Dell's AlienFX Kit Solves Alienware Area-51 Motherboard Swap Issue And It's Cheap
You don't strictly need the kit to install a new motherboard in an Alienware chassis; the current-generation Area-51 desktop now uses standard ATX form factor motherboards and graphics cards. However, you won't be able to connect the front I/O and buttons to the system, which is a problem—to say nothing of the AlienFX lighting and fan controls.
So, this new package from Dell, simply named the "AlienFX board cable conversion kit", gives you that ability. It adapts the non-standard front-panel, lighting, and fan connectors from the Alienware Area-51 chassis to attach to a standard ATX DIY motherboard. This is actually a great move on the part of Dell and we're happy to see the company combating E-waste.
You're not quite out of the woods with just this kit, though. The power supplies that Dell uses are built according to the ATX12VO standard, matching their motherboards. ATX12VO, for those who aren't aware, is "ATX 12-volts Only", a simplified version of the ATX power supply standard that eliminates the 5v, 3.3v, and -5v lines from the motherboard connector.
The new Area-51 systems look damn nice.
ATX12VO is a solid improvement over the original ATX standard because it removes the need for the bulky and awkward 24-pin motherboard power connector, but it hasn't seen mainstream adoption in the DIY market yet. As a result, the motherboard you're putting in your Area-51 chassis probably doesn't have ATX12VO support, and that means you'll need a new power supply, too.
Even still, we're impressed that Dell is offering this kit to encourage re-use of its frankly quite nice-looking Area-51 cases instead of being forced to throw the whole thing out when obsolescence inevitably rears its ugly head. Hopefully for the next generation, Dell simply skips the proprietary plugs altogether.
