Alienware slaps 2GHz Core i7 920XM in M15x, new designs on Area-51 / Aurora desktops
It's a wild day in the land of Dell, so it makes sense that said meshugaas is carrying over to the company's Alienware portfolio. We knew that five new rigs were slated to launch today, and now we've finally got the details you've been craving (in official fashion, no less). Up first is the revamped Area-51 M15x laptop, which boasts a streamlined chassis and the entirely overused "most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe" tagline. Those with deep pockets can get this pup outfitted with a 2.0GHz Core i7 920XM (yes, that's the new Clarksfield mobile Core i7!) and a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M, both of which should work wonders on your most demanding NES ROMs. You'll also find up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 500GB HDD or 256GB SSD, slot-loading Blu-ray drive, FireWire, gigabit Ethernet, a trio of USB 2.0 sockets, VGA and DisplayPort video outputs, an ExpressCard slot and an 8-in-1 card reader. There's no mention of a starting price, but before you even look, you should decide whether or not you're kosher with toting around a 1.92-inch thick machine weighing 9 pounds.
Moving on, there's the all-new Area-51 and Area-51 ALX desktops, both of which usher in yet another case change along with ridiculously fast / pricey innards. The standard Area-51 is a liquid cooled beast with factory overclocked Core i7 CPUs (as high as 3.6GHz), an array of multi-GPU options from ATI and NVIDIA, internal lighting effects and a handy door to quickly access the HDD compartment. All of the hard drives are loaded via a cable-free dock, and there's enough room for six SATA II HDDs. The rig also holds up to 12GB of 1,333MHz DDR3 memory, twin Blu-ray drives and a pair of gigabit Ethernet jacks. The ALX edition, on the other hand, is the "most powerful desktop" the company has ever created, as it packs an optional 3.86GHz Core i7 975, twin 1.8GB GeForce GTX 295 GPUs and a power supply large enough to trip most household breakers.
Closing things out is the Aurora and Aurora ALX, the latter of which is the most potent microATX rig Alienware has ever called its own. The liquid cooled ALX can be equipped with a 3.6GHz Core i7 975, dual 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5870 GPUs and up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, while the slightly more affordable Aurora -- which goes down as the smallest mid-sized desktop ever crafted by the outfit -- can be upgraded nearly as much itself. Pricing on these rigs still remains open, but we've a feeling that'll be cleared up just as soon as the new product pages go live.
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DELL FEEDS GAMERS' PASSIONS WITH FIVE NEW 'ALL POWERFUL' ALIENWARE GAMING RIGS
ROUND ROCK, Texas, Sept. 23, 2009 – PC Gamers now have five new ways to level up with a fleet of high-performance gaming rigs from Alienware, including four overclocked* liquid-cooled desktop systems and the most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe.
Jointly developed by the Dell and Alienware teams, and featuring the latest technologies for maximum performance, aggressive designs and unmatched customization and personalization through Alienware's exclusive Command Center software suite, these systems represent a new era in PC gaming.
The All powerful Alienware Aurora, Aurora ALX, Area-51 and Area-51 ALX desktops and the Alienware M15x laptop join the M17x, launched in June, to expand the Alienware arsenal and reaffirm Dell's position as visionary and designer of the industry's most coveted gaming systems.
The News:The ALX brand denotes a distinguished class of Alienware systems that deliver both unique designs and peak performance. Both Aurora ALX and Area-51 ALX offer technology options beyond their respective standard editions, allowing for higher benchmarks, extended future-proofing and all-around increased bragging rights. Aurora ALX features design elements not available on Aurora such as the Active Venting louver system, internal theater lighting and cable-free hard drive bays. Area-51 ALX ups the ante with an anodized aluminum body and motorized front panel. All Alienware desktops also offer CPU liquid cooling right out of the box which allows the ease of overclocking that deliver extreme computing.
Also announced today, Alienware customers can now configure the M17x laptop with the intense power of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 in both single and ATI CrossFireX configurations for up to a 145 percent graphics performance increase1. The result is an immersive, cinematic experience when playing the latest HD games and movies.
Alienware users can build out a complete, high-performance gaming ecosystem with the recently announced Alienware TactX Mouse and Keyboard, and the Alienware OptX™ AW2210 Monitor which features a 21.5-inch full HD screen for experiencing the latest generation games and HD movies in glorious 1080p resolution.
The Aurora and Aurora ALX start at $1,299, and are available for order immediately at www.alienware.com
The Area 51 and Area 51 ALX start at $1,999, and will be available to order in the coming weeks.
The Alienware M15x starts at $1,499 and is available for order immediately at www.alienware.com
The branded peripherals can be ordered immediately at: www.alienware.com
Alienware is one of two brand pillars within Dell's broader consumer portfolio. Dell's Alienware gaming brand delivers high-performance computing for enthusiasts and tech lovers alike, and complements the Adamo by Dell brand, which offers unmatched style, design and craftsmanship. Alienware and Adamo are the standard-bearers of Dell's personalization efforts, which extend to the entire consumer portfolio, including Inspiron and Studio and Dell Design Studio, which reinvents the way people can customize their laptops as extensions of self-expression.
Quotes:
"These newest additions to the Alienware lineup represent the culmination of months of hard work, bringing together two world-class teams to create a family of world-class products targeting PC gamers," said Arthur Lewis, general manager of Dell's Gaming Group. "Our current offering of desktops, notebooks and peripheral products signals our commitment to providing the best PC gaming experience possible and to being the global industry leader for PC gaming products."
"Alienware systems are, and always have been, our benchmark for PC gaming performance," said Michael Tatelman, vice president of sales and marketing for Dell's consumer business. "Through the Alienware brand, Dell is committed to offering gamers the richest possible PC gaming experience with the latest technology and coolest designs."
"The new Intel® Core™ i7 mobile processor redefines expectations for performance, flexibility and extreme gaming on mobile platforms," said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group at Intel. "We are pleased that Alienware has designed the Intel® Core™ i7 920Xm processor into their latest mobile gaming laptop."
"As the first-ever DirectX® 11-capable graphics card, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5870 is the pinnacle of PC graphics performance," said Matt Skynner, Vice President & General Manager, GPU Division, AMD. "By pairing the awesome power of this card with Alienware's reputation for industry-leading technology, gamers can expect an unmatched gaming experience."
