Questions on the Alienware alpha.

[plmkoo]

So I recently got an Alienware alpha for 310$ off of eBay ok I know it's alienware and they have a really bad reputation but for a gaming rig for 300$ that can play games 1080p 30 plus fps can't beat that, including OS, but back on topic can I water cool it and overclock it? And does it have two Msata ports one for the wireless card and one for the desktop graphics adapter I have, thanks.

[SundownKid]

I am pretty sure the CPU is locked. It's too small to fit anything additional inside, your desktop stuff likely won't fit in it. It's essentially a console like PC.

[plmkoo]

Originally posted by SundownKid:

I am pretty sure the CPU is locked. It's too small to fit anything additional inside, your desktop stuff likely won't fit in it. It's essentially a console like PC.

I have seen others overclocking it. Not sure if the mono can handle it tho.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Alpha is all "Mobile" Hardware; u can't upgrade it aside from Drive(s) and RAM. Which are Laptop style SO-DIMMS and support for 2.5" drive only; internally anyways.

There is no room inside to modify the cooling, especially with Liquid Cooling. Not without voiding the warranty and modding the system in a way so you could mount the radiator/fans externally. While u can slighlty OC a non-K series CPU, u will not gain much. Maybe .2 - .5 Ghz if u lucky. And given such a system with an OEM board usually won't even allow for the options needed to make that available to you, so good luck with that.

Plus if you are getting an i3 class CPU, it'll be fairly slow regardless of what you do to it. If you want it to be any better than how it is stock; then 8 - 16 GB of RAM and a decent SSD will make more of a difference overall. Even a small, cheap SSD, like Crucial or Mushkin ECO perhaps. Then for added storage space, use an external USB 3.0 drive and/or external enclosure combined with a SATA III drive. Which you could take your original drive from the ALPHA, clone that to an SSD, then make your original HDD that shipped with the ALPHA an external drive. Allowing the system to run better by having the OS on an SSD.

If you want better expanding options; then do not go ALPHA, but rather look at the X51 Slim-Desktop instead. Something where u can actually change parts and use standard desktop parts inside, even the GPU is a regular PCI-E. Where is the ALPHA, nothing can really be changed once your order the system. U basically have to buy a more expensive ALPHA if you want the better CPU up-front.

If you have made up your mind about the ALPHA, you might want to wait to see what November brings. As by then, systems like the ALPHA should have the newer Intel 5000 series CPUs/GPUs, as well as a new NVIDIA mobile series GPU.

[plmkoo]

Thanks for the feedback!

[SundownKid]

The Alienware X51 is just as upgradeable as the Alpha, which is to say, it's not.

If you want upgradeable then go and build a budget PC.

[_I_]

and psx/xbox
all you can do is add a bigger hdd/ssd

$300 isnt bad, but a used ps4 will be about the same price and will play all games designed for it

[Bad 💀 Motha]

XboxOne & PS4 are both around $350 now in USA.
You can always add extra storage to XboxOne/PS4 via USB Drive types.
Or transfer the original drive contents to an SSD via Cloning and then make the old HDD external. As the SSD would help speed up the load times, etc.

Alpha with around an i3 and 4GB RAM is NOT worth it. It would make an ok machine for Game Streaming, Multimedia, etc. Not really as the main gaming PC.

And buying something like a used Alpha would mean no warranty. At least with a console, u always at least have the manufacture warranty, even if purchased used.

[SundownKid]

Originally posted by Bad-Motha:

Alpha with around an i3 and 4GB RAM is NOT worth it. It would make an ok machine for Game Streaming, Multimedia, etc. Not really as the main gaming PC.

Not true, It's still worth it. Alpha beats PS4 in every way. It can play games at 1080p and 60 FPS, it contains a GPU that is at least equal in power to the PS4 and it runs all the cheaper games you can get on Steam as well as countless indie games.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

All depends on what u wish to run and run well.
Of course it will exceed the requirements for older and/or indie game titles, but doubtful to run most graphically intense AAA games. Something an XboxOne/PS4 would be better suited for when comparing cheaper priced systems. But yea, of course going with a Windows PC will mean access to those Steam and other Indie games u won't find on other systems. So again, all depends what u looking to do.

[[AU] Tabris:DarkPeace]

How many shaders does the Alpha have?
More than 1152?