Alienware Aurora R13 Best Review of 2022
Prebuilt gaming PCs like the Alienware Aurora R13 are most effective getting more crucial, mainly when you do not forget that the PC additives game enthusiasts want to build their personal PC grow to be increasingly more luxurious. Although, as we’ve seen during the last year, Alienware’s PC fees haven’t absolutely been as affected. That approach more human beings than ever are in all likelihood looking at this gaming rig to see if it is an inexpensive opportunity to building a PC, and it’s miles – but it’s now not honestly that easy.
This new tower from Alienware does come with a few aesthetic upgrades – consisting of a pitcher aspect panel that’s been lacking from Dell’s top class gaming PCs for some years now. But there are a few matters that have to be re-tested so as for this machine to be an outstanding mainstream tool.
Mainly, the CPU cooler. The Alienware Aurora R13 is using the today’s Intel twelfth-technology Intel processors, and the version we have in front of us is using the Core i9-12900K. It’s a energy hungry chip that outputs a variety of warmth when it’s put under load, however Alienware has determined to equip it with a 120mm AIO liquid cooler. While that might be enough for maybe a cutting-edge Core i7 processor, it definitely doesn’t cut it for a processor as strength-hungry as Intel’s flagship.
This by myself disqualifies the PC from being the go-to for game enthusiasts that still need a PC which can serve as a notebook. The moment you try and do any heavy video enhancing or rendering on this PC, you may run into issues with thermal throttling.
But due to the fact the center motive of the Alienware Aurora R13 is PC gaming in preference to creative workloads, this is much less of a huge deal than it can be with other machines. You’re no longer going to max out a Core i9-12900K in a Call of Duty match, in any case. If you’re only a PC gamer, that is going to be a pleasant PC.
It’s simply that on the stop of the day, whilst you’re paying a whopping $4,379 for the configuration reviewed here, it’d be quality to realize that you could push the hardware interior to its limits with out affecting the longevity of the computer.
Price and availability
The Alienware Aurora R13 is available now, starting at $1,399 within the US. That configuration gets you an Intel Core i5-12600KF, 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650. In the UK the beginning price is a little better, at £1,749, which is the same as the US model, just starting with an RTX 3060 alternatively.
But if you’re in Australia, you’re searching at a fee of at least AU$5,499, and also you’ll get an Intel Core i7-12700KF, 16GB RAM and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 – a quite high-stop configuration for the entry version.
Because it’s an Alienware rig, you could get it upgraded with the very best-quit components in the marketplace, proper now. If you need the specs listed to the right, you’re looking at a charge tag of $four,729 / £4,999 / AU$nine,349. Although, it need to be stated that the Australian version of this configuration comes with a further 2TB tough pressure.
You can also double the RAM up to 128GB, with a purpose to bring the charge up even similarly. However, due to how lackluster the CPU cooling is right here, we wouldn’t advise getting that a whole lot reminiscence. After all, any workload so that it will placed all that RAM to apply will just turn out to be causing your CPU to throttle – extra on that later.
Design
If you’ve visible any Alienware desktop PC during the last couple of years, the Alienware Aurora R13 will appearance acquainted. It has the equal Legend design language the corporation has been the use of for multiple years now, and is even to be had within the same “Lunar Light” or “Dark Side of the Moon” colorway alternatives – basically black or white.
However there is one massive trade here over the Alienware Aurora R13 – and that’s the side panel. Instead of having solid plastic panels on both sides of the PC, the left-hand facet now has a tumbler facet panel, which helps you to see the components at the inner. Sure, because it’s a mass produced PC it’s not as beautiful internal as a Maingear rig or some thing, but Alienware did make things a touch prettier now which you’ll be seeing within the case.
The middle distinction there is that the steel arm mechanism that housed the electricity supply in the Alienware Aurora R12 is long gone, because of this you can see without delay all the way down to the CPU cooler without having to move whatever out of the way. Not most effective does this appearance nicer, it also way that this PC is going to be a good deal easier to upgrade in addition down the road.
To open it up, there’s a little pull tab at the back of the laptop just above the rear exhaust, secured by way of a Philips-head screw. Simply loosen that screw, pull out that tab, and the side panel will launch for elimination. From there, you could get entry to the CPU, RAM, pics card, and NVMe SSD without needing to get anything out of the manner.
It’s a way more available design, and we applaud it, but there are some lingering problems right here.
Namely, because of the manner the chassis is designed, there isn’t space for a bigger AIO liquid CPU cooler to be set up. Instead, in case you do choose the water cooling alternative, you’ll handiest get a 120mm AIO. That’s first-rate for low-to-mid variety CPUs, but it’s a critical trouble if you have some thing just like the Intel Core i9-12900K internal.
Under load, because of this the enthusiasts have to work overtime, and it finally ends up being extraordinarily loud. This isn’t going to be a PC you’re going to need to pick out up in case you need your sport periods to be quiet – but really gained’t be an difficulty if you’re carrying a gaming headset whilst using this rig.
All the first-rate matters about R12 chassis are again, though. Around the the front, you’re getting USB-A ports and a USB-C, at the side of a few very attractive RGB lighting across the center panel. Then, across the back you’re getting a big collection of ports, which you could assume from a computing device gaming PC. The handiest component that’s without a doubt modified here over the last-technology model is that the strength input has moved from the pinnacle left corner to the bottom proper. That brings it more in keeping with different gaming PCs, however shouldn’t realistically change how your setup will appearance.
Performance
Because the Alienware Aurora R13 despatched to us for evaluate is strapped with an Intel Core i9-12900K, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, and 64GB of DDR5 RAM, there’s quite lots no game that won’t be in reality blown out of the water with this issue. This gaming PC has honestly no problem playing any recreation available on the market at 4K with every putting maxed out, and need to stay that way for pretty a while.
We have it in our residing room, sitting subsequent to our leisure middle, and we’ve been the use of it pretty a bit to experience a piece of gaming in our downtime. Next-era video games like Guardians of the Galaxy and Cyberpunk 2077 run like an absolute dream right here, specifically whilst you use technologies like DLSS and FSR. And, the benchmarks indexed to the right tell pretty a whole lot the equal story.
The troubles arise while you try and push this PC outside of gaming. When we first were given this gadget in, we had been in the center of running with Alder Lake for the first time, and so we loaded up Blender, essentially just to look what would happen.
While performance became exact, it didn’t take long before we observed CPU digits hitting temperatures above 100C, main to some giant thermal throttling. We tried reseating the cooler, and it didn’t result in any extensive distinction within the temperature. The CPU cooler right here is simply no longer enough for this processor. Even in our personal testing of the Alder Lake flagship, we are seeing temperatures round 86C under full load on an open-air check bench with a large 360mm AIO cooler – so the 120mm AIO within the Alienware Aurora R13 is simply no longer going to cut it.
This gained’t be a hassle with configurations with barely less powerful CPUs, however. Our advice is, if you need this Alienware rig, stay with an Intel Core i7-12700K or below. Realistically, gaming overall performance on that processor is going to be nearly as suitable as the 12900K. It’s just going to last a chunk longer.
It wouldn’t be as huge a deal if there was area inside the chassis to healthy a larger liquid cooler, however alas there isn’t. If excessive-give up processors hold being as warm as they are right now – and we suppose they may – Alienware goes to want to move lower back to the drawing board for its desktop PC designs. Hopefully it is able to try this with out forsaking the stunning Legend design language it’s cultivated over the last few years.
Buy it if…
You want a stunning gaming PC
The Alienware Aurora R13 is simply as stunning as it’s ever been, simplest now with a glass facet panel that helps you to see the center of the system.
You want to game at 4K and not using a compromises
With the extent of hardware that you can use to personalize the Alienware Aurora R13, you can get some severe gaming performance. This is the machine you purchase while you need the fine gaming overall performance and also you don’t care approximately anything else.
You’re an Alienware fan
In a variety of ways, the Alienware Aurora R13 is the final gaming PC in the emblem’s Legend design collection. It’s probably that the organisation may also want to revisit the layout in the destiny, though.
