Alienware Aurora 7500

Contacts: Reviewer: Stuart "Veridian3" Davidson
Editor/Designer: Allan "Zardon" Campbell

 

Computer users are an interesting bunch of people; you get the enthusiasts like me who love to play with the latest products and enjoy nothing more than to get their hands on a system and build, then tweak it to their needs. At the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the occasional users who simply use their PC for work, check their mail, do some shopping and maybe even create a spreadsheet or two if they are feeling adventurous.

Somewhere in between, there is a very large subgroup of people who want top notch performance and a machine that works; however, they don’t have time and maybe even the knowledge to build their own system. That’s where the company behind today’s review comes in. Alienware specialises in creating high performance systems for users who want the best of the best.

We’ve looked at several Alienware Laptops in the past as well as a shuttle system (5300) and have been utterly impressed by the performance, but getting a desktop PC is a whole different ball game, so let’s see if Alienware deliver the goods.

Packaging and Bundle

The Aurora 7500 comes packaged in what seems to be the biggest box we have ever received here at Driverheaven. Considering it’s only the tower and component bundle that’s included in this box, we were shocked by the size (and momentarily felt sorry for the poor DHL courier who had to lift it up a set of stairs).

The biggest PC box in the world, so big you can fit an adult into it…and still have room for movement…

Of course, the benefit of having such a large box is that there is plenty of room for protective foam, which surrounded the entire system. Considering that buying an Alienware system is a substantial investment, it’s good to see that the manufacturer hasn’t skimped out on this aspect of the product. In theory, it should protect the system against all but the most severe courier errors.

Upon opening the box, you can find that on the top of the pile resides the Alienware bundle. This contains all of the documentation you will need for your system, as well as restore CDs and the additional cables, which were not required in the system build. This is one area where Alienware stand out from the crowd; in many PC bundles, you will only receive the cabling and extras that are absolutely necessary. Alienware supplies everything that would come with the retail products if you purchased them in store. For example, all of the A8N-SLI’s extra sata cables are included in the package.

Also pictured, and included in the bundle are a Logitech keyboard and an Alienware branded (Microsoft manufactured) optical mouse and a funky Alienware T-shirt.

Documentation/Installation

We had a brief flick through the documentation included with the Aurora and found it to be very clear and accurate. All diagrams were of a reasonable size and the step by step instructions included in the manuals were comprehensible, even for an inexperienced PC user. The only thing you need to know about your system is the components contained within, as the manual includes a few soundcard versions, etc.

With the use of the manual, novices will be up and running within 30 minutes flat. For experienced PC users, there really isn’t anything abnormal to contend with, simply connect your usual cables and power up the system.

 

Next: Alienware Aurora 7500 Chassis