We all know that E3 is the place where publishers and developers unveil their gaming lineup for the year. Games always take centre stage but it’s easy to forget that often new hardware is announced and showcased at E3.
This year at E3, Alienware reached the significant milestone of pioneering high-performance PC gaming rigs and laptops for the past 20 years. They couldn’t let such and achievement go by without being noticed so Alienware have celebrated in the best way possible. Releasing four new products that continues to deliver excellent performance and is also optimised for the next big thing, VR.
“With the new standard of 4k gaming and the well-deserved excitement of VR, we want everyone to know we have solutions designed for them, whether it’s the largest selection of VR-capable systems or 12k gaming solutions,” said Frank Azor, General Manager of Alienware and XPS. “Energized by our partnerships and inspired by our community, the same vision that launched this company two decades ago is still driving us to deliver for gamers and VR enthusiasts, no matter how their needs evolve.”
So what are these amazing new products? Let’s run through them one by one:
Alienware Aurora desktop
The new Alienware Aurora is a mid-tower desktop with full-scale power and performance. Despite a smaller footprint than the previous Aurora, it boasts even more dedicated graphics and overclocking potential, including the latest generation NVIDIA GeForce cards, for 4k gaming or even up to 12k gaming as a dual-graphics capable desktop. Performance improvements also include the latest Intel CPUs, available with liquid cooling, and overclockable memory available with Kingston Fury X running at a blistering 2400 MHz. The Aurora’s innovation also includes Alienware’s first chassis with tool-less access for easy swapping of GPUs and as many as 3 of the 5 potential storage drives. These and other innovations join the solid lineup of Alienware software including custom lighting with AlienFX and total control with Alienware Command Center. Whether gaming at insanely high resolutions or experiencing optimized VR experiences, the new Aurora is the latest in a long line of leading engineering and design innovation specifically tailored for gamers.
Alienware Alpha compact desktop
The new Alpha is the perfect Windows gaming system for virtually any room, and LAN parties have never been easier with the performance and minimal set up of this accessible ultra-small form factor PC. Its compact design now comes fully upgraded with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 GPU with 4GB of GDDR5 memory for over 60% higher GPU performance than the previous generation.1 Also configurable with a new AMD Radeon graphics option, the new Alpha boasts better frame rates at higher resolutions and higher settings. For future proofing and to push performance to VR and 4k gaming levels, the new Alpha is now compatible with the Alienware Graphics Amplifier.2 Many of these same updates can be found on the new version of the Alienware Steam Machinefor users looking to take full advantage of the console experience offered by Valve’s SteamOS and Steam Controller.
Alienware Area-51 desktop
As one of the most revered performance PCs of all time, the Area-51 ups its game again at E3. The ultimate full-tower gaming desktop is now equipped with the new Intel Core i7 (a.k.a. Broadwell-e) CPUs ranging from 6- to 10-core options, as well as NVIDIA’s latest GeForce graphics technology (a.k.a. Pascal). According to Intel, the Core i7 delivers up to 35% faster multi-threaded performance and combined with the new GeForce GTX graphics there is a new standard for multi-tasking and VR.3 The iconic triad design exemplifies Alienware engineering prowess with support for up to three full-length double-wide graphics cards, easily removable side-panels, convenient access to ports and carrying handles, as well as a highly-optimized thermal management system. It’s not only ideal for gamers and VR enthusiasts, it’s the platform of choice for anyone that wants to configure elite performance.
Alienware 13 OLED notebook
Previewed five months ago at CES, the Alienware 13 is the world’s first gaming notebook to offer revolutionary OLED display technology designed in partnership with Samsung. More consumers are embracing OLED graphics in televisions and smartphones, with self-lighting pixels that can switch off completely to achieve perfect black for significantly higher contrast. How much higher? The Alienware 13 OLED’s touchscreen display offers an astronomical contrast ratio of 100,000:1, also delivering better color saturation. With the fastest response time on a notebook, typically 1ms, gamers get a display performance experience never before possible on an LCD. Compatibility with the Alienware Graphics Amplifier allows for boosted graphics performance now, or in the future, and an even better experience with this stunning display.
For those of you lucky enough to be based in the United States, each and every one of these machines are available now from Best Buy. Down here in New Zealand, some are available now through the Alienware website, but we may have to wait a bit longer for the likes of the Aurora.