On the right-hand side of the system, you'll find a slot-loading optical drive (dual-layer Blu-ray/DVD+-RW), along with an integrated card reader (SD, MMC, MS/Pro), Gigabit Ethernet, and two USB 3.0 ports. The Alienware 17 has a rich selection of ports and features. You'll also get great audio from two integrated Klipsch stereo speakers. As with most gaming laptops, the Alienware 17 does not have any sort of touch support, but we'll give it a pass since our system came with Windows 7, and thus doesn't need any of the touch capability that Windows 8 demands.
The 17.3-inch display is also very good, with an anti-glare coating to eliminate reflections, and a 1,920-by-1,080 resolution for enjoying your games in full HD. Using the included AlienFX lighting control dashboard, you can set different color schemes and assign certain shades of color to specific events. The keyboard itself has multiple lighting zones and a rainbow of colors to choose from. As with the previous iteration, the dark material of the chassis is contrasted with lighting accents on the lid, a Tron-like glowing strip around the edge of the chassis, a glowing touchpad, and a backlit keyboard. The beefy laptop sports a brushed- aluminum lid, and a magnesium-alloy chassis, but what will probably grab your attention is the lighting. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.