Alienware Command Center continues to be the centerpiece of the suite with the ability to customize RGB lighting, allow one-click overclocking and serve as a launcher for games.
#ALIENWARE R8 CHANGE MOTHERBOARD SOFTWARE#
The Aurora comes with a light software preload. In the UK, the keyboard comes in the box by default, though you can remove the mouse in Dell’s configurator to save £13.84. You can add one of each on Dell’s website (Dell is Alienware’s parent company) for no additional cost in the U.S. Our review unit didn’t come with a keyboard or a mouse, which makes sense for those who already have them lying around. It took Alienware’s rig 29 seconds to pair 65,000 names and addresses in our Excel macro test, besting the 32-second average and falling only behind the Trident. That’s not only faster than the average (426.7 MBps) but also faster than all of its competitors. The Aurora copied 4.97 GB of files in 8 seconds, which equates to 636.2 MBps. But the Trident’s Core i9-9900K helped it achieve a score of 31,581 on this test. On Geekbench 4, the Aurora earned a score of 28,995, which is higher than the Vengeance and Omen (both with a Core i7-8700) and the gaming desktop average (22,906). That’s speedier than both the Vengeance and Omen but below average (6:56) and the Trident (5:38). The Aurora finished that task in 7 minutes and 14 seconds. On our Handbrake video editing test the computer transcodes a 4K resolution video to 1080p.
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The GPU ran at an average temperature of 76.3 degrees Celsius (169.3 degrees Fahrenheit). The CPU reached an average clock speed of 4.2 GHz and average temperature of 53.2 degrees Celsius (127.8 degrees Fahrenheit). Across the 15 runs, the game ran at an average of 55.6 fps and was quite consistent throughout. I ran that 15 times to simulate 30 minutes of gaming. To stress test the Aurora, I turned to Metro Exodus, which has an RTX preset in the benchmark. The Aurora earned a perfect score of 11 on the SteamVR performance test. The former number is higher than average, but the latter is lower. On the Grand Theft Auto V benchmark (very high settings), the Alienware ran at 97 fps in FHD and 34 fps in 4K. On Shadow of the Tomb Raider (highest settings), the Aurora hit 88 fps in FHD and 30 fps in 4K, falling just below the gaming desktop averages (94 fps and 34 fps, respectively) but only below the Vengeance in terms of our comparison group. The frame rate dropped to 77 fps in 4K, just below the gaming desktop average and MSI’s machine. The Aurora played the Hitman benchmark (ultra settings) at 143 fps in FHD, tying the Trident and beating the average. Despite that, the cable management in our unit was acceptable with the exception of a GPU power cable plugged into the motherboard resting on the GPU itself. However, the PSU is a bit in the way for more major changes, like the case fans, and replacing the PSU itself would likely be a major challenge because of the unique design. Two switches on the back lock in the power supply and, when released, it can swing out on a hinge to reveal the rest of the components, including the graphics card (held up by a bracket), RAM, CPU water cooling and, in our configuration, a pair of drive bays just waiting for some extra storage. An Alienware representative told me that the screw is there just to keep the machine safe during transit and doesn’t need to be replaced.
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When that’s removed, pressing the lever makes the left side panel pop off, revealing the power supply.
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There’s a single Phillips head screw holding in a lever in the back of the case. It’s easy to get into the Aurora, though you’ll need tools the first time.