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Full specs on Alienware Area-51, plus Games we’d love to see
Alienware Gaming Rig Lineup
For the serious gamer, there’s a new lineup in town. Alienware Corp., a subsidiary of Dell Inc. that makes gaming machines, has released a new gaming desktop and laptop, plus a graphics amplifier that would surely revolutionize your gaming experience.
Alienware is known for making ultimate gaming rigs. Does the new lineup meet expectations?
Full specs on Alienware Area 51, 13 and Graphics Amp
The design alone of the Area-51 is a total knockout. Unlike most desktops, the Area-51 has a triangular design, which serves many purposes. For one, it allows the hot air to be vented more easily compared to the rectangular design of most desktops. The triangular shape also allows for easy access of the side and back panels, as well as making it easier for transport.
The triangle’s three corners are built to support five times the systems weight, so you can tilt it forward if you need to access the ports at the back. Once there, a button turns on the rear accessibility lighting, which means no need to use a flashlight when connecting or disconnecting cables.
Input and output ports on the face of the desktop are designed for headphones, USB and media card readers. And to top it all off, you can customize the lights on the Area-51 with AlienFX across nine independent programmable lighting zones, with over 20 colors to choose from.
The basic version of the Area-51 features a 4th gen Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB dual channel DDR4 at 2133MHz memory, 2TB hard drive, 850W modular power supply, AMD Radeon R9 270 with 2GB GDDR5 video card, a slot-loading dual-layer DVD burner optical drive, Intel 7260 802.11ac 2×2 Wireless, WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0, and runs Windows 8.1.
The Alienware Area-51 costs $1,699 for the basic model, excluding accessories such as monitor, keyboard and mouse, and will start shipping by November 21, 2014.
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When closed, the Alienware 13’s lid looks similar to the side panel of the Area-51, which is saying a lot for the design of this gaming gadget. The 13 is available in Epic Silver, while the AlienFX Lighting Zones delivers 8 unique programmable zones for up to 20 distinct colors — that’s over 25.6 billion lighting combinations.
The 13 also has a keyboard with 4-Zone, multi-color RGB and AlienFX lighting controls. It features a 4th gen Intel Core i5 processor, a 13 inch HD (1366 x 768) TN-Panel Anti-Glare 200-nits display, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M with 2GB GDDR5 video card, 8GB DDR3L at 1600MHz (2 x 4G) memory, 500GB Hybrid (8GB Cache) SATA 6Gb/s, Killer 1525 802.11ac 2×2 WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0, 4 Cell 52W Hour Battery, and runs Windows 8.1.
The Alienware 13 is priced at $999 for the basic model and will start shipping by December 10, 2014.
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Alienware Graphics Amplifier
This is a new peripheral from Alienware that aims to take laptop gaming to a whole new level. The Alienware Graphic Amplifier is a peripheral device which allows users to attach a full-length desktop graphics card to the Alienware 13. It features a 460-watt PSU, full-length dual-width PCI Express x16 graphics card slot, and is compatible with any standard Nvidia or AMD graphics card up to 375W TDP. The amp connects with the Alienware 13 via a proprietary cable and completely bypasses the on-board GPU of the laptop. To revert back to the built-in GPU of the Alienware 13, you just need to unplug the Amplifier, and reboot your laptop.
The Alienware Graphics Amplifier, without a GPU, costs $299 and is currently only compatible with the Alienware 13. However, future versions of the company’s other laptops may also support the Graphics Amplifier.
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Games we want to see on the new Alienware gaming rigs
Alienware has yet to release any information on whether or not there will be games exclusively released for the Area-51 or Alienware 13, but there are popular game titles to be released in November that could get the most out of these gaming rigs.
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Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
A first-person shooter game that envisions the future of warfare. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare features the voice of Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey as Jonathan Irons, pegged as one of the most powerful men in the world who is shaping the future of war. The game will be released on November 14, 2014.
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Set in Paris at the time of the 1789 French Revolution, this action game is played from the perspective of Arno, set on a deadly path to redemption to become a true Master Assassin. This game, full of mature content, blood and gore, will be released on November 11, 2014.
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Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault
This standalone single-player expansion is inspired by the Battle of the Bulge, which according to Winston Churchill is “undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war.” It features three new Companies to choose from, each with its own play-style and unique officers. The game will be released on November 18, 2014.
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