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[bede-x]

probably too early to tell since the spec requirements for these games I haven't been released yet but what's the best guess on these? would the base alpha run these as well as a ps4?

I don't wanna guess without seeing more gameplay and hardware requirements. Maybe?

how about witcher 3? how does that run on the base alpha?

PS4 version is 1080p/20-30fps. From what I've seen the Alpha is roughly comparable, but check out specific benchmarks yourself. Here's an example with it running on the base model with extra RAM like you're considering:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LBRw29HYNc

And here's Digital Foundry's comparison between the PS4 and their budget PC (i3 4130/GTX 750 Ti):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGf4SVWEw2g

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2015-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-face-off

Perhaps some Alpha owners can elaborate on how well it runs?

 

[FloatOn]

thanks for info.

 

[FloatOn]

Annnnd I just pulled the trigger and bought extra ram. It should be here on Tuesday. I couldn't be more hyped.

 

[piratepwnsninja]

If Alienware made it a little bigger so you could fit mini itx GPU's like this in there:

Then I would insta-buy.

They really just need to make it compatible with their Graphics Amplifier, which makes the card size irrelevant. Yes, it is an add-on that would increase the cost, but I'm running a 980Ti in mine hooked up to my AW laptop and it works great.

 

[Zia]

So a couple questions for TheXRavenX, but he hasn't poked his head in for a week so if anyone knows the answers please chime in.

a) I was waiting for the Steam Machine ver, then I saw the Hivemind interface which looks really rad for someone that uses GOG, Battle.net and will have to use Origin for Battlefront, but I still kind of want the Steam Machine because of the value (I have an authentic copy of Windows sitting right here) and the second (for me) Steam controller. Will there be a way to dual-boot the Steam Machine and install the Hivemind interface on the Windows partition? That'd be super awesome. And...

b) Will the Steam-branded box be sold anywhere aside from Gamestop? I'd rather buy it pretty much anywhere but there, plus I have a lot of Amazon credit.

 

[outunderthestars]

Looks like the base model Alpha will have a lightning sale at 10:40 pst tomorrow.

 

[Cheeseman Battitude]

My i3 Alpha arrived this morning. Just setting it up now. Not using Alpha UI.

It came with USB recovery media. Windows updates and Classic Start Menu have been installed. Installing latest nVidia drivers now.

First impressions are good. The 5400rpm hard drive is bearable until you want to do more than one thing at once. I will run it standard for a few months before upgrading anything. Size is impressive but it's not that small.

Gonna try Project Cars now.

 

[Cheeseman Battitude]

First problem. Was surprised to see the 360 controller move the mouse in Windows. As I don't want to use the Alpha UI I started Project Cars and noticed the controls weren't working. This is because the 360 controller is still being used as the mouse. It's fine when running the game in Alpha UI but I think uninstalling this will sort it.

Project Cars runs great on the default medium settings.

 

[darkjedi187]

What is a good non SSD drive for these? I see the memory to use is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KQCOTCM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Cheeseman Battitude]

Performance update:

Very impressive. Project Cars Azure Cicuit with a full grid of 35 opponents in Formula Rookie in thunderstorm conditions at medium settings gave a low of 25fps during the melee at the first corner. Mid lap was 30-38fps and up to 45fps in the tunnel.

This is at 720p coz my TV is old.

 

[reSpec Gaming]

First problem. Was surprised to see the 360 controller move the mouse in Windows. As I don't want to use the Alpha UI I started Project Cars and noticed the controls weren't working. This is because the 360 controller is still being used as the mouse. It's fine when running the game in Alpha UI but I think uninstalling this will sort it.

Project Cars runs great on the default medium settings.

Weird, I uninstalled the Alpha UI and don't have this problem. You figure it out?

 

[Guess Who]

Say I have a PC right now with a Phenom II X4 955 BE and a 1GB GeForce 560 Ti. How does the base Alienware Alpha compare?

 

[Shadowhaxor]

Say I have a PC right now with a Phenom II X4 955 BE and a 1GB GeForce 560 Ti. How does the base Alienware Alpha compare?

It actually is a bit better your build. The CPU is a i3-4130T and is rated higher than your Phenom, but yours is a quad-core vs a dual-core with 2 threads. However the the integrated GPU spanks your current card. While no actual name exists or one that Nvidia has given, it's built on the more recent Maxwell architecture, so I would say it's more or less equal to a GTX 750 ti or the GRX 800 series (mobile) GPUs.

Hope that helps!

 

[Cheeseman Battitude]

Weird, I uninstalled the Alpha UI and don't have this problem. You figure it out?

Yep. Uninstalling Alpha UI got the controller to work with games in Windows and it no longer moves the mouse. Oddly, after the uninstall finished, my keyboard and mouse stopped working, so I had to hold the power button and restart. When I was back in Windows everything was fine.

Tried some Dirt Rally, plays great on ultra with a few settings turned to low that I won't notice, such as the crowd. Assetto Corsa is great, too. Full grid of 25 opponents at Monza with max world detail/shadows and post processing/reflections on low gives minimums of 45fps. I've got Origin installed and downloading the BF games now.

And the speed of the HDD is fine. I think the world has been spoiled by the rise of the SSD. I've not timed it with a watch yet but it feels like about 1 minute to get to Windows. Maybe 1min 30s before the systray icons load (I have GeForce Experience, Respawn, the LED app, Steam, Origin and GOG Galaxy loaded.) Not the end of the world.

 

[reSpec Gaming]

And the speed of the HDD is fine. I think the world has been spoiled by the rise of the SSD. I've not timed it with a watch yet but it feels like about 1 minute to get to Windows. Maybe 1min 30s before the systray icons load (I have GeForce Experience, Respawn, the LED app, Steam, Origin and GOG Galaxy loaded.) Not the end of the world.

Yeah it's not an awful startup time by any means with the HDD it comes with. But with a SSD, it's literally 10 seconds allowing my computer to start everything (Steam, Origin, GOG, Razer thingie, Box, Adobe CC, Geforce, and plenty of other things).

 

[Cheeseman Battitude]

Yeah it's not an awful startup time by any means with the HDD it comes with. But with a SSD, it's literally 10 seconds allowing my computer to start everything (Steam, Origin, GOG, Razer thingie, Box, Adobe CC, Geforce, and plenty of other things).

I know. I've got an SSD in my desktop PC. I probably will upgrade the HDD because I've installed PCARS, BF3, BF4, BF Hardline and GTA V and I've only got 193GB of HDD space left. So I'll go for a 1TB hybrid that's the best of both worlds.

Interestingly, when I tried GTA V I left it at the default settings and only dropped the resolution to 1280x720, my native res. The benchmark ran terribly, had mising textures and buildings and eventually crashed. So I optimised the game in GeForce Experience and it performed so much better. It got to the end of the benchmark and there were only a few moments of missing ground textures during the plane bit.

 

[Zia]

Went ahead and took the plunge on the i5, which appears to be the new highest-end option on the Alienware website (I can't imagine the i7 was selling all that well).

So, after playing PC games on Macs for the last decade I'm now in the market for a good, cheap monitor. Any suggestions?

 

[reSpec Gaming]

Went ahead and took the plunge on the i5, which appears to be the new highest-end option on the Alienware website (I can't imagine the i7 was selling all that well).

So, after playing PC games on Macs for the last decade I'm now in the market for a good, cheap monitor. Any suggestions?

Depends on your definition of cheap but even the lower end BenQ monitors are very good. For a 22" the GW2265HM is good, GL2460GM if you want to push to 24".

 

[Zia]

Depends on your definition of cheap but even the lower end BenQ monitors are very good. For a 22" the GW2265HM is good, GL2460GM if you want to push to 24".

$400 is my max. I was leaning toward the BenQ XL2430T actually based on the Tom's Hardware review.

 

[Krejlooc]

So a couple questions for TheXRavenX, but he hasn't poked his head in for a week so if anyone knows the answers please chime in.

a) I was waiting for the Steam Machine ver, then I saw the Hivemind interface which looks really rad for someone that uses GOG, Battle.net and will have to use Origin for Battlefront, but I still kind of want the Steam Machine because of the value (I have an authentic copy of Windows sitting right here) and the second (for me) Steam controller. Will there be a way to dual-boot the Steam Machine and install the Hivemind interface on the Windows partition? That'd be super awesome. And...

b) Will the Steam-branded box be sold anywhere aside from Gamestop? I'd rather buy it pretty much anywhere but there, plus I have a lot of Amazon credit.

You can dual boot windows and steam os, there is an option to do that when installing steam os in the first place.

Hivemind is just a skin for kodi, formerly xbox media center. They are launching steam and origin and such from kodi. Personally, I prefer the other way around - I boot into steam big picture mode on my windows machine, then launch origin games from steam. And then, if I need to, I can launch kodi from steam to watch movies.

You can launch gog galaxy through steam the same way.

gmg, Amazon etc are just websites. I have a shortcut to firefox that opens into those websites as icons in steam. That means, in steam, I have a button that says "greenman gaming" that opens a browser to that site.

The benefit of running through stream big picture mode and launching everything through it is that the steam interface follows even to non steam apps. So if I launch, say, kodi, or and origin game, then pressing the guide button on my controller still brings up my steam overlay, which includes the friends list and voice chat, and the integrated web browser.

But to answer your question - yes you can do that. It's a pc, you can do anything. You could also, say, ditch steam and hive mind entirely and go with something like hyperspin:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mSSfNwUieAc

Or use ice to integrate retro arch into steam. That's the beauty of an open garden - you can select your shell. In steam os, you can even do things like integrate with more exotic things like mythTV.

 

[catmario]

I wonder Alienware Alpla can be used with Alienware Graphic Amplifier.

 

[Cheeseman Battitude]

I'm pretty sure it can't because the graphics amp uses a proprietary port the Alpha doesn't have. I don't see the point of that setup. It will add noise, size, and extra power usage to the Alpha which are all of its selling points.

 

[DJKhaled]

Yep. Uninstalling Alpha UI got the controller to work with games in Windows and it no longer moves the mouse.

You realise you could have just held in the analog sticks, the bumpers and triggers and it stops it from working as a mouse, right?

 

[reSpec Gaming]

I wonder Alienware Alpla can be used with Alienware Graphic Amplifier.

It does not unfortunately.

$400 is my max. I was leaning toward the BenQ XL2430T actually based on the Tom's Hardware review.

If that is your budget I would highly recommend that monitor. 144hz and only 10ms of display lag - sign me up! (source: http://www.displaylag.com/display-database/). It's definitely the monitor I would get if I had that kind of money to spend on a monitor.

 

[Zia]

It does not unfortunately.



If that is your budget I would highly recommend that monitor. 144hz and only 10ms of display lag - sign me up! (source: http://www.displaylag.com/display-database/). It's definitely the monitor I would get if I had that kind of money to spend on a monitor.

Thanks!

So I received mine today and setup and been an absolute fucking mess so far. On setup my controller just stopped working as an input. I tried restarting it and the dongle and it just wouldn't work so I just rebooted. Now it takes me to a Windows lock screen and my controller is working as a mouse pointer but it won't bring up a virtual keyboard with which to input my pass.

Now I remember why I switched to Mac...

 

[ZOONAMI]

They ever going to update the gpu and gpu in this thing?

 

[Cheeseman Battitude]

You realise you could have just held in the analog sticks, the bumpers and triggers and it stops it from working as a mouse, right?

Obviously not, LOL! And I did plenty of reading about the Alpha before buying it. Nay matter. I've got a Logitech K400 keyboard, so I'm not inconvenienced at all.

 

[Crayon]

Thanks!

So I received mine today and setup and been an absolute fucking mess so far. On setup my controller just stopped working as an input. I tried restarting it and the dongle and it just wouldn't work so I just rebooted. Now it takes me to a Windows lock screen and my controller is working as a mouse pointer but it won't bring up a virtual keyboard with which to input my pass.

Now I remember why I switched to Mac...

Steamos and controller coming in a few months. One or both should help your situation.

 

[Shadowhaxor]

Thanks!

So I received mine today and setup and been an absolute fucking mess so far. On setup my controller just stopped working as an input. I tried restarting it and the dongle and it just wouldn't work so I just rebooted. Now it takes me to a Windows lock screen and my controller is working as a mouse pointer but it won't bring up a virtual keyboard with which to input my pass.

Now I remember why I switched to Mac...

Not trying to be a dick but Macs have their fair share of issues as well. You could have busted machine, but you haven't stated what's going on. Are you using the Hivemind UI, which has been reported to have multiple issues? Are you encountering this issues in Windows?

 

[Zia]

Not trying to be a dick but Macs have their fair share of issues as well. You could have busted machine, but you haven't stated what's going on. Are you using the Hivemind UI, which has been reported to have multiple issues? Are you encountering this issues in Windows?

I've been using Macs for over a decade and have never experienced basic setup or usability issues like this.

As for my problem, as I said my controller mouse icon just stopped showing up during setup. It was on the screen that asked if I wanted to register for a Windows 10 upgrade. Couldn't get the controller to work or input anything so I rebooted and now it takes me to a standard Win 8 log-in screen. I can use my controller as a pointer but can't get a virtual keyboard to appear to input my password. Also worth noting that upon boot I get an error message in the upper left-hand corner of my television, something about a keyboard (I'm shopping now and have forgotten the exact language).

What's particularly annoying is that I don't understand why it wouldn't just boot me into the Hivemind UI rather than forcing me to go through a Windows lock screen anyway? I can't imagine someone buying My First Gaming PC at Walmart and having to deal with an impassable screen when they don't have a keyboard.

 

[The Real Abed]

Let's not turn this into a Windows vs. Mac flamewar.

 

[reSpec Gaming]

They ever going to update the gpu and gpu in this thing?

Completely guessing here but maybe 2 years from now? (year and a half?) The Steam version comes out in fall. Probably want to let that with the current GPU exist as it is for at least a little while. I don't see them somehow making it possible to upgrade just the GPU so it would be a whole new model.

So I received mine today and setup and been an absolute fucking mess so far. On setup my controller just stopped working as an input. I tried restarting it and the dongle and it just wouldn't work so I just rebooted. Now it takes me to a Windows lock screen and my controller is working as a mouse pointer but it won't bring up a virtual keyboard with which to input my pass.

Hmm... I did not experience any of these issues even before uninstalling AlphaOS. I just simply didn't care for AlphaOS so I just boot up as a PC.

 

[amnesia]

Bump: It's here!

first note: There is no way that the 360 controller dongle will fit in the hidden accessory port

Please peel that protection plastic off, PLEASE.

It's making me nervous

 

[Proelite]

How noisy is this thing?

 

[ashecitism]

Please peel that protection plastic off, PLEASE.

It's making me nervous

That post is from last fall lol

 

[reSpec Gaming]

How noisy is this thing?

Super quiet. It's in my small room most of the time and I forget it's on a lot.

 

[belmonkey]

While the base model is $450 at the moment, I kinda wish they'd also go for a version without the controller so you could just get the "gaming PC / home PC" aspect of it at a price closer to the $400 sweet spot.

 

[reSpec Gaming]

While the base model is $450 at the moment, I kinda wish they'd also go for a version without the controller so you could just get the "gaming PC / home PC" aspect of it at a price closer to the $400 sweet spot.

Considering Dell probably makes very little profit on these in general, taking off a controller they probably get a sweet bulk price on wouldn't effect the price by $50. The controller is a cheap add-on for them that adds more perceived value. $450 for a PC is cheap as hell, can't even build this computer for that price (unless you're getting bulk pricing/already have a case and windows install)

 

[dragonfart28]

How noisy is this thing?

Not noisy for me at all.

There are times when the fan kicks it up a notch during graphics intensive scenarios, but that sound is drowned out by moderate volume.

 

[Magwik]

Anyone with an alpha upgrade to Windows 10? Run into any issues at all?

 

[reSpec Gaming]

Anyone with an alpha upgrade to Windows 10? Run into any issues at all?

Shouldn't be. I'm just waiting for my notification patiently. *whistles* I'll let you know once I get mine.

 

[Sorcerer]

My i3 Alpha arrived this morning. Just setting it up now. Not using Alpha UI.

It came with USB recovery media. Windows updates and Classic Start Menu have been installed. Installing latest nVidia drivers now.

First impressions are good. The 5400rpm hard drive is bearable until you want to do more than one thing at once. I will run it standard for a few months before upgrading anything. Size is impressive but it's not that small.

Gonna try Project Cars now.

Your alpha came with usb recovery media? None of the unboxings i've watched had that in the box.

I saw some unboxings where it actually came with a dvd witch makes no sense since the alpha has no optical drive.

I guess that's something new. Before you were encouraged to use re-spawn.

 

[alexandros]

I am very much looking forward to the next iteration of the Alienware Alpha. Here's my wishlist:

- Better graphics (a 950Ti with 3 or 4 gigs of VRAM would be great)
- Upgradeable graphics
- Faster HDD
- 8 gigs of RAM
- Steam Controller included

If Alienware can manage it, I would buy the fuck out of it.

 

[The Real Abed]

Ditto. I don't even care if the GPU is upgradeable, but a SSD option would be my pick. (I don't care if it's small. That's what external HDDs are for.)

Just don't take Windows off of it. That's really all I ask. It's basically a steal now with the included Windows license. So keep that around. Hopefully Windows 10 matures enough by then. (I don't know what its status for gaming with is yet.)

 

[Sorcerer]

Ditto. I don't even care if the GPU is upgradeable, but a SSD option would be my pick. (I don't care if it's small. That's what external HDDs are for.)

Just don't take Windows off of it. That's really all I ask. It's basically a steal now with the included Windows license. So keep that around. Hopefully Windows 10 matures enough by then. (I don't know what its status for gaming with is yet.)

I don't think the Alpha will ever be phased out. Steam Machines are going to be a tough sell, Windows is going to be around forever for gaming.

Alienware made the right decision in bring out a Windows version in the delay.

My prediction is the Steam Machine will become very niche with many of current vendors not coming back with a second round. I guess Valve will still make Steam OS available for those who want to install it on their own machines.

The best thing that came out of this is the Steam Controller and Valve completely controls that, and that will probably be huge.

Maybe Alienware will stick with it, but Ibuy Power has already dropped their Steam Machine plans. No longer listed on Steam's Steam Machine page.

Valve should have really made a reference machine instead of confusing the market with 15 different machines with an unproven gaming os.

 

[Xplatformer]

Aren't these pretty loud for a living room? (fan noise)

It's noticeably louder than a home console, no?

 

[Trouble]

Aren't these pretty loud for a living room? (fan noise)

It's noticeably louder than a home console, no?

Much quieter than my PS4.

 

[longnosedgoblin]

I would say it is quieter than my launch ps4.

 

[D3RANG3D]

http://www.gamestop.com/steammachine

Steam Machine

SteamOS
Steam Controller

 

[Crayon]

http://www.gamestop.com/steammachine

Steam Machine

SteamOS
Steam Controller

Product Details:
MORE GAMES. MORE POWER. MORE POSSIBILITIES. Steam Machines are the newest innovation in PC gaming, driven by Valve's new SteamOS. The Alienware Steam Machine delivers a unique and amazing gaming experience, built ideally for the living room and exceptional in terms of both performance and price.

The Alienware Steam Machine takes console gaming to the next level with a massive library of over 1000 local online games, all playable in full 1080p HD.

You'll experience powerful and immersive gaming with high performance NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX GPU 2GB GDDR5 graphics and Intel® Core processors. And with the innovative Steam Controller, you'll be able to move like never before. Have a PC game that you want to play on your TV? Not a problem as you'll be able to stream any Steam game on your home network directly to your TV.

With the Alienware Steam Machine, you're not only getting easy access to thousands of your favorite Steam games; you're gaining entry to the largest community of gamers in the world with no membership fee included.

Key features:
MASSIVE GAMES LIBRARY - Play thousands of native SteamOS in addition to over 5,000 games available via streaming.
CONTENT - Comes bundled with in-game content and games, ready to play
STEAM CONTROLLER - Unlock new games never played before with a controller! The ultimate accessory to game in the living room is included
MULTI-PLAYER - Play with up to 4 Steam Controllers at once
POWERFUL GAMING - Equipped with NVIDIA®GeForce® GTX GPU 2GB GDDR5 graphics and Intel® Core processors
System Sepcs
Intel Core i3 - 4130T Dual Core
nVidia GeForce GTX GPU w/2GB GDDR5
4GB DDR3
500GB 7200RPM HDD
1x1 802.11 Wireless Card
Steam Controller

This is the first time I have personally seen professional ad copy for a proper steam machine. I think it's appealing and accurate.