Advantages and Disadvantages of Alienware Aurora ALX (Review)
Alienware Aurora ALX is one of the four new offerings in Dell’s rebranded gaming desktop line. Replete with temperature-sensing fins, impressive branding, top-of-the-line components and most importantly a cool sliding door, Alienware Aurora ALX is definitely not for the faint of heart – or the faint of wallet. The base price for the Alienware Aurora ALX is $2299. In this configuration, however, the manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $4099.
There are six RAM slots available, which is inline with Intel’s Core i7 tri-channel memory limits; in this case three are full for six gigabytes of memory, leaving three more open for users to fill. There are two free PCI-e x1 slots in this machine but good luck using them; all the space is taken up by the huge dual graphics cards. Above the graphics cards is the water cooling CPU block and radiator with accompanying fans; below is the large power supply. Just like with the last revision of the desktops, the doors contain LEDs for Alienware’s AlienFX lighting system. Instead of putting a messy cord connecting the door to the machine, there are a series of metal contacts similar to what you’d find in a battery compartment. It works very well. Additionally, the rest of the cords in the case are managed within a plastic column in the center section of the machine.
Advantages:
Disgustingly high performance
Stylish case, adv. lighting
Water cooling
Premium keyboard and mouse
Disadvantages:
Very loud
Expensive
Heavy
Alienware Aurora ALX Specs:
Processor: Intel Core i7-975 Extreme @ 3.33GHz
Memory: 6GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard drive: 2 x 1000GB 7200RPM in RAID 0
Optical drive: Blu-ray read / DVD+/-RW combo drive
Sound: Integrated 7.1 audio
Video card: 2 x ATI Radeon HD5870 in CrossFire
Networking: Gigabit Ethernet
Power supply: 875 watts
Multi-zone AlienFX LED lighting system
Computer-controlled louvered fin venting setup
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Dimensions: 16.77 x 25.39 x 9.84 inches (HxDxW)
Warranty: 1 year limited warranty
Alienware Aurora ALX is an impressive piece of machinery. It represents a new face for Alienware and Dell by turning away from the style that’s been their signature look for the past several years in favor of a new, harder, more industrially-oriented design. The branding is spot on, accessing the internals has never been easier and upgrading your components doesn’t even require a screwdriver. It has well thought out lighting setups, no bloatware and a front door panel which, if you’re five (or me) is fun to open.