Alienware X51 New Evaluation

Let's start by giving you a shot, which is one of the most expensive gaming desktops we've recently tested. For many users, a perfect PC host can be said to be the ultimate goal, it needs to be as small as possible, can be placed next to the TV and not seem out of place, but also have a strong performance, good upgradeable. The hard part is that the general power of a desktop PC is difficult to achieve in a compact fashion, but Dell's Alienware X51 did it. This 2012-year-old model, equipped with the GTX 555 graphics processor and core i5-2320 four-core processor, is capable of running some of the most popular new games, and the price of $950 (about 5824 yuan) is not high.

In 2013, Dell upgraded the Alienware X51 with a new Intel Haswell processor. Among them, we evaluated the version with the core i7-4770 processor, 16GB memory and Nvidia GTX 670 graphics card. So, does this upgrade bring a big performance boost, and take a look at the reviews?

Dell Alienware X51 Key parameter information

Processor and graphics: 3.9GHz Intel Core i7-4770 processor, 2 GB of memory GeForce GTX 670 discrete graphics

Memory and hard disk: 16GB memory, expandable up to 1tb,256 GB + 1 TB hybrid drive (ssd+sata)

Operating system: Windows 7

Other: Wireless network, inhalation DVD + RW drive

Weight: 5.5 kg

Price: 1849 USD (about 11336 RMB)

Custom designed for the game

Alienware Alien Product positioning has always been born for the game, so this X51 looks like a video game machine, about 330 mm, 76 mm wide, very suitable for sitting in the living room TV next. Like a game console, Dell Alienware X51 can also be placed in front of the fuselage in addition to the iconic Alien power button, as well as a suction-type optical drive and two USB 3.0 ports, and a headphone/microphone jack.

From an aesthetic point of view, Dell Alienware X51 's design style is still full of cool avant-garde sense of the future, including strange alien text and side vents with LED lights, but it's a good thing to be a little less discreet than the rest of the system, because if it's part of a home theater, The flashing lights that are too ostentatious affect the viewing effect.

On the back of the fuselage, you can see more interface designs, with six USB (four x 3.0, two 2.0 standard) and four video input interfaces, including dual DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort. Alternatively, the machine can be connected to the Internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

If the Dell Alienware X51 chassis that you want to open is almost impossible without the instructions, Dell offers an online instructional video that you can remove the side panel and graphics card in minutes, plus video content that guides you if you remove the hard drive and the wireless card. Although the bottom design of the machine is not common, but we are happy to disassemble it, through the bottom of a few screws, you can gradually peel off the shell, and then replace the memory, video card or hard drive, and no more difficult than the ordinary PC.

However, Upgradeability is a challenge for this type of micro-PC because the Dell Alienware X51 has no extra space inside the fuselage to accommodate the extra parts. The machine uses a hard drive other than a 3.5-inch hard drive, and the model we are evaluating cannot install any video card larger than the GTX 670, and the memory slots are designed between the fan and the optical drive, which can be difficult to adapt.

Performance mainstream but not top not overclocking

Our review of Dell Alienware X51 is powered by the Intel Haswell processor, which is i7-4770, and is basically similar to the Falcon-northwest (northwest Falcon) mini-game PC Frag box configuration that was previously exposed. Unfortunately, the Dell Alienware X51 processor does not support overclocking, so the SiSoft Sandra Performance test and 7-zip decompression test scored 124.6 and 22572 points, respectively, behind Frag box 15%. That said, Dell Alienware X51 has a good performance, but not the top.

For other tests, the PCMark processor has a performance score of 5934, essentially similar to the same game pc, but still lags behind Frag Box's 7107 points. The GTX 670 graphics card with 2GB of independent memory brings 20997 points of 3DMark and 5261 points of fire strike results to Dell Alienware X51, still lagging behind the digital Storm's Bolt PC ( Configured as core i7-3770k processor and GTX 660 TI graphics card).

In terms of the actual message performance, in the case of choosing 1080P resolution and maximum picture quality, Dell Alienware X51 runs the frame rate of "Elder Reel 4: Skyline" at 60fps, and "2 without the Lord" is 100fps, which is basically satisfactory.

Looks like a UFO, sounds like a jet plane.

During the testing process, we found that the Dell Alienware X51 fan noise is large, the result of using the decibel meter test is 49.3dB, second only to the 50.1dB of the bolt pc. This means that with the Dell Alienware X51 in one bedroom, you will find the noise to be a nuisance, just like the original Xbox 360 console, but now the improved version of the Xbox 360 and PS3 console is very noisy.

On the positive side, the external power supply is not too large, similar to the Xbox 360, so it does not increase your electricity bill. When the processor is idle, the power is only 44 watts, while the full load is 216 watts, still lower than the large size of the desktop.

Accessories

The Dell Alienware X51 is randomly attached with a keyboard and mouse, with excellent workmanship and design, especially the keyboard, which is basically equivalent to $40 (about 245 yuan) of Microsoft or Logitech products. However, for gamers, the features and performance of these two accessories are far from enough and may require a better mechanical keyboard and gaming mouse.

can act as a streaming media set-top box

Although Dell Alienware X51 is not a streaming media set-top box, it can also act as a role. The cheapest $600 model (about RMB 3678), preinstalled with Ubuntu (not Windows 7), can be output using steam big picture mode, except that the service is not preinstalled and you need to install and debug yourself. In addition, Dell Alienware X51 does not have too many preinstalled software, in addition to the software that can control LED lights and some common applications such as power management, system backup, etc. The version of our review is preinstalled with Windows 7 systems, or you can choose to upgrade to the latest Windows 8 for free.

Evaluation Summary

All in all, Dell Alienware X51 is a small game pc that is beautifully designed, but still cannot overcome some of the common problems of such products. Yes, it is easy to disassemble, but not easy to upgrade; It integrates strong hardware in a small chassis, but it is noisy; it supports steam big picture mode, but most PC games still lack control support.

The above questions are worth considering, but Dell Alienware X51 has a killer, and that's the price. The version we evaluated was priced at $1849 (about 11336 yuan), which was $800 cheaper than Frag box. Think about it as a game console that can go beyond the XBox 360 picture to achieve 60fps of smooth gameplay in 1080P Full HD resolution and HD mode (Xbox 360 is 720P native output). But then again, Dell Alienware X51 is really the most expensive desktop we've come into contact with, so you don't have to choose a top-level configuration.

As for market expectations, we can see that there are currently no models that rival Dell Alienware X51. On the one hand, the Northwest Falcon Frag box and other models, although the performance is strong, but the price is too expensive, and the volume is too large, but similar volume of Bolt PC, there are some system problems, but not as Alienware X51 affordable. So, we're still waiting for the advent of a more perfect mini-game pc, but until then, Dell Alienware X51 is a good choice.

Advantages:

· Small and compact chassis

· Comprehensive interface Design

· Easy Parts Replacement

· Affordable price

Disadvantages:

· Limited availability of upgradeability

· Large noise

· The attached mouse and keyboard some chicken