Verdict: From another world entirely

Let's start with the facts: the Alienware Aurora Extreme is both the fastest gaming PC in this Labs test and the cheapest. That it's based around an AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 and an ATi Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition - the most expensive pieces of hardware either company makes - tells you something about the alternate dimension the Dream PC exists in. The air's not just thin up here - it's not even composed of oxygen.

Removing the side panels of the other three machines reveals idiosyncratic workings and obvious design touches of individual technicians but our first glance inside the Aurora Extreme resulted in us feeling more than a little disappointed. It was a little like finding the hunched BBC's special effects guy inside the shell of a Dalek. The bare grey steel, the flat ribbon cables and the black plastic 80mm fans all look as though they were assembled by regular humans rather than genetically engineered extraterrestrial beings.

However, as with all UFOs, things are not what they initially seem. Alienware is a large company, so it's only natural that its PC lacks a little of the individuality of machines such as the SavRow Deuterium. But Alienware's size doesn't mean it isn't innovative, and the Aurora Extreme is far removed from the dull units made by most box-shifters. For starters, there's the case. Alienware was one of the first system integrators to design a custom case and offer cases in different colours. While it might only be a plastic endo-skeleton attached to a fairly standard steel chassis, the case is very well designed. The shape of HR Geiger's deeply unsettling alien skull is clear, but it's been refined. It's a little sad to see such a horrific design lose its bite, but then would you really want the acid-seething snarl of an alien next to your leg when you're logging onto a game of Planetside?

It's not just about good looks though. Despite the smooth and impregnable appearance of the shell, the case fans have plenty of room to breathe. The silver vents that curve round from the front to the side allow lots of air into both the front and side of the case, and there's a side-mounted 80mm fan to feed the graphics card a plentiful supply of cool air. The Aurora Extreme also has two fans at the front and two at the back. Although they're 80mm fans, they're not as malevolent as you might imagine. It's nowhere near as quiet as the SavRow or Voodoo PC, but the noise level is still acceptable for a high-performance PC.

Alienware is a brand, so collectively, the air vents and side fan have a fancy name: the 'AlienIce video cooling system'. Even the various paint jobs on offer get Fox Mulder approved tags: Space Black, Saucer Silver, Conspiracy Blue, Cyborg Green or Plasma Purple.

Moniker-related silliness aside, however, the Alienware brand does have some upsides. The case has nice touches, such as the illuminated alien eyes of the head on the front.

Specification-wise, the Aurora Extreme is very distinctive. It's the only PC based around an AMD Athlon 64 FX processor, the only one to use an ATi graphics card, and the only one supplied with a CRT monitor.

Alienware has gone right to the top of the AMD product pile and uses the FX-53, which runs at 2.4GHz, and boasts all the tricks of the trade. It's the new Socket 939 FX, so your upgrade path is more open.

Although clock speeds are clearly going to remain earthbound, the graphics card is still capable of some unearthly feats. While Pro versions of ATi's brand new X800 series of cards are now readily available, the XT PE remains a somewhat extraterrestrial beast. We haven't seen any retail XT PEs yet, but having tested a sample from ATi, we know it's extremely powerful. The XT PE has 16 pixel-processing pipelines, four more than the X800 Pro, which puts it on an equal footing with the Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra GPU.

Not only has Alienware gone for ATi's card, it uses an old-school CRT monitor. If you're used to TFTs, the first thing that strikes you is how absolutely massive the NEC Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 230SB BK is. It's a 22in monitor, so it has a viewable screen size of 20in. While this is the same as the high-end TFTs supplied with the other Dream PCs, because the 230SB is a CRT it's capable of going beyond 1,600 x 1,200, to a mighty 1,920 x 1,440 at 75Hz. Details are sharp and colours are good. In short, games look gorgeous.

PERFORMANCE

The Aurora Extreme was the fastest Dream PC in the Labs test when it came to games. The Athlon 64 FX-53's integrated dual-channel memory controller really helps, and the X800XT PE graphics card proved to be a frighteningly fast performer. In Far Cry at 1,600 x 1,200 with 4x AA and 8x AF, the Aurora Extreme achieved a rock-solid 45.7fps, compared to the 38.5fps of the SavRow and Voodoo PC and the 39.7fps of the Demonite.

In our Media Benchmarks, the Aurora Extreme performed well, considering that its two-disc RAID 0, non-overclocked setup was facing the overkill hardware of SavRow and Voodoo PC. In the CD ripping test it fought its side well, while it topped the leaderboard when it came to the image editing test. The Aurora Extreme might not have the massive muscle of the SavRow, but the Athlon 64 FX-53 should never be underestimated.

CONCLUSION

The Aurora Extreme might lack the extreme innovations of the SavRow, and be unable to match the Voodoo PC's grand paint job and style, but in its own way, it's a very unique machine. It's totally focused on gaming, and the Athlon 64 FX-53 processor and ATi X800XT PE graphics card make the Aurora Extreme the clear victor in this Labs test when it comes to gaming. It also boasts a cool-looking case and excellent support.

Alienware is a brand, and even though that seems like a dirty word for many modders and overclockers, Alienware does what it does very well indeed and with no small amount of flair. If you dream of games, this is the Dream PC you want.

• Cases - 21st November 2008
• Motherboards - 24th October 2008
• Gaming Headsets - 26th September 2008
• Dream PCs - 24th September 2008
• Headphones - 12th September 2008
• Media PC components - 22nd August 2008
• PSUs - 14th July 2008

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