AlienwareTech @ E3 - Alpha SteamBox Console Replacement

I'll keep my R2 as long as I can upgrade to the newest mxm cards and the cpu won't bottleneck. Which ix unlikely as the 3940XM is super strong

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

 

To be perfectly honest, I had actually completed an order for an AW 18 but then I did some research and decided I wanted 880M, not M290X and called Dell and got the typical thick accent nonsense and was informed they have to cancel it and I have to reorder. I then started reading on this very forum (I was a member back in 2009, joined along with my M17xR1) and saw the issues with the 18 then remembered about Sager and now I have a 9377 which would have cost me over 800 bucks more for close specs and total crippling through AW. I've also had the pleasure of speaking with people in the US with anything regarding my system which is an added bonus.

Dell is systematically destroying every one of their consumer businesses and its just getting worse.

I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't trade my 9377 for an M18xR2 with 3940XM and a pair of 780Ms though

 

I had contemplated this. My issue was the M18x had only one choice of display where as the P370SM uses a 17 inch one where there are hundreds to choose from including a 120hz one or even the PremierColour/DreamColour panels that exist on the workstations. I already have sourced a supplier that allows me access to these

 

lol story of my life as well. Spec'd out a nearly maxed out (4930MX + 780M SLI) AW18, literally 1 click away from purchasing when I got cold feet (who wouldn't when buying a $5000+ laptop) and decided to do more research.

Long story short stumbled upon NBR (I actually lurked for over a year before I finally decided to join), read about what a turd of a CPU the 4930MX was, and all the issues with the AW18, and how after half a year, Dell was either incapable or didn't want to fix the issues. Promptly cancelled my order and went with a P370SM and 4900MQ.

I thought about the M18xR2, but I didn't like the styling as much, and the bigger issue was that I would've had to drop at least $1800 in aftermarket upgrades for 3940XM + 780M SLI (prices back then were higher), and all without warranty coverage, since Dell outlet didn't have any top spec models, and I was definitely NOT willing to take a risk with eBay sellers. And so I went for the Clevo.

Yeah the build quality could use some improvement, although in terms of plastic boxes it's actually built quite well. Chassis is very sturdy but lid does have some flex. Performance wise though it does everything I want it to do and then some (but again, this is all thanks to Prema for unlocking the BIOS).

 

from what i can tell any new changes will be around 2016 and according to nvidia will have a different than what we have now currently.

whatch the top key note.. Keynotes Replay | GPU Technology Conference

 

Here is a video of the Alpha's innards...

<iframe width='853' height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TePalKjzfPc" frameborder='0' allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

 

I really wish they would announce the drop dates for this, the area 51, and the AW 13 already.

 

Here's a video showcasing the Alpha's target demographic

 

For those who are interested to know, the Alpha comes bundled with a $100 gift card and some software goodies, like:
Anomaly: Warzone Earth
Awesomenauts
Magicka + DLC
PAYDAY 2
Metro 2033
Strike Suit Zero
Defense Grid 2 exclusive demo
Super Splatters exclusive demo
and a Gauntlet Exclusive In-game Item (you have to buy the game first).

 

Demographic lameness aside, (which I happen to agree with,) the Alpha actually makes good sense when you stop and think about it. This little gem basically makes consoles (or even an Alienware 13 laptop) potentially stupid things to blow any money on. It's smaller, more powerful and does everything the console does only better, plus it does anything a PC will do. It's not a high performance machine, but it should be perfectly fine for playing games better than a console will, replacing one or more consoles and will do double-duty as an HTPC if you get an inexpensive USB BlueRay drive for it. For less than $1,000 or $500 for the base model, this makes more sense in my living room entertainment center than any stinking console ever could.

Factor in your entire Steam, Origin and Ubisoft libraries and the fact that PC games at full retail are usually $5 to $10 less than XBox or PlayStation games (not to mention the crazy low Steam and Humble Bundle prices that console jockeys will never get to enjoy) and this is actually a really smart buy even though it is not a beast. For anyone with kids, they can do their homework on it, too. So, it replaces one or more consoles, an ordinary PC, and a BluRay/Roku/DVR type HTPC device with a footprint that is half the size (or even smaller) than any of those devices.

 

From a value perspective it isn't bad. I say that after recently looking at Zotac ZBox type devices for my in-laws. They come in at around 300-600 anyway which made me think a lower spec AW Alpha priced at $500 isn't too shabby.
These would have been so much fun had they been upgradable.

 

Yup, I agree with that also. But, that is where the demographics you mentioned come into play.

 

Damn Mr. Fox, did this Alpha box grow on you or did you grow soft? Where did that good ol' "performance or bust, no room for compromises" Fox go? Not that I disagree with what you said btw.

 

I think he's growing uncomfortably use to the idea of building a X99 beast to stream to one of these crappy devices.
Well I am at least a little but my R2 isn't really aging against all these lacklustre lineups yet.
I think ill probably upgrade to 980m SLI and try to be happy with that.

 

Ha my X79 rig is already up and running so I know what you mean. Actually still need to get proper Maxwell cards since 750 Ti just doesn't cut it (and was only meant as a placeholder anyway).

But even desktops are starting to reel from the stink that is "next gen" consoles ala vRAM requirements. It used to be that consoles complemented PCs, but now it's almost the other way around, and that is just not right.

 

Nah, I didn't change, LOL. This little turd box would never be my main machine. Nevertheless, even an overclocker whacko like myself cannot deny that it would be a whole helluvalot better than a stinkin' console. It would be a decent HTPC with a USB BD drive, too. In fact, I may buy one for that purpose. It's also something inexpensive my grandkids can play PC games on, and I can teach them from a tender young age that game consoles are for wusses and ghetto punks... real men and women play on PC. If they want to be an overclocker like Grandpa Fox, they will need to get a job and fund their own addiction.

It would have a place in my entertainment center, but there's no room for it in my heart.

Yeah, my R2 already stomps the life out of most decent "gaming" desktops out there, so I am not in a big rush to blow any money. I certainly don't feel compelled to act, in spite of what the enthusiast part of me would do if money were no object. Great minds think alike. I was just mentioning to Brother Johnksss the other day that I might do the same thing as what you are considering. I am waiting to see if 980M is really going to really be a 780M killer, or just another screwed up mess like 880M only with lower power draw. I have guarded optimism that it might be awesome, and a 980M SLI upgrade will be a lot less than spending $5K to build a desktop with an extreme configuration of the caliber that I would be satisfied with. I know I would also end up wanting 980M SLI for my R2 on top of building a new desktop and spending that kind of money on two machines that become obsolete in 6 months is cray-cray. So, time is on our side, Brother TBoneSan... we've already got the best of the best in laptop world unless or until something decidedly better comes along. I am so glad I stopped being an early-adopter. Being severely disappointed with 7970M CF and watching so many of our friends get screwed over with 880M really solidified in my mind how idiotic jumping on the new is better bandwagon is when you already have a heaping helping of awesomeness sitting in your lap.

 

Do you think guys Alienware Alpha can substitute laptop gaming?

i7 Haswell based processor, 8GB DDR3 1600MHz dual-channel memory, dual-band Wireless-AC 2x2 with Bluetooth 4.0 and 1TB and 2TB SATA 3 HDD and custom-built NVIDIA Maxwell based GPU for $899 in a tiny 7x7x2-inch chassis.

Couldn't find any benchmarks of the GPU but Dell reports that the Alpha can indeed play at 1080p, 60 fps. Early reviews say that it is equipped with a mobile GTX860-level of custom-made card but I guess since it is not yet released it may also have one of the 9xx ones.

 

It's likely using an 860M class chip with no screen or battery so it fits a different niche to say a 17 or 18.

 

It's a console replacement, not a laptop replacement. Can you use it instead of a laptop? Sure, you can. I'd say it's going to be much better than a console, but not nearly as good as a well-appointed laptop. It could never be seriously considered as a replacement for a laptop computer. It should not be confused with or mistaken for a high performance gaming system. Remember, it's a console replacement... so there is nothing amazing that needs to be accomplished. Anything greater than 30 FPS pretty much falls into the "better than a console" bucket. The Maxwell GTX 860M is decent enough for good gaming, but I'm not particularly impressed with it in terms of performance. Even with a massive overclock it's not amazing because it lacks too much in terms of CUDA/shader cores and bandwidth. But, with medium settings, the GTX 860M should have no problem maintaining between 40 and 75 FPS depending on the game title.

That said, I may buy one for casual gaming, Netflix, Hulu and Vudu because it's better than a XBox, PlayStation or web-connected BluRay/SmartTV and reasonably priced. I anticipate the Alpha is going to do extremely well. It's not a high performance computer, but it is a versatile "appliance" that makes really good sense. I also think it will do a lot to take PC gaming to the next level. Not everyone can afford a great gaming laptop or desktop, but anyone that can afford to waste money on a limited-purpose game console and their über-expensive disks will potentially benefit from an Alpha because it is better, far more versatile, and in the same price range.

 

Pretty impressive performance. This little box already outpaces the consoles.

 

For those wondering abut the GPU, there's a good chance it could be a GTX 750 ti. I say this because when I selected to config an X51 with a GTX 750 ti, I get this:

You can replicate the results since Alienware hasn't fixed the bug/leak yet.
Honestly, according to notebookcheck, it's not a bad GPU, and it aligns with gaming websites saying the GPU is a, "souped up GTX 860m." The performance of the Alpha shuld be a tad lesser than the ones recorded on notebookcheck, but for $550, that's actually good.

 

It will most certainly be a better product than a game console. It will play games better, plus do everything else that a PC does... well, because it's a PC, LOL. Game consoles suck, and their games are more expensive. As long as you're not expecting it to be a high performance benching machine, there's nothing wrong with the Alpha concept. It's a product that makes great sense for ordinary gamers that would normally use a console.

I'm all for anything that draws people away from consoles to hardcore PC gaming. That would be great for all PC gamers, and some of them will inevitably have the good fortune of being get bitten with the power bug and become crazy overclockers because they are not content with status quo. When some folks get a taste of power they want more, and more, and more. It's truly a wonderful addiction to have. The more demand there is for machines that are insane overclocking beasts the better things will become for all PC fans, including those silly gooses that think overclocking is some sort of inherently dangerous or sinful practice. Perhaps the humble little Alpha can ironically become the catalyst that sparks a revolution that turns the dark tide against performance mediocrity as console jockeys are converted in greater numbers.

 

Well after digging for the Alienware 13 benchmarks, I decided to do the same for the Alpha. I only found 2, and they are with the i7-4765T. 3DMark doesn't have the i3-4130T in its database, and the i5-4590T did not have a Dell mobo to be found.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-4765T,Dell Inc. 03V3TG
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-4765T,Dell Inc. unknown
It's a GTX 860m disguised as a GTX 750 ti. A weird conundrum, but it seems to work fine.
I couldn't find any Dell computer that had these specs, by the way.

 

Well, at least it runs 3.0GHz on 4C/8T. Too bad we can't say that for the 13. If you can find 3DMark11 scores for both machines (Fire Strike won't be nearly as much help here) comparing the graphics scores should give some level of insight as to what degree the wimpy dual core bottlenecks the the 860M in the 13. The physics score on 3DMark11 for the Alpha with the 4765T CPU should be more than double the physics score of the 13 (I am going to guess in the neighborhood of 7200 3DMarks for the Alpha and somewhere around 3000 3DMarks for the 13's sad little CPU).

An antique 2920XM running stock should be more than 300% more powerful than the 13's dual core Haswell CPU. A 2720QM is more than 200% more powerful.

To help keep things in perspective for everyone, here is a 3DMark11 run with my original stock M18xR1 with a 2720QM CPU and 6990M CF from way back in Q3 2011. Are we making progress? Gotta laugh to avoid crying, LOL!

P6377 with AMD Radeon HD 6970M / 6990M(2x) and Intel Core i7-2720QM,Alienware M18x

 

You're making some unfair comparisons here. A desktop will usually beat a laptop. And then a desktop-replacement to a ultrabook-replacement.
I get that the pain for the 13, but please, quit spilling oil to the fire.
In any case, to answer your request, here's the best for the 13 on Firestrike. It could be higher with a GTX 980, but the CPU would be a greater bottleneck. The Alpha fares worse in the combined test, which is to be expected. I can only find Firestrike scores, so we'll have to wait for the other tests.

 

I wonder if they are going to put the dock adapter port on the alpha.... then we could use the GA with the alpha and strap a 980 to it

 

Why wouldn't one build a Mini ITX instead? No ?

 

There is no reason to even attempt to be fair here. Life isn't fair. Benchmarks aren't fair, but they are accurate. The OEMs that want to run with the big boys need to have some cajones and be prepared to take whatever punishment is due for their bad choices. I'm just highlighting how utterly pathetic things have become as wake-up call to gamers and enthusiasts. People need to have eyes wide open before they empty their wallets on expensive junk that is not worthy of being purchased. The best time to see how pathetic a product is would be before you buy it, not afterward. If the Alienware 13 is for sale, it's going to be compared against everything. Why? Because that's what we do. Making excuses for its lameness just exacerbates the fact that it's puny and weak and gives the OEMs a reason to hope that enough people are dumb enough to think that's OK. They made a conscious decision to build it that way, so now they can see what they really accomplished and how much people like (or dislike) their business decisions. Only the strong survive in this dog-eat-dog environment. Brand loyalty is nice, but results are what really matter. Accordingly, loyalty ends as soon as the results begin to dry up.

If all of the new products fail miserably because too few enthusiast and gamers are willing to accept compromise, maybe the OEMs will get a clue and stop peddling anemic trash. And, to be perfectly clear I am not leveling my accusations of lameness solely again Alienware. This touches every brand. Almost everything available for sale in laptops now is absolutely trash. Just doing my part to keep the fire burning. No applause, just throw money.

The Alpha is a console replacement. I expect it plays games really well. I've already stated I think it would be much better than a console and I would buy one to slap into my home entertainment center as an XBox or PS4 replacement. This is a compliment. That's all I would hold it accountable for as a niche product. That's about all the fairness I can offer. However, if the Alienware 13 even remotely represents the caliber of products we can expect to see in the larger models, there's simply nothing to be thankful for. Time to move on to something different if BGA is going to be the chip du jour.

 

Yeah, it would end up a x51

 

Skydiver benchmark found for Alpha.
However, any benchmarks done with an i5-4200U and a GTX 860m turned out not to be the 13, but a prototype of the Alpha since the clocks of the GTX 860m matched the clocks of a GTX 750 ti, unless the clocks of the GTX 860m in the 13 is similar to a GTX 750 ti.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i5-4200U,Alienware unknown
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i5-4200U,Alienware unknown
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i5-4200U,Alienware unknown
No Ice Storm benchmark. The same can be said for the i5-4210U for the 13.
And just to say, I don't agree with compare all as a just way to prove errors and flaws, no matter what the comparison is. That won't change now or later.