Alienware Aurora ALX

Excellent performance, tool-less drive bays, customisable lights, neat internal construction

Micro-ATX motherboard doesn't leave room for add-in cards, only one hard drive

Not everyone will like the appearance of the Aurora ALX, but there's no denying that it's a powerful machine that will please most serious gamers. We like its design and construction. Although it's not a perfect PC, we think it's a worthy machine for...

Case Design. Very quiet. Core i7 CPU.

Expensive. No multimedia card reader. No expandability.

More desktop reviews: • Acer Aspire Z3 (AZ3-715-UR15)• Origin Neuron• Dell OptiPlex 7450 All-in-One• Microsoft Surface Studio• Corsair One Pro• more

Case Design. Very quiet. Core i7 CPU

Expensive. No multimedia card reader. No expandability

The latest iteration of Alienware's ALX line, the Alienware Aurora ALX (Core i7), is as flashy as its predecessor and just as powerful, but it will cost you an arm and a leg.

Excellent performance, tool-less drive bays, customisable lights, neat internal construction

Micro-ATX motherboard doesn't leave room for add-in cards, only one hard drive

Amazing looks ; Very well built ; High-end performance ; Two GeForce GTX 260s in SLI

No SSD ; Expensive

The Dell Alienware Aurora ALX is a high-end gaming machine. It combines unique looks with amazingly fast performance at a hefty price tag. If price isn't a consideration, we highly recommend this one-of-a-kind gaming machine.

Excellent innovations in case design ; Immaculate interior ; Automated venting ; Excellent expansion options ; Quality keyboard and mouse

Price ; Back light is a little hard to find

For those who don't want to build their own desktop, and just want bling and instant gaming satisfaction, the Aurora ALX will fill that gap and then some.

Truly unique chassis with multicolor perimeter lighting

Needs backup drive for storage; outperformed by overclocked machines

That puts the ALX in a good place for folks who want a unique machine—without any of the hassles that can crop up with overclocking.

There's no doubt that the Alienware Aurora ALX is fast and can handle any game you throw at it. It's also powerful enough to be used for other pursuits, such as video and image editing, as well as 3D rendering. But the thing that is likely to draw you...