Gaming computer experts Alienware took the occasion of the Tokyo Game Show to unveil four new desktops and one new laptop for those of us who could never afford one to drool over.

Sure, I could build a comparable PC for less money on my own, but it wouldn’t be nearly as pretty, and it could potentially explode. As a former PC tech, I can really appreciate not having to worry about such things. It’s like buying a fast food hamburger instead of cooking your own, only yours might burst into flame and fill your apartment with smoke. This has happened to me, with both burgers and computers, so the analogy is just perfect.

One day I shall own one, but it will be a far off day, when the new Alienware M15x laptop, which they are calling “The most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe” is a mere memory, and the Aurora and Aurora ALX, which are respectively the most upgradeable and powerful MicroATX systems Alienware has created will be replaced with wristwatch-sized models.

They’re also introducing two new machines in their Area-51 line, with factory overclocked Intel Core i7 processors, but at this point I am beginning to sound like an advertisement, and that’s what official press releases are for. Just know that the Aurora’s and the M15x are available for order today, and the Area-51 models will be showing up in the coming weeks. Check out the official blurbs below for specs and stats.

Alienware M15x – The most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe. Sporting Alienware’s acclaimed new mobile ID which debuted with the M17x laptop, the M15x offers Alienware performance in a compact package guaranteed to appeal to mobile enthusiasts and hardcore gamers on the go. The first Alienware laptop to feature a mobile Core i7 processor, the M15x also offers a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M GPU* and up to 8GB DDR3 1333MHz memory* to take on, and dominate, even the most intense game titles. Prices start at $US1,499 and additional technical specifications are here.

Alienware Aurora and Aurora ALX – The Aurora is most upgradeable and the Aurora ALX is the most powerful MicroATX desktops Alienware has ever created. Featuring the latest Intel® Core™ i7 processors, including an optional Extreme Edition overclocked** to 3.6GHz, the Aurora line of desktops are designed to deliver the power needed for hardcore gaming, pro-level HD audio and video editing, 3D animation and more. To crank up your gaming performance, Aurora and Aurora ALX have options for dual 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics cards, up to 24GB DDR3 1333MHz memory[asterisk] or 12GB DDR3 1600MHz memory, respectively, and up to 2TB of hard drive storage – all in a compact, MicroATX chassis for taking up less desk space. Prices start at $US1,299 and additional technical specs are here.

Alienware Area-51 and Area-51 ALX designed for extreme gamers and tech enthusiasts who demand only the latest, most advanced equipment, the Area-51 line of desktops features Intel Core i7 processors factory overclocked* to an intense 3.86GHz for peak performance. To max out your graphics benchmarks, these systems offer the quad-GPU power of dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 295 graphics cards. Other featured specs include up to 12GB DDR3* memory clocked at 1333MHz or 1600MHz, respectively, and six easy-access, cable-free hard drive bays that support both 7,200RPM and 10,000RPM drives, solid state drives and RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10 configurations. Prices begin at $US1,999.

“You’ve seen the Invasion videos, now prepare yourself for landfall. Stay locked to Alienware’s facebook page to receive daily updates from the Tokyo Game Show.”

We’ll be on hand to see just how far down the shaking goes once news of Alienware’s announcement hits ground zero outside of Tokyo.

In the meantime check out the official website for the upcoming news and this video.

Call me crazy, but my money is on a new gaming laptop.

All Powerful [Alienware]

Times, they are tough. And Dell, owners of PC gaming enthusiast brand Alienware, are no exception, with tech site ExtremeTech reporting that an undisclosed number of Alienware employees are facing the sack.

Citing an internal memo they obtained from an Alienware employee, it’s said that the group will be closing both of its dedicated manufacturing plants (in Miami and Ireland), with production to be shifted to parent company Dell’s factories. These closures will be accompanied by layoffs, though Alienware – while confirming the closures – refuse to put a number on how many will be affected.

Since it’s two entire facilities being closed down, it’s probably “a lot”.

Strangely, the move comes at the exact same time the company plans to expand its operations, with Alienware gaming computers expected to be released in 29 new markets across 17 new languages in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America over the next 12 months.

Alienware Plans Worldwide Expansion; Layoffs, Too [ExtremeTech, via Big Download]

Looks like I wasn’t the only one. Over at Intel’s software developer forum, user 7oby created a detailed thread describing the symptoms of the bug, and the driver versions it affected. The post includes a link to the release notes for the driver where the problem may have been introduced, though going over the list of changes, anything could be the cause.

The bug has also been identified by Blizzard’s tech support for World of Warcraft, where it was shown to crash the MMO on Macbooks.

Fortunately, the problem seems isolated to certain models of Dell and Macbook laptops running the GM965 chipset. Apparently Intel has a new driver with a fix in the pipeline, and will be releasing it shortly.

Dell just shot us their official press release for the laptop. Hit the jump for the full press release.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT FANS LEVEL UP WITH DELL XPS M1730 EDITION NOTEBOOK PC
- World of Warcraft-Themed Notebook Combines Award-Winning XPS M1730 Gaming Notebook with Loads Of Custom-Designed Content
- Customers Can Personalise with Faction Allegiance, Choosing Horde or Alliance
- Quest Envelope Includes Access to Rare, Exclusive Items and Opportunities

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Dec. 4, 2007 – In a quest to nail the greatest gaming experience ever, Dell and Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. â„¢ have joined forces to bring gamers the XPSâ„¢ M1730 World of Warcraft® Edition notebook PC. The unique gaming notebook is available for purchase today by customers who pre-registered for early access during the “It Begins” quest. It will be available to all U.S. customers on Dec. 11 on www.dell.com/gaming.

The XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition is fully equipped for battle. The system is emblazoned with custom World of Warcraft artwork, inside and out, that leaves no question as to purpose – pure, unadulterated gaming action. Exclusive rare bonus items and a World of Warcraft backpack filled to the brim with game-themed extras are also part of the unique experience.

“This truly legendary collaboration with Blizzard reinforces Dell’s commitment to design excellence and dedication to delivering the best possible gaming experience,” said Glen Robson head of XPS systems at Dell. “World of Warcraft players can now have the ultimate system to reflect their passion for the game.”

Surprise, Delight, and Amaze

The level of detail that the XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition delivers will delight and amaze any gaming enthusiast. In addition to a truly distinctive system, customers will receive a special Quest Envelope that contains access to truly epic items, like a Golden Ticket from FigurePrints, a company that creates custom figurines of players’ individual World of Warcraft characters.

To help delve into the mysteries and surprises around the XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition, Dell invited Randydeluxe Jordan of the popular World of Warcraft podcast The Instance, to be the first to un-box a new system. Check out Randy’s response to the complete out-of-box-experience on direct2dell.com and www.delllounge.com.

Special XPS M1730 World of Warcraft content includes:
Custom design featuring original art by Blizzard artists on LCD back, and Honor Badges on the wings
World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusadeâ„¢ pre-loaded on system, including the latest content updates
Original desktop background artwork and screensavers
A World of Warcraft-themed backpack that includes:
Retail box copies of World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, and the Warcraft® Battle Chest , which includes with Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos™ and Warcraft III: Frozen Throne™
Latest Brady Games strategy guides for World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade, Warcraft III and The Frozen Throne
World of Warcraft DVD with a behind-the-scenes look at “The Making of WoW”
A special Quest Envelope that ships separately with exclusive rare items:
A Golden Ticket allowing customers to receive a special custom FigurePrint based on the actual World of Warcraft character that they play.[i]
An Account Upgrade Certificate enabling the upgrade of a World of Warcraft account1 to receive the Collector’s Edition pets from both the original World of Warcraft Collector’s Edition and the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Collector’s Edition
A World of Warcraft Beta Club Card to enable customers to take part in upcoming public beta tests.1

Starting at $4,499 (USD), the XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition system includes:
Aggressive styling with backlit Honor Badges, touchpad and keyboard
LightFX perimeter lighting for added immersion during game play
Full-size keyboard with 10-key number pad to help navigate games
AGEIA PhysX mobile processor and built-in Logitech® GamePanel LCD
NVIDIA SLI graphics power and 512MB of dedicated video RAM with DirectX® 10 realism
Optional over-clockable[ii] Intel®Extreme Edition Core™ 2 Duo processor, up to 3.4GHz
Optional dual RAID 7,200 RPM hard drives for fast access or even faster access with an optional 64GB solid state drive
Full HD 17-inch widescreen and available Blu-ray Discâ„¢ to provide the ultimate mobile viewing experience
7ms average display response time[iii] to ensure quick overall system performance
Complete wireless connectivity with built-in Optional Mobile Broadband,[iv] Wireless-N, Bluetooth, and Dell’s exclusive Wi-Fi Catcherâ„¢
Built-in camera and digital array microphones to clearly see and flame the competition
Dual headphone jacks, noise-isolating ear buds and a portable ExpressCard media remote

For more information about the XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition notebook PC, visit www.youtube.com/dellvlog.

And this isn’t just any laptop with WoW images slapped on it, this is a hulking XPS M1730 Dell Laptop with WoW images on it. Hit the jump for all the details on the $US 4,500 laptop released just seconds ago. The laptop officially launches on Dec. 11.

The XPS M1730 World of Warcraft edition laptop will come in either Horde or Alliance packs featuring original artwork on the desktop backgrounds, screen savers and the case itself.

Each system will come with a World of Warcraft backpack packed with all kinds of WoW goodies including:
WoW & Burning Crusade in retail boxes
Strategy Guides
Behind the Scenes, “The Making of WoW” DVD
WoW & Burning Crusade Paperback Novels
WoW Audio Soundtrack
Customers will also receive a Quest Envelope which includes surprise items from Dell & Blizzard (ships separate from system). Items include:
Blizzard beta key card w/ five keys used to access future WoW games
An upgrade certificate which allows customers to upgrade their accounts to a “Collectors Edition Account” enabling them to get a special in-game pet
Golden Ticket which allows customers to get a pre-paid special custom action figure based on their own in-game WoW character.

Besides the fancy backpack of goodies and the neato WoW art, the laptop is still an M1730 on the inside, which is a very good thing. Here’s just a taste of the slick laptop’s specs:

o DX10 SLI graphics
o World’s first & only notebook available w/ an Ageia mobile PhysX processor
o Over-clockable Extreme Edition Core 2 Duo processors
o Dual RAID 0 7200 RPM HDDs – or 64GB Solid State Drive options
o 7ms display response time
o Full-size illuminated keyboard w/ separate numeric keypad
o 16-color user-customisable lighting areas including the backlit touchpad
o Wireless connectivity w/ built-in Mobile Broadband, Wireless-N, Bluetooth and Dell’s Wi-Fi catcher
o Blu-ray optional
o Built-in camera & digital array microphones
o Built-in Logitech GamePanel above keyboard (first in the industry on a notebook)

I’ve actually been playing around with a loaner M1730 for a month now and while it’s heavy as hell, it’s also the most robust gaming laptop I’ve ever seen.