Customer reviews for Alienware Aurora
Alienware Aurora
Alienware Aurora
Rating breakdown 460 reviews
5 Stars
354
4 Stars
75
3 Stars
11
2 Stars
12
1 Star
8
(460 reviews) 428
434 out of 46094%of customers recommend this
Customer reviews for Alienware Aurora
Review 1 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Shane123456(southern california)
Duration of Product Use:Over 6 months
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
I was so excited, and then devastated
PostedDecember 9, 2012
No, I do not recommend this product.
Pros
The look
The gaming power
The options
The look
The gaming power
The options
Cons
I paid a substantial amount to have a 2nd video card- Dual video cards. They have raddled from the day I first received the PC. I paid for the extended warrantee, had a dell tech come out and work on trying to stop the raddling noise that truly destroys the excitement of having this gaming PC. He was here over 2 hours and had to call a supervisor to have a new unit shipped as he could not fix the problem. The new PC arrived, switched out everything- took hours to do. And within the first 48 hours it was raddling again. 2+ years later and still never having solved this issue I still regret paying so much extra to have two video cards.
I paid a substantial amount to have a 2nd video card- Dual video cards. They have raddled from the day I first received the PC. I paid for the extended warrantee, had a dell tech come out and work on trying to stop the raddling noise that truly destroys the excitement of having this gaming PC. He was here over 2 hours and had to call a supervisor to have a new unit shipped as he could not fix the problem. The new PC arrived, switched out everything- took hours to do. And within the first 48 hours it was raddling again. 2+ years later and still never having solved this issue I still regret paying so much extra to have two video cards.
Review-
Would I recommend getting this PC with two video cards- NO, NO, NO. I am confident if you order this gaming PC (without) the 2nd video card you would be very pleased with it.
Would I recommend getting this PC with two video cards- NO, NO, NO. I am confident if you order this gaming PC (without) the 2nd video card you would be very pleased with it.
Pros:Gaming, video rendering
+1point
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Review 2 for Alienware Aurora
Title:
Great Laptop - Support Lacking
PostedDecember 2, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
Pros:
Though I've read reviews complaining about a lack of design, and that it looks more like a brick. I love the fact that all labour in manufacturing this laptop was put in making a very powerful laptop, and the design shows a "no-nonsense" attitude. (contrary to many other brand laptops)
Though I've read reviews complaining about a lack of design, and that it looks more like a brick. I love the fact that all labour in manufacturing this laptop was put in making a very powerful laptop, and the design shows a "no-nonsense" attitude. (contrary to many other brand laptops)
The 15.6" screen gives me enough space to work comfortably with photos and videos.
The HDD spins at 7200RPM which makes things running a lot smoother. Usually laptops have 5400RPM instead of the desktop standard of 7200RPM...another reason why I bought this laptop and a good reason to really like this laptop.
Some people complained about the fan noise or about a serious lack of audio volume.
My laptop is of a later make I guess and I have no fan noise, it's really quite. And I am impressed with the audio capabilities, better sound (also louder) than any other laptop I've had!
My laptop is of a later make I guess and I have no fan noise, it's really quite. And I am impressed with the audio capabilities, better sound (also louder) than any other laptop I've had!
Cons:
For me, since I don't care much about battery life, I would like to be able to turn off the integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics and just run solely the AMD Radeon.
For me, since I don't care much about battery life, I would like to be able to turn off the integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics and just run solely the AMD Radeon.
Some programs do not detect the Radeon card although when you run some 3rd-party tools like GPU-Z, you can see that the Radeon is the one operating. However...I use 3ds Max and unless 3ds Max sees my Radeon card I can use the appropriate driver settings....I have not been successful doing this, as it only sees my integrated Intel card.
Although not recommended by Dell, but if you want to get the most out of the Radeon running on 605MHz/905MHz instead of the standard 300MHz/150MHz you will need to install the Radeon drivers provided by ATI.
The biggest issue I have with my Dell is this:
My laptop came with linux pre-installed, I guess this is just to bring the price down for not having to pay Microsoft.
As soon as I got my laptop I wiped my HDD and re-partitioned it. Installed Windows 7 64 bit..no internet card detected by Windows...so downloading drivers impossible. Ok, no problem, went to another pc, downloaded my drivers. However, no fingerprint software, no webcam support...mmmh.
Googling and browsing through Dell support sites...nothing. Dell forum gave me more luck...I have to go Dell download center...."Service Tag not supported"....ok...where to go? Nowhere, no software for fingerprint or webcam available for me...
Eventually I did get my software...by browsing through the forum and following links people posted there. but come on Dell...we live in a world where people aren't bound by one country anymore. I bought my Windows myself, but hey can you give me access to get software to activate my fingerprint sensor? At the forum they told that the software that came with the laptop wasn't supported even on Windows 8, while the laptop is Windows 8 ready...and a support employer just suggested to get 3rd-party software!
All-in-all: Super-satisfied with the laptop!
I am just quite disappointed about the support for International Expats!
I am just quite disappointed about the support for International Expats!
Pros:audio/video editing, business related, 3d apps, adobe master suit
-2points
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Review 3 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:JorgeDeSantiago(Laredo)
Duration of Product Use:Over 6 months
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
Best Computer system out there.....
PostedSeptember 1, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
Thank you fast service and a real reliable computer xD.
0points
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Review 4 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:SoundmanNH(New Hampshire)
Duration of Product Use:Less than a month
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
Aurora arrived DOA
PostedAugust 21, 2012
No, I do not recommend this product.
My Aurora came DOA. I'm giving it a rating of "1" based on the absolutely horrible customer tech support I had to endure, & lack of quality control.
At boot up, it wasn't seeing the SSD hard drive and kept reverting to "Network" boot up. A tech support rep took me through myriad BIOS changes from his various flow charts in an effort to get the system to recognize the hard drive. After all of these attempts failed, he said we'd have to reformat the HD and reinstall Windows.
We tried other steps related to Dell UEFI and Legacy drivers that were to be installed at the start of installing windows. But Windows would not allow install on that partition after either driver was installed. Tech rep told me he had to end phone conversation and call me back.
During that time, I disabled "Network" boot in BIOS, skipped Dell UEIF/Legacy driver, and got Windows installed. I'm pretty sure all we needed to do from the start was disable Network boot. Too bad my disk was already wiped out by now.
Tech rep called back, said there was nothing more he could do to help me, and issue would have to be escalated. I told him that I had Windows installing. We then ended the phone conversation before I could realize that I still needed to install a long list of additional drivers. I emailed him asking him to call me back. Instead, he emailed me back with a link to where to download and install the various Dell drivers. I emailed him back asking him to please call me back and walk me through the steps, and he refused to do so. THAT is completely unacceptable.
I ultimately ended up following steps from a Dell web page to install all of the required drivers. As a side note, the "Resource DVD" that shipped with the system does not even contain the drivers for the Nvidia GTX 680 graphics cards my system came with. I had to get that driver from Nvidia.
I spent HOURS screwing around with a brand new $4200 computer that should have been working right out of the box. The tech support person came across like he was barely interested in helping me out. He was obviously distracted with some other task he was multiplexing on. I'd ask a question, and if I even got a response, it was usually delayed and I would have to repeat the question.
At this point there are 2 issues:
1) Alienware PC's ship with the recovery image on the hard drive, which I lost due to the steps tech support took me through.
1) Alienware PC's ship with the recovery image on the hard drive, which I lost due to the steps tech support took me through.
2) The thermal control software stops working on a regular basis. The "fix" I found buried in the Dell support pages is to unplug the power cord from the tower and hold down the power button for at least 30 seconds. This works, but the thermal control software stops working again after a few reboots, and I have to repeat these steps every few days.
I'm still on the fence about returning this PC. I'm really torqued about how much of my personal time it took to make the system usable. I wince at the thought of torturing myself with yet another tech support visit for the above issues.
Pros:software development, audio recording/editing, photo processing, Gaming
+2points
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Review 5 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Krynn(Christchurch)
Duration of Product Use:Over 6 months
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
Don't BUY
PostedAugust 13, 2012
No, I do not recommend this product.
I strongly suggest you do not buy any of the alienware products, this is my second replacement unit, the first one the fans died on me 4 times in a row and the motherboard fried itself once.
The replacement unit they shipped me, was dead on arrival... Now had 2 video cards replaced, and the motherboard in the unit will not update and the replacement motherboards have been delivered by the repairers as dead on arrival.
I have requested a replacement machine or my money back this has been declined.
Again I strongly suggest you don't buy one of these unit unless you like non working machine expensive paper weights, you have been warned!
+2points
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Review 6 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:bandits5Duration of Product Use:Over 6 months
Level of Expertise:Good
Title:
Disappointed
PostedJuly 25, 2012
No, I do not recommend this product.
I ordered this product almost a year ago. I was really excited about it, and out of the box I had issues. Spent almost three hours with tech support the first day, and had to send it back because they said that the hard drive was "damaged". I was sent another one, and it has never worked well either. I frequently get the blue screen of death, and when the computer reboots sometimes it doesn't want to boot off the hard drive even after I make sure the boot order is correct in the bios. I wanted one of these machines for awhile and waited a long time to get one. I wanted it to work out so badly, I think I was in denial about it's poor quality. I know computer issues are frequently attributed to owners, but I own and work with many computers, know security and operating procedures well, and have none of the issues with other brands, makes and models that I have had with this one. I don't have the time to deal with the issues I've had with this machine and generally regret the purchase.
+3points
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Review 7 for Alienware Aurora
Title:
First Store Bought Gaming Machine
PostedJuly 13, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
After building my own custom computers for years a friend decided that I should try an already set up system and sent me an Alienware Aurora R2.
After I was able to stop gawking at the care taken to pack the system for protection from damage during shipping and a sigh of relief that it wasn't the size of a soft-drink machine as hinted at by the size of the crate I fell in love. Everything you could need was included for a basic start up and many bells and whistles (literally) that were a gas to explore and use. It's reliable, fast, a survivor in hot environment (I think it's the cooling system but I am a complete wannabe on liquid systems) and the machine is stable no matter what sort of tomfoolery I throw at it. Seriously though I was a pilot before my disability and MS flight sim X is about as real as any PC sim could hope to be. I love playing in the Arena (teagan451) BF3, Blacklight etc and running several other programs in the background at the same time with no discernable degradation of play. My system came with Win7 home premium which I knew nothing about after refusing to give up XP Pro but the learning curve isn't bad at all.
To anyone looking for a reliable, fast, stable computer for intense gameing, blazing graphics and sound on top of maximum performance and can't afford a Cray (grin) this is an excellent choice.
After I was able to stop gawking at the care taken to pack the system for protection from damage during shipping and a sigh of relief that it wasn't the size of a soft-drink machine as hinted at by the size of the crate I fell in love. Everything you could need was included for a basic start up and many bells and whistles (literally) that were a gas to explore and use. It's reliable, fast, a survivor in hot environment (I think it's the cooling system but I am a complete wannabe on liquid systems) and the machine is stable no matter what sort of tomfoolery I throw at it. Seriously though I was a pilot before my disability and MS flight sim X is about as real as any PC sim could hope to be. I love playing in the Arena (teagan451) BF3, Blacklight etc and running several other programs in the background at the same time with no discernable degradation of play. My system came with Win7 home premium which I knew nothing about after refusing to give up XP Pro but the learning curve isn't bad at all.
To anyone looking for a reliable, fast, stable computer for intense gameing, blazing graphics and sound on top of maximum performance and can't afford a Cray (grin) this is an excellent choice.
Pros:gaming online, some beta testing for various sources, scalable graphics design, any i can imagine so far it will do.
+4points
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Review 8 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:livewire21
Title:
Something Special
PostedFebruary 29, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
This computer is special. It really lives up to the hype and beats out the competition. All the PC gamers who say go to origin are telling you really to spend even more money at a company that does not have the ability to send someone out to fix your PC if something goes wrong. Even if you get this computer with the lowest specs it still can handle everything thrown at it. The liquid cooling keeps everything quiet and running really cool. I played The Old Republic for five hours non stop and my computer had not even warmed up. Also I was running it on Max settings. If in the future you need a boost you can always upgrade the graphics card. I love my Alienware Aurora and honestly I know I am well taken care of with this computer. Do yourself a favor and get one if you are really serious about gaming.
Pros:Gaming, web surfing, homework, Video Editing
+5points
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Review 9 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Twandollaz
Title:
Amazing Gaming computer
PostedFebruary 25, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
Amazing Product, i received this as a christmas present and couldn't be happier with the results. All of the software included is amazing, the graphics card and processor are incredibly powerful and let me run any game on max settings providing unmatched display of current gen computer games. No bloatware was shipped with the computer which was another plus, every other computer i've purchased has come with tons of promotional product i've had to remove. A five star experience would definitely shop with dell again.
Pros:Gaming
+1point
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Review 10 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Rulaz(Wichita,KS)
Duration of Product Use:3-4 months
Level of Expertise:Average
PostedFebruary 3, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
Pros:Gaming, videos
-3points
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Review 11 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:MitchellSante(Orange, CA)
Duration of Product Use:1-2 months
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
Amazing Gaming PC
PostedFebruary 1, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
I am over the moon with my new Alienware Aurura! The machine is absolutely beautiful, and the speed matches its looks. The computer was so easy to order and customize and setup was a breeze. Even the FedEx delivery driver was excited to bring it up to my doorstep! Wouldn't buy anything other than Alienware!
Pros:Gaming, software development
+1point
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Review 12 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:hamster4(UK)
Duration of Product Use:Less than a month
Level of Expertise:Average
Title:
Great product, terrible customer services !
PostedJanuary 26, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
I bought this Alienware Aurora R3 for gaming, and it is a fantastic machine. It's fast, the graphics are amazing, it can deal with doing many tasks at the same time and it runs very quietly. The software informed me it had changed my settings for the graphics on my games to the highest level which I've never been able to do on my old machine. This is a serious bit of kit. Only let down was Dell customer services, the machine was a Christmas present and they failed to get it to me on time, even after numerous emails and calls to Dell.
Pros:Gaming, watching and uploading video
+2points
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Review 13 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:niitsit(penticton canada)
Duration of Product Use:1-2 months
Level of Expertise:Good
PostedJanuary 25, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
Pros:streaming video, web surfing, Gaming
-2points
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Review 14 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:kcstusi(Portland, OR area)
Duration of Product Use:Over 6 months
Level of Expertise:Expert
Title:
Alienware Aurora, a good game machine
PostedJanuary 25, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
I always keep one of these as a gaming machine. Everything else I do goes on a MacBook Pro.
Pros: The Aurora is a good basic game machine at a reasonable price as long as you keep an eye on the revisions on the Alienware site. If you can get one when the prices are low, it is almost as inexpensive as building a machine yourself.. Plus you get that awesome case :)
Cons: Sometimes its a bit of a challenge to configure one to get exactly what you want. I would like to see more hard drive options, i.e. industrial grade, at least until 1TB+ SSD's get more reasonably priced.
Pros:online gaming
+4points
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Review 15 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:jasonsalien(ohio)
Duration of Product Use:Over 6 months
Level of Expertise:Average
Title:
Very well built
PostedJanuary 25, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
It is well built!! The newer case got great air flow.The side panels open nicely. The Alien FX is a nice touch.
+1point
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Review 16 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:ggriff(NY)
Duration of Product Use:Less than a month
Level of Expertise:Average
Title:
alienware aurora
PostedJanuary 19, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
Nice packaging, easy setup, great performing computer.
Pros:personal use, Gaming, business use
+2points
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Review 17 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:Teacup(Connecticut)
Duration of Product Use:Less than a month
Level of Expertise:Good
Title:
Smooth as silk
PostedJanuary 19, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
This will be the fourth alienware PC and the second Aurora we have purchased over the years. It is quiet, reliable and high performing.
Pros:School, computer gaming
+2points
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Review 18 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:SamRyzek(Thornont CO)
Duration of Product Use:1-2 months
Level of Expertise:Good
Title:
Memory Malfunction
PostedJanuary 18, 2012
No, I do not recommend this product.
I have been very fustrated with my Alienware purchase so far. It has been less then 1 month since I excitedly opened my computer box. At first I was thrilled with its speed and performance. However, for the last 2 weeks I have been struggling with a blue screen of death, frequent reboots due to memory issues. I have been trying, unsuccessfuly to remedy the situation myself. I have heard nothing but fantastic reviews of the Alienware product line so I was extremely disappointed to be having as many issues as I am having, with a computer that is less than 1 month old. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated
Pros:Gaming, family pics/movies, web browsing, information
0points
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Review 19 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:woodthings(South GA)
Duration of Product Use:1-2 months
Level of Expertise:Average
Title:
Alien for my Wife
PostedJanuary 12, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
Only thing I could say here is what our grand kids said: How come grandma has a much, much, much better computer than we do? I think that says it all. Grandma is 66 and plays her games, does her email and does her internet research. Did I mention that she also buys almost everything via the web? This machine does it all and I'm not constantly having to drop what I'm doing to go help fix someting.
Pros:email & web, some games
+1point
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Review 20 for Alienware Aurora
Overall Rating
Reviewed by:RJBerling(Ohio)
Duration of Product Use:Less than a month
Level of Expertise:Good
Title:
Handles Everything that I Throw at It
PostedJanuary 12, 2012
Yes, I would recommend this product
I was looking for a Computer that would play games, currently The Old Republic, in windowed mode and watch or at least listen to Starcraft 2 streams in the background or on another monitor. It does this well. I played with some Alienware PC's on display from the MLG Columbus floor. This computer is every thing I remember wanting from that experience. The free peripherals ie. mouse do not live up to what I expect from a product of this caliber.
Pros:Gaming, entertainment, streaming video
+2points
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