As consoles become more like personal computers with their patches and their upgrades, so too do PCs become more like consoles, with more people using control pads and hooking them up to TVs than ever before.
Alienware sees a market in this, with the launch of the X51, a small PC that looks, and is designed to act, as much like a console as a computer.
On the inside, it’s of course a PC. The base model, with a Core i3, 4GB RAM and GT545 should be able to handle Battlefield 3 at close to full settings. You can then upgrade as you fancy.
But the casing itself is small, and designed specifically to be slung either vertically or horizontally under a TV set.
With Steam launching its “Big Picture” mode later this year, and more and more console games coming to PC with better graphics and control pad support, this might not be as stupid an idea as it first sounds.
The Alienware X51 Attempts to Prove That Good Things Can Come in Small Packages [Gizmodo UK]
James
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 4:32 PM‘more and more console games coming to PC with better graphics’
This line upsets me. Consoles games should not be ‘coming to PC’ they should be released at the same time. Sigh.
Simon
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:25 PMI think he means it in a good way, that games released on both PC and console look better on PC. We’re basically a whole generation ahead now.
Stephen
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 4:40 PMNothing new or unique, I use a Dell Zino at work pretty much the same concept, and considering how hard it is to get parts for these things and the average turnover life for PC Hardware, I would say its a worthless investment.
Chazz
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 4:53 PMIt uses standard PC components save for the notebook dvd drive.
Stephen
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:02 PMThe above picture is deceptive I thought it was going to be much smaller, didn’t realise its actual dimensions.
Simon
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:04 PMThe article says you can upgrade as see fit.
Also, Alienware is a part of Dell. So, it’s just whatever you have with an Alienware coat of paint on it.
SilentWolf
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:19 PMYou can upgrade it but it looks like the airflow is pretty shocking for the graphics card.
attila
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 4:44 PMI think its a clever idea, but its 700 quid in the UK, which would mean $1500 (including GST and Aussie tax) over here – and thats for the base model.
Regal
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 6:01 PMAlienware being over priced as usual. I have a laptop that was just over $1000 at recommended retail ( i paid about $700, its handy when your father is incharge of an electronics store) that has that same if not better specs as that pc.
Superklue
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 4:45 PMlol…. it’s a stylised desktop case. It’s not innovative at all.
Who would honestly be fooled into buying one of those?
Simon
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:08 PMIf they sold the case by itself I’d nab one for sure as long as it has decent cooling. It fits in with my consoles and TV and looks to fit on a shelf rather than next to my TV unit. It’s a good idea but Alienware computers are stupidly priced so they probably won’t get my sale.
ilzydroid
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 4:48 PMif it’s a good price, I’d probably get one! ….although knowing Alienware, this’ll turn out to be extremely expensive!
Chazz
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 4:51 PMIt looks nice, I’m sure it runs well but if it’s anything like Alienware laptops and towers then it’ll be about $600 than it should be.
Simon
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:16 PMAlienware Australian pricing method:
Step one: Get US Price
Step two: double it
Step three: piss off consumers
Stevorooni
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:02 PMI’m planning on custom building a PC that will live under the TV but I think I’ll use a full size case so it’s easier to make adjustments and it’ll get better airflow.
NegativeZero
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:07 PMIt’s laptop hardware in a desktop case. I’d be pretty surprised if you couldn’t build a small machine with better games performance for about the same amount, though it might not be as small or as polished.
NegativeZero
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:10 PMTo me this looks more like a high-end off the shelf HTPC, except without the digital tuner. Shame.
(Yes, I’m aware you can use a decent Atom or Fusion-based nettop as a very decent HTPC for a fraction of the price, but those reply on hardware h264 decoding and can’t handle 10-bit encodes :( )
Simon
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:24 PMMy family call me a nerd. This comment makes me feel much better because I have no idea what you just said.
Akra
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:14 PMAnyone Remember the Phantom?
MrBS
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:34 PMI want to believe.
James Mac
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:42 PMWasn’t that the Billy Zane movie?
Aliasalpha
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 6:23 PMAhh infinium labs… they were the hardware equivelent of 3drealms & the phantom was their duke nukem forever
Kettenkrad
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 11:28 PMThe resemblance is noticeable. Doesn’t feel good.
McGarnical
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:33 PMI think this looks pretty cool, but why wouldn’t you just get a laptop and plug an HDMI cable into it?
Simon
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:40 PMYou can’t readily upgrade a laptop with a brand spankin’ new HD7970.
Although this thing looks like it’d struggle to fit those size cards also.
LANLORD
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:49 PMMicro-ATX case i cant it won’t fit anything besides a low profile or even just integrated card in it.
Leigh
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:42 PMNein.
A PC should stay a PC, and a console should stay a console.
Joshy206
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 6:21 PMRacist
Ry34
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 7:54 PMAmen
LANLORD
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:55 PMTell that to Microsoft, the next X-Box is going to run windows 9.
Telextial
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:46 PMFull size (or anything antec 902 and up) cases allow for larger components, more fans with no trapped air, better airflow, quieter cooling and more easily exchanged parts. They do look a bit…excessively large though.
Johnny Sweetbread
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:52 PMLol. Wut?
But it still runs bloatware like Windows and Fire-memory-fox-destroyer. Booting into Windows sucks big fat hairy dogs bollocks.
Chazz
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 6:09 PMYeah that whole 20 seconds to boot up and get going sucks so much.
Simon
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 6:17 PMSounds like either a Mac fanboy or a Linux up himself idiot.
Virus__
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 7:12 PMSo you’re saying a Windows based computer cannot start up in the time frame of about 20-30 seconds?
Oh man you sound like a right idiot. Get all the porn off your computer, update it to 2012, don’t clutter up your C drive, keep it virus, malware & spyware free & you should be good to go.
Hell my mates Toshiba laptop circa 2009 boots up in under 45 seconds to a usable state, his PC circa 2007 boots up & he has Steam running & signed in after about 50 seconds.
So really, it is not impossible with a solid state drive, a decent CPU & memory.
Chazz
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:22 PMI think he may have replied to me by mistake.
Virus__
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:25 PMMaybe, who knows.
LANLORD
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:57 PMPretty sure he was agreeing with you, and saying the OP is a mac/linux fanboy, since the OP is the one bagging windows.
Virus__
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 7:09 PMObviously you have never used an Alienware. The several times I have from friends owning them, they’re nothing but fast & reliable. They actually boot up rather quickly with all the supposed “bloatware”
Trex
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 6:11 PMJust looks like a fancy over priced HTPC to me. Nothing new.
Kid
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 9:07 PMWas about to say that…. All it is, is an Alienware styled and priced HTPC that doesn’t perform much better.
You’d be better off going to some place like MSY and have them build you a HTPC for the same price to get double the performance and I dare say if you don’t go for the HTPC standard silent fans you could get something that runs cooler too.
John
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 7:30 PMHow is this not a good thing. People buy overpriced macs. One of the reasons is that they are more expensive so they must be better right? I think this is a great idea and will do a lot of good for pc’s. Too many cases are ‘up in yo grill’ with fans and lights or just boring. Something more like this will appeal to the many COD fans and those who want something flashy, of which there are too many of now days. I won’t get one but I can see how they will be great for the pc market.
Mr Tairi
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 9:19 PMSince when do visuals make a good game.
LANLORD
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:53 PMBecause better visuals stimulate the brain more then ones without, making them more attractive, therefore its a ‘good game’ (‘good’ in this case meaning how many people play it).
Riavan
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:00 PMYou still get better value for money with alienware than apple.
LANLORD
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:47 PMMy GTX560Ti and Core i7 runs battlefield 3 abit choppy, I dont see how they can advertise a core i3 doing the same.
Kid
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 2:15 AMI think by run they mean run on medium settings at 720p. So then the game looks like the console version too.