The Alienware Aurora R8 demonstrates that a gaming system can be both sleek and powerful. There’s a powerhouse within this gem of a gaming PC, boasting outstanding features including 9th-generation Intel CPUs and integrated Nvidia GPUs while maintaining its immediate predecessor’s subtle yet game-centric appearance.
With an evolving powerful platform technology and self-contained liquid cooling, the Alienware Aurora R8 delivers better visual performance for ray-tracing compatible titles, whilst constantly pushing performance boundaries for a small gaming PC.
Although gamers are the obvious target demographic for a device as exclusive as this, the Aurora also presents a compelling case for creative disciplines. Film and photo processing, CAD modeling, neural network computing, and other pursuits all utilize the high-end gear that gamers desire.
Users who balance both duties will get even more out of a sophisticated device like this one. Its small bezels, excellent resolution, color calibration, and large size allow it to be an appealing choice for picture and video editing.
Table of Contents
6 Features of Alienware Aurora R8:
- Built to stay cool: Clearly influenced by the Area-51’s temperature posture, the Aurora has excellent airflow on both the front and right surfaces, as well as an outlet fan atop, for optimum circulation and cooling of internal structural elements.
- Timeless and Understated Design: Adjustable AlienFX lighting gives the Aurora a unique, vibrant aesthetic, and its noiseless functioning lets you get immersed in the gameplay without distracting noises.
- Graphical Competency: The Aurora has been verified and standardized in video games and simulated benchmarks at UHD 4K resolutions and even beyond.
- Unique, no-tool access: Owing to tool-less mobility, a specially engineered PSU swing-arm maintains graphics and expansion chips protected and simple to replace, as well as RAMs and up to 5 storage media.
- Wireless Killer: Dell’s ExtremeRange Tech with major external 5 GHz signal amplifiers is included in the Killer 1535 to increase performance over larger intervals. The External Power Amplifier and the Low Noise Amplifier operate together to extend and maximise your Wi-Fi range, as well as to enhance your wireless signals, allowing them to cut through the interference and convey your information as fast as possible.
- Created to Overclock: The Alienware Aurora was created to fully accommodate customizable modifications, incorporating factory overclocking on all existing 9th Gen CPU choices.
A glance at the design of the R8:
Sleek, minimal, and modest describe the Alienware Aurora R8’s aesthetic well. While it does not revolutionize the Aurora line’s style, it does offer the mid-tower structure an appealing grey-on-black look.
It also uses RGB lighting in a manner that is attractive to enthusiasts without being excessively flashy. The Alienware logo and power button illuminate, as do three lines that protrude from the middle of each side panel, all of which can be modified.
The machine is also somewhat future-proof. Regardless that you choose the entry-level variant, you may still consider upgrading to the Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti afterward.
You may even upgrade to 64GB of RAM – most PCs still arrive with 8GB or 16GB for more powerful gaming desktops. Additionally, of the two that come with the device itself, the chassis features two more slots for peripherals such as hard discs.
To gain access to the interior components, one of the grey side rails may be readily removed. The fact that Dell advertises the Desktop as having tool-free access, you have to remove just one screw to gain access.
Having said that, hard drives, the GPU, RAM, and additional slots are all tool-free, making this an extremely simple machine to access and update.
The Aurora R8 has three USB-A 3.0 (5Gbps) inputs, one USB-C 3.0 (5Gbps) input, and a headset and audio connectors at the front. Even when the device is turned off, both of the USB-A ports may charge items; however, there isn’t any visible indicator about which ports they are; a charging plug sign or something close could assist.
The back release lever unlocks the side cover. The power source is located just above the video card, obscuring the motherboard, so there isn’t a lot to see at first sight.
Furthermore, two more locks in the back enable the power source to slide out and show the CPU fluid cooler and RAM.
To split ventilation, the system is fundamentally divided into three compartments: an upper region for the CPU and memory, a lower region for the video card and expansion slots, and a third for the electrical supply.
The topmost section vents out the top through the 120mm CPU radiator. While there is just one fan, the radiator is wider, so heat dissipation is sufficient.
Testing Out The Graphical Limits Of Aurora
1. Anthem
The Aurora is adept at gaming at high resolutions thanks to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080, in addition to allowing ray tracing in select titles. “Anthem” ran between 38 to 48 frames per second (fps) on extreme configurations in 4K, with occasional substantial screen tearing.
2. Hitman
When I reduced the resolution to FHD, it performed at a steady 106 – 121 fps, only falling to those poorer fps under heavy flying. The Aurora ran the Hitman testing (extreme settings) with 143 frames per second in FHD, matching the Trident and outperforming the estimate.
3. Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
In 4K, the frame rate fell to 77 fps, well behind the gaming desktop standard. The Aurora achieved 88 frames per second in FHD and 30 frames per second in 4K on Shadow of the Tomb Raider (maximum settings), going slightly short of the gaming computer benchmarks (94 and 34 frames per second, respectively), but only behind the Vengeance in regards to our comparison category.
4. GTA V
The Alienware R8 ran the Grand Theft Auto V test at 97 frames per second in FHD and 34 frames per second in 4K (extremely high options). While the latter is considerably lower, the first is above standard.
5. SteamVR
On the SteamVR benchmarking process, Aurora received a flawless total of 11. With an eight-core Core i7-9900K CPU from Intel’s 9th Gen chipset series, the Aurora R8 test unit performs well.
You may choose an Aurora R8 setup that includes a more potent Intel Core i9-9900K CPU if you want to use it for productive work. The R8 can work quite fine with Adobe Creative Cloud or Microsoft Office 365 when set up with a Core i7 chip, and video games run very smoothly.
Ultimate Visual Experience and Overall Experience
Even though the Aurora R8 is a PC designed for gaming, it features the greatest video cards money can buy and offers lots of visual capability that would definitely earn you the envy of passionate players.
1. GPU Performance
The Aurora R8 is unique in that it provides one of the most portable and easily obtainable commercial systems that support up to two GPUs, with a maximum of two Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti cards.
There is only one GeForce RTX 2080 non-Ti card included in the test model. It joins the Origin PC Neuron in this comparison, however, most consumers won’t likely require or even come close to the amount of GPU performance unless they’re utilizing the machine for project designs.
2. Display
This setup not only has 4K ready, but it can also execute the breakthrough ray-tracing technology. For people who are unfamiliar with ray tracing, it is a technology that enhances the modelling of lighting and shadows.
This translates into the ability to see genuine shadows and reflections in puddles, ice, and glass cabinets, adding to the immersion. It’s worth remembering that Battlefield 5 is presently the one and only video game that supports ray tracing, though Metro Exodus is generally assumed to have it at debut as well.
3. Processor
The Alienware Aurora R8 is equipped with an Intel 9th-Gen Core i7-9700K processor, which when combined with the computer’s 32GB of RAM, enabled it to easily handle every work I gave it.
Even when I switched between more than a handful of Chrome tabs, five active Twitch feeds, and Anthem running simultaneously, the device was responsive and fluid. However, I did see that the fans become somewhat louder as a result of this load.
4. Storage
An impressive 5GB of data was transferred by the Aurora’s 512GB SSD in only 8 seconds, for a transmission speed of 636 megabytes per second. The Alienware Aurora R8 also reported a PCMark 10 score of 6938, which is yet another incredibly crunchy CPU number, to highlight the CPU’s prowess even more.
5. Benchmarks
With a score of 7733 in the benchmark test Fire Strike Ultra, this version of the Alienware Aurora R8 also has some of the strongest GPU performance I’ve seen before.
This outperforms competing desktops like the MSI Trident X and Asus Strix GL 12CX, which have values of 6578 and 6172, respectively. When running demanding video games, the Aurora R8 won’t become too hot thanks to the available built-in liquid cooling system.
6. Temperature
The GPU never went beyond 81°C during the 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra stress test, while the CPU reached a peak value of 74°C. This is a respectable thermal efficiency given the amount of juice this computer can produce.
While the fans were audible under heavy load, the fans never became loud enough to enter the realms of annoying either. The Alienware Aurora R8 is one of the finest gameplay desktops on the market, with the greatest consumer video card and CPU available.
7. Command Centre
This provides this PC a significant edge and superiority over rivals like the MSI Trident X. The Aurora R8’s one-year hardware insurance guarantee only adds to the allure of this offer.
The PC comes with Alienware’s redesigned Command Centre software, which has a considerably neat and crisper appearance. This helps to browse your game collection and illumination settings much easier.
The software recognizes which games you have loaded and allows you to customize color configurations per application, allowing you to create a personalized RGB load-up dependent on the game you’re running.
8. Pricing
Obviously, this will only cater to people who are starting from scratch with their PC setup, as the entire kit costs a hefty £2848.99. Interestingly, when opposed to constructing your own PC, this desktop delivers outstanding value.
If you bought all of the equipment from Overclockers to replicate the Aurora R8’s specification sheet, the cost would be around £2725, excluding the skeleton frame, motherboard, PSU, or liquid cooling.
The final pricing will almost definitely exceed that of the Aurora R8, highlighting Dell’s exceptional service and quality here. Furthermore, the Alienware Aurora R8 has substantial upgrade options, with additional capacity for a secondary graphics card or multiple storage devices.
Alienware has maintained to adjust its emphasis after being bought by Dell in 2006. It now favors high-quality productions focused on user-facing comforts and benefits above showy aesthetic elements aimed towards a misunderstanding of gaming aficionado society.
Modern Alienware prebuilts emphasize highly configurable setups, cutting-edge performance elements, and simple access and upgradeability, all of which PC gamers value the most. However, one aspect of their less desirable legacy that they haven’t abandoned is a considerable markup on their computers, and both of these traditions, great and negative, can be found in the Aurora R8.
Our Verdict
If you’re just getting started and want the most high-end gaming computer imaginable, the Alienware Aurora R8 is an excellent choice. This setup not only has 4K ready, but it can also execute the breakthrough ray-tracing technology. My only complaint is that the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9900K is potentially powerful for gaming, which increases the cost unnecessarily.
The Alienware Aurora R8 is the entire deal in far more aspects than just one, with a sleek casing, simple reconfigurability, and a multitude of connectors.
