Alienware x14 R2 MSRP $1,900.00 Score Details DT Recommended Product “The Alienware x14 R2 is an iterative update, but it still might be the best 14-inch gaming laptop you can buy.” Pros Cons The last time we looked at the Alienware x14 — almost a year ago to the date at the time of publication — it was clear the storied gaming brand had a compelling laptop on its hands.
And, as I’ll dig into later with my benchmarks, the performance delivers what it needs to. That’s an important factor to consider over raw performance considering the Alienware x14 R2 is the thinnest laptop in its class, clocking in at just 0.57 inches. RGB also makes an appearance, both for per-key lighting on the keyboard and for the Alienware logo on top. The x14 doesn’t add the “stadium lighting” strip on the back like the x16 does, though, and skips the RGB trackpad.
The plus here is USB-C charging. The power adaptor for the Alienware x14 R2 is as portable as the laptop itself, which is a welcome change of pace compared to most other gaming laptops. And, when you just need to top off the machine, you can use most GaN chargers without any problems. The trackpad is a different story. It’s way too small, especially stacked up to the luxuriously large trackpad on the Razer Blade 14. I was constantly running out of room, even for minor tasks like scrolling a webpage. This is a laptop you’ll want to use with an external mouse.
That’s even more clear when you look at a real-world test like PugetBench for Premiere Pro. The combo of the Core i7-13620H and RTX 4060 was able to beat out the MacBook Pro 14 with the M1 Pro, and even go toe-to-toe with the Core i9-13905H inside the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i . My main issue is how the card performs at the display’s native resolution. It’s not bad, but the Alienware x14 R2 skirts the 60 frames per second mark and doesn’t hit it in a handful of games, including both Returnal and Red Dead Redemption 2. I tested at the Ultra preset, so there are definitely ways to improve your performance. I just wouldn’t recommend going below the RTX 4060. Alienware offers both the RTX 4050 and RTX 3050 as GPU options, though they all feed the same 1,600p screen.