Here’s the full list of hardware options:
| Processor: | Intel Core i7-7800X (6 cores) Intel Core i7-7820X (8 cores) Intel Core i9-7900X (10 cores) |
| Processor cooling: | Liquid |
| Graphics single card: | AMD Radeon RX 570 (4GB) AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB) Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (air-cooled) Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (liquid-cooled) Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti |
| Graphics dual cards (SLI): | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti |
| Graphics triple cards (Crossfire): | AMD Radeon RX 570 (4GB) AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB) |
| Open expansion slots | Six |
| Memory slots: | 4x DDR4 UDIMM (288-pin) up to 64GB |
| Memory single-channel support: | 8GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz / 2,666MHz 8GB HyperX DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz |
| Memory dual-channel support: | 16GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz / 2,666MHz 16GB HyperX DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz 32GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz / 2,666MHz 32GB HyperX DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz |
| Memory quad-channel support: | 64GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz / 2,666MHz 64GB HyperX DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz |
| Storage 1 (boot): | 128GB M.2 SATA SSD (in dual-storage config only) 256GB M.2 PCI Express SSD 512GB M.2 PCI Express SSD 1TB M.2 PCI Express SSD |
| Storage 2 (data): | 2TB 7,200RPM SATA 3 HDD |
| Storage 3 (optical): | Slot-loading dual-layer DVD burner Slot-loading dual-layer Blu-ray reader |
| Intel Optane memory options: | 16GB 32GB |
| Audio: | High-definition 7.1 audio |
| Connectivity: | Dell 1820 Wireless AC (up to 867Mbps) Killer 1535 Wireless AC (up to 867Mbps) Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Ports (rear): | 2x Gigabit Ethernet (Killer E2500) 2x USB 2.0 Type-A 6x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A (5Gbps) 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A (10Gbps) 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C (charges) 6x Audio output (including SPDIF) |
| Ports (front): | 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A 1x Headphone jack 1x Microphone jack 1x SD card reader |
| Power supply: | 850-watt 80 Plus Bronze 1,500-watt 80 Plus Gold |
| Dimensions: | 22.41 (H) x 25.15 (D) x 10.73 (W) |
| Weight (starting): | 61.73 pounds |
| Chassis color: | Epic Silver |
| Operating system: | Windows 10 Home 64-bit Windows 10 Pro 64-bit |
| Lighting: | Nine programmable zones using 20 colors Rear I/O panel Internal “theater” illumination |
The heavy list of hardware should speak for itself. There are plenty of options to meet your budget, but we’re honestly a little disappointed that Dell didn’t wait a few more weeks to include Intel’s 12-core X-Series processor option. That chip alone costs $1,200, and the prices only get steeper from there until you reach the ceiling with Intel’s upcoming 18-core i9-7980XE, which costs a hefty $2,000. That’s more than the Area-51 starting price, which is why you’ll probably never see Intel processors with more than 10 cores in the desktop anytime soon.
Notice that the dual graphics card option only includes Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 10 series, whereas the triple graphics card setup only uses Radeon RX 500 Series cards. While cramming in two Geforce GTX 1080 Ti cards will be your most powerful graphics option, it’s also the most expensive given the cards cost $700 each. Having the three Radeon RX 580 cards installed will likely surpass a single GTX 1080 Ti card’s performance for $13 less. To help in your purchasing decision, here’s a little chart to show the cards for the SLI and Crossfire options, their prices, and Fire Strike results pulled from 3DMark:
| Unit Price | Fire Strike Score | |
| Radeon RX 570 (4GB) | $169 | 11,970 |
| Radeon RX 580 (8GB) | $229 | 13,980 |
| GeForce GTX 1070 | $399 | 18,240 |
| GeForce GTX 1080 | $549 | 21,950 |
| GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | $699 | 27,890 |
Honestly, for a desktop with a starting price of $1,900, the Area-51 is an attractive product you’ll have no trouble showing off to friends. And it’s ready for virtual reality no matter what CPU or graphics card you choose. Dell’s current $1,900 starting configuration includes the six-core Intel Core i7-7800X, 8GB of system memory, and Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card.
Of course, if you have money to burn, Dell provides three additional starting points for $2,200, $2,800, and $3,800 right here. For the record, Dell isn’t calling this version the “X-Series Edition” as previously thought, but merely the “New” Alienware Area-51 as seen listed within the site’s Products > Desktops > Alienware menu. Happy shopping!
Editors' Recommendations
- AMD Ryzen 9 3900X review
- Amazon Prime Day slashes prices on AMD Ryzen 7 and Intel Core i7 CPU systems
- Dell XPS 13 7390 hands-on review
- Walmart cuts $300 off Dell Inspiron 5680 gaming desktop for gamers on a budget
- Dell brings Intel’s 10th-Gen processors to refreshed Inspiron, Vostro laptops
