Alienware Laptop For Programming: Top 6 Expert Picks

Compiling codes requires a powerful machine to do it efficiently. The number of developers who use an Alienware laptop for programming isn’t less. Compiling takes a huge amount of time, which adds to the overall stress significantly.

A Powerful gaming machine like an Alienware laptop can be used to meet the much-needed efficiency, especially for game developers, and allow you to have more free time.

Typically Alienware laptops come with crazy high price tags. But there are a bit low priced laptops with good specs that can handle heavy coding as well.

If you are yet to decide whether to go for an Alienware laptop or not for this purpose, this article will be beneficial for making the right decision.

Top Rated Alienware Laptop For Programming 2022 Comparison Table

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Alienware Laptop for Programming

Depending on the machine and specs, it takes around 5 hours to compile a 500MB text file, which is a lot of time if you are a serious programmer who is always busy writing such huge-length codes.

An Alienware laptop would make more sense for a game developer, even though these laptops are expensive. Work efficiency matters more than the price. The faster you will finish your daily tasks, the more free time you will have to spend for yourself or with your family and loved ones.

What Is an Alienware Laptop?

Alienware is owned by Dell Inc.  List of the most powerful and best gaming laptops of each year has to have multiple Alienware laptops. Their design factor makes much appeal to gamers. The laptops have an outer space design with a black theme, RGB lighting, and whatnot.

The powerful CPU and GPU combo are what make their laptops stand out from others in the competition. If you have any specific component or build requirements, Alienware can customize the configuration for you as well. And this is something we don’t see with other gaming laptop manufacturers.

Their products are made of premium-grade materials to ensure utmost durability, contributing to the high price tags.

What’s So Special About Alienware?

If you don’t know much about Alienware, this section will give you an idea of why people are so hyped about their gaming machines.

• Reliability and Performance

Among serious gamers and professionals, their machines are known to be highly reliable and powerful compared to other ones in the market.

Apart from gaming, professional workloads that require higher-end components with excellent optimized performance are handled with excellent efficiency by their machines. Some of their higher-end laptops can compete with highly equipped desktops in terms of performance.

So, portability won’t compromise the performance if you got money to spend on an expensive Alienware gaming laptop.

• Cost

Alienware is the most prestigious and expensive gaming laptop and desktop brand. Most of their laptops are made of magnesium alloy and other premium materials to give each unit a very sophisticated look.

Even the cheapest Alienware model costs more than higher-end models of some of the laptop manufacturers.

• Design

When it comes to gaming laptops, looks and design matter a lot; pretty much gaming machines from all manufacturers got pretty dope-looking aggressive designs. But, Alienware machines are always one step ahead in this design game.

Their devices got unique-looking Alien-like Dark-themed design that makes much appeal among gamers of all levels.

What’s Better – Alienware Or Razer?

Alienware and Razer machines are pretty expensive than laptops from other manufacturers. However, their target customer base is a bit different.

• Performance

Both these laptop manufacturers got expensive deals under the hood. Alienware laptops seem to lead the race in terms of performance as some of their laptop processors are equivalent to desktop Core i7.

You can play games smoothly on a Razer laptop. But the experience will be much more satisfying with an Alienware machine.

• Design

When it comes to the design, each of them offers different stuff. Razer laptops are more of a sleek and classy-looking design with a premium aluminum build. In contrast, Alienware uses premium magnesium-aluminum alloy to make the chassis of their laptops. Their laptops got more aggressive and epic designs.

• Display

Alienware laptops are available in up to 365 Hz display. In contrast, Razer higher-end models can be found in 300 Hz max.

• Battery

Razer laptops got a decent battery life compared to Alienware ones.

8 Reasons Alienware Is Good for Programming

Alienware laptops can be equally good or even better than other laptops when it comes to programming and stuff in the following aspects –

1. Processing Power (CPU)

17-inch Alienware laptops got the latest Gen Core i9 processors, which are insanely faster than any laptop processor in the market. You can even compare it with a regular i7 desktop gaming processor.

2. Powerful GPUs

Alienware takes gaming more seriously than anyone else in the competition. Although there are plenty of laptops configured with Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, the overall gaming performance is much smoother because of the i9 processor in some costly Alienware laptops.

3. Latest SSD Storage

You will find many laptops that come with NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSDs. But most of them are limited to 2TB of storage capacity.

Higher-end Alienware laptops are configured up to 4TB of PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSDs. And you can install multiple SSDs in some models.

4. Plenty of RAM

You can configure your Alienware laptop with up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM. However, if you get a 32GB RAM edition, you can’t upgrade the RAM. Alienware machines don’t allow RAM upgradability.

5. Comfortable Keyboards

Alienware laptop keyboards feature anti-ghosting technology that prevents accidental keypresses or keystrokes, apart from RGB effect lighting, decent key-travel, and spacing. Also, you can customize each key with their dedicated keyboard app.

6. Easy Viewing – Screen

More or less, all Alienware laptops come with higher refresh rate display panels. Also, the color accuracy and gamut are top-notch for all editing tasks.

For gaming, higher-end models come with displays with TobiiEyetracking technology that tracks your eyes’ movement to improve the graphics precisely where your eyes look while gaming.

7. Best Portability

Alienware has both bulky and relatively thinner laptops. Although none of their devices are as slim or portable as Ultrabooksout there, still as a gaming laptop, some of the devices have relatively less weight on them.

8. Good Connectivity

One of the areas where Alienware laptops don’t compromise is I/O ports. You will have all the necessary ports regardless of what kind of consumer you are.

Our Recommended: Top 6 Alienware Laptop For Programming In 2022

The list includes relatively cheaper and costly laptops from the Alienware product lineup.

1. Alienware M15 R6 – Top 5 Pick

Among all Alienware laptops of recent years, this particular model comes at a relatively low cost. But, still, the price can cost most people a fortune compared to a regular gaming laptop of other brands.

The machine is powered by 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H, an 8 cores, and 18 threads processor. No matter you’ve written codes for days and you want to make sure it’s compiled without much delay, this processor will surely make it happen quite efficiently.

For graphics-intensive tasks, the machine is equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GPU. You can play most games in high settings without any issues. However, you might see frame drops while playing recent games.

With 16GB on board RAM, this can be your reliable multitasking workstation. However, RAM is upgradable up to 32GB.

The storage drive on this laptop is a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe one. General computing, as well as large data transfer, will be lightning fast.

It got a display panel of 240 Hz, which is highly satisfying to see, be it for gaming or entertaining purposes. As it has a resolution of 2560 x 1440, the screen can fit a lot of codes compared to a typical 1080p panel.

Short Verdict

As a programmer, you can consider getting this one if you need the superfast speed of an 11th gen processor along with a high-end GPU for game development or serious coding stuff.

2. Alienware M17 R4 – A Long Battery Life Laptop

If you need a powerful and large laptop as your programming workstation, Alienware M17 R4 can be the right pick for you. Its got a 17-inch large screen and powerful specs to make sure you don’t have to compromise with work efficiency.

The display is one of the best features of this desktop replacement laptop. It got a 17.3-inch FHD 1080p screen with a refresh rate of 360 Hz. The overall color accuracy and reproduction is excellent as it covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut.

With Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 6GB dedicated graphics, you can rest assured about its GPU’s potentiality. Recent games can be played flawlessly, backed by the Nvidia G-sync technology.

Powered by the 10th Gen Core i7-10870H processor, it got plenty of power to deliver all you need for your programming tasks and whatnot. With up to 5 GHz of max clock speed, you won’t feel underpowered for any task whatsoever.

For multitasking needs, the machine comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM. Although it’s relatively larger, Alienware left no option for RAM upgrading.

The overall operating system and transition feel smoother, and you don’t notice slowing down at all. Thanks to its 1TB of NVMe SSD, this laptop is one of the fastest in the competition. SSD storage is upgradable.

Short Verdict

If you are looking for a reliable and performance-oriented desktop replacement laptop with great specs and durability, you won’t go wrong with this machine.

 

3. Alienware M17 R3 – Best Powerful Laptop

Another 17-inch workstation laptop, but with a mid-end GPU unit. If you don’t want to pay the extras for a high-end GPU which you don’t even need, the M17 R3 can be a solid option to consider.

Compared to the M17 R4 model, the display has a lower refresh rate of 300 Hz. It still looks great and much better than any other laptop displays out there. Colors are accurate for graphics-intensive tasks.

To meet your heavy coding efficiency, it spots the 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H processor. It’s a 6-core and 12-thread CPU powerhouse, which can compile your codes faster than typical 10th Gen i7 processors.

For gaming or developing needs, the included Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 8GB would be pretty decent for its price. You can play recent games at mid settings and older ones at high settings at enjoyable FPS.

With its DD4 16GB RAM, you shouldn’t face any issues while coding. RAM isn’t upgradable, which can be a deal-breaker if you plan to upgrade the memory in the future.

This model got Alienware’s signature high-quality magnesium alloy, copper, and steel construction to make this laptop a premium one.

Short Verdict

Compared to other 17-inch Alienware laptops, it’s a bit low priced for its mid-end GPU and non-upgradeable RAM option. But, it’s still a high-performance machine for coding. Compiling loads of codes can be done with high efficiency.

 

4. Dell Alienware M15 R5 – Best Fastest Laptop

Alienware laptops do come in Ryzen variants, and this is one of those few models. If you are highly dependent on AMD APUs, you shouldn’t miss this laptop.

Powered by AMD Ryzen R7 5800H 8-core 16-threads, you will get up to 4.4 GHz clock speed from this beast. Both multicore and single-core performance are pretty satisfying and up to the mark for intensive workloads. That being said, it’s more than enough for programming as well.

Apart from its integrated Vega 8 GPU, the laptop got a dedicated one from Nvidia. With the RTX 3060 6GB GPU unit, you can handle heavy graphics-intensive tasks, be it gaming or video editing, without any issue.

This is one of those powerful Alienware laptops that is made for heavy multitasking. With 32GB DDR4 3200 MHz RAM, you can throw all workloads at a time and won’t even notice a lag whatsoever. But, the RAM can’t be upgraded any further.

Its got a 15.6-inch FHD 1080p display panel with excellent color accuracy. The refresh rate is 165 Hz. So, it’s suitable for gaming as well.

The manufacturer includes a 1TB NVMe SSD to ensure it doesn’t slow down, booting into Windows or transferring large files.

You will get each and every port you would need for work except the SD card, which can be a huge deal-breaker for content creators.

Short Verdict

Although the specs are pretty solid on paper, not including an SD card slot is something unacceptable. Also, the overall construction could be better for its high price tag. But it’s one of the fastest units Alienware has ever manufactured to this day.

 

5. Alienware M15 R3 – Best All-Rounder Laptop

This Intel variant of the Alienware M15 R3 model best suits those who need an overall performance laptop for various tasks, including programming. If you are one of those programmers who rely on Intel’s powerful processors, have a read what this model comes with.

M15 R3 laptop is powered by a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H processor, which is an 8-core and 16-thread unit. With up to 5.10 GHz max clock speed, you can rest assured about its intensive performance. If your programming requires a higher-end processor for efficiency, it won’t disappoint you.

Teamed with RTX 2080 Super 8GB GPU unit, it’s more like a mid-end combo for gaming. You can still play most games in high settings. But there will be frame drops playing recent high graphics games.

The device got plenty of RAM memory for multitasking and stuff. With 32GB of RAM, you shouldn’t run out of memory no matter how many heavy apps you need to run at a time.

You will find great pleasure coding on its stunning 300 Hz monitor. You will discover its true potentiality while using it for entertainment purposes and content creation.

When it comes to port selection, this one is an actual workstation-capable machine. It got all the I/O ports you would need.

Short Verdict

This laptop will serve most high-performing tasks without much compromise. For coding and stuff, it got everything you would need even for the next few years.

 

6. Dell Alienware Area 51M – Best High Budget Laptop

For those who want a highly powerful laptop with all higher-end components, Alienware Area 51M can be the right pick as it doesn’t compromise no matter how intensive tasks your profession has to deal with.

This beast is powered by a 9th gen Intel Core i9-9900k processor, which can also be compared with some of the higher-end i7 desktop processors. With up to 5 GHz of max clock speed, you won’t notice this unit loses its efficiency during processes.

With its dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 8GB GPU, Nvidia G-sync technology, and Tobii eye-tracking technology, you will get a much better gaming experience even at high settings.

Its 17.5-inch 1080p display has a refresh rate of 144 GHz, which looks great for gaming, entertainment, and content creation.

In total, this laptop offers 2TB of storage. 2 x 512GB SSD, and 1TB additional storage for data storing.

For upgradability, it leaves plenty of options for the user. You can upgrade the RAM, socketed CPU, as well as graphics unit. So, it’s the best option you can ever get for any desktop replaceable laptop for a future upgrade.

Short Verdict

This might not be a laptop for even an above-average person. If future upgradability matters to you a lot, and you want a reliable laptop that can replace your desktop, the deal would be worthwhile considering for highly professional and performance-intensive tasks.

 

5 Ways to Maximize Alienware Performance for Programming

Whether you got an old or new Alienware laptop, which isn’t giving the performance as it should, be sure to follow the tips below –

1. Upgrade to an M.2 SSD

If your Alienware laptop still has a typical m.2 SSD, be sure to upgrade it to an NVMe one. It will make things 4-5 times faster, depending on the SSD model and brand. Windows booting time, computing, and data transfer will be lightning fast.

2. Keep Windows Up to Date

One of the reasons why laptops don’t perform up to their full potential is because of bugs that the current version of Windows has. If this is the issue, updating the Windows will fix the issues, and you will find the laptop functioning faster.

3. Activate Windows 10 Game Mode

Your Alienware’s higher-end specs can’t perform up to their full potential if the Windows 10 game mode is disabled. Be sure to turn it on to unleash the power of Alienware.

Open settings from the start menu, then select gaming from the menu list.

Go to the Game Mode section. Right from there, you can turn Game Mode on and off when needed.

4. Uninstall Unnecessary Programs

Even though your Alienware laptop is a capable device, still unnecessary programs can cause the system to slow down a bit, or this can be the reason for unexpected frame drops.

Be sure to uninstall the programs that you don’t need. You will surely notice the difference.

5. Update Graphics Card Driver Using the Official Website

GPU updates are crucial. If you notice the gaming and editing performance isn’t like it used to be, see if the manufacturer has an update for your specific GPU model. It will significantly improve the graphics performance.

FAQs on Alienware Laptop for Programming

1. Does Dell own Alienware?

Alienware was established in 1996. But later in 2006, Dell purchased Alienware to develop and manufacture their gaming-oriented devices.

2. Is an Alienware laptop worth it?

For extremely high performance, unique looking design, and durable build quality, Alienware laptops are worth considering buying even though their laptops cost way more than gaming laptops from other brands.

3. Are gaming laptops suitable for programming?

If the programming has to deal with huge text files on a regular basis which requires 4-5 hours for compiling, a high-performance gaming laptop can significantly reduce the time.

Also, from game development, their laptops are considered one of the best.

4. Can I use an Alienware laptop for android/iOS apps development?

Technically, yes. However, the experience might not be quite convenient when compared to using a higher-end Chromebook and MacBook. So, it wouldn’t be that good to use an Alienware laptop for such purposes.

5. Can you use Alienware as a regular computer?

Alienware machines are really high-performing laptops, which users can use as a normal computer for the usual stuff. However, the price seems a lot more than day-to-day computing.

6. Can you use Alienware for coding?

For coding, Alienware laptops are highly efficient, reducing the time for compiling codes.

7. Are Alienware laptops worth it in 2022?

Higher-end Alienware laptops are quite reliable even for the next few years or more. If you got money to spend on a high-performing gaming laptop, you wouldn’t regret buying it.

8. Does Alienware use cheap parts?

Most Alienware laptops are made out of premium quality magnesium alloy material. However, some low-priced models got plastic build chassis as well. But the overall quality is far better than laptops from other manufacturers.

However, they don’t compromise when it comes to parts like display, keyboard, etc.

9. Which is the best Alienware laptop?

If you are looking for a 15-inch gaming laptop, Alienware M15 R6 would be the best pick. Also, the R5 model can be considered.

For a desktop replacement, the M17 R3 stands pretty solidly against competitors. If upgradability is something you will need in the future, Alienware Area 51M would be the most worthwhile investment.

10. Is Alienware M15 R5 Laptop SSD upgradable?

The M15 R5 model comes with two SSD slots that can be upgraded up to 2TB in total. So yeah, you can upgrade the SSD storage on this particular model.

11. How many watts is the RTX 3060?

The power drawing rating of RTX 3060 GPU is a max of 170W. So, the power supply has to provide at least 340 watts.

12. What is the max TDP of Alienware M15 R6 laptop GPU? (RTX3060)

The Thermal Design Power of RTX 3060 in M15 R6 laptops is rated at 170W.

13. Is Alienware M15 R6 Laptop RAM upgradable?

You can upgrade the RAM in Alienware M15 R6 up to 32GB as it comes with dual RAM slots.

Final Words: Alienware Laptop for Programming

If you have made it this far, you should’ve got a clear idea of whether you should go for an Alienware laptop for programming.

To sum up, if you got enough money, and you need the most efficiency for work, definitely go for it. You will get plenty of power to compile codes faster and a great keyboard to type for hours. For game development, Alienware would be the first choice.