Dell Alienware Alpha: SFF Gaming PConsole

[TheHobbyist]

So tomorrow marks the launch of Dells Alienware Alpha "Console" as they are calling it. It is very small, it comes with a range of hardware options and user-replaceable parts, and it has its own GUI.

The GPU is apparently an NVIDIA 860M and it is not replaceable.

It definately performs better than the xbone and the ps4.

What do you guys think?

Dell Product Page
Forbes ongoing review

 

[Deleted member 89018]

I think your links don't work, but from what I've seen, it looks like a steam box.

http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-alpha/pd

They just skinned steam a bit.

Would be more interesting if they were using SteamOS, IMO, but the specs sound nice.

 

[CknSalad]

I wonder what the temps and noise results are when gaming for relatively lengthy hour-3 hour periods. I was interested, but the non-replaceable gpu and low-clocked cpu kind of hurts it a bit. Also, I'm not too keen on the cooling design and would worry about the availability of user-replaceable cooling fans for the gpu/cpu if the fans do die out in the next 3 years or so.

I think it's best to wait for the 2nd/3rd generation of the alienware alpha as the there will be more powerful, efficient GPUs coming out. Surprisingly, the pricing for this box isn't too shabby at all especially for the Alienware brand. I still think its better to just wait and build yourself a still small PC with Dondan's upcoming A4 SFX, SaperPL's cheap steambox, and the next NCase case (all on hardforum SFF section). Heck, maybe silverstone will come to the rescue mid to late 2015 and come out with small, cheaper DIY steamboxes around 7-9L in volume.

 

[Phuncz]

It might perform better "on paper" than the Xbox One and Playstation 4, but as long as developers release unoptimized games, you'll be having a hard time keeping up:

Second to last one is an 860M with a loosely comparable CPU. While this is "worst-case", this does show that fast hardware is nothing without proper software. To think the quality can be bumped two notches higher and that the game looks noticeably worse on Medium without gaining a lot of performance.

While I like the premise of the device and the price is "affordable" for Alienware, I think it's shameful it comes with a laptop HDD instead of an SSD. It's 2015 in 40 days and companies are still outfitting gaming devices with HDD's...

 

[rawrr]

Here is an internal pic of the alpha. It uses two blower coolers.

I'm honestly moderately excited for this thing. It's pretty small at 2L, and it has enough power for the living room!

Oh yeah and don't bother buying anything except the base config. Everything else is not worth the extra expense, and diminishes the value of the machine.

 

[seanclayton]

Unless it is a high spec PC with gtx 970 minimum, i rather get the consoles. No worry about drivers, incomptatibility, late ports, sloppy ports, and signing online petition for games. I know the "master race" tend to overexaggerate PC gaming, but consoles eat first--- PC unfortunately eats last.

 

[CknSalad]

For me personally, it's a good streaming/lan gaming pc to have. Despite that, I still would just make a high-end 6-9L SFF build instead.

 

[andgo]

Too bad with the eyesore logo in the middle. The graphics card sound interesting (some maxwell variant)

 

[chaego]

I wonder what the temps and noise results are when gaming for relatively lengthy hour-3 hour periods. I was interested, but the non-replaceable gpu and low-clocked cpu kind of hurts it a bit. Also, I'm not too keen on the cooling design and would worry about the availability of user-replaceable cooling fans for the gpu/cpu if the fans do die out in the next 3 years or so.

I think it's best to wait for the 2nd/3rd generation of the alienware alpha as the there will be more powerful, efficient GPUs coming out. Surprisingly, the pricing for this box isn't too shabby at all especially for the Alienware brand. I still think its better to just wait and build yourself a still small PC with Dondan's upcoming A4 SFX, SaperPL's cheap steambox, and the next NCase case (all on hardforum SFF section). Heck, maybe silverstone will come to the rescue mid to late 2015 and come out with small, cheaper DIY steamboxes around 7-9L in volume.

Silverstone does have a 7L steambox case in prototype phase, it's the ML06-E which is basically the ML06 right now but they shifted the PSU onto the left side to give room for a double slot low profile GPU. No word of when this is coming out though could be a long wait...

 

[CknSalad]

Silverstone does have a 7L steambox case in prototype phase, it's the ML06-E which is basically the ML06 right now but they shifted the PSU onto the left side to give room for a double slot low profile GPU. No word of when this is coming out though could be a long wait...

Ya, I have read about that case. Unfortunately, there is no support for a normal dual-slot non-ref gpu. Also, I like being able to set a pc case upright for normal pc use.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Here is a video showing the inside of the case and its components:

VIDEO

 

[CHANG3D]

Unless it is a high spec PC with gtx 970 minimum, i rather get the consoles. No worry about drivers, incomptatibility, late ports, sloppy ports, and signing online petition for games. I know the "master race" tend to overexaggerate PC gaming, but consoles eat first--- PC unfortunately eats last.

Seriously, if Dell sells this with one of these (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/gigabyte-mini-itx-gtx970-oc,27915.html) even if it's $300 more, this would be my recommendations to every parents thinking of buying a console for their kids. Now I just wish Steam would have a player rating system that would automatically mute certain players if enough reports were made.

 

[CknSalad]

To support that gpu, the case will need to be around 3.5L-4.5L give or take. The cooling/vent holes are insufficient in the alpha to support that. Not to mention, high wattage daughterboard/external power brick is at least $100 more expensive vs. an SFX/SFX-L power supply.

Check out the M600 thread, somebody is attempting to build with that very same Gigabyte mini GTX 970 in the 4.2L case.

 

[rawrr]

Seriously, if Dell sells this with one of these (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/gigabyte-mini-itx-gtx970-oc,27915.html) even if it's $300 more, this would be my recommendations to every parents thinking of buying a console for their kids. Now I just wish Steam would have a player rating system that would automatically mute certain players if enough reports were made.

You'd recommend a $700 machine with top end graphics to parents for their kids? In their eyes, there is little incentive to spend $300 more.

And everyone needs to get real about the graphics capability in this box. Dell is not going to put a 970 in this 2L box because a) it would be very difficult to cool with a blower cooler, b) it would be difficult to supply power to without a more elaborate and expensive power solution, and c) it would entirely negate their console selling point.

If you need top end graphics in your living room, this is not the product for you.

 

[Zap]

Here is a video showing the inside of the case and its components:

VIDEO

Thanks for the link. I'm liking it. I wish they showed what was next to the HDD. There's totally enough space for a second drive. Can't quite tell, but almost looks as if there's a USB port facing the blank space next to the HDD area. If it is indeed a USB 3.0 port, I can totally see putting some USB 3.0 flash drive there for some extra storage.

DOH, just looked at Dell's product page again.

Internal Chassis Connections
1x USB 2.0 – Tool-less access via bottom door

Somewhat disappointing.

Now, this isn't as small as a NUC/BRIX, but compared to the cost of the BRIX with discrete graphics or even one of the NUCs with IRIS graphics, I'm willing to be a bit bigger for the upgrade ability (not that 35W desktop CPUs are widely available) plus the low cost for an entire system including Windows and an Xbox controller.

If the graphics is indeed a GTX 860M, if it is a Maxwell, it would be equivalent of a desktop GTX 750. If Kepler, it would be a downclocked OEM GTX 660 or GTX 760.