Alienware Desktop
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Alienware Corporation is an American computer hardware subsidiary brand of Dell. Their product range is dedicated to gaming computers and accessories and can be identified by their alien-themed designs.[4] Alienware was founded in 1996 by Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila.[5][6] The development of the company is also associated with Frank Azor,[7] Arthur Lewis,[8][9] Joe Balerdi,[10] and Michael S. Dell (CEO). The company's corporate headquarters is located in The Hammocks, Miami, Florida.[11]
Established in 1996 as Saikai of Miami, Inc. by Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila, two childhood friends, Alienware assembles desktops, notebooks, workstations, and PC gaming consoles.[12][13][14][15] According to employees, the name "Alienware" was chosen because of the founders' fondness for the hit television series The X-Files, which also inspired the science-fiction themed names of product lines such as Area-51, Hangar 18, and Aurora.[16] In 1997, the corporation changed its name to Alienware.
Dell had considered buying Alienware as early as 2002, but did not go through with the purchase until March 2006.[17][18] As a subsidiary of Dell, Alienware retains control of its design and marketing while benefiting from Dell's purchasing power, economies of scale, and supply chain, which lowered its operating costs.[18]
Initially, Dell maintained its competing XPS line of gaming PCs, often selling computers with similar specifications, which may have hurt Alienware's market share within its market segment.[19][20] Due to corporate restructuring in the spring of 2008, the XPS brand was scaled down, and the desktop line was eliminated, leaving only XPS notebooks,[20] but XPS desktop models had returned by the end of the year.[21]Product development of gaming PCs was consolidated with Dell's gaming division, with Alienware becoming Dell's premier gaming brand.[22][23] On June 2, 2009, The M17x was introduced as the first Alienware/Dell branded system. This launch also expanded Alienware's global reach from six to 35 countries while supporting 17 different languages.[24]
Alienware announced that it would be releasing a series of video game consoles starting in 2014, aiming to compete with the Sony PlayStation 4, Nintendo Wii U, and the Microsoft Xbox One.[25] The first version in this series, the Alpha, ran Windows 8.1.[26] The operating system and ability to play PC games is what separates the Alpha from the eighth generation of video game consoles. At E3 2016, Alienware announced the second rendition of the Alpha, the Alpha R2. The R2 adds 6th generation Intel processors, a choice of either AMD's Radeon R9 M470X or Nvidia's GeForce 960 graphics cards, and support for Alienware's proprietary Graphics Amplifier. It also ships with Windows 10.[27]
The Graphics Amplifier allows an Alienware laptop to run most full length (or smaller, non-hybrid) desktop GPUs.[28] A proprietary PCIe 3.0 4 cable is used instead of the Thunderbolt 3 cable used on most other eGPUs .[29]
In 2012, Alienware announced that they would discontinue the M11x model due to decreasing consumer interest in small form factor gaming laptops.[48] The company went on to offer refreshed models for the rest of their laptop range: the M14x, M17x, and M18x.[49]
The Alienware Aurora range represents the apex of pre-built gaming machine design and for many a dream desktop. Subsequently, Alienware Aurora prices can range up to the several thousands, depending on what you're looking for. There are plenty of options however, that can help cut that asking price significantly. Specs, regions, and sales events are all considerations here, and we've put together this guide to help you find the lowest prices possible.
There are actually quite a few models in the lineup right now thanks to multiple recent additions for 2023. First up is the R16 model, which features a newly redesigned case and 14th generation Intel chips. Less new, but still very much worth considering, are the R15 and R14 models - both of which feature an older design and components but are still very capable and relatively up-to-date. As older models, they're also more partial to discounts - up to $1,000 / 1,000 off in some rare cases.
When it comes to scoring cheap Alienware Aurora deals, there are actually more options than you may think. You could opt to customize and buy directly from Dell, which is a great option when they run their seasonal sales - normally in July and November. If you're lucky you can also potentially bag discounts at Amazon, Best Buy, Currys, and other leading retailers who we've included in our price comparisons just down below. Overall, these aren't cheap gaming PC deals by any stretch of the imagination, but they do offer surprisingly good value if you can catch a particularly good discount in a seasonal sale.
Foremost, the R16 features a new minimalist case with less bling that the previous iteration, although Alienware has retained its classic styling by moving the vent RGB from the middle of the front to the side. The new case is also, crucially, 40% smaller than the previous iteration, which is a fantastic change for those with limited space. Generally speaking, it's easily upgradable with full side access to the GPU, CPU, M.2 slots, and a pre-configured HDD housing. Note, however, that the R16 uses a proprietary power supply (non-upgradable) due to it's new compact form factor.
The R16 retains the multiple configurations of the previous models, but the baseline price is actually a little cheaper now. For example, with the maxed-out RTX 4090 configuration, the R16 is $200 cheaper than the equivalent R15 spec, while the entry-level RTX 4060 config comes in at just $1,299. As always, however, you'll want to be on the lookout for further price cuts and sales at the official Dell Store, which usually take place around federal holidays, Black Friday, and mid-July.
The Alienware R15 is slightly older now but it's still a 2023 model and features a respectable range of up-to-date specs. Versus the R16, it still features the old chassis design - which is a little bulkier and flashy than the latest model, although some may prefer it's design.
As a flagship model from Alienware, the R15 is available in a wide range of configurations, from humble Core i5 / RTX 3050 load-outs to absolutely eye-watering Core i9 / RTX 4090 combos, most of which can be customized via the configurator tool. Generally speaking, this tool is a great way to wring out a little bit of extra value if you're looking for some reasonably priced upgrades. Conversely, you may want to cut down some specs for some cost-cutting measures
Now it's no longer the latest model in the range, the Aurora R15 is a strong candidate for price cuts and deals around big retailer calendar events. Black Friday, mid-July, and events like President's and Labor Day are often good options for discounts at Dell, which can sometimes range all the way up to $900 / 800 off on the pricier models. Generally speaking, discounts on the lower-specced models are a little rarer but you can still find discounts in the $100 / 100 off range.
The Aurora R14, as the name suggests, is an AMD-based system that carries the latest Ryzen processors in its configuration. Generally speaking, this often means they're a little cheaper than their Intel-based counterparts and usually you'll find a number of AMD graphics cards available in certain builds too.
The starting configuration for the Aurora R15 is a combination of a Ryzen 5-5600X and an RX 6500 XT but you'll find options that stretch all the way to a Ryzen 9-5900X and an RTX 3080 Ti on the pricier configs. As of early 2023, there are no options to bundle in one of the latest RTX 4000 series cards but we expect those to be featured on either the R14 or a freshly revised new Ryzen edition.
Again, we'd recommend really checking out the various configurations available for your Aurora R14 to get the best bang for the buck as possible. For example, you may want to focus on getting that beefy graphics card and processor now, while opting to upgrade your RAM and SSD later down the line. That's totally possible and could save you some much-needed bucks.
Alienware PCs are worth it if you've got a little cash to splash and want a slick, ready-to-go gaming machine that you customize before you can buy. Whether you need a powerful machine or not is really a subjective thing depending on what games you're planning to run, but even Alienware still has plenty of options for all budgets.
If you're looking to just play the odd game of Minecraft or Fortnite then it's probably best to opt for a machine with an RTX 3050 and a Core i5 (or Ryzen 5) processor inside. It's arguable whether you'll need a full 16GB of RAM with these kinds of applications, but it's never a bad idea to spring for more RAM if you can afford it. It'll generally make everything much smoother in the day-to-day too.
If you want to future-proof your machine or get blazingly fast performance at resolutions higher than 1080p, then you'll likely want to spend at least $1,200 to secure a machine with an RTX 3060 Ti or higher. Alienware Aurora gaming PCs usually carry Core i7 and Ryzen 7 chips at this price point and you'll usually be set up for a few years down the line if you can afford to dish out a bit more cash.
For 4K gaming or VR, It's probably best to set your budget at around $1,500 at the least and try and aim for an RTX 3070 or RTX 3080 card. We're getting into enthusiast-level machines here, but you should be able to play nearly every game at 1440p and respectable graphical settings at around this level.
Performance-wise, the Alienware Auroras are fantastic gaming desktops that offer the very latest components from AMD and Intel. Subsequently, you'll be getting decent performance from any of these desktops in accordance to their respective budget ranges. While in previous years, it was definitely the case that Alienware was fairly poor value (especially when compared to building your own PC), in recent times they've generally caught up with the competition. These days, they are actually relatively affordable for enthusiast-level gaming machines.
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