Alienware 15 R3 / 17 R4 up to $800 off (Alienware 17" Starting $2399, i7-6700HQ, 8G RAM, GTX 1060, 128SSD + 1TB)

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CarbonTwelve on 23/12/2016 - 15:09 dell.com (798 clicks)
Last edited 23/12/2016 - 15:35 by 1 other user

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The new Alienware 15 R3 and 17 R4 laptops are on special for the first time since release (released in September). The discounts are pretty good, roughly 20% off. FWIW, if you order via their online chat you might be able to get another 1% off (I was), but the person I spoke to was adamant they couldn't do better due to the existing discount.

These are the new versions with Pascal graphics (GTX 1060 / 1070 / 1080). These graphics chips perform within 10% of the desktop equivalents, so you can actually get 1080 performance in a 17" laptop, or 1070 performance in a 15.6" (albeit a very large 15.6").

FYI: there was a problem with these laptops overheating, however it was found to be an issue with the thermal pads being too large causing the heatsink not to be mounted properly. They have since rectified the problem. You can find long threads about the laptops and problems / fixes on Notebook Review forums:
Alienware 15 R3: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/official-alienware-1…
Alienware 17 R4: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/official-alienware-1…
Uneven core temps: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/warning-some-i7-6820…
Disassembly guide: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/alienware-17r4-15r3-…

Youtube video of changes made to heatsink and results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jehCb7PnaeE (by iunlock, a respected forum member).

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• 

  scrimshaw on 23/12/2016 - 15:25

  +3

  Looking at the 15 R3
  $2,149.00 = 2063 if Cashback applies.

  The prices are pretty ordinary when you compare it to Kong computer's Black Friday deal for a high end, i7HQ + GSync + GTX 1060 + 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD laptop with no OS built in ($1879 + $100 for Windoze = $1979)
  https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/277429

  On a bargain-o-meter scale, I'm giving this a 3/10 6/10. Alright deal I suppose if you want a Dell, but the Kong laptop has better features.

  • 

    CarbonTwelve on 23/12/2016 - 17:09

    +2

    Yes, compared to a Metabox the Alienwares are more expensive, however for me the battery size and gaming performance on battery is important, plus I benefit a lot from the 400 nits 120Hz display (using the laptop on the train).

    They certainly aren't the right choice for everyone, but for those who this does suit it's quite a discount.

  • 

    toasty on 23/12/2016 - 17:20

    Not as cheap as the Kong Computer's BF deal but a Metabox Prime direct from Metabox still comes with the bonus upgrades to Crucial M.2 525GB SSD and Intel 8620AC until 31 Dec 2016.

    Metabox Primes (rebadged Clevos) seam to be much better value than the Alienware laptops even with the current discounts from Dell. Also nice that buying from Metabox or their resellers means you're supporting an Aussie company.

    • 

      AlexF on 23/12/2016 - 18:48

      +1

      buying from Metabox or their resellers means you're supporting an Aussie company.

      Both, Dell Australia and Metabox, are Australian companies that distribute and sell foreign-made boxes. I don't see difference. JB HiFi (reselling for Dell) and Kong (for Metabox) are also Australian, so no difference there either.

      • 

        toasty on 23/12/2016 - 21:53

        For 2014-2015 financial year, Dell Australia Pty Ltd had a total income of $294,130,032 with just under 8.5% of that being $24,847,206 considered taxable income in Australia and they paid $7,123,926 in tax. Relevant ATO data is here

        Perth based ITC Mobile Computing is the parent company of Metabox and their data isn't available but I'd guess that their taxable income would be a much greater percentage of their total income.

        But, yeah, I get your point AlexF, I just like to support little Aussie companies which are not able to shift their profits overseas. Especially when they're less expensive for equivalent hardware.

        BTW, thanks for giving me a reason to look all this up.

      • 

        AlexF on 24/12/2016 - 00:09

        +1

        @toasty:

        I just like to support little Aussie companies which are not able to shift their profits overseas.

        Hopefully, your preference apply equally to your choice of prime minister. smh

      • 

        toasty on 24/12/2016 - 00:43

        @AlexF: They do.

    • 

      pull the lever on 24/12/2016 - 07:19

      +1

      There are enough differences to warrant the Alienwares:
      - Built like a tank
      - PCI-E based m.2 SSD standards
      - Windows Hello (worth the admission IMO, having experienced it on the Surface Pro 4 myself)
      - Thunderbolt 3
      - Biggest battery of legal size

      Hopefully the cooling issues have indeed been sorted by now, unless the Australian batch is so late in the game.

      • 

        CarbonTwelve on 24/12/2016 - 12:52

        +1

        All of the new Alienware models are shipped straight from China, so there basically isn't an 'Australian batch'.

        I do agree about the advantages for the Alienware over the Metabox (Clevo). For me the battery is the main point, and the only other brands with batteries close to the Alienware's capacity have other issues (ie, worse overheating, clickpads, poor battery performance, etc.).

      • 

        RI4V4N on 25/12/2016 - 16:14

        Thr new models reportedly have much better cooling than most other gaming laptops too.

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  worldwidehappiness on 24/12/2016 - 10:57

  Notice the weight of the 15" has gone up from 3.2kg to 3.5kg. Walking around with that would be good exercise. I'd buy it if it had a numpad.