Because of the global shortage of PC components, purchasing a prebuilt gaming system is the only sure method to get the latest and best Nvidia RTX 30-series cards without paying the scalper’s fee. And that’s why, here’s the new Alienware Aurora R12, a premium gaming PC yet pretty expensive gaming PC.
Today, I have the Alienware Aurora R12 in front of me, which is a beast of a pc. Alienware’s Aurora R12 RTX 30-series gaming PCs have the newest graphics cards and CPUs, making them some of the greatest Alienware gaming PCs I’ve ever seen.
What can you expect from this amazing desktop? What makes it unique from other gaming PCs? Let’s find out the answers.
Specs
- 11th Gen Core i7-11700F Processor, i5-11400F Processor
- Windows 10 Home Single Language 64-bit English
- NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 12GB GDDR6, GeForce RTX™ 3060 Ti 8GB GDDR6
- 16GB Dual Channel DDR4 XMP at 3200MHz; up to 128GB
- 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (Boot) + 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s (Storage), 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (Boot) + 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s (Storage)
- Available with Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro
Deep into Design
The Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition and the previous R11 share a lot of the same design elements as the Aurora R12. A stencilled aurora logo is creatively angled downward on the right side of the Lunar Light edition, complemented with a horizontal Alienware logo that is extremely styled and has a bright and attention-grabbing glow.
The other side is covered in soft-edged hexagon vents that are offset and staggered. The general design of the body is fashioned like a wedge, with a broader and taller rear that then aerodynamically extends forward into a smaller and shorter front end.
My favorite feature is the front end, especially on the lunar light variant. In-person, this shimmering ring is very stunning. Alienware has a strong design team, which is their major strength. Second place goes to their performance.
The Aurora R12 is not without flaws. The interior is welcoming, yet it may appear uninspiring to some. In addition, traditional towers offer an additional room and upgrading possibilities. Moreover, despite its rock-solid construction, the Aurora weighs 40 pounds and is about 20 inches tall. You might not have that much space under your computer table.
Inside the CPU
To remove the side panel, you must first unscrew the rear lock and then pull to release it. Then you must pull up on each of these locks to lift the fan out of the way. You’ll see that there’s a lot of gear crammed into the little package. Here you’ll discover a CPU with a heat sink to keep the liquid cold.
Storage
Now let’s come to the storage option. Their DDR4 RAM slots are actually located on the right side and can carry up to 128GB of RAM.
Alienware’s entry-level model The Aurora R12 computers come with 8GB of memory, but you’ll want to upgrade to 16GB for additional gaming and work flexibility. You may also have 32GB or more included with the R12, but this is exclusively for work, not for gaming.
SSDs with capacities ranging from 256GB to 2TB are standard on most Aurora R12 computers. If you plan to play a lot of games, you’ll need at least 512GB, with 1TB being the best option considering the size of contemporary games. The cheapest Aurora comes with a hard disk, which we don’t suggest because of its poor speeds. Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and blazing-fast 2.5Gbps Ethernet round out the specs.
Graphics Card
One of the magnificent Alienware-sized Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000-series graphics cards should be found at the bottom. Despite their stature, they performed a decent job in terms of performance. Due to the excellent Ampere architecture, enough RAM, and proper ray-tracing, these cards are now the finest available in the market.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is used in the more inexpensive Alienware Aurora R12 computers, which is ideal for 1080p gaming and esports titles on 144Hz and 240Hz screens. The RTX 3070 is a more powerful mainstream choice that can play any 1080p or 1440p game. It’s also great for widescreens.
The costliest Aurora versions include RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 Nvidia GeForce if you’re serious about playing high-end games and having plenty of future headroom. The RTX 3080 is capable of 4K gaming, while the RTX 3090 is a beast capable of 4K and 8K gaming, multi-monitor setups, and even the largest widescreens. It’s a card that looks to the future.
The Aurora R12, on the other hand, is equipped with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Super. That card is capable of 1080
p gaming and esports, but it lacks future headroom and does not enable ray-tracing.
paste
Intel processor
This computer varies from the AMD-powered Aurora Ryzen Edition in that it uses Nvidia graphics cards and Intel processors.
The Aurora R12 is equipped with Intel 11th Generation processors. If you’re primarily looking for a computer to play games on, Intel processors are preferable to AMD counterparts. However, AMD’s Ryzen processors are better at the picture and video editing, design work, and productivity multitasking in addition to gaming. The same can be said for streaming, with Ryzen Processors performing admirably. In some areas, Intel isn’t terrible, but AMD is considerably superior.
The Intel Core i5-11400F processor in the entry-level Aurora R12 is ideal for 1080p and 1440p gaming as well as ordinary multitasking, such as running Office applications and several browser tabs.
If you’re dedicated to Intel, the Core i7-11700F and Core i7-11700KF can also handle content-creation tools and streaming software quite effectively. They’re also fantastic choices for supporting a 4K gaming setup. The Intel Core i9-11900F and Core i9-11900KF processors are used in the most powerful Aurora R12 PCs, allowing for high-end gaming and content creation. However, AMD processors are more productive than similar Intel chips.
However, if you are also looking for some monitor for your PS5, then this article might grab you for a bit.
Ventilation fan
The performance of a liquid-cooled CPU may be better than that of a standard CPU. People have previously complained about the sound of the ventilation fan. To dissipate all of that heat, the fans have to work extra hard. The fan did produce an excessive amount of noise of 84dB when operating at maximum speed within the CPU’s capabilities range.
Customization Options
As usual, the Aurora R12 offers plenty of customization. Interestingly, a Core i5-11600K processor is available if you customize it, and it’s an excellent mainstream option if you want a little more power than the i5-11400F can offer.
The customization options enable you to choose AMD graphics cards, and you can customize memory and storage options. It’s possible to add second hard disks and SSDs, and you can choose black or white cases with air or liquid cooling. In general, more customization options are available on the Aurora R12 than on the Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition.
Analyzing the Connectivity
Let’s move on to the ports now. This computer has 15 USB ports. Three USB 3.2 ports are on the front, with a USB C port, a headphone connector, and a microphone jack below. It has two digital audio inputs, a S/PDIF Toslink, a piece of coaxial, and an Ethernet connector on the rear. Three USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.2 gen 2 type c port, and two USB 3.2 gen 2 ports below that. These two ports share power, whereas the following three are 3.2 gen 1 ports.
Surround sound outputs are located at the bottom of the screen: side, back, and sub outputs. There’s also a microphone jack, as well as a line-in and line-out jack. In addition, there are three display connectors and one HDMI port.
Keyboard and Mouse
Let’s start talking about the official Alienware Keyboard and Mouse immediately. I must add that the quality of the keys and mouse, as well as the responsiveness of each component, is excellent. The RGB lighting is really bright and provides a fantastic experience. The keys have a soft but strong and assured feel to them. There is a tingling and lighter noise in the spacebar, which is a touch loose. Apart from that, it’s very good.
I adored the Alienware command center and the customizing options. You may customize each key separately. In addition, the KeyPress Animations are one of my favorites. The control keyboard’s physical loudness is rather impressive. Overall, this is an amazing user-friendly keyboard. The color effects on the mouse are also very cool. There aren’t as many animations on them, but there is some amazing morphing and spectrum effects you can perform with them.
The color effects on the mouse are also very cool. There aren’t as many animations on them, but there is some amazing morphing and spectrum effects you can perform with them.
Is it true that the keyboard and mouse will set you back $160? Yes. Because you’re buying a laptop worth 3000-4000 dollars, you may as well purchase a keyboard that works well with it, looks great next to it, and offers you the whole Alienware experience.
I would advise you to save your money if this were any other PC. However, given this is an Alienware high-end laptop, you may wish to invest in a new keyboard.
Comparing with R11
Is it worth it to upgrade R11 to R12? That is a question you may have been asking yourself since the beginning of this review.
The difference appears to be between the 10th and 11th generation processors. The Aurora R11 CPU currently has ten cores, but the Aurora R12 CPU only has eight. The Aurora R12 CPU is equipped with 20 PCIe 4.0 lanes that are certified for discrete graphics (x16) and PCIe storage.
This is also why the R11 is unable to accommodate 128GB DDR4 memory. Some others with the R11 have had success with 128GB; however I was unable to do so while using the same brand and speed as DELL for the 64GB. A 128 option is available on the R12. I believe them timing this and split the BIOS versions on purpose.
Regrettably, the Aurora R12 Z490 chipset does not support PCIe Gen 3. You’re still trapped with the same motherboard sans PCIe 4.0, a CPU upgrade to the i9-11900k, and a performance boost of +10% to 15% at best, which you won’t notice in games.
The R12 is more efficient, resulting in an 8% reduction in temperature over the previous generation, the R11.
Why Alienware Aurora R12 should your main choice
If you’ve ever used or owned an Alienware gaming PC, you’ll know they’re strong candidates for the finest gaming PC money can buy. Even if you’ve never had one before, the term is likely to evoke such strong feelings in you that you’ll admire and want them from afar.
Alienware has a knack for making you drool over your own computer. I like their designs, especially the sci-fi vibe, and this is definitely my favorite. The lightning effects on the front air intake are, of course, my favourite aspect of my design.
The performance was the second aspect that I enjoyed. You’ll be surprised by the computer’s speed. On some doses, even in 4K gaming, you’ll get some very decent frames per second.
This machine’s customizability is also something to praise. It was quite simple to gain access to the machine’s internals. It was also quite simple to replace the RAM. The Alienware effects, like lightning, overclocking, and undervolting, were quite simple to configure. AMD graphics cards may be swapped out, and RAM and storage choices can be customized.
If you’re searching for a powerful, attractive, and overall quite outstanding gaming PC, the Alienware Aurora R12 is a fantastic pick. Generally speaking, the Alienware features adequate memory and storage options, superb connectivity, and a robust casing. It also comes with excellent customer service and warranty options.
And, there are monitor compilation for X box series X, that you can take a look at.
Reasons you may want to pass on
Unfortunately, there are some situations when the Aurora R12 isn’t the best option.
The first argument may be that it is prohibitively costly. Some of you may have commented that it is expensive. However, the graphics cards you may receive from this PC nowadays are likely to be the same as the R12. As a result, it is still worthy in my perspective.
You could be bothered by the fan noise. It’s not exactly quiet, at around 65 decibels in game mode. If you want a quiet gaming experience, don’t purchase this.
If you require a machine to handle demanding applications such as streaming and video production, Intel’s Chips are fine, but AMD chips are outstanding. As a result, Dell Inspiron PCs may resonate with you more than Aurora R12.
There are several components on the Alienware Aurora R12 that should be avoided. Don’t get the GTX 1650 Super graphics card unless you need the cheapest setup available. It’s a good 1080p choice, although it’s not as powerful as RTX 3000-series GPUs and doesn’t support ray-tracing. Also, avoid utilizing a hard disk in your system instead of an SSD because it will significantly slow it down.
Thoughts before Shutting down
If you’ve been debating whether or not to upgrade because you’ve been waiting for components to arrive in what is arguably the greatest gaming PCs life can offer currently, the Alienware Aurora R12 is the one for you.
I hope that this information will help you in deciding whether or not to purchase this. Also, six states in the United States have declared Alienware Aurora PCs to be too powerful. So, if you live in one of those states, you might not be able to get it.
FAQs
We hope you have enjoyed reading our article and that it has answered any questions or concerns. If not, the FAQ section below should be able to help out! We’re sorry for ending on a downer note but don’t fret- we’ve got your back no matter what with this handy FAQ list at the bottom of every page.
When was the Aurora R12 released?
From March 18th, these PCs are available for purchase.
Dell has unveiled the Alienware Aurora R12, which will be available with Intel’s newest 11th Generation Core CPUs.
Is Alienware prone to overheating?
It’s perfectly natural. On the other hand, if you’re not doing anything unusual, such as sketching a picture in Paint, and your computer becomes really hot, your fans may be malfunctioning or it might simply be your computer; Alienware and other gaming systems are known for running quite hot.
Freelance tech journalist & author of soundboxlab.com …Read More
