CES 2022: A Closer Look At Alienware’s High-Powered Gaming PCs

Dell’s Alienware brand has been a mainstay in the PC gaming sphere for years, offering users plenty of high-end gaming solutions that are reliable as they are powerful. The Aurora line of gaming PCs, in particular, has stood out in recent times thanks to its sleek and intelligent designs that does not compromise style or performance.

The Aurora R13 and R14 models are equipped with the latest hardware fitted inside the brand’s sculpted chassis that provides top-notch performance and unprecedented ease of use. Because of this, these PC models were awarded the CES Innovation Award but are they as good as they’re made out to be? Here’s a closer look.

R13 and R14 Internals Explored

Both models come pre-built with high-end hardware to provide the best gaming experience possible at 1080p resolution. Even the most affordable configurations of each model can remain competitive with many custom-built desktops out there.

The pre-built R13 comes with 12th gen Intel i9-12900KF and a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GDDR6 GPU with 10GB of VRAM complemented by 64GB-worth of Dual Channel DDR5 RAM, clocking in at 4400MHz, and a 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD.

Weaker configurations of the R13 are outfitted with other 12th Gen Intel CPUs and earlier models of the RTX 3000 series of graphics cards.

On the other hand, the R14 is equipped with very similar hardware in terms of performance output. The best-built R14 comes with a Ryzen 9 5900X with the same RTX 3080 GPU and storage device. However, this version comes with 32 gigabytes’ worth of DDR4 RAM sticks which are only very slightly inferior to their DDR5 counterparts.

Apart from these differences in system specs, the R14 comes with better ventilation and more AlienFX lighting zones for added style and improved air-cooling efficiency. Meanwhile, the R13 can be equipped with Alienware’s CryoTech liquid cooling solution.

Cooling And Airflow

Heat management is the biggest concern when it comes to mini-PC builds. Cramped interiors tend to cause higher temperatures but luckily, Dell got this issue figured out.

The R13 and R14 models were designed for optimal airflow. With Dell’s Legend 2.0 design, these computers enjoy superior airflow thanks to fewer internal obstructions and a larger internal volume compared to previous Aurora models. This results in lower temperatures across the board and quieter acoustics even when under high stress.

Users can also spend more time playing their favorite games thanks to the upgraded cooling solutions found in these new models. At base, the R13 and R14 are equipped with four system fans, but users have the option to upgrade to liquid cooling should they find the need.

Alienware Aurora R13 Gaming PC Photo: Dell

The Verdict

The latest of Alienware’s Aurora PCs offer the best that modern gaming can offer in terms of style and performance. Even with the unique internal design of the desktop units, users are still free to upgrade these computers in any way they see fit. The tool-less design allows for quick and easy hardware installation that makes tinkering hassle-free.

Thanks to the thoughtful and innovative designs and awesome hardware selection, we’re happy to recognize the Aurora R13 and R14 as part of the best products list of CES 2022.