Alienware Aurora R15 Invades With Intel Raptor Lake And Amped Up Liquid Cooling
Today is Intel’s big launch day for the new Raptor Lake 13th Gen Core processors, but partners are already on board with refreshed systems. This includes Alienware, who has updated the Aurora platform to take advantage of the latest Intel CPUs as well as support new GeForce RTX 40-Series options. Alongside the Aurora R15, Alienware is also announcing a new 34" curved gaming monitor and tenkeyless mechanical keyboard.
Alienware Aurora R15
At a glance, the new Aurora R15 looks very similar to the redesign introduced with the Aurora R13. Inside though, it features some important reconfigurations designed to tackle heat dissipation, noise levels, and power delivery. These have been some of the line's biggest pain points in recent years, despite strong performance otherwise.
Alienware has replaced the old 120mm AIO loop with a 240mm AIO in the Aurora R15. The AIO is subsequently relocated from the rear to the top of the chassis. It is joined by two intake fans in front and an exhaust fan holding the old AIO position in the rear. This expanded cooling ought to help with both lowering temperatures and noise levels under load, allowing the system to push more power to components.
There are two tiers of liquid cooling, the “standard” liquid cooler and the upgraded “Cryo-Tech” cooler. The Cryo-Tech cooler uses a slightly thicker radiator for additional heat dissipation and adds addressable RGB lighting. It also uses a better fan design to boost airflow.
The left side panel is also redesigned. The optional window no longer has glass spanning the full height. Instead, the bottom third of the window has been replaced with a mesh to provide more air to the GPU. The mesh section is still present in the windowless version, but the cutouts take the form of larger hexagons instead of a rectangular block of hexagonal mesh.
Alienware has reconfigured the motherboard as well. It retains the custom footprint that extends to the front panel IO which obviates the need for a daughterboard and additional cabling. However, it has bumped up the PCIe x16 connector to slot 1 which was only x8 previously. This allows the chassis to comfortably fit a 3-slot GPU.
These changes are said to improve system airflow by 19%. The improved AIO is said to make the system up to 66% quieter in CPU-heavy workloads. The Aurora R13 already made stark acoustical improvements over the Aurora R11 we had tested before it, dropping from around 60 dBA under load to just 41-42 dBA. We always welcome further reductions in volume provided performance stays strong and unthrottled.
Base configurations start with an Intel Core i5 13600K, 8GB (1x8GB) DDR-4800, a 256GB NVMe M.2 SSD, GeForce RTX 3050 8GB GPU, and 750W Platinum PSU using air-cooling and a vented, windowless side panel. Configurations can span up to an Intel Core i9 13900KF CPU, 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5-4800, a 4TB NVMe M.2 SSD with 2TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD, a GeForce RTX 4090 24GB GPU, and a 1350W Platinum PSU with 240mm AIO Cryo-Tech liquid cooling and a windowed side panel with venting. Pricing and availability will be announced later this fall.
Alienware AW3423DWF 34" Curved Gaming Monitor
Alienware is also introducing an updated 34” ultrawide gaming monitor. The curved Quantum Dot-OLED AW3423DWF panel provides ultrawide WQHD (3440 x 1440) resolution at 165 Hz. Quantum dots provide a better color gamut range than traditional White OLED panels, with generally excellent uniformity. The display uses AMD’s Freesync Premium Pro technology and VESA AdaptiveSync certification for tear-free gaming. That includes console support with VRR at up to 120 Hz.
The display offers 1000 nit peak brightness and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification. It is not the brightest panel on the market, but ought to be very immersive nonetheless. Users can swap between its default PCI-P3 (99.3%) color gamut and sRGB using the on-screen display as needed, which should be handy for content creators who need to adapt for various project needs.
The AW3423DWF will be available for order starting October 18th in China, with the rest of the world following on November 8th. Pricing will start at $1,099.99 USD or $1,399.99 CAD.
Alienware AW420K Tenkeyless Gaming Keyboard
Finally, there is also a new TKL Gaming Keyboard, the first tenkeyless plank from Alienware, the AW420K. It uses standard profile PBT double-shot keycaps and linear Cherry MX Red switches, along with anti-ghosting and N-key rollover, for what should be a premium gaming experience. It integrates with AlienFX customization with per-key RGB lighting as well to streamline configuration. It will also be available later this fall and start at $149.99 USD or $189.99 CAD in North America.
9/22/2022 Update
This article originally listed the price of the TKL Gaming keyboard at $129.99 USD. Alienware reached out to inform us of a pricing error on its end which has now been corrected above. CAD pricing is unaffected.
