For one, it'd let Alienware do things like offer more than 4GB of RAM (32-bit systems only support up to 4GB). Speaking of RAM, something else I wouldn't expect out of Alienware's performance-at-all-costs mouth is that high performance DDR3 RAM actually isn't worth the premium pricepoint: "It is the highest-performing memory now on the market. But I'm not so sure it's quite there yet. The cost is very high... Six months from now it will start making a lot more sense (economically) than it does right now." And that's why PC gaming sales have been dropping precipitously vs. console sales over the last few years. It just costs too much to stay ahead. [CNet]

While the cross-competition issue is obvious, our suspicions became more solid because of the bit buried in the announcement of Alienware's mondo 17-inch gaming notebook that Alienware was going to move into budget gaming PCs for more mainstream gamers. Why cannibalize themselves on both the upper and lower ends? Course, this just means the Alienware name is going to be tied even more closely to Dell, so whatever cachet left in the name is probably toast, like your wallet after buying one. [WSJ]

Other worthy tidbits from the show: They're not planning on a MacBook Air competitor. They're big-boned (for performance) and proud of it. Also, they're looking at making some cheaper notebooks for more mainstream gamers that can't afford to drop $3k on a sweet gaming notebook. Budget gaming notebook, I like the sound of that. [Alienware]

Alienware Redefines Performance and Design with Powerful New Area-51 m15x 15.4-inch Notebook

PC-Maker Wonders If the World is Ready for the Intimidating Ingenuity and Onslaught of Awesomeness Surrounding the Area-51 m15x
MIAMI —(Business Wire)— Jan. 15, 2008 When it comes to mobile performance, Alienware(R) - the leading manufacturer of high-performance desktop, notebook and entertainment systems - is blazing new frontiers. The company introduces the Area-51(R) m15x, a revolutionary addition to the 15.4-inch notebook class and a fitting addition to Alienware's award-winning systems. Available with a range of Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo or Core 2 Extreme mobile processors and loaded with the world's fastest notebook GPU, the NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 8800M GTX, every detail of the Area-51 m15x was scrutinized for improved performance and usability, from the motherboard all the way down to the port trimmings.

"Alienware always sets the bar almost impossibly high, but the new Area-51 m15x not only lives up to the elite tradition of past Alienware notebooks, it establishes a new performance standard that demands the attention of everyone from hardcore gamers and 3D content creators to students and professionals on the go," said Frank Azor, Executive Vice-President for Alienware's Product and Marketing Groups. "A mix of unparalleled speed, stunning graphics precision and exclusive customization features will be the lasting impact of Alienware's most impressive, most unstoppable and sexiest mobile system yet."

The Area-51 m15x dominates the competition by featuring:

— Intel Core 2 Extreme mobile processor power, enabling users to run the latest games and power-hungry applications like post-production video software and music encoding programs at full speed for optimum productivity.

— Cutting-edge graphics delivered by an NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX GPU, fully primed for the new wave of DirectX(R) 10-fueled games.

— Alienware's BinaryGFX technology, which provides the flexibility of switching between integrated and high-performance graphics cards.

— Advanced user controls through the Alienware Command Center, including the AlienFX(R) lighting and the AlienFusion power management system.

— Smart Bay technology giving users on-the-fly customization capabilities with a hot-swappable optical drive, second hard drive and backup battery.

"The advanced speed and energy efficiency of our entire line of Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme mobile processors are perfectly suited for the varied needs of Area-51 m15x users," said Erik Reid, Director of Marketing, Mobile Platforms Group for Intel. "Owners of Alienware's latest notebook have the confidence of knowing they can rely on awesome application speed in addition to smarter battery performance and the other advantages that come from the Intel Core microarchitecture."

"With NVIDIA's most powerful notebook GPU, the GeForce 8800M GTX, Alienware has unleashed a new generation of high-performance notebooks that blow away most desktop PCs," said Rene Haas, general manager of the notebook GPU business at NVIDIA. "With these elite machines, Alienware customers will get an absolutely astounding visual experience with the new era of DirectX 10 games, high-definition movies, and Windows Vista applications, whether at home or on the road."

You canget your own pre-built three-way SLI on the ALienware Area-51 ALX SLI, but will cost $4999 with an overclocked quad-core inside. Not to bitch about the state of PC gaming too much, but when you need three SLI cards to run something on "high" graphics (the way the developer intended), isn't that prohibitively expensive—especially compared with a PS3 or Xbox where you can just plug and go? [SLI Zone via Electronista]

Well, yes. If the single 32GB solid-state drive for an extra $500 doesn't chase you off, that sweet 64GB RAID 0 configuration will clip you $920. But wait a minute. That does sound like a lot, but the price for solid-state drives has plummeted in just the past year or so. A configuration like this last year at this time would have been even more prohibitively expensive.

We especially like the way Alienware is strapping these drives together in an attempt to speed up the proceedings, where brand-cousin Dell offers just that 32GB solid-state drive in its Mobile Precision line of laptops, telling us its SSD option doesn't speed things up a bit. [Computer Shopper]

Still, $399 is pretty steep for a case, even if it is Alienware. You can get a pretty decent- looking one, plus a good power supply for $200-ish. – Jason Chen

Alienware Now Selling P2 Chassis as a Barebones Kit [Computer Shopper]

Product Page

UPDATE: We spoke with Alienware who told us the Hangar system won't launch for another few weeks. Stay tuned.

Alienware to Launch Hangar 18 This Week [Computer Shopper]

Man, 1TB drives… it feels like some sort of milestone, doesn't it? I remember back in the day when I had a 1GB drive and I had to delete an MP3 if I wanted to download a new one. That sucked. –Adam Frucci

Dell and Alienware Bring World's First Terabyte Hard Drive Computer to Consumers [Dell]

Total Crap: Plush cuteness aside, I can't fathom why anyone would ever use this creation. Then again, I watched a fellow blogger insert his Treo, clip it on his belt loop and wear it all afternoon before asking me if he could keep it...

The QuikPod is every MySpacers dream come true: a telescoping monopod with a swiveling joint on the top. Perfect for obese child molesters who need to find their "photogenic" angle, not so useful for those of us not obsessed with self-portraits.

Woah! Are those replacement Wiimote straps? Hell no, but we thought they were when we grabbed a handful from the Opera booth. Turns out they're just Nintendo DS straps. Crap.

Honorable Mentions: Wrapped and boxed like a valuable oriental treasure, this 1GB thumb drive comes courtesy of Samsung. The drive itself would have been nice, but this box is a welcomed addition.

Alienware knows their consumers are serious about their computer hardware, so they were dishing out these handy multi-tools. The LED is a great touch, this thing is bound to be useful the next time I crack open my case.

Acquired by random chance, the Aviator laptop stand found a home underneath my machine today. The slant eliminates the "hunch" stance so commonly seen in the press room, and any relief from pain is welcome after a grueling week in Vegas. Many thanks to the nice gentleman who dropped it off at our table.

Today's Winner: From some genuinely excited boothsters, this Lightsnake podcasting kit provides the necessary tools for you to get your podcast on. The mic seems decent and they even include tutorials on where and how to make your voice heard. – Karson Thompson

Performance first: The 7500 will absolutely devour anything and everything you throw at it. I could even play Counter-Strike: Source while scanning the auction house in WoW. I couldn't push anything I had hard enough to slow the machine down. Check out the impressive benchmarks...

Doom 3 Benchmark
• 194.7 fps
3DMark 2005 Benchmark
• 3DMark Score: 14,490 3DMarks
• Game 1: 57.84fps
• Game 2: 44.58fps
• Game 3: 75.51fps
• CPU Score: 9,116 CPUMarks
• Test 1: 5.05fps
• Test 2: 7.31fps

I know, just a bunch of meaningless numbers. But trust me, this machine is fast.

Then, there's the outside. The 7500 sports a newly designed P2 chassis that looks like it would be right at home in a Halo 3 game (if it only had some turrets and afterburners). As evidence of the new outlook Alienware has adopted, it also comes equipped with software that lets you customize, on the fly, the colors of five different "zones" of cathode lights located around the case. With 24 color options per light zone, your options are endless—and pointless. While it may be a fun gimmick to impress the neighbor kid with, after the initial laughs you'll probably find yourself ignoring them.

But that bright idea isn't the only new addition to the P2 chassis. The front panel is on a solid pivoting arm that hides the drive bays and feels solid when you swing it open or shut. Audio and data ports have a new home on the front panel as well, though the angled approach to USB/Firewire connections takes some getting used to. The "AlienIce 3.0" video cooling system consists of fans positioned around a large open intake zone stretching from the front of the case around each side designed to balance airflow and maximize cooling efficiency.

Inside, this case in another story. Cable management is taken to a new level in the 7500; if you can find a wire that isn't tucked away, tied down or otherwise contained, chances are you put it there yourself. Not only does this attention to detail improve airflow, it makes the case a pleasure to work in (should you have the desire to upgrade or add anything, Alienware doesn't use proprietary parts like their parent company). The most noticeable addition to the interior of the box is the new liquid CPU cooling system, a self-contained, maintenance-free loop that keeps the processor cool under pressure. Unfortunately, this system is limited to CPU cooling only. I would have liked to see liquid cooling expanded to the GPU as well, which seems like an obvious 'next step' in a super cooled gaming system. Without the liquid GPU cooling, a plethora of fans still leave the 7500 a far cry from "silent," though it isn't the jet-engine-cooled PC of 2001, either.

My experience using the 7500 was an extremely pleasant one, though not as problem-free as my previous review of the m7700 laptop. My initial boot yielded a 'gaming PC' with no audio, a problem that persisted for a few reboots until I discovered onboard audio (there is no soundcard included) had been disabled in the BIOS. I can't imagine why Alienware would knowingly ship a system with its only audio system disabled by default, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a deal breaker for me. Additionally, the motherboard audio port resulted in distant, muffled output from my speakers, so I was forced to use the front panel's audio jack instead.

Ultimately, the 7500 is a case of "two steps forward, one step back." Alienware continues their tradition of solid, reliable performance coupled with high style, but their attempts to break into new territory leave something to be desired. Water-cooling is more efficient in other pre-made systems, or even in your own home-brewed version. In any high-end system I would expect to find something other than (finicky) onboard audio, and an AGEIA PhysX processor wouldn't have surprised me (though limited support for that product may justify its absence). If you have a four grand PC budget and want a no-hassle machine guaranteed to perform, Alienware can find a way to cash your check. My suggestion: give the men in white coats a season or two to perfect (and, hopefully, advance) their liquid cooling system and then get your mitts on an unstoppable gaming experience. – Karson Thompson

Product Page [Alienware]

But still, this might be a good keyboard/mouse combo for those smart folks who are bypassing physical media such as Blu-ray, HD DVD and DVDs, putting a PC in their home theaters and watching their movies via video files. With the Phantom's 2.4GHz RF wireless capability, that noisy PC can be 32 feet away, no Bluetooth required.

A revealing video and some mildly caustic commentary, after the jump.

Too bad there's no backlighting for the keyboard—a must in home theaters with projectors—and unless your home theater has armless chairs, a Bluetooth mouse would suffice. Anyway, it looks cool. – Charlie White

Phantom Wireless Lapboard and Laser Mouse Hands On [Slash Gear]

Also included in this machine is SLI'd GeForce 7900 GTX cards, up to 4GB of ram, 150GB hard drives, DVD burner and water-cooling. Don't worry, there is a downside. This behemoth of a PC will set you back roughly $5,000, depending on what kind of customization is done. – Travis Hudson

For Dedicated Gamers, a PC With an Unearthly Look (requires reg) [NY Times]

In a roundtable discussion with journalists this past weekend, Michael Dell boldly said that the XPS line of Dell computers would still remain separate from the recently acquired Alienware branded computers. I previously thought that these machines were essentially the same damn thing, but according to Dell, they have different targeted audiences. I'll just let the ever so sexy Dell explain it in a completely confusing business-y sense. And I say Dell is sexy in a completely heterosexual manner, ladies.

"XPS is really targeted at a first-to-market cadence with the key inflections, in terms of processor and video and other key ingredients," Michael Dell told reporters. As processors, graphics cards, and other components continue to be updated in four- and six-month intervals, he said, the buildouts of desktops and notebooks under the XPS brand will continue to be refreshed. "It'll be refreshed at a very, very fast rate - quite different from other product lines that we have. We're selling hundreds of thousands of computers to big, mega-corporations; they do not want them to change like that. They want a high level of consistency. This market [XPS] is totally different."

A chat with Michael Dell: Alienware and XPS to stay separate [TG Daily]

The Sentia m3450 has:

• Core Duo T2300 1.66 GHz (base) - Core Duo T2600 2.16GHz (max)
• Windows XP Media Center Edition (base) - MCE + Remote + Dual USB TV Tuner (max)
• 14" 1280x768 LCD display with Webcam
• Intel® 945GM + ICH7 Chipset
• 512MB DDR2 RAM (base) - 2GB DDR2 RAM (max)
• 40GB 5400RPM SATA HD (base) - 120GB 5400RPM SATA HD or 100GB 7200RPM SATA HD (max)
• 24x10x24 CDRW / 8x DVD (base) - 8x Dual Layer DVD (max)
• Intel® GMA 950 Extreme Graphics
• Intel® 7.1 High-Definition Audio
• Internal Intel® PRO Wireless 3945 a/b/g Mini-Card
• Integrated 10/1000Mb Gigabit Ethernet & 56K V.92 Modem
• Bluetooth

It has 3.5 hours of battery life and weighs 5.5 lbs. Starts at $1,099—not bad for an Alienware&mdash.

The m5550 and the m5750 after the jump.

The m5550 has most of the the same options as the m3450 except for a 15.4" screen, base 60GB hard disk, and a 128MB ATI Mobility X1400 graphics card that's upgradable to a 256MB NVidia GeForce Go 7600.

The m5750 has a 17" screen, the same base X1400 graphics card as the m5550 and an upgradable 256MB ATI Mobility X1800 card.

The m5550 starts at $1,399 and the m5750 starts at $1,499. – Jason Chen

m3450 Product Page [Alienware]

m5550 Product Page [Alienware]

m5750 Product Page [Alienware]

Alienware Laptops Go Core Duo [Digital Trends]

As for the card itself, as we mentioned earlier, it's fast and packs 1GB of onboard memory. In fact, the PureVideo technology that the card utilizes makes playing back high definition content a cinch. (Skypecast listeners might recognize the PureVideo name from last week, as the next incarnation of PureVideo—PureVideo HD—will provide the kind of horsepower necessary to play Blu-ray and HD DVD discs.)

The Alienware systems start shipping on July 3. The Area-51 7500 starts at $1,679 and the Aurora 7500 starts at $2,309. – Nicholas Deleon

Alienware Home Page [Alienware via Tech Digest]

The Area-51 Superman Edition Desktop is powered by a dual-core Pentium D processor. It is fully customizable with prices beginning at $1,899 and it's expected to ship July 3. The case feature artwork by Stan Tommy Lee—bloops, wrong comic book legend.

This fully customizable Area-51 notebook is powered by an Intel Core Duo processor. It features the Superman logo on the lid of the "Superman-blue" laptop. Prices for this beast begin at $2,539 and it is expected to ship on July 10. Thanks, Jeff – Travis Hudson

Product Page [Alienware]

Product Page [Via BIOS]

The star of the show is the mALX (pictured above) with its 19-inch screen and dual SLI cards with 512MB of total graphics memory. It's got two 120GB hard drives in a RAID configuration, but the thing's not exactly a lightweight. Also along for the ride is MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) connectivity, WiFi technology that uses multiple antennas strapped together for the wireless equivalent of extreme multitasking. The 17-inch m9700 starts at $2000, while the 19-inch mALX will run $4500 or higher depending on configuration.

Product Page [Alienware]

With Alienware buy, Dell will sell AMD-based computers [News.com]

Update: Alienware's CEO Nelson Gonzalez has written a surprisingly human-sounding letter about the acquisition:

Given all that, why then agree to an acquisition by Dell? Wouldn t an acquisition by a larger, more established PC company like Dell violate the core brand tenets of Alienware, not to mention alienate (no pun intended) the core fanatical customer base we have built up such a huge following with?

The simple answer is no. We believe that this acquisition will offer our customers the best of both worlds an Alienware that takes advantage of the world-class business practices and operational efficiencies that have made Dell one of the most respected companies in the world, while preserving the DNA of the Alienware brand and product strategy portfolio.

"Also, I got a fistful of bills with Washingtonheads on them."

ALIENWARE AND DELL: TAKING HIGH-PERFORMANCE PCS TO THE NEXT LEVEL [Alienware]

Vital Statistics
17" WideUXGA 1920x1200 LCD Clearview Display
Dual Pentium 4 630 desktop processors, 3.0-GHz, 800-MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache
Intel 915P PCI-Express Chipset
1GB PC4300 DDR2-SDRAM
256MB GeForce Go! 7800 GTX
120GB Promise 2+0 Stripe/RAID0 array
Intel High-Definition audio
24x10x24 CD-RW
8x DVD+-RW
Extra Gizmos: Full-size keyboard with numpad, Integrated Wireless a+b+g and 10/1000 Ethernet, Four speakers and integrated subwoofer, Built-in webcam, 7-in-1 card reader, Built-in TV Tuner

No, that isn't a copy-and-paste typo. The m7700 laptop actually has dual desktop processors [Checking on this - Ed - Confirmed. It's a beast.], a RAID array and enough extra gadgetry to occupy a classroom full of ADHD students. Let's get right down to it, folks:

The Alienware Experience
I had heard rumors about the phenomenal out-of-box experience that Alienware provides, but I greeted them with a healthy dose of skepticism—I shouldn't have. When this gigantic black box showed up on my doorstep, I tore into it like a giggling school girl and continually found myself shouting various combinations of expletives that were meant to indicate to anyone in earshot that I was quite impressed. Digging through layer after layer of Alienware goodness was like a never-ending Christmas present; each section of the box peeled away revealing something even more exciting, from the uber-professional spec-sheet to the bundle of accessories to the laptop itself.

You cannot help but be impressed by the wow-factor that accompanies Alienware's machines. When you pay for style, they deliver it in bulk. The alien logo that adorns the back of the screen conceals a blue LED that shouts to everyone who walks by, "Yeah, I'm a bad ass. So what?" The black, silver and blue color scheme continues to the inside of the device where the power button sits atop a circle of blue and the black keys and touchpad pop against the lighter grey of the case. If you're in the market for the most stylish laptop you can find, look no further than Alienware.

The Machine
Anyone who has ever been on a date knows that looks only get you so far, so after you're done gawking at the m7700, you'll have to turn it on and play with it. "Desktop Replacement" is a term that has historically raised the eyebrows of this reviewer. Today's desktop machines can pump out ridiculous amounts of power, and it simply doesn't seem possible for anything as small as a laptop to pack the same punch. Coincidentally, the Alienware m7700 isn't as small as a laptop. Imagine your tablet PC after three years training with Barry Bonds and you'll have something that somewhat resembles this beast of a computer. Weighing in at a startling 10 pounds (20 in the carrying case with all the extras) and measuring 16 inches by 12 inches by 2 inches, don't underestimate the ability for a company to jam-pack a system this size with performance equipment.

The 17 inch monitor is absolutely gorgeous; powered off, the jet-black screen is essentially a mirror, but throw some colors onto the screen and the reflection is hardly noticeable. It is worth noting that the screen does seem to glisten with the kind of 'freshly-waxed car' shine you only expect to find in a driveway. Park it somewhere on your desk and leave it there; use the built-in DVI-out port if you have a monitor more beautiful than the LCD, stick a mouse into one of the four USB 2.0 ports, plug in your cable TV, firewire peripherals and remote-control IR receiver and get ready to enjoy your new desktop.

The Performance
The Alienware m7700 isn't just a pretty face; it knows how to work it, too. It pulls in just over 6,100 3DMarks in 3D Mark 2005's game test, comes up a hair shy of 4,000 CPUMarks in the CPU test and will rock the dark and scary Doom III at over 80 frames per second. We could bore you with benchmarks all day, but the bottom line is this: turn up your settings and enjoy your games because this laptop can handle it. Even at the native resolution of 1900x1200 (Widescreen goodness), humans and orcs battle it out in the World of Warcraft with gorgeous settings and perfectly acceptable frame rates.

One crucial footnote is that all of this performance comes at a price: you have to be tethered to a power outlet. Unplugged, the laptop conserves power by clocking down its components. This is fine if you want to read Gizmodo, IM your pals or shop for sweet internet deals, but if you plan on running any program that needs to take advantage of the power hidden inside the m7700, you need to plug it in. As a general rule, you'll want to plug it in all the time anyway; in fact, you're almost required to. Battery life on this electronic behemoth could stretch as far as three or four hours idling, but even moderate surfing or media center usage can drain a full charge in two hours, and serious gaming will suck the life out of your system in no time flat.

Stuff magazine didn't choose the m7700 as their number five reason why electricity is so popular for nothing! This is to be expected, as even an enormous battery can't power two processors, a hungry video card, four speakers with a subwoofer and other components for very long. A "Desktop Replacement" is just that, a system meant to take the place of a stationary computer. While the m7700 is slightly more portable than a traditional PC (actually, this creature is a perfect solution for LAN-inclined end-users with a serious expense account), it isn't the type of laptop you'll want to carry with you around the office, to class or to a casual outing.

The Niche
In case you haven't figured it out, the Alienware m7700 is an impressive machine. That being said, it is also an impressive machine that is built to fit what is probably a small niche market. Yes, it is one beautiful beast that will take you to gaming heaven and back. Yes, it is an ultimate media center solution, equipped with Windows XP Media Center edition and a remote control to allow you to browse your pictures, movies, music, radio and Internet from the comfort of your favorite recliner or stream media over your home network to your Xbox 360. No, it isn't the perfect solution for everyone. The starting price point for the m7700 is just over $2,000; as reviewed, the price tag is a hair over $3,700. That price tag will net you at least one decked-out, upgradeable desktop with change to spare.

The Final Word
Pros: Beautiful, high-performance computing and a versatile media center solution
Cons: Pricey and a bit bulky
Recommended for: The serious gamer-on-the-go or the pal who insists on keeping up with the Jones'

Product Page [Alienware]

Unconfirmed: Dell buys Alienware [CNET]

Dell has two problems, it is approaching stagnancy in their main markets, and is about as exciting as an American cheese on white bread sandwich. Michael Dell's fairly desperate PR raising attempt at every CES keynote shows it wants to look 'cool' but can't, no matter how hard it tries. That is why an acquisition or 12 makes sense, lord knows it has the cash.

We don't buy it.

Dell may buy Alienware [The Inquirer]

MJ-12 7500i Details
MJ-12 7500a Details [Alienware]

Alienware's Docking Speaker Station [OhGizmo!]

Pricing for Alienware Docking Speaker Station [Amazon]

Pricing for Alienware MP3 Players [Amazon]

Alienware Area-51 m5500 [Digital Media Thoughts]

The most recent additions to the Alienware line of laptops are the Sentia M3200 and the Aurora M7700. The M3200 is the fashion plate, all light and thin, while the M7700 is about muscle, with desktop-like power, dual hard drives and dual optical drives. It's actually being touted as the first mobile system to be powered by AMD Athlon 64 FX and AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processors. Other than that, it comes with a 17-inch wide-screen LCD. The M3200 has a 12.1 inch widescreen LCD and is powered by Intel Centrino technology, with fully integrated wireless LAN capability that includes 802.11a/b/g. Other features include PCI-Express slot that it can be used to add-on functions, including Bluetooth support and external sound card solutions, a built-in 4-in-1 media card reader and Battery Control Technology. This laptop starts at $999. No price on the M7700 just now.

ALIENWARE RELEASES AURORA M7700 MOBILE SYSTEM FEATURING HIGH-PERFORMANCE AMD64 TECHNOLOGY [Alienware]

ALIENWARE UNITES MOBILITY WITH FUNCTIONALITY IN NEW THIN-AND-LIGHT SENTIA M3200 NOTEBOOK [ALienware]

Specs and pricing for earlier Alienware laptops [CNET]

Alienware Area-51 m5700 and Area-51 m5500 Notebooks [digitaltechnews]

Mobile Reinforcements Have Arrived [Alienware]