Dell's Alienware series of gaming laptops has always been a controversial topic. It's hard to argue with the powerful components under the hood, but the sci-fi aesthetic is not for everyone, and you're certainly going to pay a hefty premium if you buy one. I call it the "Alienware tax," and with Dell's new Alienware x14, I'm willing to pay it. While the larger, heavier 17-inch model is hard to love, this compact powerhouse immediately feels like a laptop for the discerning gamer.

Here's a little look at what we're working on: the Alienware x14 can be configured with several different specifications on Dell's website, with the cheapest model (with a 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and RTX 3050) priced at $1,499 dollars (£1,549). The model I am looking at for review is powered by an Intel Core i7 12700H and RTX 3060, plus 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. This model costs $1,949 (£1,929).

For an additional fee, memory and drives can be upgraded (up to 32GB and 4TB, respectively), but otherwise it is the peak of the x14 configuration. A RTX 3070 or i9 CPU on this small laptop could result in significant compromises in chassis and thermal performance, and no one wants that.

Attach these components to a bright and colorful 1080p display with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, and you have a capable FHD gaming system. alienware x14 averages over 60 fps for most games, with Metro:. Exodus and Cyberpunk 2077, and only dipped into the 50-60 fps range on benchmarks for more demanding games such as Exodus and Cyberpunk 2077. While not all games run cleanly on Ultra settings, it's the reliable 1080p performance we've come to expect from the RTX 3060. [Thanks to the Core i7 12700H processor and fast DDR5 memory, it scored respectably in most synthetic benchmarks, with the RTX 3060-powered Asus TUF Dash F15 (open in new tab) available for $800 less, and the RTX 3070 we reviewed The Alienware x14 is at the premium end of the FHD gaming laptop spectrum.

So what does its high asking price bring? First, this gaming laptop is surprisingly compact, weighing just 4 pounds (1.8 kg) and measuring just over 1.5 inches thick with the lid closed, with the inset hinge that has become synonymous with Alienware laptops, increasing the rear footprint by about an inch. The chassis is mostly plastic. The chassis is mostly plastic, but it is durable and fingerprint resistant. [The interior is all black, with long perforated grills for the fan and speakers extending to either side of the keyboard. The screen bezel is fairly thin, with a bar at the top housing the webcam, microphone array, and IR camera for facial recognition login. When the lid is closed, the exterior of the chassis is mostly white, with the number 14 printed in faint letters, and adorned with Dell's small alien face logo.

This logo is lit by RGB LEDs, but the chunky rear light bar found on larger Alienware laptops is missing here. The keyboard is also limited to single-zone solid-color RGB, so don't expect flashy lighting effects. Not a huge loss, but feels a bit harsh given the high price.

Fortunately, this keyboard is actually good to use. The chiclet-style keys under the butterfly switches are not amazing, but the sizing of the individual keys is good and comfortable for both typing and gaming. On the right side are dedicated volume and mute keys, with a lamp indicating whether the microphone or speaker is muted.

The trackpad is not very impressive. The clicking feel is satisfactory and does not have the spongy feel found on less expensive gaming laptops. It is simply a bit smaller, especially compared to the larger trackpad on the Razer Blade 14 (opens in new tab) The Razer Blade 14 is a direct competitor to the Alienware x14 in the premium compact gaming notebook segment, imposing its own "Razer tax"

The only serious frown I had while examining the x14's chassis was when I noticed that every single one of the laptop's ports is located on the rear edge. This may not bother some users, but having to reach around the back to connect a USB drive or power cable quickly became annoying. In addition to the traditional USB Type-A, there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI 2.1, a headset jack, and a microSD card slot. The only thing missing is an Ethernet connection.

We'd like to say that there is only one digital concern with the Alienwarex14, but of course the laptop is loaded with Dell's almost ragged Alienware software suite. While this laptop can't do much, it can switch between performance profiles at the push of a button without having to open the software.

The Alienware x14 also uses Nvidia's mode-switching technology to save battery life, but in practice it is more of an annoyance than a benefit. It automatically switches between CPU-integrated graphics and a dedicated GPU depending on the task, which would be great if it didn't freeze for a few seconds each time. In the end, I turned this off and stuck with GPU graphics.

The CPU also got quite hot, up to 100°C right after the benchmark, but it did not appear to be causing any noticeable slowdown. The outer chassis felt only lightly warm, a far cry from the thigh-burning we experienced with other laptops. However, the fan was a bit noisy when running intensive tasks.

Finally, battery life. To make a long story short, it is not very good. I have seen worse, but those were mostly larger, more powerful machines. Indeed, gaming laptops are somewhat universally inferior in this area. That's because running games is a power-hungry activity. But even so, the Alienware x14's battery life was not "disastrous" in our tests.

The simple truth of the Alienware x14's existence is that it is not a gaming laptop for everyone. While you can get similar performance from cheaper laptops, the target audience here is those who don't want a budget device. x14 looks like a premium product and has enough performance to justify buying it in the first place.