The Area-51 ALX
Showcases weren’t limited to console manufacturers at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, as computer hardware maker Alienware was on hand to demo some of its new line of PCs both portable and desk-bound. Dubbed the Area-51 and Aurora series, the new string of desktops feature some serious guts, the ALX model within their Area-51 series being the most powerful desktop they have ever made, featuring “factory-overclocked Intel Core i7 CPUs, an 1100 kilowatt power supply, cold-plated liquid cooling unit, and multiple GPU options of either NVIDIA SLI or ATI CrossFireX-enabled cards. Aesthetic elements of the design include an anodized aluminum surface, a motorized front panel, active venting louver system, and built-in “theater” lighting.” The non-ALX branded Area-51 models contain similar specs without anodized finish and motorized front panel. Pricing for the series starts at $2000.
The Aurora line of desktops also come equipped with ALX and non-ALX SKUs, the former containing some aesthetic goodies to distance itself from the normal units. The specs of the machines, as advertised, include: Intel Core i7 CPUs with overclocking of up to 3.6GHz, multiple GPUs options including NVIDIA SLI and ATI CrossFireX chipsets, capacity for 4 SATA2 hard drives SSD or HDD, expandable memory of up to 24GBs of DDR3 RAM, 9=8 USB 2.0 ports (2 in the front, 6 in the back,) front and rear Firewire ports, built-in ethernet port, and multichannel audio output via TOSLINK, COAX, and standard 1/8″ cable. Pricing for the Aurora series begins at $1300, and orders are available starting today.
M15x Gaming Laptop
Not limiting themselves to the at-home set, Alienware also unveiled the M15x gaming laptop, the latest in their larger M- laptop line. The M15x, like the M17x, is a 15-inch laptop that boasts a 2.0GHz Intel Core i7 920XM CPU with an expandable cache of up to 8MBs and NVIDIA chipset. The more technical guts included are as follows: hard drive variations of up to 500GB 7200RPM HDD or 256GB SSD; slot-loading optical drive (expandable to dual-layer blu-ray combo drive;) an IEE 1394A (4-pin) and integrated gigabit ethernet ports, 3 USB 2.0 ports, VGA display output port, 8-in-1 Media Card reader, and built-in front-mounted stereo speakers. Pricing on the M15x model starts at $1500, with orders available via Dell.com starting today.
Alienware is a waste of money.