Alienware X14 review: fast and thin, but far from perfect
A welcome trend is well underway in the realm of gaming laptops: some of them are getting smaller. The latest company to get on board with this is Alienware and its new X14. This is a thin 14-inch gaming laptop that’s completely different from anything else that the company offers. There’s now something on Alienware’s menu for people who still see gaming as the main course yet also hold portability in high regard.
It’s not an oversimplification to say that the X14 is basically a shrunken version of the company’s larger, pricier, and more powerful 15-inch X15. It’s thinner, lighter, and, as you might expect, far less powerful. As expected, Alienware made some compromises to fit everything into a smaller chassis. The X14 has fewer ports, and some of the futuristic (albeit divisive) RGB LEDs along its rear (seen here on the X17) are absent. Then there are issues that impact usability, like ho-hum battery life and a cramped keyboard. I’ll get to those more below.
On the other hand, I’m impressed that the smaller X14 retains many of the same features that define the larger models. It has a capable 12th Gen Intel processor, lightning-fast RAM clocked at 5,200MHz, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. In terms of performance, this does not run like the compromised machine that I thought it would be. It’s certainly not priced like a compromised machine, either. Alienware stated at launch that the X14 would cost $1,799.99, but the company is actually offering a $1,649.99 option, along with two higher-tier models.
Incidentally, the unit that Alienware provided for review had a manufacturing defect. The sides of its display enclosure bowed outward, misaligning with the laptop’s chassis. It was easy to miss, but a problem nevertheless.
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