Alienware Area-51 Threadripper Edition, Copious Cores and Performance

We first looked at Dell’s Area-51 Threadripper Edition gaming PC in the spring of this year; it was in the early stage of production. While we did offer you an initial guided tour of the machine, we considered it too early to examine the system through our comprehensive review lens. At the time, we were still performing urgent brain transplants from aliens to the system and making the device up to standard silicon specifications in the process of replacing the production AMD Threadripper chip that shipped with the system.
Then, things got better with the powerful Threadripper-powered Alienware machine to the point where we used it for an enormously multitasking test device for an AMD Ryzen Threadripper Review as well as a performance spotlight. But Dell’s Alienware team was still working on the final touches to software and accessories to go with their new gaming desktops. Therefore, we’re back this morning to review the Alienware Area 51 Threadripper Edition, which can be called its final retail-ready design.

What can you accomplish with this sixteen-core 32-thread alien processing power plant? You’re about to discover…

Operating System	Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
Processor	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X 16-Core/32-Thread,Overclocked on all cores (1920X also available)
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti with 11GB GDDR5X Lower-end GPU options mGPU – SLI/CrossFire compatible
Memory	32GB Dual-Channel DDR4 with 2667 MHz. Up to 64GB, DDR4XMP 2933MHz options
Optical Drive	Slot-Loading Dual-Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW) (Standard)
Storage	256GB M.2 PCIe SSD 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s (64MB Cache, 7,200 RPM)
Cooling System	Alienware’s Premium socketTR4 CPU Liquid-Cooling
Connectivity	Dual Killer(tm) E2500 Intelligent Networking (Gigabit Ethernet NIC) Killer 1535 802.11ac 2×2 WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1
Front Panel Ports	(2x) SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A (1x) Headphone 1/8″ Port (1x) Microphone 1/8″ Port (1x) Media Card Reader
Rear Panel Ports	(2x) RJ-45 Killer Networks E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Port (2x) Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (6x) SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A (1x) SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A (1x) SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C with 15W PowerShare technology (1x) SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK) (1x) Line-In (blue port) (1x) Front L/R/ (green port) Headphone (green port) (1x) Center Channel / Subwoofer (orange port) (1x) (black port) (black port) (1x) (white port) (white port)
Power Supply	Alienware(tm) 1500W Multi-GPU Powered Power Supply that is approved by the GPU with modular cabling [80 Plus Gold Efficiency]
Dimensions	Volume: Volume: 59L (The area occupied by the outside sides of the frame) Height: 22.411″ (569.25mm) Depth: 25.156″ (638.96mm) Width: 10.736″ (272.71mm)
Weight	Starting at 61.73lbs from: 61.73lbs (28 Kilograms.)
Warranty	1-Year Hardware Service that includes On-site or In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis
Pricing	Starting at $2399 $3864 Tested With Pro Gaming Keyboard, and an Advanced Gaming Mouse AW 25 240Hz Gaming Monitor Sold Separately

The Alienware Area-51 Threadripper Edition is what we’d call a well-appointed, full-featured machine. Support for the latest technologies brought forth by AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper platform, like NVMe solid state drives, quad-channel DDR4-2666MHz (and higher) memory, as well as multi-GPU setups, are all here. Also available are both wired and wireless Killer Networks gaming NICs for low latency gaming and packet prioritization. The only notable omission of this version of the Area-51 would be Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. Though a USB Type-C connector is on board, it’s limited to a USB 3.1 Gen 2 10Gbps connection versus 40Gbps if it supports Thunderbolt 3. Creative professionals might miss this for external storage attachment, but at least the connection does have a 15 Watt PowerShare capability.

Also Read : Alienware Aurora 2019 | Impeccable Gaming Desktop Review            
This is the R3 version of the machine, and for the most part, with the exception of the custom Threadripper TR4 socket AiO liquid cooler, the chassis design has not changed since we looked at our first machine over two years ago. It’s an excellent thing. The chassis’ design is definitely personal; however, we’re quite in love with The Area-51’s Triad mid-tower style, which lets cool air into its grill on the front and then exhausts warm air from the back of the machine, which is on the upwards slope above the graphic card cage along the way where the heat increases. With the PSU located on the bottom, the most powerful subsystems that generate heat expel air through the back of the machine but with a slight elevation for superior thermal management.