Alienware Area-51 m9750 Desktop Replacement

Alienware made a name for themselves by building PC systems specifically for gaming. With the introduction of the Area-51 m9750 desktop replacement notebook, they are looking to push their way back to the top of the mobile PC gaming world. Let's take a close look at what they have to offer ...

Processor:
Alienware's Area-51 m9750 is all about gaming performance. As such, they offer a variety of high performance Intel Core 2 Duo processors to power the system. The T5500 processor is the base which offers decent overall performance but with only 2MB of cache. For those looking for more performance, the T7200, T7400 or T7600 with its 4MB of cache would be the preferred choices.

Memory:
In order to get the best performance possible, Alienware offers PC2-5300 DDR2 memory to match the 667MHz frontside bus of the Intel Core 2 Duo processor that come in the m9750. Three memory configurations of 1GB, 2GB or 4GB are offered for the system. The standard configuration is 2GB with 4GB for those needing the most memory and 1GB for those trying to cut costs.

Hard Drives:
A large number of hard drive options are available with the Area-51 m9750. A total of six different drives are available that can be purchases as single drive or two drive RAID 0 or RAID 1 configurations. In terms of the drive capacities, users can select between 80GB, 100GB, 160GB, 200GB and 250GB capacities. Some of the drives feature a 5400rpm spin rate while others have 7200rpm for increased performance.

CD/DVD Drive:
While most notebook and desktop PCs come standard with a DVD burner, Alienware actually offers users the base of a 24x CD-RW/DVD combo drive. Users will want to upgrade to the DVD burner as there is really no reason not to have the ability to burn DVDs. For those wanting high definition video support, there is also the option of a BluRay burner that also supports DVD burning.

Graphics and Displays:
Since the Area-51 m9750 is built for gaming, the graphics and display are critical. The systems name is derived from the GeForce Go 9750 GTX 512MB graphics card that is standard. Users who want even more performance can elect to have a second graphics processor installed in an SLI configuration. In terms of the display, the system features one of two 17” LCD panels. For those looking at a single graphics core, the 1440x900 screen is probably the better choice while the SLI configurations are better suited towards driving games on the 1920x1200 screen. An optional TV Tuner module is also available.

Networking:
Every configuration of the Alienware Area-51 m9750 comes equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet and v.92 56Kbps model. Wireless networking comes standard with an 802.11a/b/g networking adapter. Those looking to use the upcoming high speed wireless standard can elect to upgrade this adapter to a draft 802.11b wireless card that also supports the 802.11a/b/g standards.

Ports:
As far as the general expansion ports found on a notebook, the Alienware Area-51 m9750 has the traditional 4 USB 2.0 ports and single mini-FireWire port. It uses the newer ExpressCard/54 expansion slot over the more traditional PC Card slot. It has very good connections for those looking to use external speakers or audio. In addition to the traditional mini-jacks it also has a TOSlink optical port. If you want to hook up an external monitor, it features both a VGA and DVI-D connector.

Software:
Alienware offers a variety of operating systems for their systems. Choices include either the new Vista Home Premium or Ultimate editions or the Windows XP Professional or Media Center editions. Beyond this, preinstalled software is kept to a minimum. Users have the option for some basic anti-virus and productivity software. Upgrade options include a variety of PC games that can be installed or upgraded productivity suites.

Overall Impressions: Alienware has a clear goal in mind with the production of the Area-51 m9750 and that is to make a top of the line gaming system. The fact that they are willing to configure the notebook with a SLI setup using two GeForce Go 7950 GTX graphics cores is a testament to that goal. In fact, a system that is built with the top of the line options is nearly an unbeatable mobile platform when it comes to PC gaming.

What the Area-51 m9750 gives in terms of performance it gives up in terms of styling. Other companies that are geared towards PC gaming tend to offer customized designs that include a variety of colors and stenciled graphics on the case. While their desktop systems doe have some color combinations, the Area-51 m9750 comes in a single black color design. Of course, this limited design does have its advantages which is cost.

The problem with most gaming specific notebooks is their extremely high price. Sure, the Area-51 m9750 can pack a very high price tag if it is fully configured with top of the line options. The big difference hear is that consumers can get a very strong graphics notebook at a very reasonable price if they are willing to go with more mainstream components. This is where the highly flexible component selection of the Alienware system shines.

So, if you are in the market for a notebook computer for PC gaming notebook and have a tight budget or can afford pretty much anything, be sure to take a look at the Alienware Area-51 m9750.