Even while the upgraded Alienware Aurora R8 might be somewhat pricey, it more than meets expectations. It has the newest and best components from Intel and Nvidia, enabling it to play whatever AAA game users can throw at it with lightning-fast performance. It is concealed under a classy and unobtrusive gaming desktop and is capable of handling 1440p and sometimes even 4K games to a certain extent.
Advantages
- a lot of computational power
- cutting-edge components and ports
Disadvantages
- Not yet ready for 4K gaming
- average pricing
This Alienware Aurora R8 is evidence that a gaming computer can be both stylish and potent. boasting top-notch components like discrete Nvidia graphics and 9th-generation Intel CPUs while maintaining the modest yet gaming-focused appearance of its predecessor.
You also receive the same number of bells and whistles. This Alienware Aurora R8 features a well-designed and accessible chassis for tinkerers, and it is extremely customizable and upgradeable. In the long term, that definitely lessens the agony of the price tag.
And what a price it comes with. This powerful bundle does arrive at a steep price; in the US, it costs $2,000 or more, which would be a premium for most consumers.
Specifications of Alienware Aurora
The configuration of said Alienware Aurora R8 is as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K, 3.6 GHz (8-core, 12MB cache, up to 4.9GHz)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics (8GB GDDR6)
32GB DDR4 SDRAM RAM
Micro-ATX motherboard with an Intel Z370 Express Chipset
Alienware 850-Watt Multi-GPU Power Supply Storage approved: 512GB NVMe SSD and 1TB HDD
Ports: 1 headphone 1/8″ port, 1 microphone 1/8″ port, 1 USB-C 3.0 port, and 3 USB 3.0 ports (front)
Rear ports include 5 USB 3.0 ports, 1 RJ-45 Ethernet port, 1 SPDIF Digital Output (Coax), and 1 SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK) (two are enabled charging) Display Port 1, 1x 10Gbps 1x 10Gbps USB 3.1 Type-A, 1x Rear L/R surround, 3x USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Type-C
Bluetooth 4.1 and WiFi 802.11ac connectivity
System of operation: Windows 10 Home
weight of 32.67 lbs (14.819kg)
Dimensions: 8.35 by 14.19 by 18.6 in (21.2 cm x 36.05 x 47.25 W x D x H)
Pricing and accessibility
Although the cost of admission for our evaluation model is not low, it is reasonable given what you get. A Core i7, RTX 2080 (currently the Super model), 32 GB of RAM, a 512 GB NVMe SSD, plus a second terabyte of hard drive would run you roughly $2,112 (£1,742, AU$3,112) at the time of writing.
For £2,475, you can get the identical setup in the UK, but with a non-Super RTX 2080 as well as a built-in keyboard. The identical computer costs AU$4,299 in Australia
This base model is significantly more affordably priced and is certainly an excellent starting point for gamers on a tight budget. For a machine with only an Intel i5-9400, 8GB , DDR4 RAM, and NVIDIA GTX 1650, and a 1TB hard drive, the starting price is $898 (£740, AU$1,323).
Sadly, the base model for the UK costs £799 and only comes with just an Intel i3 9100 with AMD Radeon RX 560X, because you can upgrade, which is a blessing.
The costs are largely comparable, albeit somewhat skewed in HP’s favor, as compared here to HP Omen Obelisk machine we evaluated earlier this year. While the cheapest model is $799 (£659, AU$1177), a setup close to our review model would cost $2,059 (£1,698, AU$3,034).
Design
The Alienware Aurora R8’s design is perfectly characterized as sleek, modest, and minimalistic. While it doesn’t completely change the Aurora line’s style, the mid-tower design does get a stylish grey and black makeover. Additionally, it uses RGB lighting tastefully and subtly, making it appealing to gamers.
To access the chassis, it is simple to remove one of the grey side panels. Although Dell advertises that the PC may be opened without a screwdriver, we did really have to loosen a screw to reach the interior. Hard drives, like GPU, RAM, and additional slots may all be accessed without using any tools.
Additionally, the computer is fairly future-proof. You may indeed upgrade to such a Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti regardless if you purchase the base model. The majority of computers still ship with 8GB and 16GB of RAM for more powerful gaming machines, and that you can upgrade upto 64GB if you choose.
That much more ports than that of a gamer as well as home user may ever need are included with the system. It contains several USB-3 and USB-2 connections, USB-C connectors on the front and back, and three distinct methods to connect to one or two monitors.
Performance
Pc Alienware Aurora R8 performs impressively. While the standard model should be sufficient when running AAA games, you’ll probably need to modify the parameters a little while playing any graphics-intensive game like exploring the jungles in Shadow of a Tomb Raider or the countryside in The Witcher 3.
However, with our upgraded model, 1080p gaming was simple. The only drawback was occasional screen tearing caused by our displays’ inability to keep up, which was readily rectified using v-sync or by connecting to a monitor with only a higher refresh frequency. Even if they are not the highest possible choices, both Intel Core i7 plus 32GB of RAM should be enough to handle the majority of AAA games at 60fps (fps) or higher.
If you’re trying to shove the computer to its limits either using ray tracing, a brand-new technique that’s only accessible in a select few games, either run at such a higher resolution, you can run into some problems. Ray tracing in games like Shadow of a Tomb Raider caused several frame rate reductions. Additionally, playing games at 1440p produced results that were rather decent.
It is important to note that, even when under pressure, the fans don’t become annoyingly noisy and the computer doesn’t overheat, even in a warm apartment. This comes as a pleasant surprise, especially given our proximity to the CPU and the fact that we often use speakers rather than headphones. They do get annoying if you set its fan setting to run constantly.
Software
An Alienware Command Center is the primary bit of software which Alienware provides as a distinctive feature with their PCs. It is a really extensive program even if you really just need to use one app for the majority of your software customizing.
In order to save you some few clicks through Steam or other places you’ve downloaded games from, it analyses each game you have installed on your computer then makes it available through the Command Center. These games may be launched here, and you can also alter the thermals, power, audio recon, and RGB lighting settings for each game.
There are four navigation tabs just at top of the app: “Home,” “Library,” “FX,” and “Fusion.” These tabs will each take you to a separate screen where you may manage a different feature of the machine. The Home tab is more of a general option that lets you choose from the most popular or most recently downloaded games and change the system’s overall power.
The library page provides a thorough overview of all of your games. Although settings may be changed on the main page, that’s where we typically chose the many profile preferences for each game. You may build your own profile and see what each one does on the Fusion tab. So, you may do it here if you really want this thermal profile, typically regulates two fans inside the chassis, to run continuously at maximum speed. Here, you may also change the overclocking parameters for the CPU, GPU, and RAM.
Last but not least, all RGB lighting being controlled via the FX tab. Either one of the three externally pointing arrows on each edge of the casing and the Alienware logo across the front may be independently set. Each of the seven available preset options can have its colour and speed altered. There are many options, including making each other everything a solid pink, making them breathe blue, and making them cycle through different colors.
Its Killer Control Center is the only other tool that deserves to be discussed in this context. It enables users to modify network settings to increase or prioritize bandwidth during online gaming, downloads, and other uses.
Final judgement
We had a great time testing out the Alienware Aurora R8. It is more than capable of doing almost whatever a home user could reasonably need from a gaming machine, short of flawless 4K, and have far more power than we actually required for our gaming needs.
The only shortcomings of the rig may really rely on how hard you’re working your PC. It’s not yet ready for ray tracing or 4K gaming, but the latter may change as more titles start to come with the technology integrated rather than retrofitted.
The price of the computer is not spectacular, and it is about what else you would anticipate given what you receive and the price of the individual parts. The Aurora R8 is a respectable beast of something like a computer to let you immerse yourself in your next adventure, even though it might not be a deal at this price.