Dell launched the Alienware Graphics Amplifier a few years ago -- an external GPU that could be plugged into the company's own laptops for gaming on the go. While it was later discontinued, the company has taken what it has learned from its attempt at an eGPU and has now put together Concept Polaris. Concept Polaris is what the company believes may be the future of gaming, and provides you with desktop-level graphical strength for your laptop. Note that this is just a concept, and it will likely not be released as a future product in its current form.

concept polaris

Concept Polaris has soft rounded edges and Alien FX loop lighting. It can be oriented vertically or horizontally and is powered through dual AC adapters. One iteration of Concept Polaris was powered through two 330w AC adapters, whereas another was powered by two 425w adapters. This reduces the internal space required by still delivering the power required for a full-size 16-inch desktop gaming graphics card that can be liquid-cooled with the company's Cryo-Tech cooling solution.

It's not just made for Alienware products either. It can connect over Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB-4, giving potential desktop-like gaming performance to a broader range of laptops. It also has USB-A, USB-C, and 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports, too. It's a recent take from the company on what it hopes eGPUs can be, as it can provide not just performance, but connectivity to your mouse, keyboard, and internet as well. This is merely a concept but opens the door for more eGPU-related products in the future.

Alienware product experience planner Umar Khan said that "concepts like this are just one of the many ways we develop, test and refine features and solutions". As a result, it's likely we'll see a product influenced by Concept Polaris released in the future, especially if it appears that there is consumer interest.

In addition to the external GPU, Dell also announced a handful of laptops powered by Intel's latest 12th-generation processors. This includes an Intel variant of the Alienware m15 R7 laptop that it announced with an AMD chipset earlier today. The Intel variant starts at $2099 with availability "coming soon". Additionally, there are a few laptops in the Alienware x family featuring 12th-generation Intel Core processors and NVIDIA graphics.

First off, there's the brand-new Alienware x14, which Dell calls the thinnest 14-inch gaming laptop in the world. Thanks to a new dual-torque hinge design, the Alienware x14 s just 14.48mm thick, and that's thinner than a lot of typical ultrabooks without dedicated graphics. It also maxes out at 4.06lbs of weight, which is quite light for a gaming laptop. However, Dell managed to fit up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 with up to 85W of power inside this chassis, along with up to an Intel Core i7-12900H processor with 14 cores and 20 threads. The RTX 3060 GPU is also cooled with the Element 31 thermal interface Dell introduced with the first Alienware x15 and x17.

Alienware x14
Alienware x14

Rounding out the specs, it has up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 2TB NVMe SSD.  The Alienware x14 also comes with a 12-inch Full HD display and a 144Hz refresh rate. That's not quite up there with the best gaming laptops, but it's a good match for the included graphics. The laptop supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision across all configurations, and there's Windows Hello support built into the 720p webcam, too.

The Alienware x14 will be available this Winter and it'll start at $1,799.

Dell also announced the second generation of the Alienware x15 and x17. The new versions come with Intel's 12th-generation Core processors up to a Core i9-12900HK, NVIDIA's latest high-end graphics, up to 32GB of RAM and 4TB of SSD storage. Just like last year's models, they use the new Element 31 for cooling, but now it's available in all configurations so you can expect the best performance possible. They also have a quad-fan setup to keep thing cool.

They're just as portable as last year's models, with the x15 weighing up to 5.2lbs and measuring 16.3mm (maximum), while the x17 weighs up to 6.82lbs and measures 21.4mm thick in its thickest versions. Design-wise, Alienware has also improved the AlienFX RGB lighting on the back, now packing 100 microLEDs instead of 90. Along with the x14, these latops also now offer an optional Alienware X-series keyboard with 1.5mm of travel if you prefer that over the 1.8mm CherryMX keyboard (which is still available).

ALienware x17
Alienware x17

For the display, the Alienware x15 lets you choose between a Full HD 165HZ, Full HD 360Hz, or Quad HD 240hz panel, while the Alienware x17 swaps out the Quad HD option with an Ultra HD 120Hz panel option for extra sharp visuals.

The Alienware x15 R2 and x17 R2 will be available this winter, starting at $2,199 and $2,299, respectively.