New alienware laptop lineup- The big boys can now use the GPU dock

[Syntaxvgm]

Thanks to @CreepersCrawlers pointing this out via status update. 
Seems alienware has announced a new laptop lineup. Finally, the 17 and 18  can use the dock. The 13 had a dual core 2GHz i7 as the top CPU option. 
 
15 and 17, seems they dropped the 18
 
http://www.alienware.com/landings/laptops.aspx
More info to come in a few, still writing soothing quality explaining the lineup. 
 
I'm not sure of you would call these the 17 R2 and 15 R2 like the "X" lineup, but here are the new 15 and 17.  They are available with the 9xxm series MXM gpus (which we all know the power of), and the AMD M295X.
The M295X is around a 7970 in performance, and will likely need reflowed at some point like most AMD mobile GPUs. 
 
 
Alienware 17

Alienware 15

Sadly, this means no alienware 18. 
So for dual MXM GPU options, you are probably stuck with Clevo based options. 
The 15 is available with a 4k panel

15.6 inch UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS-Panel TrueLife 350-nits Display with Touch Technology

The 17 DOES NOT have a 4k option, sadly yet again leaving us without a single 17 inch or higher high res panel on the small end. Stupid....not their fault. Probably no panel available. 
 
The thing that stopped my from buying the 13 is this

Alienware has a GPU dock that only works for their 13 inch laptop.
Before it only came with a dual core 4 thread i5-4210U.
Customers complained that there was no better option. This also prevented me from buying it (I love the GPU dock, and I'm a laptop expert, you don't have to tell me it's overpriced. I know, but in addition to this dock alienware is the only one to have HDMI input)
 
 
So dell listened to its customers, and the Alienware 13 now comes with a new i7-4510U option. Slightly higher clocked at a whopping 2GHz, this beast comes with 2 cores and 4 threads....
wait...
2 cores and 4 threads
 
 
...
"We listened to your complaints about a 1.7GHz dual core CPU and added a 2GHZ Dual core cpu option. Because it's that much better. It has a 7 instead of a 5 after all"
 
MFW alienware. 

 
Back to waiting I guess, unless another laptop manufacturer has a dock or some form of thunderbolt or something with 8x PCIe lanes AND HDMI input.
But currently Alienware, as has been for years with the exception of one clevo laptop, is the only band to have HDMI input.

Now that problem has been solved.

A couple of things attract me to the alienware option over the MSI option despite alienware being so overpriced-
The msi option requires you to set it on the dock
The 4x connection is OK IMHO, though I wish it was 8x or 16x so I could mod it to do SLI


Also, alienware is the ONLY brand of laptops to have HDMI input. The exception, of course is the smallest int the line always for some dumb reason. Despite being the first with he dock, the 13 has no hdmi input.
 
EDIT 
THESE STUPID MOFOS DROPPED HDMI INPUT I THINK! I'M CONTACTING SUPPORT TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

An update, I contacted support, and HDMI input is still available, but only on the 17. It is not listed on the website, and I called that to their attention.

[connorpiper]

So, again. It is a fat, and underpowered Sony VAIO Z. (With the dock thing) 

[KungPaoChino]

dual core i7? Is that an ultrabook cpu?

[Syntaxvgm]

So, again. It is a fat, and underpowered Sony VAIO Z. (With the dock thing) 

Actually it has its advantages. 

[Psykomantis00]

Ugh, their website is horrible. I tried configuring one but couldn't get past their ugly site. 

[KayTees]

[rambi36]

The 15 inch baseline model is actually pretty decent for the price. The GTX 965M can handle most games 1080p at high/ultra settings and consumes less power cus Maxwell. The only downside is the Hard Drive...

[connorpiper]

Actually it has its advantages. 

 

The dock? Or being underpowered? 

[Bloodyvalley]

best news post evar

[quintencapital]

damn, dropping the beast? m18x R.I.P 

[Syntaxvgm]

The dock? Or being underpowered? 

You can display it on the laptop's screen and actually use the laptop, and the cord. 

[connorpiper]

You can display it on the laptop's screen and actually use the laptop, and the cord. 

 

 

I would not mind owning one though. It just seems that they could get a lot more CPU in there considering its thickness. 

[Syntaxvgm]

An update, I contacted support, and HDMI input is still available, but only on the 17. It is not listed on the website, and I called that to their attention. 

[munetaka]

Awww, if it had HDMI input in the 15x it'd been really nice for me. Aside of the slow hard drive and not strong cpu, with a 965m and a 1080 ips display, it's not that bad. I find the 13 inch model really horrible now.

[Syntaxvgm]

Awww, if it had HDMI input in the 15x it'd been really nice for me. Aside of the slow hard drive and not strong cpu, with a 965m and a 1080 ips display, it's not that bad. I find the 13 inch model really horrible now.

well I think the lack of HDMI input is due to the 4k panel option. Has be be something with that. 

 

I'm considering making an article explaining laptop video input on LTT and a joint letter or petition at some point and send it out to a bench of laptop manufacturers.

[munetaka]

well I think the lack of HDMI input is due to the 4k panel option. Has be be something with that. 

 

I'm considering making an article explaining laptop video input on LTT and a joint letter or petition at some point and send it out to a bench of laptop manufacturers.

It's a really interesting idea, would love other brands to at least offer an option for that.

[patrickjp93]

FFS why not make a thin laptop with just a chip from either AMD or Intel (no internal dGPU) and give it the ability to connect via 16x PCIe 3.0 to a GPU dock?

[Syntaxvgm]

FFS why not make a thin laptop with just a chip from either AMD or Intel (no internal dGPU) and give it the ability to connect via 16x PCIe 3.0 to a GPU dock?

Thunderbolt 2 works pretty damn good for eGPU docks. Macbooks for that for now I guess. 

[patrickjp93]

Thunderbolt 2 works pretty damn good for eGPU docks. Macbooks for that for now I guess. 

Yeah, but it's just too bad other makers don't follow this model. Hopefully by the time Skylake rolls through iGPU will be strong enough to start incentivizing such a move. And Thunderbolt 3 with double the bandwidth again should make the performance better, though PCIe x16 would be the better option.

[VinceLoh89]

Hey guys, I've read the entire conversation, is it true that they no longer release Alienware 18?!   
I've been waiting for Alienware 18 & hope it'll have Duo GTX 980M + Dock options! Can someone please double confirm the scenario here... 

[Syntaxvgm]

Hey guys, I've read the entire conversation, is it true that they no longer release Alienware 18?!   

I've been waiting for Alienware 18 & hope it'll have Duo GTX 980M + Dock options! Can someone please double confirm the scenario here... 

it seems the new series consists of the 13, 15, and 17 yea. 

I guess your dual 980m option is clevo based models now. 

Obviously the unfortunate thing is they have no eGPU dock. 

[TheKDub]

Still overpriced and shitty.

[VinceLoh89]

Still overpriced and shitty.

You're basically paying for future upgradability & mobility form factor, I shoot for weddings & I need both Mobility & graphical power & still game in ultra settings. Due to it's bulky size, it allows better airflow than really thin laptops which overheats quite often. What's more an Amplifier to boost to desktop performance, that's true a channel to best of both worlds! 

If you're just gonna play high end games & only work at home, go get a desktop. In Asia, weddings are done very differently as we shoot in the morning and will have our slideshows ready by dinner so we do need performance and raw power to deliver our work.

 

 

it seems the new series consists of the 13, 15, and 17 yea. 

I guess your dual 980m option is clevo based models now. 

Obviously the unfortunate thing is they have no eGPU dock. 

Hopefully someone from AW would break the news for the all new modifications available for AW18  B)

[Sir_Zeke]

Still overpriced and shitty.

Please in UK is the same price as in USA

 

13" $999 = £949

15" $1199 = £1199

17" $1399 = £1399

 

Its such a BS for us in UK I hate it!!!!

[dragoon20005]

Please in UK is the same price as in USA

 

13" $999 = £949

15" $1199 = £1199

17" $1399 = £1399

 

Its such a BS for us in UK I hate it!!!!

you should look at Asia prices

 

even more crazy

 

at least if not twice the price for each system