Alienware Releases New Peripherals

[Guest lilbman]

Link is here-https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2017/06/12/e3-2017-alienware-dell-announce-pc-gaming-systems-powered-windows-10/#whts4733PbPP8K0g.97

 

Today @E3 Alienware released some new products, including two mice, two keyboards, one monitor, and a 1080 option for the Alienware 15 R3.

 

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Monitors – The Alienware 25” gaming monitor, with either NVIDIA G-SYNC (AW2518H) or AMD FreeSync, (AW2518HF), offers fast, responsive gameplay with virtually no input lag, at an extremely rapid 1 ms panel response time, and a native 240Hz refresh rate for sharp, clear graphics. With AlienFX lighting (AW2518H only), three preset display modes, full adjustability, single-diecast stand legs, and a seamless panoramic multi-monitor view with ultra-thin bezel, the Alienware 25” gaming monitor is perfect for any gamer. Available in the U.S. June 13, concurrent with E3: monitors ($499-699 USD).

I love how these look and I think they're competitively priced.  I personally wouldn't use them as I prefer ultrawides and I wouldn't use my Alienware laptop with it because I do most gaming on my desktop.  The fact that you can get Freesync or G-Sync on them is awesome.

 

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New Mice And Keyboards

 

 

Alienware Advanced Gaming Keyboard – The Alienware Advanced Gaming Keyboard with optional palm rest delivers a premium gaming experience at an affordable value. Featuring mechanical keys with brown switches, with more precise, responsive and consistent key strokes and five keys dedicated for macro commands that give gamers a competitive edge. Available in the U.S. June 13, concurrent with E3: Advanced Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 USD).

 

Pro Gaming Keyboard ($120 USD)

Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard – The Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard with optional palm rest exemplifies all the essential design components of the Advanced Gaming Keyboard, and elevates the engineering innovation with dedicated volume roller, onboard memory, 15 macro commands and 13 zone-based RGB backlit lighting options. Available in the U.S. June 13, concurrent with E3: Pro Gaming Keyboard ($119.99 USD).

 

Advanced Gaming Mouse ($49.99 USD)

The Alienware Advanced Gaming Mouse offers multiple configurations with 3 on-the-fly DPI (dots per inch) levels to switch between precision and speed style gameplay.  Outfitted with nine unique buttons for in-game customization. Available in the U.S June 13 ($49.99 USD).

 

Elite Gaming Mouse ($89.99 USD)

Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse – Additionally, the Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse leverages advanced custom ability innovation with swappable grips, up to 13 programmable buttons, adjustable palm rest and four variable levels of weight adjustment providing ultimate control over cursor precision and movement speed to dominate opponents. Available in the U.S. June 13 ($89.99 USD).

The keyboards look decent but I personally would not use them because they use knockoff Cherry switches.  The lighting looks badass, but I would like the Pro Gaming Keyboard if it was matte black.  If they used Cherry MX switches, I'd be down.

 

The mice are a bit overpriced. You can find a G502 Spectrum for around $60 that has around the same amount of customization as the Elite Gaming Mouse.

 

-Alienware's 15" gaming notebook supporting the Max-Q mobile GTX 1080- I think it'll get really hot in there with that 7820HK and 1080, but I could be wrong.  It'll be expensive for sure though.

 

[Droidbot]

Their mice look good, but I'd want to see the sensor and weight before making a decision. 

[Zando_]

That monitor looks niiiiiice...

[Scionyde]

5 hours ago, lilbman said:

 

 

The keyboards look decent but I personally would not use them because they use knockoff Cherry switches.  The lighting looks badass, but I would like the Pro Gaming Keyboard if it was matte black.  If they used Cherry MX switches, I'd be down.

 

 

What brand switches are they? I didn't see it mentioned.

[Droidbot]

16 minutes ago, Scionyde said:

What brand switches are they? I didn't see it mentioned.

Khailua iirc

[VSG]

5 hours ago, Droidbot said:

Khailua iirc

Kaihua is the company, Kailh is the brand. You mixed them both up

[Guest lilbman]

1 minute ago, VSG said:

Kaihua is the company, Kailh is the brand. You mixed them both up

I don't get why Alienware chose those switches though..they could've gone with anyone, but no, they choose the knockoff brand.  It's sad because if it had Cherry MX switches, I'd be down to get one.

[MageTank]

Hmm. Got a 10% off code from Dell earlier today, and I have a $100 dell e-gift card that expires in a month. Part of me wants one of those 240hz G-Sync monitors, but the other part of me knows I am perfectly content with the 165hz 1440p G-Sync Dell panel that I have. Decisions decisions...

 

EDIT: That would make it $530. This is going to be a tough choice after all. Must go contemplate what it means to be an adult.

[VerticalDiscussions]

I asked on wether or not the Samsung CHG70 was a good upgrade over the Asus MX239H... nobody answered.

 

In your opinion and based on whats shown, would this Alienware monitor be a good upgrade or nobody in.the entire forums knows how to recommend a monitor upgrade?

 

Thanks...

[MageTank]

6 minutes ago, VerticalDiscussions said:

I asked on wether or not the Samsung CHG70 was a good upgrade over the Asus MX239H... nobody answered.

 

In your opinion and based on whats shown, would this Alienware monitor be a good upgrade or nobody in.the entire forums knows how to recommend a monitor upgrade?

 

Thanks...

You certainly didn't ask in this thread, but i'll give it a shot.

 

What are you looking for? A gaming only monitor? If so, what GPU do you use? AMD or Nvidia? Next, do you play strictly competitive shooters? Or do you do other types of games? At 25 inches, 1080p won't look sharp at all. The only appeal of these monitors, are competitive shooters. They are going to be TN panels, so color accuracy won't be the greatest, so for RPG's, it won't look all that great.

 

I'd say, if you are an all-around gamer (not focused on one single genre) and use an Nvidia GPU, the Dell S2417DG is probably the best bang for the buck 1440p G-Sync monitor you can buy. It does 165hz with ease, and after a slight gamma tweak, it's extremely good looking for a TN panel. Color accuracy isn't the greatest, especially in the reds with my specific panel, but it's better than the TN's of old.

 

If you are an AMD user, there are plenty of 144hz 1440p Freesync panels, but they do cost a little bit more than the cheaper aforementioned Dell monitor with G-Sync. The Acer XG270HU being a popular choice for it's performance at it's price point, supporting a large 30-144hz freesync range. 

 

I just couldn't recommend these alienware monitors if you are not big into competitive shooters, because they are certainly going to look dull without heavy AA, and very few titles are going to hit that refresh rate without some heavy GPU horsepower, or with them being extremely light or old.

[Drak3]

1 hour ago, MageTank said:

-snip-

You could give it to a good friend or significant other that likes to game, or give it to Drak3...

[VerticalDiscussions]

2 hours ago, MageTank said:

-snip-

Yeah sorry about that, its just that when you put something in the right place, in this case the "Displays" subforum, you expect an answer... but since i got none, i was quite disappointed.

 

Well, currently im using the Asus MX239H as i said before, a 1080p IPS 60Hz panel, that is adequately bright and colour rendition is "ok" i guess, certainly not even close to being as nice to look at as my phone tough.

 

I dont have an external Graphics card for now (Intel HD 4600), currently waiting for whatever AMD comes up with on the enthusiast side (Vega). Certainly getting the flagship card and 1440p is the best spot for max settings gameplay and overhaul image quality, so that is what i would like to aim for at least (yeah, going from a 1080p to another 1080p monitor doesnt seem like a good idea). 

 

Since im not doing professional work at all for now that requires colour accuracy, deltaE values wont be exceptionally meaningful to me, but i dont want colours that look like straight out of a 1998 monitor (good-great colour reproduction, just not excellent or terrible). 

 

I would say tough, even tough HDR content is one of those things you cant trust for sure or not, i would appreciate if the monitor in the very least supported HDR10, so i guess this one is already gone of my list uh. Most importantly tough, after having used and looked at AMOLED displays for so long, a strong contrast, brightness, colour availability and wide colour spaces is something id definetly appreciate, a vibrant and brightful experience is something i would enjoy greatly.

 

With that in mind, i was wondering if the Samsung monitor i mentioned before, the CHG70 27', with QLED, HDR10, a modest 144Hz refresh, AMD Freesync 2 and well... "curved" shape, wouldnt be a nice upgrade? I like its design and small bezels too, but obviously this Alienware just looks dope and doesnt scream "gamery" like ASUS ROG or Acer Predator series do. What do you think?

 

http://www.samsung.com/us/computing/monitors/gaming/27--chg70-gaming-monitor-with-quantum-dot-lc27hg70qqnxza/, if you want to check it out in case you just happen to have missed on it. Priced at around 500-700€ (just an estimation, 652€ with current VAT), does it look good for the price?

[michaelocarroll007]

3 hours ago, lilbman said:

I don't get why Alienware chose those switches though..they could've gone with anyone, but no, they choose the knockoff brand.  It's sad because if it had Cherry MX switches, I'd be down to get one.

do you have any experience with knock off or real switches? Honestly i haven't noticed anything wrong with these "Knock off" ones and have not seen any Articles claiming they break early or dont work. Just curious why everyone has such a hard on for Cherry MX only like other compaies can make decent Switches aswell im sure. 

[Kobathor]

11 hours ago, Droidbot said:

Khailua iirc

I thought Razer made their switches in-house now, so they're knockoffs of Kailh.

[MageTank]

57 minutes ago, VerticalDiscussions said:

Yeah sorry about that, its just that when you put something in the right place, in this case the "Displays" subforum, you expect an answer... but since i got none, i was quite disappointed.

 

Well, currently im using the Asus MX239H as i said before, a 1080p IPS 60Hz panel, that is adequately bright and colour rendition is "ok" i guess, certainly not even close to being as nice to look at as my phone tough.

 

I dont have an external Graphics card for now (Intel HD 4600), currently waiting for whatever AMD comes up with on the enthusiast side (Vega). Certainly getting the flagship card and 1440p is the best spot for max settings gameplay and overhaul image quality, so that is what i would like to aim for at least (yeah, going from a 1080p to another 1080p monitor doesnt seem like a good idea). 

 

Since im not doing professional work at all for now that requires colour accuracy, deltaE values wont be exceptionally meaningful to me, but i dont want colours that look like straight out of a 1998 monitor (good-great colour reproduction, just not excellent or terrible). 

 

I would say tough, even tough HDR content is one of those things you cant trust for sure or not, i would appreciate if the monitor in the very least supported HDR10, so i guess this one is already gone of my list uh. Most importantly tough, after having used and looked at AMOLED displays for so long, a strong contrast, brightness, colour availability and wide colour spaces is something id definetly appreciate, a vibrant and brightful experience is something i would enjoy greatly.

 

With that in mind, i was wondering if the Samsung monitor i mentioned before, the CHG70 27', with QLED, HDR10, a modest 144Hz refresh, AMD Freesync 2 and well... "curved" shape, wouldnt be a nice upgrade? I like its design and small bezels too, but obviously this Alienware just looks dope and doesnt scream "gamery" like ASUS ROG or Acer Predator series do. What do you think?

 

http://www.samsung.com/us/computing/monitors/gaming/27--chg70-gaming-monitor-with-quantum-dot-lc27hg70qqnxza/, if you want to check it out in case you just happen to have missed on it. Priced at around 500-700€ (just an estimation, 652€ with current VAT), does it look good for the price?

I would say the decision should be made after you've made a decision on a GPU. While waiting for Vega may imply you are going AMD, it might not be the case once Vega releases (or if Volta comes soon after). Once you are 100% certain with your choice of a GPU, then you have to pair it with the right monitor. If you are for sure going for AMD, that Samsung monitor is certainly great, and it being Freesync 2 guarantees a decent Freesync Range (36hz to 144hz, or max FPS being at least 2.5x minimum). For $600, it's going to be extremely difficult to top that kind of value. Just avoid getting the larger versions, as their pixel density is utter garbage, and will make text a chore to read. I mean, 3860x1080p on a 49 inch panel? Come on Samsung x.x

 

Nvidia is in a rough spot for monitors at the moment, because their higher end G-Sync panels suffer extreme color banding issues, and also color conformity issues. There are entire threads on OCN about the AUO lottery with those 165hz AHVA G-Sync panels having entire quadrants of the screen be tones darker or brighter than the rest. People sending back 5-6 monitors just to get a good panel. This seems to be limited to the 27 inch G-Sync AHVA AUO panels though, as the 24 inch TN panels are completely devoid of these issues. Either way, that is something you should keep in mind before planning to drop $700+ on a high-end G-Sync panel. If it were me, and I were using an Nvidia card, I would settle for spending $400 on the S2417DG, and wait for a real G-Sync panel worthy of spending real cash on. 

 

I am not an expert, and this was just my subjective opinion. Let's not start a monitor war here.

[VerticalDiscussions]

20 minutes ago, MageTank said:

-snip-

I am not an expert, and this was just my subjective opinion. Let's not start a monitor war here.

Whatever the case may be, i loved your opinion and i am grateful you explained about issues that i literally havent heard anywhere else, because people always forget to mention the specific issues with certain products, luckily you remembered to mention them too. Thanks a ton .

[Guest lilbman]

5 hours ago, MageTank said:

Hmm. Got a 10% off code from Dell earlier today, and I have a $100 dell e-gift card that expires in a month. Part of me wants one of those 240hz G-Sync monitors, but the other part of me knows I am perfectly content with the 165hz 1440p G-Sync Dell panel that I have. Decisions decisions...

 

EDIT: That would make it $530. This is going to be a tough choice after all. Must go contemplate what it means to be an adult.

What specs do you have? You might not be able to drive 240Hz.

[MageTank]

Just now, lilbman said:

What specs do you have? You might not be able to drive 240Hz.

A 6700k at 4.8ghz and a GTX 1070 at 2050mhz. I know that I can't drive 240hz in most titles, but Overwatch and CS:GO would be a breeze to do so. However, I rarely find myself playing those titles, so it wouldn't be worth the investment for someone like me. I find MMO's, RPG's, and your classic beat 'em up games to be my preferred genre's. I only got this 165hz panel because A: 1440p, B: G-Sync, and C: cheap, lol. 

[Guest lilbman]

5 hours ago, VerticalDiscussions said:

I asked on wether or not the Samsung CHG70 was a good upgrade over the Asus MX239H... nobody answered.

 

In your opinion and based on whats shown, would this Alienware monitor be a good upgrade or nobody in.the entire forums knows how to recommend a monitor upgrade?

 

Thanks...

It would be an amazing upgrade IF your hardware can drive those frames.

[Guest lilbman]

Just now, MageTank said:

A 6700k at 4.8ghz and a GTX 1070 at 2050mhz. I know that I can't drive 240hz in most titles, but Overwatch and CS:GO would be a breeze to do so. However, I rarely find myself playing those titles, so it wouldn't be worth the investment for someone like me. I find MMO's, RPG's, and your classic beat 'em up games to be my preferred genre's. I only got this 165hz panel because A: 1440p, B: G-Sync, and C: cheap, lol. 

I'd stick with the 165Hz panel then.  You'll be able to drive more games with a very similar experience compared to 240Hz.

[Guest lilbman]

2 hours ago, michaelocarroll007 said:

do you have any experience with knock off or real switches? Honestly i haven't noticed anything wrong with these "Knock off" ones and have not seen any Articles claiming they break early or dont work. Just curious why everyone has such a hard on for Cherry MX only like other compaies can make decent Switches aswell im sure. 

Yeah.  I had this POS for a while.  Horrible compared to the real thing.  Cherry MX switches just feel nicer to use, I guess.

[brownninja97]

Well all i can say is that it could be a lot worse, they have gone for a more or less cleanish style dont really have an issue with any of that and on the bright for anyone that wants this stuff the second hand market for a lot of it is pretty cheap due to the stigma and people just generally wanting other keyboards.

[HelplmChoking]

That monitor is too small/low res for a modern monitor... And what's the panel tech in it? The stand is really bulky and the display is a bit thick, and if it's TN then it basically should be burned before it's even purchased.

The keyboards seem nice, and THANK YOU for giving us dedicated media keys (a must for me). Not a fan of knock-off switches, but it doesn't matter that much.

The mouse seems expensive and interchangeable parts seem like a fragile gimmick, plus it's wired which is an instant no from me.

[VSG]

9 hours ago, lilbman said:

I don't get why Alienware chose those switches though..they could've gone with anyone, but no, they choose the knockoff brand.  It's sad because if it had Cherry MX switches, I'd be down to get one.

This time last year I would have agreed, but Kailh has improved their QC so much over the last few months that there is really nothing to distinguish the originals from the clones in a retail product. Last I heard yields were still an issue but that does not affect the customer.

[Brooksie359]

2 hours ago, Rangaman42 said:

That monitor is too small/low res for a modern monitor... And what's the panel tech in it? The stand is really bulky and the display is a bit thick, and if it's TN then it basically should be burned before it's even purchased.

The keyboards seem nice, and THANK YOU for giving us dedicated media keys (a must for me). Not a fan of knock-off switches, but it doesn't matter that much.

The mouse seems expensive and interchangeable parts seem like a fragile gimmick, plus it's wired which is an instant no from me.

You can't get 240hz monitor on ips panels yet so I would say this monitor has a very specific market which doesn't include you.