1 (USB 3.0). That means 5 Gpps, not 10 Gpps. You would think that a computer with Thunderbolt 3 would at least utilize USB 3.1 Gen 2 on the USB ports (you can get this from the Thunderbolt port by using a USB cable where one end of the cable is a USB-C connector). But, if you are using your Thunderbolt port to hook up a DisplayPort Monitor, then you won't be able to use it for high speed USB.
All in all, it is a great computer. But, alas, I had to return mine.
The Thunderbolt port is basically a USB-C port for use with USB-C devices (USB 3.1 Gen 2, and DisplayPort.). I purchased the Dell TB15 Thunderbolt 3 dock and the AKiTiO Thunder3 Duo Pro RAID enclosure. This computer does not work with either of these devices. Or, at least, the computer I received does not. Neither of these devices would connect.
I called Dell and after 2 hours of talking and holding, I was ultimately told that the TB15 dock is not compatible with the Alienware. But, that doesn't explain why the AKiTiO RAID enclosure doesn't work either. I asked if I could send the computer in to have them check the Thunderbolt port and the Tech refused and wouldn't let me do it. I asked him if he is telling me that this computer is not compatible with any Thunderbolt 3 devices and he basically said "Yes".
So back it goes because my main reason for purchasing was the Thunderbolt 3 port and the assortment of Thunderbolt 3 devices that are coming onto the market now. I still believe the Port is defective but they won't look at it.
Now, here is the big kicker.
1. Dell considers your purchase date to be the date they sold the computer to Amazon (or the Amazon reseller). They start your warranty from this date.
2. Dell told me that I'm not entitled to service because I'm not the original owner. The Tech told me I would have to initiate a transfer from Amazon (or the reseller) to me and that would take awhile.
So, basically, Amazon is the owner of this computer and not you. Not sure how legal this is.
Just some thoughts for those of you comparing this to other computers in order to make a purchasing decision.
Of course, Amazon backs what it sells and if a product is defective, they take it back. This is the reason I purchased from Amazon. Their customer service cannot be beat.
Kenny
| Standing screen display size | 13 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Processor | 2.5 GHz core_i7 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR3L SDRAM |
| Memory Speed | 1600 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 500 GB Hybrid HDD + Flash Cache |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | Dedicated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 2 |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 3 |
