The game begins with Alienware 17

How do you make heads turn at a LAN gaming party without trying out those hidden kung-fu moves? By getting an Alienware, of course. The biggest, gaming laptop available in India just got a major refresh, both in terms of internal hardware and external design.

A huge part of the appeal of any Alienware machine is undoubtedly its look and feel. Past Alienwares have sported some iconic designs and bling, and the new Alienware 17 continues the tradition. Sporting a metal screen lid with angular accents, and a nice chunky reinforced plastic exterior, the Alienware feels rock solid and very sturdy. The finish on the machine gives it a premium aura; the overdose of glowing LED bits - right from the logo to the keyboard keys - and angular edges on the Alienware gives it a distinct personality that's quite unique. Of course, it isn't a light machine, but it's pretty darn well built.

The keyboard is good for both typing and gaming (not quite in the same league as mechanical keyboards, though), and its touchpad is nice and textured.

Apart from boasting off a Full HD matte screen display, another highlight of the Alienware 17 is its better-than-average onboard audio - it's really very good compared to mainstream laptops - whether you're gaming or listening to music. Not counting its comprehensive connectivity features, the machine also packs in superior internal hardware, not to mention the new Intel fourth generation Haswell processor and NVIDIA's gaming chops. In terms of performance, the Alienware 17's one of the best machines we've tested this year - most modern games played well at high settings - and it would've performed even better if it had an SSD. Its battery life isn't great, however, eking out two hours 20 minutes in our benchmark - which will be way lower during gaming sessions.

Every piece of glowing LED visible on the Alienware 17's shell is configurable to the colour of your choice through AlienFX, a proprietary tool built into the Alienware 17. It's what gives Alienware machines its unique bling. The glowing touchpad is a brand new feature of the Alienware 17, never before seen on previous Alienwares. This is exactly what the Alienware's all about. In pitch black darkness, bathed in its own LED glow, the machine isn't unlike an Alien artifact from outer space. And you're gaming on it! Isn't that super cool?

As you'd imagine, the machine ain't cheap. But in the absence of Razer Blade, a competing uber gaming laptop that doesn't officially sell in India, the Alienware's a great machine to consider if you're a laptop gamer. Even if you aren't a gamer, this is one of the most flamboyant and extravagant laptops money can buy, guaranteed to make heads turn.

Specifications
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i7-4700MQ @ 3.2 GHz
RAM: 16GB DDR3
Graphics: Intel HD 4600 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (2GB)
DISPLAY: 17.0-inch, matte, (1920 x 1080 pixels) with touch-screen
HDD: 750 GB
STORAGE: 1TB
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
CONNECTIVITY: 4 x USB 3.0, HDMI, 802.11ac, Bluetooth
Price: R1,29,990

Pros
>> Very good build quality
>> Great hardware specs
>> Iconic look and design
>> Good onboards sound

Cons
>> Expensive