Alienware 13 gaming laptop bridges the gap between portable and desktop

Alienware has revealed its new Alienware 13 gaming laptop, offering portable gaming with less of the compromise thanks to the company's new Graphics Amplifier, which launches alongside.The optional amplifier means gamers can get up to 375W of desktop graphics power when at home, which should hopefully offer the best of both worlds - or at least strike a much better balance than many of its rivals.The Alienware 13 hosts an Intel Core i5 processor and Nvidia's GeForce GTX 860M with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 RAM. The build is impressive at just 10 inches thin, making it 40% thinner than the previous-gen Alienware 14, and it comes in at a weight of just over 2kg. You've also got a 2560 x 1440 QHD resolution display as well as an optional touchscreen, if that's your thing.Alive and amplifiedThe Amplifier, which can host a full length, dual-height graphics card of either the AMD or Nvidia variety and sports four powered USB 3.0 ports, can be purchased either alongside the Alienware 13 or separately priced at £199 ($299).Pricing for the 13 starts at £949 ($999), while Alienware is also announcing the pricing and availability of the Area 51, which was first revealed back at PAX East. In case you've forgotten, that's the triangular one that looks like it could actually be a spaceship, and comes loaded with Intel's latest six/eight-core Haswell-E Core processors. Pricing for that one starts at £1299 ($1699). You'll be able to configure and order both the 13 and the Area 51 online from today. However, Alienware says neither will be available until this Christmas season, so you might be waiting a few weeks before your new rig arrives.

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