BIOS: Technology Means Business

When you demand outrageous performance, outlandish style and superior build quality, there’s one company which immediately springs to mind. Alienware places the latest innovations at your fingertips by ranking among the very first system manufacturers to deliver breakthrough technologies as they become available. The company’s systems also feature standardised, non-proprietary components in a fully upgradeable architecture to extend the life of your system.

Alienware’s latest system is no different. Sitting at the top of the range, the Area-51 (from £1398 inc. VAT) is Alienware’s first system to support nVidia’s SLI dual-GPU and Intel dual-core processor technology (DirectX 10 graphics card and quad-core processors coming soon). Area-51 7500 systems powered by SLI technology utilise two nVidia 7950 GX2-based graphics cards that work together to form a single image with 1GB of dedicated memory. This delivers a remarkable increase in performance at even the highest resolutions for graphics-rich games and applications. With SLI technology, Area-51 7500 systems can provide up to twice the graphics performance of non-SLI systems.

The Area-51 7700 has Alienware’s signature large (though dwarfed by Dell’s XPS 700), imposing case, which sports clean lines but has a sizable footprint; its shiny plastic also shows fingerprints easily. Furthermore, replacing the side panel requires you to manoeuvre several metal tags into place before it clicks back in. The case has some thoughtful design touches, though. Mesh sleeves neatly keep the cables out of the way and the front-mounted ports (two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire port, and a microphone and headphone socket) are backlit. Another nice detail: the fans in the removable side of the case are connected by touch contacts instead of cables, so you can easily remove the side panel without having to unplug the fans first.

Powered by Windows XP Home Edition (SP2), our review model shipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor (2.66GHz, 1066MHz FSB), 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 (800MHz) SDRAM (expandable up to 4GB), 650-Watt ATX 2.0 PSU with Active PFC, ASUS P5N32 nForce 4-based SLI motherboard, 1024MB nVidia GeForce 7950 GX2 (DVI Dual Link supported), and two 250GB Serial ATA (7200rpm, 8MB cache) HDDs. Alienware also supplied an NEC ND-3550A16x dual-layer DVD±R/W burner, Creative’s excellent Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic PCI-based audio card, as well as Logitech’s stunning G15 Gaming Keyboard (small LCD panel for showing game info or song titles) and MX 518 gaming mouse.

Connectivity ports are plentiful, comprising dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet Adapters (DSL-ready), two DVI and one S-Video out connectors, 28-in-1 digital media reader/writer, PS/2 keyboard port, PS/2 mouse port, FireWire 400 port (front), six Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports (four back/two front), and an external SATA 1.5Gbit/s port.

Alieware systems are among the most expensive on the market, but it’s only when you get under the hood that you realise the quality of the system. Alienware eliminates the threat of poor thermal management and system defects due to sloppy wiring found with some other manufacturers. ‘AlienWiring’ neatly bundles and routs wires to promote optimal airflow and maximise the reliability of the system. Need a calming glow to foster your creative side or a burning intensity to match the determination needed to get you to the next level? Change the lighting colours on six different areas on the chassis with ‘AlienFX’ to match your mood.

Tired of feeling your way to a port to plug in your gaming pad? The Alienware P2 chassis has lighting mods that strategically light I/O ports, optical drives, and power buttons while making your desktop more captivating than a rave, without the repetitive house music. There’s also no need to rummage through drawers or boxes in the garage anymore. You can crack the case and install your upgrades in no time with tool-less entry on Alienware’s new chassis.

Every detail of an Alienware system is carefully scrutinised and perfected through ‘AlienInspection’, a system integration and inspection process. With AlienInspection, a system undergoes a lengthy ‘burn-in’ process, a rigorous 200-point quality control inspection, full optimisation of the operating system, numerous benchmarks on demanding software such as Doom 3, and more, all provided free of charge to ensure your Alienware system operates at peak efficiency right out of the box.

Alienware was one of the first to offer SLI-powered systems and Intel dual-core-powered systems, and now it has brought those two extraordinary technologies together. The Area-51 7500 allows you to experience markedly increased levels of both processor and graphics performance in one system, meaning games and multimedia applications fly like a bat out of hell. It’s a powerful, fully-featured computer that’s great for gaming and multimedia duties, and though it is pricey, you get Alienware’s thoughtful design and attractive styling for the expense. But if you’re a gaming nut, you may want to hold on until the New Year because Alienware has announced that it plans to equip its most powerful desktops with nVidia’s new DirectX 10-based GeForce 8800 GTX (in single or dual-GPU mode), as well as Intel’s quad-core Core 2 Extreme processor.

[9] - Editors’ Choice

[Best Desktop PC Pricing UK]
[Best Desktop PC Pricing US]