What you need to know
- Dell and Alienwre announced the Aurora R9 today, showing off a bold, new design.
- The new look is an extension of Alienware's "Legend" design language that debuted with the Area-51m earlier in 2019.
- The new Alienware Aurora R9 will be available August 20 starting at $970.
Alienware made quite the impression with its new "Legend" design language that hit its laptops earlier this year, and now it's coming to the realm of desktops. As Gamescom 2019 kicks off this week, Alienware has launched an overhauled Aurora mid-tower PC with a bold, fresh look that stands out from the pre-built crowd.
With its previous design, the Aurora managed to make its mark with a unique side panel, but the front was very much that of a standard desktop PC. The new Aurora R9 upends that legacy by adopting a elongated, rounded look with an LED-lit panel running up the middle. On the panel are the front USB, microphone, and headphone ports topped by a glowing Aienware logo.
The rest of the case is flashy as well, featuring a rounded aesthetic with a Alienware branding on the right side and venting grates on the left. The new design isn't just for look, though; Alienware says that the PC has been built with better airflow in mind. The revamp increases airflow efficiency with less obstruction than the previous design, dropping temperatures by up to eight percent, according to Alienware.
That's a claim that will have to wait to be tested with reviews, but it's promising if it proves out.
Getting down to raw specs, you can kit the Aurora R9 out in a wide range of configurations. The available processors cover Intel's 9th Gen Core series, ranging from the Core i3-9100 up to the Core i9-9900K. You'll also be able to get up to 64GB of RAM, up to 4TB of storage, and graphics up to dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 cards. Here's a full look at the Alienware Aurora R9 specs:
| Category | Alienware Aurora R9 |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Up to Intel Core i9-9900K (8-core, 16MB cache, overclocked up to 4.7GHz) |
| Graphics | Up to dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 |
| Memory | Up to 64GB (3200MHz) |
| Storage | Up to 4TB (2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD (Boot) + 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s (storage)) |
| Connectivity | Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet NICQualcomm Wi-Fi 5 DW1810 1x1 802.11ac Wi-Fi Wireless LAN and Bluetooth 4.2Qualcomm Wi-Fi 5 DW1820 2x2 802.11ac Wi-Fi Wireless LAN and Bluetooth 4.2Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Front Ports | 1x Headphone/Line Out, 1x Microphone/Line In, 2x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1, 1x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1 w/Powersharetechnology, 1x Type-C USB 3.1 Gen 1 |
| Rear Ports | 1x SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK), 1x SPDIF Digital Output (Coax), 5x Type-A USB 2.0, 1x Type-C USB 3.1 Gen 2 w/Powersharetechnology (up to 15W), 3x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1, 1x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 2, 1x RJ-45 Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet, 1x Full Size DisplayPort 1.2 Output, 1x Microphone In, 1x Line In, 1x Line Out, 1x Center/Subwoofer Output, 1x Rear Surround Output, 1x Side Surround Output |
| Dimensions | Height (maximum): 481.6 mm (18.9 in.)Length (maximum): 431.9 mm. (17.00 in.)Width (maximum): 222.8 mm. (8.771 in.) |
| Weight | Maximum: 17.8 Kg. (39.2 lbs.) |
| Colors | Lunar LightDark Side of the Moon |
| Availability | August 20 |
The Alienware Aurora R9 is expected to go on sale starting August 20. While prices will vary depending on your exact configuration, the PC will start at $970.
A Legend
The Alienware Aurora R9 shakes things up with a new design that not only looks fresh, but brings some significant improvements to airflow throughout. Combined with a solid slate of hardware, the Aurora R9 looks to be a capable pre-built gaming rig.
