Alienware Alpha Review 

There’s a big difference between stating your intentions to transport PC gaming into the living room by simply building a diminutive box, and actually transcending the typical Windows experience by building a user interface TILE +1.7% that facilitates those intentions. To put this in less verbose terms, Dell's Alienware Alpha is an affordable gateway to PC gaming in the living room, tied together by an intuitive — if barebones – console-like user interface.

Specs and Pricing

The Alienware Alpha ships in four configurations beginning at $549.99. That baseline model includes:

• Windows 8.1
• Intel INTC +0.19% Core i3-4130T Dual-core CPU
• 4GB RAM
• 500GB 5400RPM hard drive
• Custom 2GB Nvidia GTX graphics card based on the 860M (slightly higher voltage)
• Wireless AC + Bluetooth 4.0
• 2x USB 2.0 ports and 2x USB 3.0 ports
• Optical Audio out
• Wireless Xbox 360 controller

Dell’s Alienware Alpha console with included Xbox 360 controller

Every model packs the same custom Nvidia GPU, but an extra $150 will double your system RAM to 8GB and hard drive space to 1TB . Scale up to $799 and you’ll additionally upgrade to an Intel Core-i5 CPU. Drop $899 and you’ll score the Core-i7 version with a 2TB hard drive and 8GB or RAM.

I have a lot of praise for this system and the $549 baseline model in general (the benchmarks are impressive), but I have to preface it with a warning: If you want to play Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare on your Alpha, the 4GB of RAM becomes a deal-breaker. Sledgehammer’s latest shooter will load but is a stuttery mess. Fortunately the Alpha is highly user-upgradeable and it’s a snap to purchase and install your own additional RAM. And to be fair, that’s the only unplayable game I’ve discovered.

Hardware Design and Software Interface

The Alienware Alpha is smaller than the Wii U and considerably smaller than the Xbox One or PlayStation 4. A 2-inch tall, 7.8-inch wide square, it clocks in at 4.5 pounds. It’s just stylish enough to be easily identifiable as an Alienware product without trying to deliberately stand out. This means it should integrate nicely into your existing setup.

It’s also a cinch to access its internals. Just remove the bottom screws to gain access to hard drive bay, RAM, and CPU, all of which are easily upgradeable. Unfortunately the custom mobile graphics card is soldered in and can’t be replaced, but that’s understandable for a machine of this small form factor.

The real highlight of the Alienware Alpha actually spawned from the delay of Valve’s Steam Machine initiative. See, in an earlier form the Alpha was slated to launch as one of the initial Steam Machines. Following the delay, the company took the initiative to build their own interface and transform the device into a true “PC gaming console.”

Enter the Alpha’s console UI, a controller-driven interface intended for using on your couch. It’s clean, intuitive, and simple to navigate. And to be crystal clear, this isn’t just Steam Big Picture mode with a new skin. It’s very much a console-like interface for your PC, eschewing the desktop completely. The Alpha boots into its console UI, and you can set up accounts, manage your sound and network settings, tweak display options, and configure the custom AlienFX lighting.

It’s entirely possible to never see the traditional Windows desktop, especially if the majority of your game library is on Steam. And one of the best reasons to live inside Console Mode is that it restricts nags like Windows Update reminders to reboots and power cycles. But if you want to use the Alpha as a full-fledged PC, just select “Desktop Mode” to venture into familiar territory.

One of the Alpha’s best features is that it suppresses nags like Windows Updates exclusively to reboots or power cycles.

The console UI is a fantastic start with some real areas of opportunity. Alienware needs to give its customers less excuses to leave the console environment. Let me launch Netflix NFLX -1.57% from there, or the Skype app, or VLC Media Player (they are working on launching non-gaming apps, I’m not positive of the specifics). Hook it into the Windows Store and at least create a notification center for new tweets, facebook notifications, and email. Alienware reps have stressed that they’re adding new features on a monthly basis, and they encourage their users to contribute ideas.