What just happened? Alienware has been around for a long time, 25 years, in fact. To celebrate hitting the quarter-of-a-century mark, the company is refreshing its Aurora gaming PC with a new design, including more space, better cooling, and an optional clear side panel.
The configurable Alienware Aurora PCs such as the R10 Ryzen Edition and R11 have long had a reputation for being powerful if expensive desktops. However, reviewers often complain about them running hot and the need for an updated case design. It seems Alienware has listened to the criticism and hopes to address it with the Aurora Legend 2.0 chassis.
While the case hasn't undergone a major change, it comes with an optional scratch-resistant clear glass panel that shows off the Aurora's hardware and RGB lighting---there are now eight AlienFX customizable lighting zones as opposed to the previous four. There's also 1.5 times more internal volume compared to existing models.
The various configurations come with up to four 120mm fans and all-in-one liquid cooling options. Alienware says that the open-air layout increases airflow by 50%, offering up to 3% lower CPU temps compared to current models and a 5% increase in GPU performance. It's also said to be up to 16% quieter at idle, up to 9% quieter during CPU-intensive tasks, and up to 15% quieter during overclocking.
Alienware also notes that the Aurora "allows the opposite right-side door to be removed with cable management features intended to mechanically and thermally isolate the wires from areas where airflow is crucial. All of which combine to make this our most accessible desktop to date with tool-less entry from each angle."
No word on what hardware Alienware will pack inside the new Aurora, other than it will have the option of an RTX 3090. In all probability, it will be joining the Acer Predator Orion 7000 in offering Intel's upcoming 12th-gen Alder Lake CPUs. We don't know the price, either, but expect it to be expensive, keeping with Alienware Aurora tradition.