Alienware Aurora R5 (2016) - Review 2022

Unbeknownst to nigh, Alienware has an interestingly odd relationship with gamers; since Dell acquired the gaming brand, opinions on its offerings have been polarised, with some admittedly loving its artful, while others feeling such concepts are more than concerned with the immature pre-teens tastes and wants. Regardless, it cannot be denied that Alienware has been releasing some of the best gaming machines in the last decade and its latest Alienware Aurora R5 (2016) gaming desktop platform is irrefutable proof of its heritage.

If annihilation, information technology is 1 of its sleekest PC gaming platform even so.

Question: is this the one yous can finally recommend to others as existence 'worthy of their spending allocation'? Let's find out!

Design: Subtly Innovative

Featuring a design smaller and more subtle than the insane Alienware Surface area 51, the newest take on the Alienware Aurora line features a handsome mid-sized tower chassis that is done upwards in a matte grey finish. The side panels of the belfry bulge slightly outwards, giving it a slightly angular look that is very, VERY, welcomed. These panels also business firm tri-LED light bars, while the signature LED Alien Caput logo, which acts as the power push button, can be found on the front console.

As usual, Alienware includes its proprietary Alienware AlienFX Control Center just so users can customise the LEDs to whatsoever color they similar, or even turn it off.

There is a carrying handle on the acme, though combined with its weight and the awkward styling used for the handle, the Alienware Aurora R5 (2016) is extremely difficult to carry one handed.

Similar any good desktop, this new gaming entry from Alienware is also brindled with loads of I/O ports, including a solitary USB Type-C port, which is parked alongside the row of USB 3.1 Blazon-A jacks, on its back. Forepart-side is a USB 3.0 ports, all lined-up to a higher place the Alienware logo.

For those keen on upgrading, the side panel slides off easily with a push of a handle, revealing a somewhat cavernous interior—when the internal arm belongings the power supply is moved out—that offers an splendid amount of customisability.

In that location is enough room inside the casing for ii full-length GPUs and plenty of storage upgrade options, including an M.ii slot and 2.5in sleds for standard-sized SSDs.

On the plus side, this modular concept that Alienware, and Dell by extension, uses overly remarkable equally the entire chassis is about tool-less. Clips, levers, and swinging arms are included in this easy-to-access design, promising a quick and seamless feel when making whatever potential upgrades to the hardware.

Hither is the Outset Looks of the Alienware Aurora R5 (2016) that came up some weeks dorsum:

Performance: Acme Tier

Taking a peek at the specifications (and toll!), there shouldn't be whatever surprises when it comes to the performance of the Alienware Aurora R5 (2016). The potent combination of an Inte 6th Generation Cadre i7-6700K processor and the sublime NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU means that this gaming beast volition easily eat up but nigh whatever game that is thrown at it.

At a resolution of 1080p, we hit an incredible 100+ FPS in merely nearly every game tested. Proceed in listen, the BenQ ZOWIE XL2735 Gaming Monitor had been on paw at the time and, thus, a hyper-immersive visual experience is easily achievable. How this detail peripheral fares can exist read in a separate, and apparently more focused, review.

For some videogames used for the review, such as Hitman, Metro Last Light and Battlefield ane, I managed to break the 100fps bulwark fifty-fifty when on 1440p, an absolutely mindblowing achievement. Ascension of the Tomb Raider averaged 87fps on 1440p, while more than demanding games similar The Sectionalisation managed 75fps.

The only time the Alienware Aurora R5 (2016) went under the estimated benchmark 60fps is when I dialed it all the fashion upwardly to 4K; The Division and Dishonored ii went only nether 50fps, while The Witcher iii averaged 55fps. Amazingly,this new Alienware gaming desktop kept at it and pushed itself to maintain that level of loftier performance as much as possible for all three titles.

Based on what I've seen, it'due south safe to say that 1440p gaming is the sweet spot for the Alienware Aurora R5 (2016); of course, 4K gaming is also possible, though it only works if y'all're willing to contend with far lower frame-rates while still maintaining proper visual fidelity.

As a side-notation, the accompanying keyboard and mouse for the Alienware Aurora R5 (2016) are non fully optimised for gaming. The former is a straightforward total-sized typing peripheral with a responsive membrane keystroke mechanism. Equally for the latter, it's a well-made clicker that rocks pretty prissy ergonomics.

Cooling: Noisy Creature

Strangely though, while Alienware's AlienFX Command Center showed that the temperatures are ideal even while gaming, the side mounted fan on this particular Alienware Aurora R5 (2016) review unit spun upwardly intermittently, making for a pretty noisy gaming session. I tried updating the fan configurations and even the BIOS, simply to no avail.

Thankfully, this occurrence isn't as frequent or it'd make for an annoying and irritating episodes of gaming.

Hopefully, this will be addressed in a future update. For now, y'all might want to invest in a couple of good loud speakers or at least a pair of headphones to ensure maximum gaming comfort.

While the fan noise is an issue, temperatures for the Alienware Aurora R5 (2016) are well within reasonable levels, with the CPU and GPU never going above 70℃ even when under heavy loads. Opting for liquid cooling would probably offering even more than impressive cooling—such a proposition can be made because the engineers behind the modular internals of this Alienware platform has made plenty room for it to exist installed.

Oddly, the unit I got to review had been sent over with the original air-cooling configuration, something that, past default, should already satisfy most people.

If the liquid cooling variant is picked over the conventional air-cooling design, then there should be no problems whatsoever for the Alienware Aurora R5 (2016). In fact, using this choice would mean non having to bargain with the unexpected noise the fan creates.

The only sound 1 would await is the cooling block making an occasional whirring hiss as it pumps the liquid through the pipes.

Determination: Final Advice

The Alienware Aurora R5 (2016) is truly one of the more impressive offerings to come from the Dell subsidiary in contempo years. Considering its high-spec internals, tower configurations, and overall pattern aesthetics, this might be one of the few OEMs on the market with a really competitive pricing.

Purists will e'er opt for the DIY route thanks to its endless options and cheaper price; for those less inclined towards applying thermal paste themselves, the newest Alienware Aurora R5 entry is a masterstroke from the gaming make.