For you gamers out there, everyone’s favorite enthusiast PC and laptop manufacturer, Alienware, are launching five new computers for you to drool over. One laptop, a Micro ATX PC, and a full tower, also ALX versions of the two desktop PCs. The laptop is an addition to the Alienware M17 notebook that has been about for some time, and is called the M15x, a fifteen inch notebook to the M17’s seventeen inch notebook. Then there are the two desktops, the Aurora, and the Alienware Area 51. Roll up, roll up, and we will take you through the new line up of aspirational computers form the enigmatic Alienware.
The M15x is the new notebook, and starts at £1199.00 basic. Alienware tell us they have gone straight to the gamer for their inspiration, taking their lead from pros like Team Dignitas. The new notebooks spec is pretty good as you can imagine; support for the Intel Core i7, DDR3 memory up to 1600Mhz, and up to a 500 GB 7,200 RPM drive, or a 256 GB SSD. The display can be a full 1080p HD, and you can get the best from it with a Blu-Ray ROM if you have pockets deep enough.
Graphics are supplied by nVidia GT 240 or GTX 260 cards, and I believe that you can have a SLI setup if you wish. Microphone, and webcam come as standard, and you even get face recognition software. Other goodies include a gaming keyboard, with super tough WASD keys, for all the extra bashing that they will receive, QuickTouch controls, and posh lights that will flash when you get fragged, among other tricks.
Back in 2006, the gamers among us, sighed as Dell bought up Alienware, and the continual corporatization of our beloved brands inevitably rolled on. We were quite prepared for the newly acquired brand to start supplying PCs that had the PCI express slots removed, and graphics cards welded to the motherboard, but upgrade, upgrade, upgrade, seems to be the Alienware mantra, and the Aurora is the first example here.
The Aurora is a MicroATX desktop, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that you are stuck with a sub-par solution. There are two versions, the standard and the ALX, the basic costing £1099.00. If you want to re-mortgage the house, sell an organ, and wait outside the post office with a cosh on pension day, you could have an Intel Core i7 processor, liquid cooled on the ALX. Up to 24GB of DDR3 1600Mhz of memory, and with four hard drive bays, up to 2TB of SATA drive space, or 1TB of SSDs.
The graphics stretch to two nVidia GTX 285s, and post launch, you can have liquid cooled 1.8GB GTX295s. You can also take your pick of Blu-Ray ROMs, integrated audio or a XFI Xtream or Titanium card, and one of those curious Killer NICs that I have yet to be convinced about.
Other temptations include a branded compartmentalized chassis, offering a tool-less design, and AlienFX Lighting. The AlienFX Lighting allows you to program the case lights to do your bidding. Perhaps when you have Outlook running, the lights would glow orange, or when you are playing Crysis, you can have a bright red. There is also a quick switch PSU that allows you to swap out power supplies with out opening your case.
If one decides that the ALX is more you, then things get even more interesting. Overclocked CPUs, an enhanced case that looks a bit cooler, and additional AlienFX Lighting zones for a start. You also get what the company are calling Active Venting. I like the sound of this feature, its one of those extra touches that’s akin to the first time you saw the top of a convertible Mercedes disappear into the boot. Imagine you are playing your favorite FPS, and things are getting hot. Active Venting will detect such a situation, and vents on the top will slowly open to increase the airflow through the case all automatically.
You will also get Internal Theatre Lighting in the ALX. This will light up the insides of the case for you to make things a bit easier to see, and for showing off. I am a bit uncertain about the usefulness of this feature. To support any upgrades you may want to do in the future, all the Auroras come with an 800 Watt PSU. Colour choices are Shadow Gray, Space Black, and ALX Space Black with an anodized finish. On top of this, with the ALX you will get an Alienware Tactx gaming keyboard and mouse.
Now, because you have won the Euro Millions, and can settle for nothing but the best these days, look no further than the flagship model, the Alienware Area 51. Again, this comes in the standard and ALX version. The basic horse power behind the Area 51 and the Aurora are not too dissimilar, Core i7 including the Extreme, 24GB 1600Mhz RAM, up to 12TB SATA, and 1.5TB SSD in the six drive bays, bell and whistle. The difference is what you get as standard. Along with the full tower case, you also get liquid cooling for your CPU, overclocked if you want, and the Active Venting. You will also be able to buy the next generation of cards from ATI when they are available.
On the ALX you get an anodized aluminium / carbon fibre chassis, a motorised door to the USB, headphone and assorted IO ports, and the posh Tactx keyboard and mouse. Whether this will be enough to draw people to the ALX, I’m not sure. You get your AlienFX software programmable lighting, with up to twenty colours, tool-less design, simple PSU upgrade and Theatre Lighting. Basic price starts at £1699.00.
If you are not a lottery winner, you can still buy yourself a peice of Alienware magic. You can purchase the Tactx keyboard and/or mouse. Both support programmable LEDs that will light when you get shot, or even when you win at solitaire. It depends on what you want. The keyboard is £80.00, and the mouse will cost a paltry £40.00. And if you are feeling slightly more flush, you can buy the 21.5 inch OptX HD monitor at £260.00.
If you are interested you can head over to the Alienware website, and tremble as you pull out the plastic. As we have not had a sample unit to play with, I can’t let you have any benchmarks, but you can be sure that with the better set-ups, you should be getting the top end of the stats, though I can’t confirm it. Hint, hint, Alienware. If you do buy one, you will have bragging rights for a jolly long time.