Alienware - Alpha Desktop - Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive - Black
Model: ASM1002980
SKU: 9792205
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Good for playing pc games and good overall. Size form factor is perfect.
Posted by Eddie
This uses a fourth generation i5-T desktop low voltage variant series processor (35-45W), with a custom motherboard, case, lighting, drivers, UI, and BIOS, this machine is easy to customise (upgradable to 16GB 1600mhz DDR3L Ram, swappable processor which the bios downclocks to within the 135W PSU limit, and easy to replace HDD). In fact, the Alienrespawn utility makes swapping the HDD to a SSD a breeze - I have an 850 Pro Samsung for internal, a Samsung T1 for external, and the original disk is usable as a external but the Insignia enclosures are junk. Games clock at 30-60 FPS on 1080p Ultra: MKX: 60FPS, Tomb Raider: 30 FPS, Evolve: 60 FPS, Deus Ex HR: 60 FPS, Rocket League: 60 FPS, Hitman Abs: 30 FPS The graphics card is unfortunately not interchangeable, it is an GTX 860m card, ie: a downclocked 760Ti, you can reclock it using MSI Afterburner or EVGA precision, by about 135MHz, it's not necessary though. Drivers preinstalled for the included xBox 360 wireless controller and adapter allow you to easily use it as a mouse, I do recommend getting a Bluetooth keyboard though. I run Win 10 Pro with Remote Desktop and it works great, it comes with Win 8.1 Std ed. AlienFX look cool with the choice of two lighting areas, some games like Robot Disco Dodgeball sync the in game lighting to exterior case lighting, very cool effect. Alienware Alpha UI is basic, but new free upgrade on Dell Driver support site has Hivemind UI which is great, but also more complicated, Hivemind has full Kodi support though so some may prefer that. Don't buy the i7, being a T series it is almost no different performance wise from this model, either get this model, and keep it or upgrade the drive to an 850 Pro SSD, or get the i3 with 4GB Ram and swap out the Ram for 16GB, the processor for an i5 K series (not need for the 4770k), and the drive for an 850 Evo SSD. Performance and value for the price is top notch, integrated BT4.0, WifiAC, xBox Mouse Drivers, and AlienFX makes this an awesome piece of tech that you pretty much can't build yourself for the size and price (1/3 the volume of an xBox One but many times the performance).
Posted by Omnias
Wasn't sure exactly how this thing would run, but wow it's nice. Plays swtor on ultra without a sweat. Freaking awesome.
Posted by Nick