News - Alienware Alpha console to cost £429 in UK, available in November

[Ulti]

We can speculate all we want but until someone manages to get a review sample, we won't know how well this custom GPU will perform. Personally I downgraded from a HD7850 to a GTX 750 Ti just because it runs cooler, uses less power and is thus much quieter. I never hear it above my other components in my case (I have no HDDs, only a SSD, PSU fan only runs above a certain temp and other than the CPU fan, there are no other fans).

If this can stay relatively quiet (it can be hot for all I care, as long as it's not overheating and not running like a vacuum cleaner) whilst doing as well as my GTX 750 Ti in games then I will buy this as I want something small. Only issue is that as this will be my main PC, I would probably need more USB ports but a powered USB hub would solve that issue easily without being too messy.

Thumbs up to Alienware from me.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I think you might have a poor HD7850 model there. Some of them are not that noisy at all.



My pre-overclocked GTX660 with a SB Xeon E3 1220(80W TDP),two full sized HDDs and a SSD was lucky to see 200W at the wall when running a very intensive game.

Even at 1680X1050 in some games like Crysis3 it can be pushed. The GTX750TI unless overclocked is slower than a GTX660,and considering the GPU looks to be non-upgradeable I would not touch the Alienware with a bargepole.

At least a PS4 will last a few years,but in two years a soldiered on GTX750TI is going to be quite outdated especially with DX12 being released.

It would have been better if they soldiered on the CPU and made the graphics card upgradeable,especially considering even Intel is saying this:

http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-news/3...ectx-12-a.html

Back to the drawing board Alienware. Not interested in a £400+ un-upgradeable paper weight.

Basically what they have done is taken a laptop and plonked it in a desktop case.

Laptops with Kepler based GTX850M and GTX860M cards(same GPU as the GTX750TI) can be had for around £550 to £650 which is not much more than the nearly £450 of the Alienware.

Now,if the Alienware has something meatier than a GK107 then it might make more sense. I really doubt it.

[hoppusdelonge]

Good to see them coming out with something that can compete with consoles price wise. Seems like a good deal for anyone who isn't comfortable building their own rig

[Ulti]

I think you might have a poor HD7850 model there. Some of them are not that noisy at all.

My pre-overclocked GTX660 with a SB Xeon E3 1220(80W TDP),two full sized HDDs and a SSD was lucky to see 200W at the wall when running a very intensive game.

Even at 1680X1050 in some games like Crysis3 it can be pushed. The GTX750TI unless overclocked is slower than a GTX660,and considering the GPU looks to be non-upgradeable I would not touch the Alienware with a bargepole.

At least a PS4 will last a few years,but in two years a soldiered on GTX750TI is going to be quite outdated especially with DX12 being released.

It would have been better if they soldiered on the CPU and made the graphics card upgradeable,especially considering even Intel is saying this:

http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-news/3...ectx-12-a.html

Back to the drawing board Alienware. Not interested in a £400+ un-upgradeable paper weight.

Basically what they have done is taken a laptop and plonked it in a desktop case.

Laptops with Kepler based GTX850M and GTX860M cards(same GPU as the GTX750TI) can be had for around £550 to £650 which is not much more than the nearly £450 of the Alienware.

Now,if the Alienware has something meatier than a GK107 then it might make more sense. I really doubt it.

My system drew around 170W with a HD7850. It was quiet, but not quiet enough for me. To be completely honest though, I also changed my heatsink and heatsink fan from a small Xigmatek Praeton LD963 to a Thermalright AXP-200 Muscle at the same time along with the GPU change so I could be giving the GTX 750 Ti more merit than it deserves. With the way my ITX case, the Silverstone RVZ01, works is that the graphics card has it's own compartment and I have the case in a horizontal position so the card has to suck up air from the table, meaning the cooling system has to work extra hard.

I remember my HD7850 would have run at around 80C in games whereas my GTX750 Ti would run at 50C. The GTX750 Ti does produce less frames, but I'm not bothered about that as it gives me enough frames, and that's all I require. I'm not a hardcore gamer by any means though, I probably play no more than 5 hours a week hence why size and noise is my main concern.

[Barrow1990]

Personally I'll stick with building but I would love the GUI for my downstairs Gaming rig. Been struggling to use the xBox Controller to control windows.

[eiamhere69]

As above. The one component that would need replacing in a "gaming box" is the GPU, epic fail.