Get ready for a new level of sarcasm: Alienware is updating two 17-inch gaming laptops and adding the option to configure them with up to 480Hz screen, the highest we’ve seen in any gaming laptop.
This is important because so far, the highest refresh rate you could find in a gaming laptop screen was 360Hz. That’s more than fast enough to play the best PC games in framerate that your eyes can’t keep up with quickly (higher refresh rates allow the monitor to refresh more often – for example, a 120Hz monitor can display up to 120fps), but it does seem to be. Alienware not satisfied.
This week the company is updating two of its best gaming laptops, 17.3-inch Alienware m17 R5 (Opens in a new tab) and the Alienware x17 R2 (Opens in a new tab), to be configurable with a screen up to 480Hz (shipped with 165Hz 1080p panels by default). However, this refresh rate is only available on the 1080p panel. If you want one of these monsters with a 4K screen, you’re limited to a 120Hz refresh rate.
These new monitors will cost you an extra $400 when you configure each laptop, but they might be worth it if you really, truly Passionate about high framerates. Surely both laptops can be configured with enough horsepower to help drive a game like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive past the 400+ fps mark, given that each sports an AMD Ryzen 8900HX/12th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU, even an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU and up to 64GB of RAM. And since these laptops support Nvidia and AMD’s adaptive sync technology, you can rest assured that displays won’t stutter, drop frames, or tear when playing fast-paced games.
The Alienware m17 R5 starts at around $1,567, while the Alienware x17 R2 starts a little higher at $2,205. Both are strong contenders if you want a 17-inch gaming laptop. Earlier this year, we got our hands on the Alienware m17 R5 Ryzen Edition (pictured above) and found it to be sturdy and elegant, while in our Alienware m17 R2 review, we praised its great keyboard and solid performance.
Does anyone actually need a refresh rate that high?
Since the 480Hz refresh rate on a laptop screen is mind-boggling, it also begs the question: Who is this for?
While higher refresh rates can make things easier to look at the screen, most of us don’t need the more than 120Hz we get on premium smartphones and tablets, which helps make actions like swiping feel smoother.
Even in fast-paced games like Doom Eternal, there’s a past point where you won’t notice any difference except for the most sensitive eyes. I’ve tested dozens of gaming laptops over the years, and to be honest with you, I rarely get to notice any difference at frames above 150 fps or so.
However, it is exciting to see display manufacturers pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved on a laptop screen. Even if you don’t need 480fps, it’s good to know the technology is there if you change your mind.
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