Because 14 inches is the new 15 inches, the highlight of Alienware’s thinner-in-the-X series gaming laptops for 2022 is the brand new x14, seen at CES 2022. There are also refreshed versions of the larger models, the x15 R2 and X17 R2; All include a 12th-generation Intel i9-12900HK CPU and the new Nvidia 30 Ti-Series GPU (though options depend on the size of the laptop). They also feature a new stain-resistant finish on the cover, which is good, because white.
The series is set to ship within the next month or two. The X14 starts at $1,799, the x15 R2 at $2,199 and the X17 R2 at $2,299 US ($1,799 is approximately £1,330 or AU$2,485).
Note that I don’t say it’s light: One problem I have with the X series is that they are deceptively heavy. The x14 weighs 4 pounds (1.89 kg), despite its 14-inch, 0.6-inch (14.5 mm) size. This is due to the cooling required to fit the discrete GPU in that chassis, but to me the weight is more important than an extra millimeter of thickness. However, it doesn’t sacrifice ports, and even includes a microSD card slot.
The X14 notably maxes out on the RTX 3060 and Core i7-12900H, but it supports Nvidia’s Advanced Optimus (which has better juggling whether the display is using integrated graphics or discrete) than the plain-old Optimus. GPU) and an FHD 144Hz display that is G-Sync compatible.
You also get support for dual-channel LPDDR5 memory and Dolby Atmos surround sound.
But I think my favorite variation for the line is the new, far less bulky and heavier power brick. It’s the same broad, reasonably lightweight design of the XPS line and charges the laptop via USB-C, at least, for the X14.
Want a good gaming laptop but on a low budget? No worries, we’ve got you affordable gaming laptops between $700 and $1,000. These laptops provide good gaming performance for their value. Good deals for these laptops quickly disappear due to limited stock as a result of the lack of Microchip.
This means that you are not limited to low-res gaming on these machines and can have a great experience playing games like Fortnite, Minecraft, Apex Legends, CS: GO and PUBG.
It still costs a lot of money to be considered an affordable gaming laptop, but thrifty gamers can save even more money if they buy the cheapest laptop on a refurbished or open-box option from the likes of Best Buy, Amazon, Micro Looking for deals. Center and Voot.
The recommendations below are based on our reviews and testing and are intended to help you get your ideal gaming experience on an inexpensive laptop.
And if you want to improve your gaming and working from home experience, you can look into some cheap gaming gear to help you do that. We’ll update this list of the best cheap gaming laptop options as we review new products. Plus, if you need help figuring out what specifications to look for in a good, cheap gaming laptop, we’ve got some advice below.
Dell G15
Dell streamlined its G-series gaming laptops, going down from three models to just one — and it’s all for good. Instead of decoding the various features and quality differences between them, there is just one chassis available with different configurations with 11th-gen Intel processors or AMD Ryzen 5000 H-series processors.
All processors can be paired with 6GB of Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, 8GB of DDR4 RAM or 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 256GB SSD or 512GB SSD.
They’re basically more budget-friendly versions from its Alienware division, but still capable of playing the latest AAA titles. Prices have been up and down lately due to supply issues, so if you’re a gamer on a budget you may have to wait to get the best deal. This gaming laptop has eight USB ports and the laptop is available in two colours.