Alienware - Alpha Desktop - Intel Core i3 - 4GB Memory - 500GB Hard Drive
Model: ASM100-1580
SKU: 9561097
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I went in store to purchase the base model when it was on sale. Add on the gift cards and rewards and I had and you could consider it as a Black Friday deal. The unit shipped to the store the next week, but was DOA. Luckily, I was able to exchange it at another BB location that had it in stock. On to the actual review: The computer itself has an amazingly small form factor. Definitely smaller than any current gen console and small form-factor computer. I'm not a hardcore gamer, so I initially bought it for the windows license to use Office for school. The console aspect was a nice bonus for me. It comes with AlphaUI, which is perfect for all your media needs. If you add the right stuff to it, you'll realize how much more value this little thing has. I decided to try out Steam to see its gaming capabilities and this thing packs a decent punch. NBA 2K15 ran well and the graphics look amazing, though the fans did crank up an audible notch. Other older games ran beautiful and smooth without putting the fan on overdrive. For the casual gamer, this exceeded my expectations. Like others mentioned, you should definitely switch out the 500gb HDD for and SSD and add another stick of ram (I put in an extra 4gb) and this thing will fly. There are YouTube videos that will show you how to do it. You don't need to switch anything out if you're just using it for windows, but it is well worth it to do so. Overall, I'm satisfied with the base model I bought, and the upgrades made me like this machine even more.
Posted by Dave
I bought this instead of a XBOne or a PS4 because I wanted to have access to the wide variety of PC games. This little machine just rocks - it's able to play most recent vintage PC games at a high to very high graphics setting. The PC games themselves are very inexpensive compared to the console counterparts (I recently bought all three Bioshock games for about $10). Depending upon the game, the performance of the games meet or exceed that of either of the consoles. It comes with a XBox360 controller and on certain PC games that support the XBox controller, you'd be hard pressed to think that you are gaming on anything other than a console. The size of the machine is about half of that of the consoles and is quiet - which is a plus because I keep this on keyboard shelf at my desk. It's not one of those big machines you keep on the floor and will not get in the way. While this makes an excellent mid-level gaming machine, it also doubles as a Window 8.1 machine, so I am able to run MS Office and virtually any other PC programs out there. One word of warning - the standard spinning drive that come with the system is horrible. Get a SSD to replace it and watch the system fly!
Posted by Moosehead
I read many reviews before purchasing the i3 version of the Alienware Alpha. My expensive gaming laptop died (Asus G73) and I needed a cheap replacement fast. The price was right. I added a 480gb SSD and 16gb of memory and this little PC really does a fantastic job. Switching to Windows 10 was simple. I do plan on upgrading the processor at some point but am in no hurry. I can run most current games at High or Medium which definitely looks superior to the Xbox One/PS4 versions. (I know because I have both). So, if your new to PC gaming or just want to spend less, this would be a great PC for you. Also, you can find most PC games at a fraction of the cost of Console versions.
Posted by Tyson
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Customers express satisfaction with the Alpha Desktop's performance and compact size, frequently praising its ease of use and good graphics. Many appreciate the affordability of the system, although some users mention that the hard drive speed could be improved and that the system may get warm during extended use. The small form factor is a recurring positive point, making it suitable for various applications. While some users suggest RAM upgrades for optimal performance, the overall experience is largely positive.