Alienware's Aurora Gaming Desktop has finally entered the fray, offering its brand of gaming goodness at a lower price point than ever before. Priced at $1,299 for a basic model and $1,550 for a more premium configuration, this desktop is an attractive option for those looking to dip their toes into PC gaming without breaking the bank.
But be warned: while the Aurora's design is certainly eye-catching – complete with a ring of light around its intake fans and a honeycomb-patterned glass window on one side panel – it doesn't stray far from its Dell Tower Plus cousin. That's not necessarily a bad thing, mind you; the two systems share many similarities in terms of build quality, layout, and overall performance.
So what sets the Aurora apart? For starters, there's that aforementioned ring of light, as well as an Alienware-branded power button on top. You also get access to some handy ports – three 5-Gbps USB-A ports, a 10-Gbps USB-C port, and an RJ-45 Ethernet jack, among others – making it easy to hook up your peripherals.
But the real pièce de résistance is the graphics card: in our review unit, that was an Nvidia RTX 5070, good for smooth performance in modern games at 1080p. Of course, you can opt for more powerful hardware if you want; our test model came with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB M.2 SSD, which is plenty of juice to get by.
One area where the Aurora falls short is cooling: we were seeing temperatures as high as 82 degrees Celsius during stress tests – not ideal, especially given that CPUs like Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF don't come with integrated graphics and need to rely on the GPU for acceleration. However, Alienware's designers did a good job of routing cables in a way that keeps airflow tidy.
Ultimately, the Aurora Gaming Desktop is a solid choice for those looking to get into PC gaming without breaking the bank – it's more affordable than some other high-end options like the Asus ROG G700, and still packs a punch. Just don't expect ultimate control over upgrades in the future or the most powerful hardware out there.
Specifications:
* Intel Z890 Alienware motherboard
* AMD CPU (the Aurora is one of the few prebuilt desktops that supports the same socket as AMD)
* Two sticks of 16GB RAM
* 1TB M.2 SSD
* Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti graphics card (on the lower-end model), or more powerful options like the RTX 5070 Ti
* Wi-Fi 7 card
* 500-watt power supply (optional: 1,000-watt for better headroom)
* Price: $1,299 for a basic model, $1,550 for a premium configuration
Rating: 8/10
But be warned: while the Aurora's design is certainly eye-catching – complete with a ring of light around its intake fans and a honeycomb-patterned glass window on one side panel – it doesn't stray far from its Dell Tower Plus cousin. That's not necessarily a bad thing, mind you; the two systems share many similarities in terms of build quality, layout, and overall performance.
So what sets the Aurora apart? For starters, there's that aforementioned ring of light, as well as an Alienware-branded power button on top. You also get access to some handy ports – three 5-Gbps USB-A ports, a 10-Gbps USB-C port, and an RJ-45 Ethernet jack, among others – making it easy to hook up your peripherals.
But the real pièce de résistance is the graphics card: in our review unit, that was an Nvidia RTX 5070, good for smooth performance in modern games at 1080p. Of course, you can opt for more powerful hardware if you want; our test model came with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB M.2 SSD, which is plenty of juice to get by.
One area where the Aurora falls short is cooling: we were seeing temperatures as high as 82 degrees Celsius during stress tests – not ideal, especially given that CPUs like Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF don't come with integrated graphics and need to rely on the GPU for acceleration. However, Alienware's designers did a good job of routing cables in a way that keeps airflow tidy.
Ultimately, the Aurora Gaming Desktop is a solid choice for those looking to get into PC gaming without breaking the bank – it's more affordable than some other high-end options like the Asus ROG G700, and still packs a punch. Just don't expect ultimate control over upgrades in the future or the most powerful hardware out there.
Specifications:
* Intel Z890 Alienware motherboard
* AMD CPU (the Aurora is one of the few prebuilt desktops that supports the same socket as AMD)
* Two sticks of 16GB RAM
* 1TB M.2 SSD
* Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti graphics card (on the lower-end model), or more powerful options like the RTX 5070 Ti
* Wi-Fi 7 card
* 500-watt power supply (optional: 1,000-watt for better headroom)
* Price: $1,299 for a basic model, $1,550 for a premium configuration
Rating: 8/10
anyway i heard this new alienware desktop is pretty sweet tho? got all the ports u need and a sick light ring around it 
plus its affordable at $1,299. gotta say tho, my old laptop can still handle most games @ 1080p no problem 
. I remember when I first started gaming back in the day, it was all about saving up for months just to get a decent machine 
. Now, with options like this, anyone can dip their toes into PC gaming without feeling left out 
.
. Still, its not the end of the world and Alienware's designers did a good job routing cables to keep airflow tidy 
.
. Just don't expect ultimate control over upgrades or the most powerful hardware out there 
.
. That being said, the graphics card does look pretty promising, and I do love Alienware's design aesthetic... but we'll just have to wait and see how well this thing holds up over time 
The only thing that sets it apart is that ring of light and Alienware branding – but honestly, how much of a difference does that really make?
! The price point is insane, especially with the RTX 5070 graphics card - it's like getting that high-end gaming power without breaking the bank 
.
. Still, I'm all about those Alienware designers doing cable routing right 
. 82 degrees Celsius? That's kinda rough, especially with some high-end CPUs needing GPU acceleration. Still, Alienware's designers did a solid job of routing cables to keep airflow tidy, so that's a plus 
.
. Just don't expect to upgrade the hardware anytime soon - that's just not how Alienware rolls 
I'm loving the fact that Alienware is making PC gaming more accessible to the masses! The Aurora's price point is super reasonable, especially considering you get all the bells and whistles like those sick USB ports and that fancy graphics card. 
However, I do have one major concern - cooling. 82 degrees Celsius during stress tests? That's a bit too hot for my liking 
and I'm still reeling from the food coma. I mean, have you ever had beignets at Cafe du Monde? Game. Changer. Anyway, what's with all these new gaming desktops coming out? It feels like every week there's a new "gaming PC" that's trying to one-up everyone else. Don't get me wrong, I'm stoked for people who are into PC gaming and want to upgrade their rigs... but can we talk about how much I love a good beignet instead of graphics cards? 
. And yeah, it doesn't stray far from the Dell Tower Plus, but who cares? It's still a beast of a machine 
. And with the Nvidia RTX 5070, I know we're in for some serious gaming fun 
. But hey, Alienware's got this whole cable management thing down pat 
. that being said, the design is still super eye-catching and those ports are really handy.