X-bit labs

Alienware Intros Ultra High Performance Computers.

Category: Other

by Anton Shilov

[ 06/03/2004 | 04:02 PM ]

As reported weeks ago, Alienware today officially rolled-out its new ALX personal computers with enhanced performance to serve gamers who demand extreme speed at any price-point.

ALX – Overclocked Systems with Support

ALX systems are engineered and precisely-crafted to deliver ultimate performance using overclocked and tuned-up hardware. Performance-enhanced hardware includes the option to have CPU, memory, and video card settings overclocked by Alienware to the highest levels while maintaining system stability.

In order to maximize stability and reliability of ALX desktops, Alienware said it would use specially-designed liquid cooling system. Alienware’s liquid cooling technology features a next-generation thermal management solution, using a specially-mixed coolant and gold-plated, pure copper coolers to keep the heat generated by system components in check.

In addition to performance, Alienware also offers special consulting services for ALX owners. ALX customers will receive one-on-one attention from Alienware’s team of dedicated PC enthusiasts, who will help them with everything from deciding what components will perform best to recommending what settings their software should run on. ALX owners will also receive the option of speaking directly with their system’s assembler and having up to three of their favorite games installed, updated, and optimized on their system, free of charge.

Prices Start at $4865

Currently Alienware offers only one customizable computer in its ALX lineup – Aurora ALX – powered by an overclocked AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 in PGA939 packaging.

The default configuration includes AMD Athlon 64 FX-53+ chip, ATI RADEON X800 XT Platinum Edition graphics card, 1GB Corsair XMS Dual Channel PC4400 DDR SDRAM at up to 550MHz speed, 148GB (74GB x 2 in RAID 0 array) Western Digital Raptor HDDs with 10000rpm motors (in RAID 0 array) and Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum audio card and costs $4865. Typical Aurora system costs $3057 and features components that provide lower performance.

ALX to Have 2 Graphics Cards, 2 Processors

Eventually ALX computers will gain totally exclusive hardware and technologies to fulfill the demands of insane gamers.

In mid-May it was announced that Alienware will come up with ALX computers for gamers that will eventually handle two high-end PCI Express graphics cards for extreme performance in conventional 3D games. The most advanced versions of ALX PCs that are slated for release in Q4 2004 will come with Intel Tumwater-based X2 mainboard featuring 2 PCI Express x16 slots and will allow installation of two identical graphics cards into one PC.

The X2 mainboards will be based on Intel E7525 (Tumwater) core logic and besides 2 PCI Express x16 slots as well as 2 sockets for CPUs will also support dual-channel DDR2 memory, Serial ATA ports with RAID capability, PCI-X support, Gigabit Ethernet and Dolby Digital audio.

Pricing of systems with two processors and a couple of graphics cards remains to be seen.