Customer reviews for Alienware Aurora ALX
Alienware Aurora ALX
Alienware Aurora ALX
Rating breakdown 42 reviews
5 Stars
35
4 Stars
3
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
1
1 Star
3
(42 reviews) 41
38 out of 4290%of customers recommend this
Customer reviews for Alienware Aurora ALX
Review 1 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:ChicagoGamerDuration of Product Use:Over 6 months
Level of Expertise:Good
Title:
Custom Case = Repair Inconvenience
PostedFebruary 5, 2013
No, I do not recommend this product.
I have owned my Alienware Aurora desktop for 2.5 years and I'm disappointed with it. Certainly there were times when my computer worked well. However, after only one year, the main hard drive crashed, and I spent hours restoring the computer with a new hard drive. More recently, the motherboard on my desktop blew out (confirmed by a diagnostic at Staples) and Dell customer support told me that only one type of motherboard will fit into its custom, proprietary case. When I asked how much a refurbished replacement motherboard would cost (without processor), they quoted me a price more expensive than a brand new, current, top-of-the-line motherboard. Why should anyone have to pay almost half the money of a brand new gaming system to get their older system running with an outdated motherboard that they are forced to use due to a custom case? In the future, I hope Alienware either stocks replacement parts at competitive prices or decides to build gaming systems with cases/components that allow for convenient upgrades/repairs.
Pros:Gaming, personal
0points
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Review 2 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:halroe(northwest indiana)
Duration of Product Use:Over 6 months
Level of Expertise:Average
PostedSeptember 7, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
I've had my Aurora for 18 months,it's the first computer i've had this long without some kind of problem ,i love love that.
pros. All good
cons none
cons none
Pros:software
+1point
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Review 3 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:NEONTUBE(Australia)
Duration of Product Use:3-4 months
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
2x systems, sent both faulty.
PostedOctober 3, 2011
No, I do not recommend this product.
2x systmes sent, 1st one crashed in 3 weeks.
2nd one sent Active Venting faulty. taken a total of 3 months to correct and sent a 3rd system. Asked dell if they would kindly upgrade my system at no charge. Declined. This is not customer service! I will never shop with Dell Again.
2nd one sent Active Venting faulty. taken a total of 3 months to correct and sent a 3rd system. Asked dell if they would kindly upgrade my system at no charge. Declined. This is not customer service! I will never shop with Dell Again.
Pros:Gaming
+7points
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Review 4 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:BEmery1980(Holly hill Florida)
Duration of Product Use:Over 6 months
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
Alienware Gaming Master
PostedJuly 6, 2011
Yes, I would recommend this product
I was looking for a good computer for gaming and I found the best gaming computer ever made. It is more powerful than I could have ever hoped for. The processor speed is just out of this world, the ram is more than needed to be competitive in gaming and the design is so cool words just can't express it properly. The nicest thing is that as powerful as it is it can be upgraded to be even more powerful. as the complexity of games change the Alienware Aurora's designed to be upgraded to keep up with or even out pace the games themselves.
Pros:Gaming, web chatting, school work, internet surfing, just having fun
+19points
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Review 5 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Big D
Title:
Awesome Computer
PostedJune 16, 2011
Yes, I would recommend this product
Pros
I almost bought an Inspiron when I found the Studio Slim. I love the versatility it has and of course the speed, reliability, and the cool sleek black design. I live in the middle of nowhere with satelite internet and it works better than any other computer I have put on this connection. I have a 60" wide screen this is connected to with HDMI and talk about awesome!! No, I dont do any online gaming. I would have nothing but a Dell, period.
Cons
I only regret that i did not upgrade to a larger hard drive like 1TB and get the Bluetooth package when I bought this system. I have heard alot of horror stories about Vista. When I bought this computer I didt want to pay xtra for XP. So I thought I would try Vista Home Premium. I love it!! For me XP is the thing of the past now.
Review
Looking for an awesome computer with great value? Here it is, you will not be disappointed.
this is exactly what i need.
I almost bought an Inspiron when I found the Studio Slim. I love the versatility it has and of course the speed, reliability, and the cool sleek black design. I live in the middle of nowhere with satelite internet and it works better than any other computer I have put on this connection. I have a 60" wide screen this is connected to with HDMI and talk about awesome!! No, I dont do any online gaming. I would have nothing but a Dell, period.
Cons
I only regret that i did not upgrade to a larger hard drive like 1TB and get the Bluetooth package when I bought this system. I have heard alot of horror stories about Vista. When I bought this computer I didt want to pay xtra for XP. So I thought I would try Vista Home Premium. I love it!! For me XP is the thing of the past now.
Review
Looking for an awesome computer with great value? Here it is, you will not be disappointed.
this is exactly what i need.
Pros:Gaming
-7points
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Review 6 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:BoomOpCT(Chantilly , VA)
Duration of Product Use:5-6 months
Level of Expertise:Good
Title:
Powerhouse Machine With Style
PostedJune 7, 2011
Yes, I would recommend this product
If you are thinking about buying the the Aurora ALX, stop thinking. Just do it and don't look back. It doesn't. In fact, it runs the most requirement heavy games on the market today and doesn't even blink. It multi-tasks without a single hiccup. It dominates the competition without breaking a sweat. There is no comparison.
A lot of nay-sayers bash on the price, but let me tell you that you get what you pay for. You get new, unfurbished parts. My vidoe card brings my games to life in a way that makes me want to weep with joy. The TactX keyboard is responsive, spacious, and comfortable. The TactX mouse is just the right sensitivity and fits comfortably in your hand. The TactX headset delivers incredible immersive sound, has a graet flexible mic, and fits gently on your head. I also decided to get the Alienware monitor...both the picture quality and the monitor base itself are both sleek and sophisticated. It really is a gamer's monitor.
Then there is the case. People say paying good money for a case is a waste. I beg to differ. The sleek edgey look with colored lighting alone is enough to geek out even the most stern critic, but what makes this case such a strong selling point runs so much deeper tahn the cosmetics. The vents are no gimmick, they allow for much cooler running temperatures inside. The plastic housing is not cheap, but rather is strong and sturdy. If you take this thing with you to multiple destinations, you have nothing to fear of shifting parts...everything inside is fit snugly into it's place and the sturdy case keeps it that way. The wiring and layout inside is any builder's dream. Everything is clean and nicely organized...certainly spacious. And despite it's secure nature, taking things in and out is surprisingly easy. No tools needed, nothing ha to be forced out of place. Plus there is plenty of room for expansion.
I have owned this machine for 6 months now and not had a single problem. No blue screens, unexpected shut downs, or burnt out cards. The very few dealings I have had with customer support have been amazing and while I haven't had to make use of my premium level warranty yet, I am confidant that it will be a painless process given my previous interactions with the support team.
I can't reccomend this machine highly enough. erase all your doubts, the Aurora ALX is the machine you are looking for.
Pros:high-end gaming, streaming video, Video Editing, music
+24points
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Review 7 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Misconduct
Title:
Aurora
PostedMay 27, 2011
Yes, I would recommend this product
What a great piece of work, Graphics are unbelievable & runs my games so smoothly. This has to be the best desktop I have ever had.
Pros:Gaming, online gaming
+3points
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Review 8 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Gamermom77(Marshalltown IA)
Duration of Product Use:1-2 months
Level of Expertise:Good
Title:
Love it so far
PostedApril 25, 2011
Yes, I would recommend this product
Have had my Alienware for about a month now so far no issues, runs great, handles games smoothly and quietly.
Pros:Gaming, video, school work
+4points
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Review 9 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Lawdeguzman(usa)
Title:
you get what you pay for
PostedApril 20, 2011
Yes, I would recommend this product
Im an IT, lifehacker, techy type of person. Ived built and assembled lots of gaming computers. ived tried alot of mobos, vidcards etc etc. In other words, im an enthusiast too.
After all the desktops ived been through. this is far the best ived ever had. from all sorts of pc cases such as the lian li, corsair, silverstone etc. this alx is uncomparable. the gills may not mean anything to most of the endusers, but the gills is actually made for giving more air on the internals. the cpu cooler gets the air fron the inside, not outside and blow hot air out at the back from the radiator. imagine if you have your typical sidepanel case open, you get a better temperature right? same applies as the vents on top of it. also worth mentioning is that this thing has raid controllers but arent good for ssd raids. its only good for hdds or non performance ssds, in my case i used 2 nova ssd's and the raid controller cant take it. but i can live with one ssd anyway since raiding ssd's is overkill already.
the feeling im getting on owning this desktop is really great. i can set the mood via alienfx lights anyway i want. blue seems to set the mood btw. by looking at this case, i want to microcenter and bestbuy and checked out the other cases, i was actually excited at the corsair 650d. when i got to the store, i saw some other cases such as the silverstone raven etc etc. after seeing all the aftermarket case, i appreciate how nice sleek and quality wise my aurora alx is. i felt the genuinity of this system. you really get what you pay for. whatever happens, other case will always be another case and alienware will always be an alienware.
the best thing to do is get the based model, upgrade them your self. i upgraded mine from 6gb to 24gb, win7 home to ultimate, added flash reader myself, wlan, nvidia 295 to 6970 and so on. i sold the stock parts and in the end, its like building your own rig and buying an alienware case for like $350 which is well worthit since you get warranty too.
pros- your case will always be better than others whatever they say about it. alienfx lights. active vents. sturdy case and well build and good quality (i dont know why people who havent seen an alienware keeps on saying its cheap plastic, if only i can bang this plastic on their head so that theyll know how hard it is)
expandablity is like a custom pc
expandablity is like a custom pc
cons- raid controller is not good for performance ssds.
you need an icydock adapter to fit an ssd.
no window on the case
heavy but its not a laptop anyway
gills needs command center software installed
no driver cd? had to look at dell website
you need an icydock adapter to fit an ssd.
no window on the case
heavy but its not a laptop anyway
gills needs command center software installed
no driver cd? had to look at dell website
Pros:Gaming, vmware, daily surfing/emails, workstation
+56points
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Review 10 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:djdevos
Title:
BEST EVER
PostedApril 13, 2011
Yes, I would recommend this product
THIS IS A REALLY GREAT POWERFUL MODEL PLAYS ALL MY GAMES PERFECT RUNS GOOD BEST DESKTOP IVE EVER HAD!!.
Pros:Gaming
-5points
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Review 11 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:DieselSS
Title:
Worth every penny!
PostedJanuary 21, 2011
Yes, I would recommend this product
I have been shopping around for quite some time. I looked at numerous rigs and read counless reviews while saving up for the coming purchase. I always wound up back on the Alienware website. Originally I wanted the Aurora without the ALX package...but I convinced myself that it would be worth the extra money seeing as how it would probably be another 5 years before my next one.
I decided to wait a couple of months to write my review so I could put it through the paces and give it a solid test. I am extremely impressed with this beast. I know everyone calls it that...but it truly is. On top of the power, my experience thus far has been smooth and glitch free. Not one single hiccup. I would like to thank the guys that started Alienware. You Started something great! I will definately be a repeat customer. I actually did read reviews that said there are better gaming rigs than this one...but they around $6k and up. I still don't know about their reliability either. My ALX runs cool and silky smooth. Not to mention it looks amazing. Even my crossfire cards run cooler than the other setups that I have read about. I haven't even had mine close to the 80 degrees that I read about on other systems. Some even claim 90 or more. My cards run at around 65 to 68 under heavy load (Crysis & Crysis Warhead). If anything changes I will update my review, but for now I think it's the best money can buy. And this is coming from a construction worker making construction worker pay. All the more reason to make every penny count. Save your money...Buy one if you want quality and not a project.
Pros:heavy gaming, music, Video Editing, photo editing
+16points
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Review 12 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Matt
Title:
Over-rated Piece Of Junk
PostedJanuary 5, 2011
No, I do not recommend this product.
Ok let's get this straight, You could buy a custom built machine for half of this price with better cooling solutions. This PC has stuff that isn't necessary for gaming IE. 12 GB of RAM, The top modern games today don't even use 4GB as they only use 80% of 4GB. Unless your photo-shopping then you may need 12GB. The case is a shoddy piece of plastic that's from the dumpster.
Start using your search engine on how to build a computer as you will save ALOT OF $$$$.
Pros:Gaming
-79points
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Review 13 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:jad05
Title:
Believe the Hype
PostedDecember 11, 2010
Yes, I would recommend this product
I have always wanted an Alienware computer since back in the day, problem was, they were just too dang expensive. Well not much has changed on that front. I customized my system and it topped out at over 4 grand! But hey...I can afford it now.
Ok first things first. I ordered this machine on Nov. 30. I have always seen reviews that say Dell and Alienware really lag when it comes to delivery time and build time. So I did not hold my breath when they said it would be in my hands on the 10 of Dec. But the 10th came and I was unboxing my new system. So kudos to Alienware for that one. Mind you people that is about 10 days from order to delivery. That is insane! And completely opposite from almost every review I have read about this company.
Second, I have read many (count 'em MANY) reviews that say these machines are not what they once were and there are almost always problem from the get go. I unboxed this baby and set it up in no time flat and it started up like a dream. (That fan noise that you read about in these reviews is not really accurate. The fan is loud but all fans rev up a bit on start up. It is by no means unbearable or even notable. My old XPS 730 was louder.) I will tell you this, because shipping companies really don't give a *bleep* about what they are hauling my box did get dinged up a bit. I won't name any names *cough* FedEx *cough*. This is fine though because Alienware boxes their product twice. An outer box and an inner box in a slip tray. I felt like I was breaking into a safe. To combat this I opened up the machine before plugging it in and made sure every thing was seated properly. So do this. If something is loose it is not Alienware's fault it is shipping.
Third, I have thrown every game I have at this beast and it owns. Let me make you jealous with my Specs:
i7 970 six core @3.2 Ghz OC to 3.8 stable and 4.0 Stable but pushing it.
ATI 5970
12 GB RAM
Ok first things first. I ordered this machine on Nov. 30. I have always seen reviews that say Dell and Alienware really lag when it comes to delivery time and build time. So I did not hold my breath when they said it would be in my hands on the 10 of Dec. But the 10th came and I was unboxing my new system. So kudos to Alienware for that one. Mind you people that is about 10 days from order to delivery. That is insane! And completely opposite from almost every review I have read about this company.
Second, I have read many (count 'em MANY) reviews that say these machines are not what they once were and there are almost always problem from the get go. I unboxed this baby and set it up in no time flat and it started up like a dream. (That fan noise that you read about in these reviews is not really accurate. The fan is loud but all fans rev up a bit on start up. It is by no means unbearable or even notable. My old XPS 730 was louder.) I will tell you this, because shipping companies really don't give a *bleep* about what they are hauling my box did get dinged up a bit. I won't name any names *cough* FedEx *cough*. This is fine though because Alienware boxes their product twice. An outer box and an inner box in a slip tray. I felt like I was breaking into a safe. To combat this I opened up the machine before plugging it in and made sure every thing was seated properly. So do this. If something is loose it is not Alienware's fault it is shipping.
Third, I have thrown every game I have at this beast and it owns. Let me make you jealous with my Specs:
i7 970 six core @3.2 Ghz OC to 3.8 stable and 4.0 Stable but pushing it.
ATI 5970
12 GB RAM
Far Cry 2 Maxed!
Metro 2033 Maxed!
Arma2 Maxed!
STALKER Series All Maxed!
Fallout NV Maxed!
Battlefield Bad Company 2 Maxed!
You get my point.
Bottom line people, you are going to see many nasty things about Alienware out there, heck it almost made me not purchase from them. I am glad I gave them a chance. Do your research and spend wisely but if you can afford it buy this machine. I am only speaking for the Aurora ALX not any other machine as I have no other experience.
Thanks Alienware I am glad you came through. I hope to continue using your products many years into the future. Do us and yourselves a favor and continue with the high standards you were born with and hold to today I would hate to see this brand burn out because of its own lack of quality control.
As for my experience: Ohh Yeah! Love it!
Metro 2033 Maxed!
Arma2 Maxed!
STALKER Series All Maxed!
Fallout NV Maxed!
Battlefield Bad Company 2 Maxed!
You get my point.
Bottom line people, you are going to see many nasty things about Alienware out there, heck it almost made me not purchase from them. I am glad I gave them a chance. Do your research and spend wisely but if you can afford it buy this machine. I am only speaking for the Aurora ALX not any other machine as I have no other experience.
Thanks Alienware I am glad you came through. I hope to continue using your products many years into the future. Do us and yourselves a favor and continue with the high standards you were born with and hold to today I would hate to see this brand burn out because of its own lack of quality control.
As for my experience: Ohh Yeah! Love it!
Pros:Gaming, general home use
+32points
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Review 14 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:DWPSNIPER
Title:
Alienware Aurora Desktop
PostedNovember 7, 2010
No, I do not recommend this product.
I wrote review approx: month ago and was contacted by e-mail about my review and they said they wanted to help with the problems I was having but first they needed more if formation about my computer I sent them everything and as of today 11/7/10 I have not heard from anyone. I've sent additional e-mails asking why have'nt I got back a reply yet still no reply. The following formation listed is the problems I had with my computer.
1. Hard drive crashed
2. Keyboard had to be replaced
3. Proformance problems with keyboard and mouse I was told by Aline Support purchase there software Insurance and they could fix it for an additional $140.00 after I spent over #3000.00 for my system that was there fix why should I have to bye additional Insurance for my computer to be fixed. This computer suppost to be top of the line. While I've have had nothing but bad luck. So I requested them to replace my computer with a dell gaming computer let them sell this one to someone else. Since then here last week they had to replace both my hard drives so that make three hard drives already thats been replace. Something is causing them to go out there fix put two new ones in and that will fix it. NOT whats causing them to go out and why I'm I having proformance problems, My problems not with Dell I should have never let them talk me into getting this junk should have stayed with a Dell system Like I had mine was out of date. I'm not asking for a new Alineware computer to replace this one I just want Dells gaming computer as close as they can to equal to this one. I always had good luck with my Dell Computer it's the Alineware I'm very unhappy with and I would not recommend Alien to anyone my advice it stay with Dell Computers.
1. Hard drive crashed
2. Keyboard had to be replaced
3. Proformance problems with keyboard and mouse I was told by Aline Support purchase there software Insurance and they could fix it for an additional $140.00 after I spent over #3000.00 for my system that was there fix why should I have to bye additional Insurance for my computer to be fixed. This computer suppost to be top of the line. While I've have had nothing but bad luck. So I requested them to replace my computer with a dell gaming computer let them sell this one to someone else. Since then here last week they had to replace both my hard drives so that make three hard drives already thats been replace. Something is causing them to go out there fix put two new ones in and that will fix it. NOT whats causing them to go out and why I'm I having proformance problems, My problems not with Dell I should have never let them talk me into getting this junk should have stayed with a Dell system Like I had mine was out of date. I'm not asking for a new Alineware computer to replace this one I just want Dells gaming computer as close as they can to equal to this one. I always had good luck with my Dell Computer it's the Alineware I'm very unhappy with and I would not recommend Alien to anyone my advice it stay with Dell Computers.
Pros:gaming only
+13points
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Review 15 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:DaveP1(Washington, DC)
Duration of Product Use:1-2 months
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
Awesome
PostedSeptember 23, 2010
Yes, I would recommend this product
I have a Studio XPS with basically the same specs, other than graphics, which I am very pleased with. But it's in a plain black box. Not so the Aurora ALX that I bought for my son. From the LEDs around the bottom to the cooling flaps that raise and lower automatically at the top, this desktop just screams awesome to the younger generation.
Its performance is impeccable. The video is great. Setup was easy. There isn't a lot of crapware or demoware to uninstall. Not much bad to say about it.
Two things to keep in mind - it's big and it's heavy. You need a big, sturdy desk to hold it. And it needs to be in the open to fully appreciate its design.
Pros:Gaming, video
+11points
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Review 16 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:crysisDuration of Product Use:Less than a month
Level of Expertise:Average
Title:
alienware aurora alx
PostedSeptember 16, 2010
Yes, I would recommend this product
omg finaly i can max crysis out and every other game this computer rocks i am so happy and pleased best money spent ever on any system if youre a gamer and u love games u owe it to youreself get this computer straight up yull love it and crysis and youre other favs aswhale have fun.
-3points
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Review 17 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Indraja Sharma(India)
Duration of Product Use:Less than a month
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
Excellent bu a tiny flaw............
PostedSeptember 1, 2010
Yes, I would recommend this product
When we will get Nvidia DX 11 Offerings?
-2points
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Review 18 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:jimjim(U.S.A.)
Duration of Product Use:3-4 months
Level of Expertise:Good
Title:
Power when I need it!
PostedSeptember 1, 2010
Yes, I would recommend this product
I received my current Aurora ALX in May 2010 but, I'm reviewing it just now, since I've had problems with Alienware desktops since January 2009, when I bought my first Area-51 ALX. I exchanged that undependable machine for this lighter scale Aurora ALX. I bought this current machine fully loaded with i7-980x CPU (Overclocked to 3.74), 12 GB 1333 RAM, ATI HD RADEON 5970 Graphics, 2 Samsung SSD (RAID 0), Memory Card Reader, & Blu-Ray Burner. I subsequently replaced the two factory shipped Samsung Solid State Drives with a set of 4 Intel X25-e SSDs, and configured all 4 in RAID 0. This machine has just been great since I received it. In the Windows Experience Index, I get a score of 7.7, with the SSDs receiving a perfect 7.9, CPU 7.8, RAM 7.8 and the Graphics card 7.7. This particular Graphics card could receive a better score if it was overclocked, to be sure. The ATI Radeon HD 5970 is currently ATI's top-of-the-line, and it's overclockable to my understanding. But, even without the overclocked graphics, my games scream. The i7-980x CPU has the Intel Speed Step Technology to dynamically overclock my system so, I can receive the power I need 'on-the-fly' while gaming but while using less CPU demanding apps, I can save power and prolong the lifespan of my processor. This system is very upgradable, and Alienware has made nearly everything about it user friendly. I say 'nearly' because I previously owned an Aurora ALX that needed to have the Active Venting Assembly replaced, and it can only be replaced if you remove the motherboard and almost every other component first. For me, it was stressful to watch the onsite technician tamper with so much inside my sytem, and just to replace a part that's really only a 'gimmick' anyway, like the last reviewer said. Other thoughts about my current system are that it didn't come with the USB 3.0 (5 Gbps), SATA 3 (6 Gbps), and PCI-e 2.1 specifications, and as far as I know Alienware still hasn't implemented any of these newer technologies in their systems. I said in the beginning of this review that I had problems since my first Alienware Area-51 in january 2009. Let me explain. I bought one of the Area-51 ALX X58 systems back then, when the 'Legacy' systems were the latest and greatest thing from Alienware. Got it fully loaded with the i7-965 CPU (3.33 stock), 12 GB RAM (1333 stock, overclocked to 1600 MHz), and 2 Nvidia GTX 280 graphics cards. Had hardware problems which painstakingly were taken up for hours and eventually for days and months on the phone, until Alienware replaced with an 'upgraded' system that was 'supposedly' better. More problems ensued, until I am now on my seventh replacement/exchange. Wish I had more room to review and explain my 1.5 years of 'nightmare' with Dell but, after all is said and done, I now have the perfect machine. Been testing it for 3 months, and it's flawless. Sometimes wish I waited for Alienware to integrate the new SATA, USB & PCI-e technologies I mentioned first.
+7points
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Review 19 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:ScottALX(Ontario, Canada)
Duration of Product Use:Less than a month
Level of Expertise:Good
Title:
The Best Gaming Computer
PostedAugust 22, 2010
Yes, I would recommend this product
I purchased the Alienware Aurora ALX system on August 6, 2010. The estimated ship date was August 18. Instead, it shipped on August 11 and I received the computer from Purolator on August 13. Can't believe it took only 2 days for shipping, even though I'm in Canada.
I ordered the computer with the following specifications:
- Intel® Core™ i7 930 Quad Core Processor (2.8GHz, 8MB Cache)
- 12GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - (3x 4096MB)
- 512GB Raid 0 (2x 256GB Samsung Solid State Drives)
- 1.5TB SATA, 3Gb/s, 7,200 RPM, 32MB Cache HDD
- Dual 1GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon™ HD 5870 Crossfire™ Enabled
- 12GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - (3x 4096MB)
- 512GB Raid 0 (2x 256GB Samsung Solid State Drives)
- 1.5TB SATA, 3Gb/s, 7,200 RPM, 32MB Cache HDD
- Dual 1GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon™ HD 5870 Crossfire™ Enabled
Total Price: $5,379.48 Canadian Dollars.
Fortunately, after speaking to one of Dell's Sales Supervisors on the phone (I called the U.S. Tech Support line even though I had no need for Tech Support and I live in Canada), I got a 15% discount, bringing the price to around $4,600.
When the Aurora ALX arrived, I had to help the guy from Purolator carry it into my house because it weighed 65 lbs. After unpacking it and giving it a test run, I was extremely happy!
When you first start the system, the fans run at full speed for about 30 seconds, then quiet down to a whisper. However, even at full speed, the fan noise does not sound like an airplane taking off, as some other people have written in their reviews.
I have nothing but praise for the Aurora ALX thus far, even though I've only had it for less than 2 weeks.
In the Windows 7 Control Panel, I ran the Windows Experience Index and got the following statistics on my Aurora ALX (scores range from 1.0 to 7.9):
Processor: Calculations per second - 7.5
Memory (RAM): Memory operations per second - 7.6
Graphics: Desktop performance for Windows / Aero - 7.8
Gaming graphics: 3D business and gaming graphics / performance - 7.8
Primary hard disk: Disk data transfer rate - 7.9
Memory (RAM): Memory operations per second - 7.6
Graphics: Desktop performance for Windows / Aero - 7.8
Gaming graphics: 3D business and gaming graphics / performance - 7.8
Primary hard disk: Disk data transfer rate - 7.9
Base score: Determined by lowest subscore - 7.5
However, I have noticed a few minor things about the computer that I should point out to anyone looking at getting it.
First, the vents on the top of the chassis do not automatically close upon shutting down the computer, so you'll need to close them beforehand through the Alienware Command Center.
Second, even with my 2 SSDs in RAID, 2 ATI Radeon 5870s in Crossfire and 12 GB of RAM, it still takes a good 30 seconds to boot the system. Of course, once it's up and running, everything loads immediately.
Aside from these two small things I've noticed, I have no real valid complaints about the Aurora ALX.
In conclusion, if you have the money, I'd definitely recommend buying the Aurora ALX.
Considering the excellent customer service I received from Dell (this is my first-ever Dell computer), and the 15% discount I received, I would definitely buy from them again.
The irony is that I actually work for Apple, and I bought a Dell system instead. Go figure, eh? Well, I don't regret it one bit. I would've never gotten anywhere near a 15% discount with Apple.
Pros:Gaming, website design
+15points
16of 17voted this as helpful.
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Review 20 for Alienware Aurora ALX
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:TEUTONIC360(ARIZONA)
Duration of Product Use:Less than a month
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
LOOK NO FURTHER- PULL THE TRIGGER
PostedJuly 30, 2010
Yes, I would recommend this product
The Aurora ALX is better than any machine I have ever owned or built. The case is very solid and heavy. The internal layout is very organized and well cooled. The Alien FX lighting although a gimmick is well done , the lighted keyboard is great for dark rooms. My specs I7 920 , 6GB DDR 1600 and 2 HD 5870 in crossfire. The gaming is awesome, high framerates, no stuttering. This machine after boot up is very quiet- quieter than the dell E521 I use for web. You could spend twice as much and still not have a rig this good.
Pros:Gaming, movies, surfing
+1point
7of 13voted this as helpful.
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