On top of the new Area-51 desktop gaming PC,
Alienware is taking care of mobile gamers with its new Alienware 13 notebook. While the Alienware 13 isn't as powerful as its desktop counterpart, the company hopes to solve that with an add-on device called the Alienware Graphics Amplifier that brings the power of a discrete GPU to the notebook.
The new Alienware 13 is designed using the company's "EPIC premium industrial design language" with a sleek silver exterior. Featuring a 13-inch anti-glare TN-panel that supports a 1366x768 resolution, the notebook is only an inch thick and weighs 4.5 pounds. The notebook has eight programmable zones for LED lighting, with a four-zone, multi-color keyboard with AlienFX lighting controls.
Starting at $1,000, the Alienware 13 is powered by an Intel Core i5-4210U 1.7GHz processor. Additional specifications include Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M graphics with 2GB of VRAM, 8GB of DDR3L memory at 1600MHz, a 1TB 5400RPM hard drive, internal Creative Sound Blaster high-definition audio, Killer Gigabit Ethernet, Killer 1525 802.11 ac dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. Ports include two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port with PowerShare technology, Mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, 3.5mm audio out and line in, a two megapixel webcam, and an Alienware Graphics Amplifier port.
Consumers have additional options to consider when pricing one of Alienware's new 13-inch notebooks. Users get display choices outside of the standard 13-inch HD screen, including a 13-inch full HD IPS anti-glare display with a resolution of 1920x1080, or a 13-inch QHD IPS TrueLife option for resolutions up to 2560x1440. Memory can be upgraded to 16GB, while improved storage options include hybrid drives, SSDs and mSATA.
For consumers that want a gaming PC for travel, but still want the power associated with a desktop PC at home, Alienware proposes a solution. Much like MSI did with its GS30 notebook and GamingDock, Alienware released the Graphics Amplifier. The dock sells for $300, allowing users to add the graphics card of their choice to the chassis for improved graphics performance. The dock connects to the notebook through dedicated PCI Express lanes via the Graphics Amplifier port. The Amplifier can accept a full-length, dual-height video cards that use up to 375 watts of power. Four USB 3.0 ports are also accessible on the back of the dock.
Both the Alienware 13 notebook and the Graphics Amplifier are available starting October 28.
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