Alienware desktop gaming PC once dominated the market with its distinctive cabinets. However, nowadays, everyone from HP to Razer has unique-looking designs. The Alienware Aurora R13, available in both white and black color is a return to machines with the wow aspect, thanks to its packed shape, glass window, and aesthetically tempting curves. The only users with reason to complain are those used to balancing their mug of coffee on top of their PC unit, as it will sadly Glide right off.
The PC’s body isn’t its only unique trait; the custom-made mainboard sits between microATX and ATX in terms of size. About elements, our review piece features the best of the best pretty much across the board: Intel Core i9 12900KF processor, 64GB of DDR5 RAM, and Alienware Cryo-Tech Liquid Cooling. Only the RTX 3080 Graphical unit lets the side down at this price point, but Alienware has squeezed every last bit of performance out of it to the point where it is a tight match for a 3090-powered HP Omen at 4k. You can also decide to upgrade the GPU when buying.
That mirror panel gives you a transparent view inside this compact system, most of which is user upgradeable. The DDR5 memory, GPU, and 1TB SSD are all accessible— it’s only the 750W power supply and the motherboard that would be tough to replace. Of course, this being an Alienware rig, you’re paying for that high performance and elegant design, with this configuration costing roughly $3,400. While that’s expensive; we were surprised at how well the device is configured for real-world performance, not far off one of the famous compact desktops, the Corsair One i300, which costs $5,000.
INTERNALS
This is a compact motherboard that’s quite unique in terms of measurements. Alienware’s bare design concept on its generic motherboard, RAM, and GPU leaves a little to be expected next to the gorgeous internals of other boutique builders. However, you have to be impressed with the neat general look. There’s also Alienware FX lighting, which can be customized through software.
PERFORMANCE
You’d expect a pre-built machine to perform well out of the box, and the Alienware stuns here. We were amazed by how well-tuned this is, cranking out excellent performance in 1440p and 4k gaming with no user tweaks needed. Of course, it can get hot in such a slim chassis, and the fans have a tendency to whirr up under heavy load, but this offers excellent bang for your buck.
CONNECTIVITY
Given the chassis’s compact form factor, this isn’t the most abundantly pleasing machine for ports and connectivity, but you still have many options. There are nine USB ports and three USB-C ports scattered across the front and rear of the machine, which should be adequate for most people, plus a convenient 3.5 mm headset port on the front. Unfortunately, there’s only one Ethernet port, although it’s thankfully 2.5Gb/s.
