A peak inside Alienware: In conversation with Pujan Chadha, Director for Product Marketing, Consumer & Small Business, Dell Technologies, India

Ever since I was a kid I was fascinated by Aliens. Aliens was one of my favourite movies, I enjoyed blasting Aliens in Space Invaders, you get the idea. But there was yet another ‘alien’ that fascinated me. One that had little to do with extraterrestrial species and more to do with a style statement that made you stand out as a gamer.

The Alienware Phenomenon

Founded in 1996 and acquired by Dell in 2006, Alienware is one of the most aspirational PC gaming brands. Throughout its history, Alienware has had a string of innovating and eye-catching laptops and gaming rigs ranging from the Alienware 18 R2, Alienware Area-51m, Aurora desktops and the legendary Area-51. Today, Alienware has a suite of gaming laptops, desktops and accessories and opened its dedicated gaming store in India. I chatted with Pujan Chadha, Director for Product Marketing, Consumer and Small Business, Dell Technologies, India. Pujan is a gamer at heart. When asked about his fondest gaming memory, he reminisce about the original Counter-Strike. He says, “The rush of sitting in a cyber-café, connecting with friends over LAN, devising strategy over audio headsets and cheering on a win. Those times were different and the experiences, were memorable”.

The right Dell gaming laptop for you

Dell’s portfolio of gaming laptops is dominated by the G series and Alienware. Pujan breaks down Dell’s gaming portfolio for me. He says, “With gameplay becoming immersive, what gamers want today is diversity in tools. For consumers that are new to PC gaming or moving from mobile to PC, the Dell G Series portfolio is a great place to start at. On the other hand, Alienware has been designing premium, high-performance desktops, and laptops for professional gamers”.

For 2023, Dell has quite the lineup of devices. “The Alienware portfolio for 2023 includes the Alienware Aurora R15 desktop, m18, m16, x16 R1, and the x14 R2. Equipped with the latest 13th Gen Intel Core processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs, these devices offer breakthrough system-level engineering controls, visually immersive displays for high-end gaming, advancements in thermal technologies in mobile form factors, and cutting-edge designs to power innovation and portability. As far as the G-series is concerned, we’ve launched the G15 and G16, which feature a new design approach as well as powerful features at a competitive price range. These laptops, like Alienware devices, have the latest processors and graphics. For the first time, we’ve included the Alienware-inspired Vapour Chamber Cooling and Element 31 thermal interface in the G-series to ensure optimal heat dissipation”.

The resurrection of 18-inch gaming laptops

The keen-eyed amongst you may have noticed the m18 in the list above which is an 18-inch laptop. If you’ve not been following the laptop space you could be forgiven for not knowing that 18-inch gaming laptops faded anyway for a few years and 2023 can be considered as a resurrection of 18-inch gaming laptops. Pujan tells me, “We’ve observed that users are purchasing gaming devices that can also provide the right configuration for content creation needs, such as editing videos and photographs, rendering animation and videos, and overall providing the extra horsepower required to complete intensive tasks quickly. As a result, a larger display is becoming an important consideration when purchasing a gaming laptop. We are bringing an 18-inch form factor to the market after 2015, as well as our most powerful laptop ever, the Alienware m18. This essentially meets all the requirements of gamers who want the best of both worlds — performance and display”.

While 18-inch laptops act as great desktop replacement devices, Pujan says that the desktop gaming market along with the PC building space is evolving in India. He says, “The PC market in India is witnessing substantial growth because Indian gamers have become more aware of what they require from their hardware. Furthermore, the deployment of innovative technologies and improved thermal management in gaming PCs is increasing usage”.

He goes on to say, “Desktops and PCs serve different purposes and requirements. The Alienware Aurora R15 desktop is primarily aimed at game designers and creators, whereas the other gaming laptops are intended to provide premium experiences with the best display, design, and thermals”.

The laptop gaming landscape in India

Speaking of the gaming laptop segment in India, Pujan says that it has seen robust holistic growth over the last few years, owing to technological innovations, an increasing number of gamers, rising investments, and overall industry efforts. He adds, “What’s interesting to see in India is that there is an expanding pool of gamers who want to consider gaming as a serious career option rather than just for leisure or entertainment. This has further bolstered the industry’s growth, paving the way for breakthrough devices. As requirements change, the role of a PC will become more important than ever. Also, gaming as a category will see rapid growth in India with the diversification of gamer profiles and the various platforms available to showcase talent”.

If you want to experience Dell’s portfolio of gaming devices or simply meet like-minded gamers or then you should check out Dell’s gaming store. Pujan Says, “Our first gaming store in India demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our engagement with India’s gaming community. Furthermore, this is not just a store, but a hub for gamers and enthusiasts to meet, interact, and play their favourite titles on Dell’s latest devices, while also exploring the various accessories and peripherals on offer.

In terms of design, the store reflects Dell and Alienware’s core principles of innovation, interaction, and community building. We’ve incorporated creative elements as well as superior technologies to keep gamers engaged and provide them with a comprehensive experience. The main attraction of the store is the “Battle Zone,” which is essentially a section for gamers to face off against their opponents and try out the entire available ecosystem of devices”.

Lastly, I  asked Pujan about his favourite memory of working at Dell and his answer was one that will make all gamers happy. Pujan was a gamer since he got his first PC playing games like Fifa 99, Need for Speed 2 and Max Payne. He goes on to say, “Even when I got my first laptop just before college, I chose the one with dedicated graphics so that my leisure time was never comprised. Even then, Alienware was always a dream and aspiration. Over the years, work became a priority and gaming became casual and mobile”.

“Years later, as a consumer product lead at Dell Technologies, when I received the brand new Alienware X14, the thinnest 14” gaming laptop in the world, there was a rush of emotions and excitement to rekindle my love for gaming. I immediately downloaded Dota 2, CS:GO, Wolfenstein: The New Order and got into action. That day a teenage dream came true, and life came full circle!”