Gaming just took on a whole new dimension thanks to the Dell Alienware Alpha gaming console from distributor Drive Control Corporation (DCC).
Alpha combines the freedom of PC gaming, including the ability to customise specs and upgrade components, with the ease of a gaming console. An exclusive Alienware-developed user interface allows for easy navigation with the included Xbox 360 controller, without the need for a keyboard or mouse, and access to global online community — Steam Big Picture — offers access to endless gaming and entertainment on your big screen television.
“Gaming consoles are the ultimate in convenience, as they offer everything a gamer needs in one compact, easy to install, easy to use device. However, users have always had to work within the confines of the fixed specifications of these consoles, including memory, processing power and storage capacity. The Dell Alienware Alpha changes this for good, offering a variety of different configurations to meet different needs, and the ability to upgrade these components should your requirements change in the future,” says Terence Narayanan, Dell Consumer product specialist at DCC.
Running off Windows 8.1 operating system and featuring 4th generation Intel Core Haswell processors up to i7 Quad-Core, the Alienware Alpha has two memory slots for up to 8GB of Random Access Memory (RAM). It also offers up to 2 Terabytes (TB) of hard drive space for plenty of storage for games and multimedia. The video card is a custom Nvidia “Maxwell” GTX graphics processing unit with 2GB of dedicated RAM running at 6 Gigabits per second (Gbps).
Starting weight of the console is just 1.81kg, and the chassis measures a compact 20cm wide, 20cm deep and just 5.5cm high. External connectors include two front facing USB 2.0 ports, two rear USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port for wires connectivity, HDMI In and HDMI Out and optical audio out. For those who prefer wireless connectivity, a dual-band AC wireless card ensures prioritised wireless network connectivity and increased range for seamless content streaming. The Dell Alienware Alpha is also user-accessible to allow for upgrades to the CPU, RAM and hard drive, allowing you to enhance components for better in-game performance and multitasking as well as additional storage capacity.
“The Alienware Alpha offers access to more than 3 000 downloadable games, including popular blockbusters as well as independent titles, and a Steam community of more than 75 million gamers from around the world. You can play your entire Steam library directly on the Alienware Alpha, or stream all your Steam games and content over your local network, without the online-play subscription fees and quality issues of some other consoles. Family sharing can be set up to remember users on the controller, with children’s accounts featuring custom parental settings. The Alienware Alpha is the most customisable gaming console available to date, and offers a host of features that ensure it stands out head and shoulders above the competition,” Narayanan adds.
For gaming out of the box, the Alienware Alpha is bundled with free bonus content including the complete versions of Anomaly: Warzone Earth, Awesomenauts, Magicka, Metro: Last Light, PAYDAY 2 and Strike Suit Zero. Alienware Alpha also includes an exclusive Gauntlet in-game item, the Magicka: Dungeons and Daemons DLC, as well as Alienware exclusive demos of Defense Grid 2 and Super Splatters.
Consoles ship with a Wireless Xbox 360 controller and USB controller dongle that you to connect additional controllers. Available accessories include extra controllers, gaming headsets, wireless touch keyboard and more.