Adding to Alienware's staple of custom-built PCs and their exclusivity deal with AMD to sell pre-built machines with Ryzen Threadripper 16-core CPUs, the company has just announced that their Area 51 desktop solution will now also be available with Intel's latest X299 HEDT platform. Intel Core X-series processors can be configured with a Core i7-7800X, i7-7820X, or i9-7900X processor, and liquid cooling comes standard with the system for these high-performance CPUs. Alienware even ships the Area 51 with an unlocked BIOS so that users can still tap all of the potential inside their new gaming rig.

Kingston's HyperX 2933 MHz memory comes standard (up to 64 GB in 4x 16 GB configuration), and the graphics processing can be configured with either AMD (RX 560, 570, and 580) or NVIDIA cards (GTX 1050 Ti, GTX 1060 (6GB), GTX 1070, GTX 1080 or GTX 1080 Ti.) The absence of AMD's Vega graphics cards should come as a surprise for red-team fans. There are also dual and triple-GPU configurations available, though with the slow, choking death of multi-GPU support, that might not be the best inroad for a high performance computer. A 2 TB HDD takes care of storage, and SSD goodness can come in 256, 512 GB, or 1 TB in the M.2 form-factor. There's Intel Optane support (in 16 GB or 32 GB), and the power supply can range from an 850 W unit up to a 1500 W one. There is a total of 8x USB 3.0 ports (2x front, 6x rear) and 2x USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports (1x Type-A, 1x Type-C). Dual gigabit LAN is provided by a Qualcomm Killer E2500 NIC, while wireless connectivity is available in the form of Killer 1535 or Dell 1820 802.11ac WiFi.

LinusTechTips has received an Alienware Area 51, the boutique system which Alienware has developed through its exclusive partnership with AMD for the 16-core, 32-thread Threadripper CPUs.

The system was tested using a proprietary Dell/Alienware motherboard, as well as 32 GB (4x 8 GB) of 2666 MHz DDR4 RAM. Graphics were handled by a Founders Edition GTX 1080 Ti, and storage was etched on a SanDisk A400 256 GB NVME drive (Up to 2050/700 MB/s Sequential Read/Write). The nature of the benchmarked systems, with their myriad of hardware parts, means that the benchmarks are not 100% representative of CPU performance deltas between the tested processors; however, they do put out some interesting numbers. The other HEDT system to be tested was an Intel-based X299 system with a stock Intel Core i9-7900X (10 cores, 20 threads) on an ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe, 4x 8 GB of 3200 MHz DDR4 memory, the same GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition, and a 512 GB Samsung 950 Pro NVME SSD.

AMD today officially announced some more details on its brain-child and market-stormer Ryzen Threadripper HEDT line of CPUs. Ryzen is a true new stand-alone architecture for AMD, the result of more than four years of careful planning and silicon design towards reaching a truly scalable, highly-flexible, non-glued together MCM design that could power all experiences and workloads through a single architecture design. The Ryzen architecture is already powering desktops with Ryzen 3, 5 and 7 desktop CPUs; has extended to server-side deployments through its EPYC line-up and will begin shipping for professionals with Ryzen PRO starting in Q3 2017. Also announced was that it will find its way to mobile APUs around Q4, paired with the new Vega graphics microarchitecture; and will even power professional-geared mobile solutions in 1H18. But more immediately, it's coming to the HEDT market. And AMD is putting that fight in the hands of Threadripper.

AMD pits its HEDT line-up to developers, researchers, prosumers, creators, and even multi-tasking gamers. Increased compute capabilities with up to 16 cores and 32 threads; larger memory footprint, increased I/O and storage, and support for many more GPUs and PCIe lanes ensure a stable, impressive platform for today's large data sets and tomorrow's exponentially more resource-intensive workloads. AMD will execute this with a three-pronged approach. There will be three processor models on offer for their HEDT platform. The $999 TR 1950X and $799 TR 1920X are known quantities already, with their respective 16 cores (32 threads) and 12 cores (24 threads). The new addition, however, comes in the form of the $549 TR 1900X, which offers not only 8 cores (16 threads) and 3.8 GHz base, 4.0 GHz boost clocks, but a clear upgrade path within AMD's new platform. Say what you will about AMD's offerings and execution, one thing is for sure: Zen and all the silicon it powers have prompted a reshuffle of the CPU landscape as we hadn't seen in years. Coincidence? AMD doesn't think so.

Summer is getting known more by the amount of game sales than by days spending creating a sunny side up on your skin. After GOG's Summer Sale and Steam's Summer Sale (which is still going strong until July 5th, to the woe of many households), Microsoft has just announced the "Ultimate Game Sale", which is striving to be the game sale to end all others.

Microsoft's sale isn't restricted to a single marketplace, encompassing all platforms where Microsoft does gaming business: Windows Store, Xbox Store, and Windows store. This sale also encompasses hardware, so if you're looking for some, this might be your chance. You'll have to wait for June 30th to get a look at the deals (the sale starts on June 30th and goes on through until July 10th), but you should temper expectations. Microsoft says games on this sale will be available for up to 50% off, which while welcome, isn't that much of a steep discount as it is. If that makes you twitch your face in discontent, you might want to take a selfie, so you can participate on Microsoft's "Ultimate Game Face Sweepstakes".

Alienware has inked an exclusivity deal with AMD which makes it the only pre-built gaming PC vendor to sell desktops with 16-core Ryzen Threadripper processors, until the end of 2017. The company's upcoming Area 51 desktops will feature AMD's flagship 16-core/32-thread processors, combined with quad-channel memory, and the fastest graphics card options money can buy. This does not affect DIY consumers. You will still be able to buy retail PIB (processor in a box) packages of the 16-core Threadripper chips from your friendly neighborhood PC hardware store. Alienware will, however, make its next Area 51 release special to make the most out of this exclusivity deal.

Alienware and Dell head into this year's E3 with a triad of new PC gaming systems and components - high-end Alienware gaming desktops with new multi-core processor options, a full range of performance gaming monitors and peripherals with Alienware's signature design and a new Dell Inspiron Gaming Desktop bringing VR to all. Alienware and Dell continue to demonstrate why, together, they have become a leading PC gaming brand worldwide with gaming solutions for players of all levels and budgets.

Driven by a fierce commitment to deliver what PC gamers want in gaming products and community, Alienware and Dell continues to make solid investments in PC gaming, virtual reality and esports through ever-expanding offerings and partnership innovation. This has stoked an incredible 17 consecutive quarters of PC growth*, continuously innovating with PC performance and designs, both in the realm of gaming, VR and beyond.

Alienware, a leading pioneer in specialty high-performance PC gaming systems, today unveiled the Alienware 17 gaming notebook with integrated eye tracking hardware and software from Tobii. The device is the world's first notebook to capitalize on eye tracking's unique ability to identify and anticipate a user's actions based on their presence and attention. Armed with this new intelligence, the Alienware 17 provides greater convenience, enhanced security, optimized power management and even insight into a gamer's style and technique.

"Alienware, never shy to innovation or groundbreaking design, understands the value of eye tracking as it relates to the interaction between gamer and machine," said Oscar Werner, president of Tobii Tech. "With a greater understanding of its user and a better idea of their intentions, the Tobii solution in the Alienware 17 can bring gamers new experiences and insights unlike any other seen in gaming PC."

AMD is working on a standardized external graphics solution for notebooks. This solution will allow people with ultra-thin notebooks to enjoy the mobility served up by frugal, mainstream hardware; as well as high-end gaming, with the graphics card plugged in at home. It also probably gives AMD greater control over design and cooling solutions. Unlike a mobile GPU that sits inside your notebook, and makes it bulky due to additional cooling and power requirements, an external graphics card sits on your desk, sipping on wall socket power.

AMD's external graphics solution isn't necessarily an AMD-branded piece of hardware, but rather an open specification for notebook vendors to follow. AMD will merely provide the GPUs and software ecosystem that makes the solution truly universal and plug-n-play, with "standardized connectors, cables, drivers, and OS support." Such a graphics card will interface with just any notebook with a high-speed interface (eg: Thunderbolt). Its drivers will make it crunch your games, while sending back output to your notebook's display, over the same connection. This gives you the mobility of an ultra-thin notebook. You should also be able to plug this into your work's boring Dell desktop, or any SFF ITX box. Pictured below is a Razer Core graphics solution embedding a Radeon R9 Nano. Other examples include MSI Gaming Dock and Alienware Graphics Amplifier.

AMD today announced a collaboration with Oculus and Dell to equip Oculus Ready PCs with AMD Radeon GPUs, starting at $999 USD. The powerful PCs are designed to deliver stunning gaming performance and enable spectacular VR experiences for consumers around the world by leveraging AMD VR leadership with LiquidVR and Graphics Core Next architecture.

"It's an exciting time to be at the heart of all things Virtual Reality," said Roy Taylor, corporate vice president, Alliances and Content, AMD. "I'm confident that with Dell and Alienware, we can enable a wide audience of PC users with extraordinary VR capabilities powered by AMD Radeon GPUs."

Valve announces a number of product and technologies at this week's Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. "We continue to see very strong growth in PC Gaming, with Steam growing 50% in the last 12 months," said Gabe Newell, Valve's president. "With these announcements we hope that we are helping build on that momentum."

Steam Machines, Windows PCs, Macs, and Linux PCs will be able to take advantage of a new product announced at GDC called Steam Link. Designed to extend your Steam experience to any room in the house, Steam Link allows you to stream all your Steam content from any PC or Steam Machine on the same home network. Supporting 1080p at 60Hz with low latency, Steam Link will be available this November for $49.99, and available with a Steam Controller for an additional $49.99 in the US (worldwide pricing to be released closer to launch).

2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) - AMD and its technology partners are ready to wow attendees of the 2015 International CES with a wide range of new products and technology demonstrations that showcase AMD's view of the future of computing, and reinforce the company's surround computing leadership. The company will showcase an array of innovations powered by the latest AMD Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), Radeon Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) technologies, and embedded designs that push the boundaries of modern computing.

"AMD is contributing to the excitement of CES 2015 with new graphics and computing technology that powers breakthrough consumer and commercial computing experiences of today and tomorrow," said John Byrne, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics business group, AMD. "This year, we continue to see inspiring developments in virtual reality, Ultra high Definition 4K resolution computing and beyond, computing form factor and intuitive user interface innovation. AMD is thrilled to power the best of these with new generations of our smart, innovative, and efficient technology."

Alienware, a leader in high-performance gaming systems, is announcing details and availability for the legendary return of the Alienware Area-51 gaming desktop and the portable powerhouse Alienware 13 gaming laptop. Alienware also revealed the innovative Alienware Graphics Amplifier, giving gamers desktop graphics performance at home and high-performance mobile gaming with the Alienware 13. A truly no compromises approach to gaming.

When combining the new Alienware 13 and Graphics Amplifier, gamers no longer need to choose between a portable performer for fragging on the go or the fantastic FPS of a gaming desktop. The Alienware Graphics Amplifier boosts the already potent gaming performance of the Alienware 13, providing desktop graphics quality gaming at home while continuing to offer the same high-performing experience that road warriors demand.

Alienware, the leader in high-powered gaming systems, is announcing the return of the legendary Alienware Area-51 performance gaming desktop, packing the newest technologies from Intel, NVIDIA and AMD, to give gamers high frame rate fragging at any resolution. The Area-51 is Alienware's newest flagship desktop gaming system engineered to perform at beyond Ultra HD resolutions and multi-monitor setups, while meeting the requirements of the most demanding gamers on the planet.

A Legacy of Excellence
The Area-51 pays homage to the storied legacy of gaming excellence started by Alienware nearly two decades ago. Fueled by the love of gaming, the original Alienware Area-51 set the industry standard for performance gaming systems. Maximizing performance first and foremost, the Area-51 delivered the best technologies to gamers who demanded only the best. Alienware's newest flagship performance gaming system features a new revolutionary chassis design and packs the latest and greatest hardware to give gamers the ultimate gaming experiences.

Alienware, a leader in high-performance gaming systems, has announced the pre-order availability of the Alienware Alpha gaming console. Starting August 12, 2014, gamers will have the opportunity to ensure they are among the first to own the Alienware Alpha. Fans that are eager to get their hands on the Alienware Alpha gaming console will be able to secure their system from select retailers like Amazon and Walmart, or direct from Dell, with configurations starting at $549.

Gamers can now secure their gateway to the entire Steam library on a system that was engineered to provide an immersive PC gaming experience, custom-tailored for the living room. The Alienware Alpha merges the open ecosystem and flexibility of PC gaming with the ease-of-use and intuitive interface of consoles. This enables gamers to choose what and how they want to play, whether it's a competitive online FPS with the bundled Microsoft Xbox 360 wireless controller for Windows, or having their friends bring their controllers of choice for a fragfest in the newest indie side scroller.

This November Dell is set to let loose a new Alienware-branded gaming machine, a thin and light notebook dubbed Alienware 13. As its name suggests, the upcoming laptop packs a 13-inch display which, depending on configuration, can have a native resolution of (only) 1366 x 768, 1920 x 1080, or 2560 x 1440 pixels.

The Alienware 13 will also feature an ultra-low voltage Intel processor, a GeForce GTX 860M graphics card, up to 16 GB of RAM, up to two SSDs (HDD options will also be available), Qualcomm Killer 802.11ac WiFi, a TACTX keyboard, and Klipsch audio. No word on pricing yet but since it's Alienware, one might want to start saving already.

Dell's Alienware division has previously confirmed working on a Steam Machine and now the fruits of that work have entered the spotlight at E3. Alienware Alpha is a Steam Machine-like Mini PC that is designed for living room gaming without actually utilizing Valve's Steam OS or its (delayed) Steam Controller.

Alpha comes with Windows 8.1 pre-installed and makes use of a Console-mode UI allowing users easy access to Steam Big Picture. The system will be bundled with an Xbox 360 controller and will have a base price tag of $549. For that amount you get an Intel Core i3 (Haswell) processor, 4 GB of DDR3-1600 memory, a 2 GB NVIDIA Maxwell-based graphics card (GTX 750 Ti maybe?), and a 500 GB hard drive. Higher-priced configurations include Core i5/i7 processors, 8 GB of RAM, and 1/2 TB HDDs.

Alienware, a pioneer in specialty high-performance PC gaming systems, is once again driving innovation in PC gaming. Alienware and Valve, the developers of the world's largest online gaming platform and the creators of the Half-Life franchise, have been collaborating on designing the first dedicated Alienware Steam Machine gaming console.

Alienware designed its upcoming Steam Machine to deliver the benefits of PC gaming in an incredibly small footprint, providing the best balance between size, performance and aesthetics for the living room gaming experience. Its sleek design is both distinctively Alienware yet unobtrusive in a media cabinet. The Alienware Steam Machine echoes the build quality and advanced engineering that are the hallmarks of the brand including a custom-built chassis to provide optimal thermal and acoustic management for a gaming console destined for the living room.

Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Counter-Strike, Dota 2, Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Team Fortress) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced over one dozen Steam Machine designs now in production from leading manufacturers and targeted for release in 2014. The lineup of Steam Machines announced today offers a wide variety of price and performance options made possible by the Steam Machine's open design, with systems starting as low as $499 and top end systems rivaling today's bleeding edge gaming PCs.

Every Steam Machine includes an innovative Steam Controller designed for use with a wide variety of game genres, and is powered by the SteamOS, a custom OS built atop Linux. "The first generation Steam Machines offers something for every gamer, which is a critical part of extending Steam into the living room," said Gabe Newell of Valve. "With over 3,000 games and more than 65 million gamers on Steam, it's important to offer gamers a variety of Steam Machines that allow them to select what makes the most sense for them."

Thinking that there's too much of a green theme to its compact gaming machine, Dell has decided to mix things up a little and include an AMD graphics card option with the Alienware X51. The card chosen is the Radeon R9 270X and it is currently available only on the $999 X51 unit which comes with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS pre-installed and packs a Core i7-4770 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive.

The Radeon R9 270X option costs $100 more than the GeForce GTX 760 with 1.5 GB but is $100 cheaper than the 2 GB GeForce GTX 760 Ti (OEM card). The Alienware X51 (R2) is available here.

Alienware, the pioneer in high-performance gaming systems, announced today that its flagship gaming desktop, the Alienware Aurora, has been reinvigorated with the latest performance processors and graphics to provide gamers with the ultimate gaming experience. Consistent with the Alienware heritage of always pushing the boundaries with technology and performance, the new Aurora desktop will inspire hardcore gamers around the world to push their own limits and achieve higher scores with its compelling features, innovative and bold design, and extreme performance.

The Aurora is now available with the latest Intel Core i7 processors including an Extreme Edition option, processors with as many as 6 cores and 15 MB of cache, and overclock speeds up to 4.3 GHz with Turbo Boost technology. These new options are part of Intel's new Ivy Bridge-E 4000-series family of processors announced at the Intel Developer Forum 2013 in San Francisco.

Alienware, the pioneer in specialty high-performance PC gaming systems, introduced its latest and most powerful gaming laptops with the unveiling of the Alienware 14, Alienware 17 and Alienware 18 at E3 in Los Angeles. The systems feature a bold new design and extraordinary performance, uniquely engineered to deliver the ultimate gaming experience.

The new laptops include the Alienware 14 for the enthusiast gamer who requires a laptop that provides enough performance for any task, yet is mobile enough to fit into a backpack; the Alienware 17 for an immersive, graphics-intensive experience with the latest technologies for desktop-grade performance; and the Alienware 18, the ultimate gaming laptop that commands respect among top gamers for its unparalleled performance and construction.

Eurocom, offers a complete line of high performance VGA upgrade options ranging from AMD Radeon 7970M, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M, GTX 670MX, GTX 675MX up to GTX 680M that can be used in single and Dual (SLI or CrossFireX) operation. "At Eurocom, we have offered fully upgradeable notebooks to our clients for many years because we believe very strongly in the long term benefits it offers our clients; VGA upgradeability allows users to extend lifespan of their equipment without compromising performance " Mark Bialic, Eurocom President.

Eurocom offers three levels of graphics card upgrade options to clients at the time of purchasing a brand new Eurocom to ensure they can get a system that perfectly meets their performance requirements. Well after the time of purchase customers can also come back to Eurocom for aftermarket graphics upgrades to increase the performance and lifespan of their system.

PC giant Dell will continue to offer Windows 7 pre-installed on its Precision, Optiplex, and Latitude brands of notebooks and business desktops, post-Windows 8 launch, the company said. Dell's gaming PC subsidiary Alienware, too, will offer Windows 7 as an option. Microsoft has been generally laxed about OEMs offering older versions of Windows pre-installed, after the launch of a newer one. PC makers were allowed to pre-install PCs with Windows Vista for two years after the launch of Windows 7, however, Windows XP was allowed to be loaded for nearly a decade after its launch.

"We're still moving our business customers from [Windows] XP to Windows 7," said Alison Gardner, director at Dell. "The OS migration for a large company is no small feat. We make it easier but it takes some planning and work," he continued. "For Alienware customers, they know what they want and we give them that choice," Gardner continued. Analysts expect Windows 7 to maintain its popularity post Windows 8 launch, at least with computing devices that lack touch interface.

NVIDIA today brings its next-generation NVIDIA Kepler graphics architecture to the top of the GeForce notebook GPU lineup, with the launch of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M. The fastest, most advanced gaming notebook GPU ever built, the GTX 680M GPU delivers unprecedented performance, incredible power efficiency and the world's most advanced gaming technology.

"The GeForce GTX 680M is the fastest mobile GPU ever, but it's more than just a speed king," said Rene Haas, vice president and general manager of the notebook business unit at NVIDIA. "It also offers an entire arsenal of next-gen gaming technology, along with Optimus technology for extended battery life."

Qualcomm Atheros Inc., the networking and connectivity subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, today announced that Alienware will be the first to launch the Killer Wireless-N 1202 high-performance Wi-Fi module with Bluetooth on the Alienware line of high-performance gaming laptop computers. The high-performance 2x2 802.11n MIMO Wi-Fi module with Bluetooth is designed to provide improved performance and advanced control by automatically classifying and prioritizing gaming, video and audio network data to provide a superior, uninterrupted online entertainment experience.

"Alienware continues to be the leader in performance laptops and we appreciate that its customers are used to getting the best gaming experience possible," said Mike Cubbage, director of business development, networking business unit, Qualcomm Atheros. "The Killer Wireless-N 1202 will continue the tradition of delivering a superior gaming and real-time communication experience for Alienware laptop users by providing the best in online application performance, intelligence and control to ensure that critical online applications get the bandwidth and priority they need, when they need it."