If you're bothered by the fact that your Alienware laptop doesn't have the newest Intel CPU under its hood, fear no more. Alienware announced a tempting offer for buyers of Haswell- and Broadwell-based gaming laptops: if a new CPU comes out next month, they get the upgrade for no charge.
Simply put, the benefit is that you can purchase one of the latest Alienware laptops that have an older Haswell or Broadwell CPU and be on the list for getting Intel's new Skylake processor.
"OUR NEW NOTEBOOKS LAUNCHED LAST WEEK. IF YOU BUY ONE & A NEW CPU LAUNCHES WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS, YOU GET A FREE UPGRADE ; ) BADASS," said Alienware general manager Frank Azor in a post that spiked the interest of the gamers. The caps locked message contributed to the aura of excitement and made users wonder if the manager is toying with their emotions, but it is now clear that he was being serious.
The announcement came after Intel officially released the Skylake core unit.
If you're a purchaser of any of the following Alienware laptops - 13 R2, 15 R2, 17 R3 - between 6 a.m. CST Aug. 27 and Sept. 28, your hardware is eligible for the upgrade program. This is not so good news for those who acquired a Haswell laptop earlier this year. For them, the offer does not apply.
Most reviews of Alienware's new line of laptops noted the absence of the Skylake processors as a negative aspect. After the latest announcement, it appears that this was a premeditated move. The same kind of swap happened a few years back, when laptops containing Ivy Bridge reached the stores.
Question is: why does Alienware complicate things? It would have been easier to wait and launch its laptops already equipped with Skylake cores. The marketing department of the gaming laptops' producer wants to convince the niche of gamers that are in a hurry. It is also possible for the Intel CPU launch to get pushed back at the twelve hour, so the bold move Alienware is making might be a commercial hit.
