Here is GamerTweak’s exclusive interaction with Mr. Anand Subramanya – Director of Product Marketing at Dell Technologies about Gaming Trends in the Indian landscape. Anand is responsible for leading the dynamic team of product marketing professionals managing the Consumer and Small Business product portfolio. He drives strategic business focus including design, management, and execution of products as well as go-to-market strategy to maintain Dell’s leadership position.
1. Games are evolving, from a single player to battle royale, it’s more about interaction today. Not ignoring the Meta-Verse trend, it’s also gripping the audience at a faster pace. In this evolving scenario, what are your plans to cope with the trend? Keeping portability and performance as the core of gaming systems would like to have your viewpoints on how Dell & Alienware are shaping their systems to become a home for gamers?
Absolutely! The games are evolving and paving the way for innovations in this segment. The Indian gaming landscape has witnessed significant transformation due to rapid growth in consumer interest, especially in the adoption of gaming either as entertainment, casual gaming, or going pro. Moreover, while smartphone penetration has played an important role in boosting industry growth, PC gaming continues to hold its own in terms of engineering and in using advanced technologies to drive the gaming experience forward.
The most exciting part is that we are providing superior specifications in smaller and thinner form factors.
To keep up with changing trends and meet the evolving needs of today’s gamers, we’re introducing devices with cutting-edge technologies that are paired with robust engineering and new-gen design philosophy. Our recently released Alienware X14 and m15 R7 laptops are a strong testament to this. Combining quality performance and elegant design, the X14 and m15 R7 are packed with the latest 12th Gen Intel Core H-series processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-Series GPUs, enabling an immersive gaming experience. The most exciting part is that we are providing superior specifications in smaller and thinner form factors. Built for gamers on the go, the X14 is the world’s thinnest 14-inch gaming laptop while the m15 R7 is our most powerful 15-inch gaming device, making it the perfect choice for pro gamers.
2. Would like to hear more about Dell’s key innovations in the new line-up. And how it will help gamers or content producers to be less stressed in a performance-driven environment?
Continuing its legacy for 25 years, Alienware has become synonymous with pioneering gaming technology and innovation. This year’s line-up is not only innovative but also addresses major challenges gamers face such as cooling, battery life, mobility, and control over their gameplay. As the world’s thinnest 14-inch, the Alienware X14 has been designed to offer its owner the freedom to play anywhere. With Nvidia’s latest raytracing tech, lighting effects, reflections, and illumination are more realistic and immersive at the same time. (Both M15 R7 & X14 feature Nvidia graphics, it’s not optional), it includes support for DLSS artificial intelligence, which is designed to increase performance, in supported games, where it matters. Some configurations also support graphics overclocking for additional performance. The 12th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors help provide all the computing power needed while on the road along with up to 32GB of LP-DDR5 memory ensuring the user can multitask and get everything done quickly.
To keep performance high and thermals under control, just like its X-Series siblings, the Alienware X14 and m15 R7 offer Cryo-tech cooling technologies including five tailored power state settings making sure all sensors are driving airflow where needed and as desired. Our exclusive Element 31 thermal interface material and CPU vapor chamber technology use the phase changes of liquid to rapidly dissipate heat. Smart fans and the temperature of the processor can also be controlled through the Alienware Command Center.
The Alienware X14 includes an 80 Whr lithium-ion battery that is not only the largest battery found on any 14-inch laptop anywhere but also solves the issue of users losing power and access while being on the go. Per our labs, the x14 provides a maximum of 17 hours of battery life using Mobile Mark 2014, an industry-standard battery life tool.
Designed to be viewed and heard as game studios intended, the X14 and m15 R7 are equipped with Dolby Vision for full-spectrum visuals and immersive spatial audio with Dolby Atmos creating an exhilarating and immersive experience. Additionally, both devices have support for both NVIDIA G-SYNC and Advanced Optimus technologies that allow the display to operate quickly while offering smooth gaming visuals, which would be particularly important during high-speed action scenes.
3. Any recent engagement or plans to closely connect with the gaming community in India and challenges? Does Dell have any long-term engagement plans for the Indian Gaming Community?
Our engagement with the gaming community goes over and above our role as an OEM. At Dell Technologies and Alienware, it has been a consistent endeavor to ensure active exchange with gamers. While the ecosystem is coming together in India, we have been engaging with the gaming community closely to grow the overall ecosystem. Over the last decade, we’ve had the privilege of nurturing the growth of esports globally. Alienware and Team Liquid have partnered for the last 10 years on this phenomenal esports journey. To further drive this growth, in India we have leveraged our partnership with Team Liquid and Ankit Panth from Team Brutality to host gaming masterclasses during our 3rd edition of Dell Futurist – a program meant for students, to help them hone skills and know more about careers they are interested in gaming, filmmaking, sustainable design.
Alienware and Team Liquid have partnered for the last 10 years on this phenomenal esports journey.
In addition to these programs, Alienware also tracks listening forums, community websites, and social media channels to gauge consumer demands and feedback. Dell’s product development team also relies on customer focus groups to guide its gaming hardware development effort.
4. One of the biggest challenges we had seen in our test and analysis of gaming laptops is battery life & heating. To an extent, it limits a gamer’s on-the-go gameplay usability and long-term performance. What is Dell’s plan to tackle this?
We aim at launching products and new features that solve problems gamers face daily. For instance, advancement in thermal technologies in more mobile form factors continues to be the #1 request from our customers. To challenge the status quo, our Alienware X-Series use a thermal interface material (TIM) in-between their heatsinks and performance components to help dissipate heat away from the component and onto the thermal module. We have an exclusive new TIM formula that uses an Encapsulated Gallium-Silicone material yielding positive results that are producing up to a 25% advantage in thermal resistance. This material is used directly on the CPU to help mitigate spikes in core temperatures from affecting the system’s performance. Our GPU TIM uses a more common Aluminum-Silicon material. We will call it “Element 31 thermal interface material”.
Additionally, the new Quad-Fan technology (Only on X15 & X17) is an industry-first exclusive and patent-pending design. In this design, each fan is intelligently controlled and uniquely programmed. Depending on the thermal conditions of the system, any single fan may ramp up or spin down to meet the desired equilibrium or new target state.
Our patent-pending hinge on the X14 uses dual torque elements that allow the hinge to travel forwards and backward on a track. This creates space inside while enabling thinness. What would otherwise be a thicker notebook or a thinner notebook with less performance is resolved with this innovative mechanical design. The stimulus to create heightened mobility and exceptional gaming performance in a laptop so users can take their gaming life anywhere with more convenience was the driver for developing this curious approach to laptop hinge design.
We invest a significant amount of R&D into this family to discover new materials and invent breakthrough cooling solutions, which results in longer planning and engineering cycles. Our portfolios are designed to cater to users as per their tailored needs and hence we will continue to innovate and engineer new designs that set Alienware and our gaming community a class apart.
5. Buyers’ point of view, is it possible for Dell/Alienware Gaming system buyers can get Yearly Subscription plans like PC GamePass, Ubisoft+, EA Play Pro, or Origin Access? This will let the user test some of the popular titles for free.
Currently, we don’t have any tie-ups or partnerships in place but we might explore this in the future.
Anand has been with Dell for over three years. He began his journey by managing the Inspiron notebook brand where he developed and championed assortment vision and strategy, product roadmap, and launches, amongst other key functions.
His efforts led him to be recognized at Dell with the Champion’s Award and Most Valuable Player award for his contribution to the business.
Anand has over 17 years of experience in Product Management, Sales & Marketing in the Consumer Technology Industry. Prior to joining Dell, he worked with brands such as Lenovo, Acer, and Sony.
Anand holds a Degree in Industrial Engineering from Bangalore University and has completed his Master’s in International Business from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. An avid biker and music enthusiast, he resides in Bangalore with his wife, daughter, and son.
