The system completely loaded up and was
ready to go in less than a minute. Once the system is
loaded, you are greeted with a black screen with the
daunting Alienware logo. If you let the computer go into
screen saver mode, you will notice that Alienware installed
a terrific fish aquarium saver. The screen saver is a nice
touch, and it received countless “where did you get that”
questions from visitors. Because your system is built to
spec, on the desktop you will find a file with a descriptive
write up on your system. It includes in-depth
specifications, and results from the in-house burn-in
benchmarks.
The included keyboard and mouse were the
Wireless Optical Desktop Elite from Microsoft, probably some
of the best input devices I have used. Although I felt
extremely comfortable with these under normal operation I
have to admit it’s not the best choice from a gamers’
perspective. Alienware only gives the option to bundle its
ALX systems with two different Microsoft combos, so no
Logitech G7 mouse to go with the system, is a real shame.
The keyboard has a ton of hot buttons, and good overall
range. A nice soft leather hand pad adds a very comfortable
place to rest your hand, and the overall feel of the
keyboard is solid. Once I am done with this review, I will
be ordering one for my main system.
The optional speaker components I
received with the system are of top quality. They are made
by Klipsch, and the option cost about an extra $300 or so.
In the case of speakers you do have the option of choosing
between flagship products from Klipsch, as well as Creative
Labs and Logitech. The speakers we received are the ProMedia
Ultra 5.1. The woofer is large, and sounds thunderous when
you’re getting pounced on in Quake 4. The surround speakers
are heavy, and very solid, but a little big for my taste. An
external volume knob is a nice touch, and the sound is
nothing less than spectacular. The connections are very high
quality, and included wiring was sufficient for my
placement.
As was to be expected, Windows XP felt
extremely fast with this machine. The test unit came with
the standard Windows. Windows Media Center basically adds a
CD label maker, and audio converter, and a party mode to the
mix. The party mode turns your computer into a jukebox, and
is very easy to use. It’s basically windows media player,
with a very simply user interface. A Nero suite was also
included on this machine for creating and backing up CD/DVD
media.
This is a computer built for gaming.
From the time I loaded up Doom 3, to the time I played Halo,
this machine churned out extremely smooth and detailed
gameplay. Any resolution was acceptable, and anti-aliasing
was handled with ease. Games loaded up quick, and played
fast. The sound is spectacular, and the graphics are
jaw-dropping. I played games on this machine for hours,
without any hiccups courtesy of the speedy dual-core Athlon
processor coupled with dual 7800 GTX videocards.
Removing the key-coded side panel
reveals the internal guts of this mammoth beast of a
computer. I’ve never seen such an attention to detail inside
of a machine before. First glance reveals a machine built
with superior quality. The steel frame of the tower is very
solid, and card supports give your devices staying power
like never before. The aluminum intercooler is the size of a
laptop computer, with piping routed to the system and video
card processors.
All connections are firm, and internal
wiring is thick enough to carry amperage only a stereo
system from Pimp My Ride can deliver. Final touches like
tucked away harnesses, tie wraps, and braided cabling turn
this earth pounding machine into a thing of beauty.
Warranty and Customer Support
Alienware offers a limited product
warranty and return policy. There is a 30-day limited money
back guarantee on all Alienware products. Hardware products
come with the option for a 90-day, 1 year, 2-year, or 3-year
limited product warranty with some exceptions. The warranty
is measured from the date of delivery, and does not cover
non-Alienware branded hardware such as monitors, speakers,
and keyboards. If a covered product is proved to be
defective, Alienware will either replace or repair the
component, or replace it with a comparable product. The
Aurora ALX reviewed here includes a 1-year warranty at no
additional cost. The 2-year option will run you $200, and
the three year option is $300.
Customer support is an important
consideration of buying a branded product versus building
your own machine. We tried using Alienware’s support more
than once for testing purposes. They make support available
through four different methods. The first involves an online
knowledge base, which works quite well. It features an
extensive list of categories, and an easy to use search
engine. The second involves a live chat feature that works
Mon-Fri, 10am-11pm. Third, you can email Alienware at
ALXsupport@alienware.com or
support@alienware.com for a non-ALX system. I emailed
them about a setup question, but was never emailed in
return.
The last method is calling (866)
287-6727 in the U.S., or (877) 259-3676 for ALX customers. I
called the tech support on two different occasions, and it
took me less than two minutes to contact a customer support
agent. The support was good and is available 24 hours a day.
