LOWS
- Runs hot and loud
- SSD upgrade is a must
Alienware’s first Alpha systems were the poster boy for the Steam Machine project. A well-known gaming company, producing a first-rate machine, with everyone’s favorite platform – what’s not to love?
Well, as it turned out, quite a bit. The Linux-based OS suffered from limited game compatibility, followed by reports of slower performance when running games on SteamOS than on Windows. The previous Alpha generations only offered a single GPU, simply described as a “Geforce GTX GPU” which, while attractive to console gamers looking for simpler options, didn’t satisfy PC gamers.
Now the Alpha is back with a full-blown GTX 960, 6th-gen Intel Core processor, and an improved outlook on life. Our review unit was powered by the Intel Core i7-6700T with 8GB of RAM, the aforementioned GTX 960, and a 1TB mechanical drive, all for $949. With the Alienware X51 officially retired, and SteamOS replaced by Windows, is this the Alpha’s time to shine?
Size matters
While the internals have changed dramatically, the exterior hasn’t changed at all. The Alpha is still a squat, square box with a single beveled front corner. It’s noticeably smaller than a current-gen console, at just eight inches deep and wide, and its understated design will look right at home next to a TV or stereo equipment.
It’s an Alienware product, which means RGBLED lighting is standard, both on the Alienware logo / power button, and on the front corner. Users can change them at will, coordinate them with games, or shut them off altogether using bundled software.
Overall, the build quality is high enough to meet the standards we have for Dell’s gaming brand. It overcomes the cheap plastic feel that’s so common among small systems. It’s still no match for full custom rigs like the Origin Chronos, but given the Alpha’s price, we don’t expect it to compete on that level.
Last year’s plugs
The Alpha has five USB ports in total — a pair of 3.0 in the front, another pair in the back, and a 2.0 port hidden underneath a panel on the bottom of the Alpha – a perfect spot for a wireless keyboard, mouse, or controller adapter. The back also features an Ethernet port, optical audio out, and a proprietary connection for the Alienware Graphics Extender, should you want a beefier graphical option.
Compared to even smaller systems like the Intel Skull Canyon NUC, the connectivity available is expansive, if not a little archaic. The distinct lack of DisplayPort and Type-C or Thunderbolt is more noticeable in 2016 than in previous years. Since Alienware reconfigured connections for this version, it would’ve been nice if they had found room for something a little more cutting edge.
While the wired connectivity falls behind systems with more traditional motherboards, the Alpha makes up for it with wireless connections. An 802.11ac card is standard, with the option to upgrade to a 2×2 card for just $25. Bluetooth 4.2 is included, too.
Cramped, but accessible
Taking apart the Alpha is simple enough. Only four screws hold the case to the Alpha’s internals, and with a little prying that shell clicks away, leaving just the internals in a metal frame. Accessing the memory means removing the CPU’s fan shroud, easy enough thanks to some tool-less clips.
Once it’s off, a small heatsink covers the CPU. Remove it, and you’ll find a standard chip, which can be upgraded to any LGA1151 chip (though, give the size of the Alpha, you’d be wise not to try stuffing in a Core i7-6700K).
The hard drive is on the underside, with a quartet of screws holding it in. Unfortunately, Alienware’s use of more common hardware doesn’t extend to the GPU, the only component inside permanently attached to the motherboard.
Still, we have to give Alienware points for making sure the rest of the parts are accessible, and the CPU can be upgraded – a rarity in systems this small.
A surprisingly quick chip
The Core i7-6700T is the beating heart of our review unit. It’s quad-core chip with Hyper-Threading, a 2.8GHz base clock, and 3.6GHz Turbo Boost. The only caveat is a limited 35 watt thermal design power (TDP). As a reference, the full-power Core i7-6700 has a 3.4Ghz base clock, and a 65 watt TDP. The Core i7-6700K is clocked at 4GHz, and has a 91 watt TDP. In demanding tests, especially over time, the Alpha is bound to fall behind.
Or not. Much to our surprise, the Alpha R2 manages to keep pace with other compact systems in its wake, and even competes with much more powerful chips like the non-overclocked Core i7-6700K in the iBuyPower Revolt 2.
Its single-core speeds suffer a bit, as seen in the GeekBench test, but in well-threaded loads it has no issue, tying the iBuyPower’s result. It converts a 4K movie trailer using Handbrake within six seconds of both the Revolt 2 and the Razer Blade, which are powered by the Core i7-6700K and Core i7-6700HQ, respectively.
The low-power 6th-generation Core CPU in the Alpha R2 is the little chip that could, and not nearly as much of a compromise as we worried it might be.
Move on from mechanical
The sole hard drive in our review unit is, unfortunately, a 7,200RPM mechanical drive. It’s one terabyte capacity is some consolation. Who knows? Maybe it will surprise us like the CPU did.
In case it isn’t abundantly clear, the mechanical drive’s results are bad. The drive in the Alpha basically tied with mid-range portable USB drives, and it’s a far cry from eSATA SSDs found in most machines, let alone the PCIe drives that are becoming the standard.
The tortoise-like drive adversely affects everyday use, to say the least. We’re so used to SSD-fueled systems booting up immediately that it’s almost confusing when the Alpha takes it sweet time starting Windows.
