Alienware Debuts Area-51 750i Desktop

Alienware's new Area-51 Desktop can be tricked out with all the high-end features that make Alienware gaming rigs great...but starts at just $1,049.

Before becoming a Dell subsidiary, Alienware was known for churning out ridiculously over-specced (and high-priced) gaming rigs. With the Dell acquisition, the company anticipated that its products would be able to reach a wider audience and find greater distribution…and while the company still churns out high-end gear, the company is making good on the notion of appealing to everyday consumers with systems like the new Area-51 750i desktop, which features Intel quad-code processing, serious graphics options, and PCI-Express 2.0…and a price tag starting at just $1,049.

“The Area-51 750i desktop is one of the most robust computers we’ve ever developed,” said Alienware product marketing manager Marc Diana, in a statement. “There is something here for everyone—from the entry-level system to the high-end maxed out configuration—the Area-51 750i promises an experience that will fit your gaming needs and your budget.”

The Area-51 750 is built around the Nvidia nForce 750 motherboard. and features either an Intel Core 2 Duo, Quad, or Extreme processor, depending on configuration. The system can support either dual ATI Radeon HD4860 X2 graphics cards (for a quad-GPU rig) or two Nvidia GeForce GTX 280 graphics cards, up to 8 gb of DDR2 RAM (of course, paired with WIndows Vista 64-bit), and a variety of options including 7,200 and 10,000 rpm hard drives, RAID configurations, dual-layer DVD and Blu-ray burners, and offers 8 USB 2.0 ports, two FireWire powers, and an eSATA connection.

Of course, by the time customers add high-end graphics options, memory, and tons of storage, the price for the Area-51 750i lands right in the ballpark with other serious gaming rigs…but if users want to get their foot in the door of the gaming world, Alienware hopes the 750i would make a good choice for the end-of-year holiday season. Systems should start shipping November 21.