Alienware has launched its first genuinely budget-focused gaming laptop, the Alienware 15, starting at $1,000. The review finds it well timed amid rising RAM prices, offering respectable performance, sturdy construction and a practical range of ports while stripping back the premium styling associated with the brand.

The 15.3-inch laptop uses a mostly black plastic chassis, weighs just under five pounds and includes a firm backlit keyboard with a numpad, two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, HDMI 2.1 and Ethernet. Its main weakness is the fixed 1,920 x 1,200, 165Hz LCD display: although adequate indoors at 300 nits, it covers only 62.5% of sRGB, making colours appear washed out; the webcam and loud fans are further drawbacks.