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Reviews (1)
Mar 30, 2016
A tiny supercomputer
9 of 9 found this helpful I recieved an i3, 4g RAM version of the Alpha recently (which I did upgrade to 12G RAM) and this thing is a dream. I was a little worried about the processor being an i3, and was half tempted to get the i7 version a while ago, but this thing is more than powerful enough to champ through pretty much anything I can throw at it.
I primarily use the Alpha as a home entertainment device and video game console. It plays games better than the PS4 or Xbox1 in terms of visual quality (I can run Fallout 4 at high-ultra settings and maintain around 50-60fps as 1080), and once I overclocked it - which is much easier than it sounds - I can maintain ultra settings at above 60fps. Even more graphically demanding games run on ultra or high settings at above 30fps (usually around 45-50 for very graphically intensive games).
This thing is powerful and cheap. You can upgrade the RAM and processor and if you absolutely ever need a better video card, Alienware (and other companies) offer external video boosters (essentially a second video card) for better graphics. I don't see needing that any time soon, though. The Alpha has a heavily modified onboard GTX video card that's supposedly rated at 2G dedicated video memory and 6G total shared video memory (but again, you could overclock it). The thing is a beast. I am more than happy with this device.