Alienware invited me last week to check out the new Aurora R5 and Alpha R2 hitting the Australian market. Previously revealed at E3, we were given a closer look plus the local pricing and launch details for both products.
The Alienware Alpha R2 is the latest in the Alpha range which looks similar in design with the previous version. However there are some major additions to the Alpha R2 that will satisfy performance users.
On the front of the Alpha R2, you’ll see that they’ve added two USB 3.0 ports for easy access. With VR being the major talk of the town, this is a great addition for those wanting to run the head mounted display from the front of the units. You can also attach the Alienware Graphics Amplifier (selected models) now with the addition of the port allowing you to further upgrade the performance of the Alpha down the track.
There’s a few other Alpha R2 variants also available with Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7 options for more performance. You can also choose the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 with 4GB if you’re craving more graphics and SSD options for faster storage capabilities.
The Alienware Alpha R2 is available now. Check out here for more details and configurations. The Alienware Graphics Amplifier costs $199 AUD which is available here.
Another new Alienware product revealed at E3 2016 was the Alienware Aurora. A smaller mid-tower option compared to the humongous Area-51, the Alienware Aurora is a well-designed compact system that houses full size components as well as a all-in-one liquid cooler. You can also have dual graphics cards installed.
The unit itself is tool-less meaning you can open it up without needing anything extra. Compact usually means heat issues but looking inside; the Aurora had components positioned correctly taking into account airflow from each part. For instance, the power supply is mounted on the side meaning the air goes in and straight out the back without affecting any other components.
There’s different upgrade paths for the Aurora R5 where you can push it up to an Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processor for more performance. You can also option for a GTX 960 if you want more graphics grunt. There will also be a GTX 1070 and 1080 variant as well as the new AMD Rx 480 but locally at launch will support GTX 960 max.
The Aurora R5 is due out next month.