Alienware Announces Console-Sized Gaming PC

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As a brand, Alienware is synonymous with large, over-the-top and pricey gaming PCs, but now, with its new ultra-compact desktop, the X51, the company is focusing on compact design, affordable pricing and powerful mid- to high-end specs.

Measuring at just 13.5 inches tall, 12.52-inches deep and 3.74-inches thick, the X51 is comparable in size to the original PlayStation 3. With a slot-loading disc drive, it can stand both horizontally and vertically, making it suitable for both desk and entertainment center use. As you would come to expect from Alienware, the chassis sports black matte casing, alien-themed accents and customizable LED illumination.

In terms of performance, the X51 will come in eight different SKUs, with the entry-level model starting at $699. The baseline model will come with a dual-core 3.3GHz Intel Core i3-2120, 4GBs of RAM, 1TB hard drive and NVIDIA's GeForce GT545. More expensive variations will include quad-core 3.0GHz Intel Core i5-2320 and 3.4GHz Intel Core i7-2600 CPUs, up to 8GBs of RAM, as well as NVIDIA GeFore GTX555 GPUs. Additionally, the top tier model, which will retail for $1,199 will offer a Blu-ray drive

Unlike other Alienware desktops, the X51 will be easily upgradable with a custom-built chassis that makes swapping out the video card, motherboard, RAM or CPU simpler than ever.

In terms of connectivity, all models will offer integrated 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, as well as six USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI output and optical audio output.

The Alienware X51 is available now.

Stay tuned for our full review.

Saw this today. Love the idea, though I'm not in the market for another desktop. Something like this is exactly what I wanted to build though.