Alienware 15 review: Perfect timing for a budget gaming laptop

Alienware 15 review: Perfect timing for a budget gaming laptop While its display could be nicer, Alienware’s first budget gaming laptop feels like a welcome reprieve. Alienware has been around for 30 years. But what may surprise you is that in all of that time, the company has never made a true budget gaming laptop. Even some of its smaller systems from previous generations, like the Alienware 13, were meant to be highly portable but still premium PCs. However, everything changed this summer with the release of the Alienware 15. With computer manufacturers across the globe struggling to combat the rising price of RAM, the company's first affordable gaming couldn't have arrived at a better time. Design Alienware makes PCs with some of the most striking designs in the industry. However, when tasked with making a more budget-friendly machine, the company toned down its styling and I don't mind. After all, not everyone wants their laptop to light up like a disco ball every time they turn it on. Plus, if we're really focused on getting the best value for money, I think a lot of people would be happy to trade style for performance. Don't get me wrong, the Alienware 15 doesn't look bad, it's just a bit plain, but in a somewhat stealthy way. Instead of a metal chassis like you get on some of its pricier siblings, this system is made almost entirely out of black plastic. There also isn't any RGB lighting, even in places like the alien logo on its lid, which is merely an opalescent badge, or its keyboard, which only has a white backlight. Thankfully, the Alienware 15 features a solid build without excess flex on its deck and I actually like the extra firmness of its keyboard. You also get a decently-sized though slightly mushy touchpad along with a numpad crammed in on the right, which is nice for anyone who plans on using this as both a gaming machine and a productivity device. Despite a starting price of just $1,000, Alienware didn't skimp on ports as the 15 comes with two USB-A 3.2 slots, two USB-C connections (one of which supports power delivery and DisplayPort 1.4), HDMI 2.1, a 3.5mm audio jack and even dedicated 1Gb Ethernet. Granted, with a max weight of just under five pounds, it's certainly not the lightest gaming laptop I've tested in recent times, but it's manageable. Display and webcam While I applaud Alienware for trying to make something truly affordable, the company may have skimped a bit too much on the Alienware 15's display. The 15.3-inch 1,920 x 1,200 LCD screen might be the weakest component on the system. And sadly, there aren't any other panel options, so you can't even pay extra to upgrade it. On the bright side, the screen's 165Hz refresh rate is a good match for the rest of its specs, as it gives you a bit of headroom to take advantage of things like NVIDIA's multi-frame generation tech (assuming you choose a spec with a 50-series GPU). Meanwhile, its 300-nit max brightness is generally fine, as long as you mostly use this thing i…