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Alienware Aurora ALX Gaming System Review

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News Posted: Wed, Oct 28 2009 1:42 PM

Alienware Aurora ALX Gaming System ReviewComputer hardware enthusiasts are a unique group. Its true that some enthusiasts may spend hours, days, or weeks tweaking their BIOS and other settings to achieve optimal performance, while others might spend an entire evening painstakingly routing wires for proper cable management. Fortunate ones find themselves eagerly awaiting product launches in order to upgrade parts at every possible opportunity. This appetite for new technology is fueled by the never ending supply of components that perform faster, run cooler, consume less power and improve the overall computing experience for consumers.

As one of the leading system builders in the industry, Alienware helps fuel the fire and provides an all inclusive option for those who demand a machine filled with the freshest and fastest hardware available. Today we check out Alienware's latest gaming monstrosity, the Aurora ALX. This beast holds absolutely nothing back and features Intel's top of the line Core i7 975 processor, an X58 micro ATX motherboard, liquid cooling, a Blu-ray drive, adjustable lighting effects, a pair of 1 TB drives in RAID0, and two of the fastest graphics cards in the market running in CrossFire mode. Obviously, the spec sheet is impressive and is certainly loaded with best-in-class components. Read on to find out if the Aurora ALX can provide the performance to match...

Alienware Aurora ALX Gaming System Review

 

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realneil replied on Thu, Oct 29 2009 10:42 AM

It IS a pricey son of a gun. But it's got the right stuff inside of it too. I have a new personal respect for the awesome performance that these Intel systems generate.

The CyberPower PC system that I was lucky enough to win here on HotHardware.com far outclasses the Phenom based system I had before. The Intel 'Extreme Series' main board's software (Desktop Control Center) automatically determines the  proper voltages and speeds necessary to Overclock the computer safely and within warranty specifications. With the 2GB EVGA GTX-285 Video card and the water cooled CPU, my system runs at 3.75GHz. instead of the stock 2.93GHz speed. This is with no problems at all, and it's consistently smooth as silk while gaming at the HIGHEST settings.

(I can't believe that I'm about to say this considering my fixed income status and my years of loyalty to AMD parts) So even though Intel costs more for their top of the line parts, they remain a good deal for the enthusiast that wants the best performance out of his investment.

Intel DP55KG with Liquid Cooled Intel Core i7 870 CPU @ 3.75GHz 

8GB Kingston Hyper-X DDR-3 RAM

2GB GTX-285 Video

2 SATA-II 7200 RPM 1-TB HDD'S in RAID-0

LiteOn 22x DVD±R/±RW DL

LiteOn Blu-Ray Reader

ViewSonic 22" Wide Screen LCD Display

Xtreme Gear USB Keyboard

Xtreme Gear USB Mouse

CyberPower 800W Power Supply

CoolerMaster Storm Sniper Gaming Case

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Cyrusis replied on Thu, Oct 29 2009 11:10 AM

Thanks for this review! I'll have the same model and components your review model had on the first of November and I'm extremely excited. Trying to figure out what to play first haha.

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gibbersome replied on Thu, Oct 29 2009 9:16 PM

Completely agree about the SSD drives. Windows 7 shows signficant enough improvement over Vista in SSD operation that any new enthusiast gaming PC should have one.

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martin_nj replied on Mon, Nov 2 2009 12:10 PM

so most of that 4,000 is in teh grfx and cpu...

 

the hard drives aren't special at all =[

 

agreed! ssd or lower your price aliedell!

~~Dell Laptop , D520, Core2Duo @ 2.0Ghz undervolted to 1.0v

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mentaldisorder replied on Tue, Nov 3 2009 1:56 PM

"The active venting system found on top of the system can also be configured. Active venting is controlled through the Alienware Command Center and allows the user to open or close the vents based on internal fan speeds, as well as keeping them in a certain position. This exclusive feature helps the system stay cool as the five mechanical vents are triggered when internal chassis temperatures reach a certain point." 

That is one of the coolest things that I have seen/read/heard in a while.  Simply awesome.  I agree the price is way steep, and why wouldn't there be an ssd for that price either?

realneil:

(I can't believe that I'm about to say this considering my fixed income status and my years of loyalty to AMD parts) So even though Intel costs more for their top of the line parts, they remain a good deal for the enthusiast that wants the best performance out of his investment.

I'm pretty sure that has always been a fact for as long as I can remember.

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