Alienware Aurora R9: PC, monitor and peripherals in the test

In the meantime, it is completely normal for almost all manufacturers to no longer only offer gaming PCs, but the complete package including monitor and peripherals along with a whole bag of service offers and software. It also makes sense, nothing is easier than getting everything from a single source instead of having to laboriously collect everything from the immense range of products from different manufacturers. Alienware is no exception. We therefore put a complete setup of Alienware in the office and diligently tested it for gaming suitability.

Of course you can also purchase the entire portfolio individually, in the Alienware Shop you can configure the computers halfway as desired, choose a suitable monitor and order the peripherals. In any case, one thing must be clear: such a variant is not cheap, because complete PCs are usually a whole lot more expensive than the self-assembled variant for the inclined screwdriver. The clientele for this is there, however, not everyone has the desire and time to put everything together themselves. Service offers such as extended warranty, collect & return service, operating system and tools should make the offer more palatable.

The setup provided to us for the test leaves nothing to be desired and does not make it necessary to dig anywhere else in the shop. The computer is an Alienware Aurora R9 with an Intel i7-9700K and RTX 2070 Super. In addition, there is a 34 inch curved monitor with 3,440 x 1,440 pixels resolution and modern nano-IPS panel. The mechanical keyboard, wireless mouse and surround headset also come from Alienware. It is not cheap. The complete setup costs around 3,700 to 3,800 euros, of which about two thirds are accounted for by the computer alone. Assembled by yourself is of course several euros cheaper, but that shouldn't be the issue here.

Here are the individual components at the prices that we discovered in the Alienware shop at the time of the test:

PC: Alienware Aurora R9 – 2,359.00 euros
Monitor: Alienware AW3420DW – 1,199.97 euros
Headset: Alienware AW510H – 70.47 euros
Keyboard: Alienware AW510K – 132.80 euros
Mouse: Alienware AW610M – 66.56 euros

It is striking at first glance that both the PC and the monitor are comparatively expensive, but the peripherals are available at very fair prices. Certainly also as an incentive to make the complete package from a single source a little more appetizing. After all, it is a mechanical keyboard with new low-profile switches from Cherry, a wireless mouse and a headset with virtual surround sound.

Let's start with the Aurora R9. The PC is in an unusually shaped, but compact housing with lots of curves and a striking design with appropriate lighting. Very chic if you are looking for something for the eye, less practical if you want to put an SSD or something on the case more often. With dimensions of 481.4 x 222.8 x 431.9 mm, it is pleasantly compact.

The connections on the front stand out positively, because there are at least three USB 3.1 ports and a Type-C connection, in addition to the usual 3.5 mm jack sockets for the headset. Type-C ports are by no means the norm. The back also spoils us with plenty of connections: 5x USB 2.0, 1x Type-C, 3x USB 3.1, RJ-45, SPDIF and six audio ports, which also enables the connection of a surround system without any problems. The built-in graphics card also provides us with 3x DisplayPort and 1x HDMI.

Of course, you can also open the case to replace or add hardware sooner or later. The inside is built quite compact, but the access is quite simple. The first thing that stands out is the power supply built into the top of the case, which has its own chamber but has no temperature influence on the GPU or CPU. The power supply and suspension can be easily folded to the side after loosening two locks. Cool. The graphics card is located separately in the lower area, where in addition to another PCIe slot, there are also two slots for 2.5-inch drives. The use of space is quite optimal, as hardly a centimeter of space is wasted. Whether cooling becomes a problem, more on that later.

The interior gives hope for a gaming PC that is fully designed for 1440 resolutions, which also makes sense in combination with the monitor. The beating heart of the machine is an Intel Core i7-9700K @ 3.6 GHz on an in-house Z370 mainboard. Not the newest and strongest variant, but makes sense in connection with the other components. Stronger CPUs are definitely available from Alienware. The whole thing is cooled by an AIO liquid cooling, which gives hope for tolerable volume levels.

The CPU is supported by 16 GB DDR4-2666 from Kingston / HyperX, also perfect for a gaming setup. An NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super works as a graphics card, also the perfect card for a 1440p setup. The drives also fit well: a 512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD from Toshiba and a 2 TB HDD as a data grab; also from Toshiba. By the way, it's nice that Alienware relies on branded components and does not use OEM goods. You should also expect that at the price. Supplemented by BlueTooth and Killer LAN + WiFI, pretty much everything a gamer's heart desires is there.

As already mentioned, the computer, which is currently a little over 2,300 euros, is not exactly cheap. Roughly calculated, the machine is around 4-500 euros more expensive than the self-made variant according to current retail prices, provided that brand components are used. Alienware apparently tries to compensate for this with appropriate guarantees, services and tools in order to keep the offer reasonably attractive.