Alienware and Razer are two of essentially the most established names within the PC gaming circle, providing a variety of beautiful, distinctive trying merchandise from peripherals to laptops, and, within the case of Alienware, desktops. It’s clear that they’ve gaming as their central concern.
With regards to the greatest gaming laptops particularly, these two manufacturers are going to be a number of the first names that you simply’ll come throughout. Sooner or later in purchasing for a brand new gaming laptop computer, you’ll inevitably come to the crossroads of deciding whether or not Alienware or Razer is price it.
If it’s important to go together with one of many greatest price range laptopsyou would possibly resolve to look elsewhere at extra reasonably priced choices like Asus or Dell’s personal G-Sequence. Nonetheless, in case you have the cash for one in all these, deciding between the 2 could be powerful.
Each manufacturers typically overview very properly, providing highly effective laptops with most of the options that avid gamers want or need like RGB lighting, quick refresh charges, and highly effective {hardware}. And, each Alienware and Razer have distinctive, hanging aesthetics that elevate them above lots of the competitors, a minimum of in the case of appears. However, are the variations simply pores and skin deep? Can two laptops from two completely different firms sporting related {hardware} provide completely different experiences?
We’ll check out what Alienware and Razer have to supply to see the place they differ and the way that impacts you and your transportable PC gaming journey. And, for those who’re questioning how their peripherals stack up, we’ll check out these, too.
Alienware vs Razer: Value
One of many essential complaints that each firms obtain for Alienware and Razer laptop computer choices is that they’re costly. And, that all the time appeared to be the case. You’re not going to discover a sub-$1,000 mannequin except you go together with a refurbished one or purchase an older era mannequin by a 3rd celebration retailer on Amazon or Newegg. Nonetheless, these two firms aren’t equal.
The most affordable providing from every model sports activities a era previous Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 sequence GPU, with the Alienware x14 R2 gaming laptop computer going for $1,499 (about £1,208 / AU$2,321) fitted with a Thirteenth-gen Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 and 512GB of storage. The most affordable mannequin within the UK is the Alienware m17 with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, and 512GB of storage, which has a beginning value of £1,298.99 (about $1,613 / AU$2,427).
Razer, in the meantime, begins bit increased at $1,999.99 / AU$3,449.00 (about £1,600) and comes with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX, 16 GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, and 1 TB SSD. And that’s not even accessible within the UK anymore.
It’s clear that you simply’ll pay a fairly penny for both model, however that Razer will set you again a lot additional. For a last instance, let’s pit two of the latest and equally sized fashions in opposition to one another.
The Alienware M16 has a beginning value of $1,699.99 / £1,599.00 / AU$2,898.50, which is a good continues to be considerably excessive for a laptop computer with an AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, and 1TB SSD. It additionally has a 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) 165Hz show.
In distinction, the Razer Blade 16 (2023) begins at a whopping $2,699.99 (about £2119 / AU$4111). For that value, you get an Intel Core i9-13950HX, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, and 1TB SSD. So far as shows go, it has a barely extra spectacular 16″ QHD+ (2560 x 1600) 240 Hz, 16:10 panel. Although the specs are barely higher on the Razer mannequin – particularly a greater performing CPU and display with double the refresh price – the value differential is unquestionably in Alienware’s favor.
Alienware vs Razer: Design and options
You’ll by no means mistake an Alienware laptop computer for a Razer one or vice versa. Every firm has a really distinct look all its personal, and this appears to be uniform throughout all their present choices irrespective of the scale.
Alienware appears somewhat extra distinctive, particularly in its Lunar Silver colorway that considerably resembles a futuristic spaceship. The highest and backside lids are rounded for an nearly aerodynamic look. And, a lot of RGB lighting in distinctive locations, particularly in the back of the laptop computer to supply some backlighting and across the touchpad, actually set this aside.
One other distinctive aspect is how the show folds up from the physique. As an alternative of the standard clamshell-like design, the underside is deeper than the lid in order that it stands proud when totally open. Whereas unusual-looking, there’s numerous thermal piping located there to maintain issues cool throughout intensive gaming. Moreover, all of the ports are on the again as an alternative of the facet for a cleaner look, although it’s much less handy.
However, Razer takes an nearly Ultrabook strategy with its aluminum clam-shell design. It simply occurs to be matte black (it’s additionally accessible in a silver-like Mercury) with a inexperienced Razer emblem, nearly like an Apple MacBook Professional had an identification disaster and determined to turn out to be a gaming laptop computer. That mentioned, it’s nonetheless distinctive trying, most likely because of that matte-black end and aluminum chassis. It does have a fully-backlit keyboard, however the RGB celebration stops there.
Thermals embrace a 3 fan system to maintain issues cool, whereas port positioning is on the perimeters like most laptops. Whether or not you favor this or the again ones on the Alienware goes to be a matter of desire as having them on the facet is extra handy however having them on the again retains all these cables hidden.
It may be somewhat complicated in the case of shows as each manufacturers provide quite a lot of choices per mannequin. However, it doesn’t matter what you get, you’ll find yourself with a minimum of a 144Hz refresh price. Alienware does enable as much as a ridiculous 480Hz on some fashions – although the decision is simply FHD+ (1920 x 1200p) – whereas Razer peaks at 360Hz refresh price – once more, at a decrease FHD (1920 x 1080p) decision.
That mentioned, Razer does have a bonus insofar as you may improve the Razer Blade 15 to an OLED panel or the Razer Blade 16 to a dual-mode LED show that may swap between UHD+ (3840 x 2400) at 120Hz or FHD+ (1920 x 1200p) at 24Hz refresh price.
Alienware vs Razer: Efficiency
Evaluating efficiency between Alienware and Razer laptops could be powerful since any present manufacturing mannequin goes to provide you a lot of energy. Every thing however the least expensive of both firm’s choices, which appears to be older era fashions with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050s, offers you max or near max settings in nearly any sport you’d wish to run.
To present a concrete instance, whereas there’s a clear efficiency differential between the Alienware M16 and the Razer Blade 16 (2023) talked about earlier than, the outcomes are ok that you simply gained’t discover any bottlenecks for a couple of years.
In testing, the Alienware M16 typically scored somewhat worse in benchmarks reminiscent of operating at a decent 57 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 on extremely settings in comparison with the Razer Blade 16’s 76.84 fps. Nonetheless, the Alienware M16 did get higher ends in 3DMark’s Fireplace Strike and Complete Struggle: Warhammer III.
The purpose being that slight efficiency variations come right down to evaluating particular {hardware} – on this case, the Razer Blade 16 has a barely higher CPU however that’s about it. So, you’ll wish to do a head-to-head comparability of whichever Alienware and Razer notebooks you’re contemplating, particularly since yow will discover fashions with prime specs reminiscent of an Intel Core i9 and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 from each firms. Nonetheless, solely Alienware lets you improve as much as 64GB RAM whereas Razer caps out at 32GB.
- Winner: Razer, although it is actually configuration-dependent
Alienware vs Razer: Desktop issues
Whereas I gained’t dwell too lengthy on desktops – in spite of everything, solely Alienware has pre-built choices – it’s price taking a fast look. Alienware’s line of gaming PCs is fairly intensive. And, although none of their merchandise are low-cost, per se, the entry stage fashions aren’t outrageously priced both.
As an illustration, the Alienware Aurora R16 with a Thirteenth-Gen Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, and 512GB of storage is at the moment the corporate’s least expensive (reductions however) at $1,299.99 (about £1,048 / AU$2,013). Within the UK, it’s equally priced for the mid-range at £1,349.00 ($1,675 / AU$2,494), although UK residents are caught with an RTX 3050 if they need the bottom mannequin. However, it solely goes up from there.
You will get kitted out fashions with as much as an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 that may run absolutely anything and presumably be highly effective sufficient for intensive enhancing workstations, which is able to get you right into a value vary far past most individuals’s means ($3,500+ / £3,500+). Like most pre-builts, nevertheless, if you wish to put within the work, you may spend a lot much less for those who resolve to construct your individual PC.
Although Razer doesn’t make any gaming PCs, the corporate does make quite a lot of PC parts from PC circumstances to RGB-equipped followers, energy provides, and extra. Razer even produces high-quality eGPU circumstances. So, whereas Alienware is the clear winner in pre-builts, Razer does have quite a bit to supply PC avid gamers trying to customise their rig, particularly in the event that they’re constructing their very own. In that vein, it ought to be famous that Alienware doesn’t provide something in the best way of peripherals.
Alienware vs Razer: Peripherals
On the planet of peripherals, Razer is presumably essentially the most well-known firm on the market, dwarfing what Alienware has on provide. Their merchandise litter our greatest gaming keyboards, greatest gaming mouseand greatest gaming headset guides. There are wonderful price range fashions in addition to premium flagship ones that aren’t afraid to go to the subsequent stage with their options.
The totally moddable Razer BlackWidow V4 75% keyboard or feature-packed Razer Huntsman 2 mouse with the power so as to add wi-fi charging come to thoughts. It doesn’t matter what your wants are, there’s a Razer peripheral that meets these wants.
Alienware, however, has a way more restricted choice as the corporate appears to supply only a price range and premium mannequin per peripheral class. That mentioned, what they do provide, a minimum of on the premium facet, is superb. The Alienware AW420K mechanical keyboard could not have loopy, innovative options like twin actuation, but it surely supplies a satisfying typing expertise with beautiful RGB and prime quality switches. Or, think about the Alienware AW720H gaming headset, which has clear Hello-Res sound with Dolby Atmos spatial audio.
After all, the one space that Alienware has a leg up is within the monitor division. Whereas Razer has simply the Razer Raptor 27 with its 1440p decision at 165Hz in its peripheral arsenal, Alienware makes quite a lot of displays together with two with as much as a 500Hz refresh price – the Alienware AW2524H and the marginally extra reasonably priced Alienware AW2524HF.
Basically, Razer is the dominant model for nearly each sort of peripheral besides displays.
Alienware vs Razer: Which is best for you?
To a sure diploma, selecting between Alienware and Razer goes to be a matter of aesthetics. They appear very completely different from one another in addition to something from another producer.
However, there are variations past that. Alienware, as premium as its fashions typically are, is the widely cheaper model whereas the Razer has some options like that dual-mode show that you simply gained’t discover on Alienware. Plus, Razer has the a lot deeper peripheral arsenal to pair.
That mentioned, the efficiency in nearly any however essentially the most entry-level mannequin goes to provide you max settings on the newest AAA sport for the close to future.
So the reply to the query of whether or not the variations between Alienware and Razer is simply pores and skin deep is sure, however not by a lot.
