Crazy Bad $5000 Alienware Gaming PC: R13 Aurora Tear-Down

Insanity

S-E is smart. They know that not a single sane person will buy that thing, and that those who will buy one, will be glad they got one and not complain.

Also, it wouldn't surprise me if the sell of just one of those will be enough to get most of the costs back for S-E.

As an engineer, I'm amazed by all the little mechanical bits this computer has. As an user, I don't get why they bothered when there are a lot cheaper solutions, like Steve says.

And to be honest, I don't understand how the monitor business of Dell/Alienware works so well but their laptop and PC business make this kind of BS.

I will say their laptops are quite good for their prices where as their desktops are pretty terrible. At MSRP, their laptops are pretty terrible but you never buy Dell/Alienware at MSRP. They have weekly sales and on top, you can typically stack coupons. Like the Alienware laptop I got for my sister where I was able to get a big enough discount where she got a 3070 laptop for the price of 3060 laptops from Asus as such. While technically it doesn't perform as well as normal 3070s, it performs a lot better than 3060s. And their XPS laptops are class leading in the ultrabook segment with their XPS 17 having very slim bezels and even coming with a Nvidia xx60 GPU which has been unheard of for a long time in that category.

But their desktops are kinda where things become jank. Like they are filled with so much nonsense and while the prices of their desktops can sometimes be had for cheaper than a lot of competitors at the low-mid ranged, it does feel like you are making a deal with the devil. And at the top end, they are absolute trash.

When i said they made "this kind of BS", I was talking mostly about their propietary designs that, usually, don't perform better and force you to remain with them for any upgrade or repair.

The last example of that was the RAM module for their laptops that you posted some days ago.

Yea that's true. It's especially annoying cause their sales are quite good but man, their proprietary nonsense is crazy.

I'm not saying it's not impressive. But compared to a developer platform today, probably allot less so... Even 64GB of memory would be limiting for a development pipeline when working with stupidly high quality assets... Just ask CGI how often he likely runs into a memory wall...

But on the PC you can extend GPU memory into System Memory anyway, this has been a feature for decades, it comes with a corresponding hit to performance, but drivers hide that well... Still better than relying on virtual memory on an SSD.

Also I made a mistake, I thought this was the One X dev kit, not the Series X. (Silly similar naming convention and all that.) and the fact it used a form factor similar to the One X...

I am always running with an AMD GPU since the Radeon 9700Pro days... Mostly due to price/performance, I upgrade GPU's so often... A dollar in my pocket is better than nVidia or AMD's.

With the exception when I ran with 2x Geforce 7900 GX2's in SLI (Essentially Quad-SLI) and then two Geforce 8800GT's in SLI... Or I need a specific TDP/Form Factor part like the old Core 2 Quad PC I have running with a half-height Geforce 1030 GDDR5.

The Monday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam's Top 10

Dying Light & Dying Light 2 have sold over 20 and 5 million copies, respectively
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dying-light-dying-light-2-have-sold-over-20-and-5-million-copies-respectively/
Techland has announced that it has sold 5 million copies of Dying Light 2 Stay Human as of February 28th, 2022. Moreover, the team claimed that this sales number is significantly growing each month.
The Polish studio also stated that the first Dying Light recently achieved over 20 million lifetime sales to date.

Valheim has sold over 10 million copies
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/valheim-has-sold-over-10-million-copies/
Valheim was PC Gamer's game of the year 2021, and plenty of players agree: the Vi-king of co-op has now sold over 10 million copies. Developer Iron Gate Studio announced the milestone in a press release, adding that development on the upcoming Mistlands expansion continues apace.

GOG has three new deals and three returning sales:

• The first flash deal is Aragami, 82% off during 46 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/aragami
• The second flash deal is Trüberbrook, 87% off until Wednesday: https://www.gog.com/en/game/truberbrook
• The Weekly Sale features games where you're on the evil side with up to 90% discounts; https://www.gog.com/promo/20220425_weekly_sale
• The Goblinz publisher Sale, with its up to 70% discounts, will last another 3 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/2022_goblinz
• The Plug-in Digital Anniversary Sale that features up to 90% discounts will last another 4 days: https://www.gog.com/partner/plug_in_digital
• And the Handy Games Anniversary Sale and its up to 90% discounts will be around for another 6 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/2022_handy_games

Steam only has one daily deal: Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector gets a 35% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1295500/Warhammer_40000_Battlesector/

Humble has two new deals:

• The Humble Bundle offers the new Visual Delight Bundle, with up to 7 games to get during 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/visual-delight-bundle
• And the Humble Store has the Earth Day Collection Sale, with up to 90% discounts during another 4 days. There are keys for Steam, GOG, UPlay and EGS: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/earth-day-collection/

Fanatical has four new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Death Lap (Quest VR), 75% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/death-lap
• Frontier puts its games on sale with up to 80% discounts during 6 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/frontier-developments
• Konami puts its games on sale with up to 92% discounts during 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/konami-digital-entertainment
• And the BYO Quest VR Bundle comes with 18 games to choose your 3, 5 or 9 games bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-quest-vr-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

CD Projekt 'looking into' menstrual leave after GOG announcement
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/cd-projekt-looking-into-menstrual-leave-after-gog-announcement/
In a huge step for equality in the workplace (both within the games industry and beyond), GOG recently announced that it's started offering menstrual leave to its employees. This means that "whenever period pains occur," affected employees can take as much time as needed off work to recover.
The menstrual leave days will be fully paid, with GOG estimating that it will result in affected employees taking an additional day off per quarter.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Elden Ring may soon get a VR Mod, first gameplay footage
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/elden-ring-may-soon-get-a-vr-mod-first-gameplay-footage/
LukeRoss, the man behind the amazing VR Mods for Read Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto 5 and Horizon Zero Dawn, has teased a VR Mod for Elden Ring. This VR Mod will be using a first-person camera viewpoint, and you can find below the first gameplay footage from it.
LukeRoss has not revealed when – and if – this VR Mod will come out. Still, and from what we can see, the game plays wonderfully in VR with an FP camera. Combat feels a bit weird but most die-hard fans will be able to get used to it.

This fan is creating an Elden Ring demake for Game Boy
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/this-fan-is-creating-an-elden-ring-demake-for-game-boy/
Elden Ring may have some performance woes on PC, but what about the original Game Boy?
User shin on Reddit posted WIP footage of their OG Game Boy demake of FromSoftware's hit action RPG. It most strongly resembles The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, with top-down exploration of scrolling environments and a familiar sword slash attack, but also translates the essential Souls Series dodge roll to the new perspective.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim gets a new 8K Texture Pack that overhauls all cave textures
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-gets-a-new-8k-texture-pack-that-overhauls-all-cave-textures/
Modder ‘The Blender Animator’ has released a new 8K Texture Pack for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that overhauls all of the game’s cave textures. This is a must-have texture pack for everyone playing Skyrim, and we highly recommend downloading it.
Do note that this 8K Texture Pack may not be compatible with some other HD Texture Packs we’ve shared in the past. Theoretically, it should work with all the landscape packs (or with packs that don’t contain any new cave textures).
>> It works with both the Legacy and Special Editions of the game.

Skyrim: Special Edition mod makes NPCs say your name instead of calling you Dragonborn
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/skyrim-special-edition-mod-makes-npcs-say-your-name-instead-of-calling-you-dragonborn/
Thanks to AI voice-acting tool xVASynth, modders have a way to generate new dialogue in the voices of existing NPCs—or at least a half-decent approximation of them. Its creator, Dan Ruta, has demonstrated another use for xVASynth by modifying existing dialogue in Skyrim: Special Edition so that NPCs refer to your character by whatever name you enter.
Yes, even if it's xX_dragon_killer_420_69_Xx.

This Fallout New Vegas Mod completely overhauls its weather system
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-fallout-new-vegas-mod-completely-overhauls-its-weather-system/
Modders ‘doodlez’ ‘L00’ ‘marcurios’ and ‘fadingsignal’ have released a new mod for Fallout New Vegas that aims to overhaul its weather system. As its description reads, True Weathers completely overhauls the weather system in The Capital Wasteland, The Pitt, Anchorage, and Point Lookout, yet stays true to the original mood of the game.
All weathers are completely new and realistic. At the same time, though, they pull elements from the original weather settings to match their motifs.
True Weathers has dynamic cloud shadows to simulate a more advanced weather system. Furthermore, it packs interior rain sounds and new exterior rain sounds. Players can also expect realistic skies and improved textures. And finally, you can configure the night brightness to control how you would like your nights to be.

New features showcased for the Quake 2 HD graphical overhaul mod, q2xp
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-features-showcased-for-the-quake-2-hd-graphical-overhaul-mod-q2xp/
Modder ‘KirkBarnes’ has shared some of the new features that will be available in the upcoming version of q2xp. In case you did not know, q2xp is an HD graphical overhaul mod for the original version of Quake 2.
While it does not feature any Ray Tracing effects (like Quake 2 RTX), it introduces other cool features. As such, this mod is ideal for those that want to replay this classic first-person shooter.
Version 1.27.0 will feature two-sided decals and improved caustics. Moreover, it will have full dynamic lighting for trans surfaces (except water) and Vertex lighting for water and alpha surfaces. Not only that, but it will offer proper player gun collision.
>> The article has 5 videos of the mod.

Halo Doom: Evolved is an amazing retro Halo mod for Doom, available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/halo-doom-evolved-is-an-amazing-retro-halo-mod-for-doom-available-for-download/
Halo and Doom fans, here is something truly special for you. Back in February, modder Lewisk3 released an amazing retro Halo Mod for GZDoom. And, alongside Halo Doom: Evolved, you can use some additional mods that can turn Doom into Halo.
Halo Doom: Evolved adds 14 weapons and 4 vehicles from Halo. Naturally, you can find some iconic weapons and vehicles like Type-33 Needler, MA40 Assault Rifle, Warthog and Ghost. Master Chief can also use his grabble hook which is another cool feature that most Halo Infinite fans will appreciate.
The aforementioned mod does not feature any Halo enemies. Thankfully, though, you can download the Halo Covenant Enemies Mod. As its title suggests, it brings numerous enemies from Halo to GZDoom.

Half-Life's infamous tram opening is even creepier when voiced by TikTok
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/half-lifes-infamous-tram-opening-is-even-creepier-when-voiced-by-tiktok/
As far as intro sequences go, Half-Life's is an all-timer. A tram ride through Black Mesa's mad science labyrinth, as a somewhat stilted automated voice sets a clinical, unnerving tone for the extradimensional disaster story to come.
That said, it's all a bit old fashioned, isn't it? Between stodgy old corridors, rattling old trams and crackling radio announcers, how is Black Mesa meant to attract a whole new class of zoomer physics graduates? How does Half-Life capture the TikTok generation?

GAMING NEWS

Ninja Theory shares a new WIP screenshot for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/ninja-theory-shares-a-new-wip-screenshot-for-senuas-saga-hellblade-2/
Ninja Theory has shared a brand new WIP screenshot for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. This screenshot showcases the Djúpalónssandur beach in Iceland. From what we know, Ninja Theory rendered this area using photogrammetry as a WIP screenshot for the game.

Company of Heroes 3 gets a new dev diary, focusing on Art & Authenticity
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/company-of-heroes-3-gets-a-new-dev-diary-focusing-on-art-authenticity/
SEGA and Relic have released a new developer diary for Company of Heroes 3. In this dev diary, Relic describes how authenticity and realism have brought the battlefield to life and how they have evolved these key pillars for the game.

Ubisoft has just announced Project Q
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ubisoft-has-just-announced-project-q/
Ubisoft has just announced a new game, codenamed Project Q. According to the French team, Project Q is a team battle arena that will let players truly own the experience. Or at least what the publisher claims.
>> They're desperate to enter this market, right?

Brand new screenshots from the upcoming retro shooter, Selaco
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/brand-new-screenshots-from-the-upcoming-retro-shooter-selaco/
A new set of screenshots have surfaced from the upcoming retro shooter that is heavily inspired by F.E.A.R. and Doom, Selaco. These new screenshots showcase some environments that are present in the game’s Patreon exclusive demo.

Need for Speed 2022 Map, UI and low-quality screenshots & video leaked
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/need-for-speed-2022-map-ui-and-low-quality-screenshots-video-leaked/
NFS insider, ynk, has leaked the map, User Interface and some low-quality screenshots from Criterion’s upcoming Need for Speed game. Be warned that these first low-quality screenshots are blurry as hell, so don’t expect much from them.

Nazralath: The Fallen World is a new Dark Souls-inspired dark fantasy action-adventure game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/nazralath-the-fallen-world-is-brand-new-dark-souls-inspired-dark-fantasy-action-adventure-game/
Euclidean Studios has announced a new story-driven, third-person, dark fantasy action-adventure game that is heavily inspired by Dark Souls and Planescape: Torment, called Nazralath: The Fallen World. In order to celebrate this announcement, the studio released the game’s debut trailer that you can find below.

UNCHARTED: Legacy of Thieves Collection is reportedly releasing on PC on June 20th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/uncharted-legacy-of-thieves-collection-is-reportedly-releasing-on-pc-on-june-20th/
In March 2022, Naughty Dog and Iron Galaxy Studios have updated the Steam database of UNCHARTED: Legacy of Thieves Collection, hinting towards a July 15th release. And today, Epic Games may have leaked the actual release date of this collection. According to a post, UNCHARTED: Legacy of Thieves Collection will be coming to PC on June 20th.
>> Does this mean that the game will launch one month earlier than expected or that Epic has some (very) short-lived exclusivity? We'll see in June.

The second part of the Monday news:

Upcoming RPG Asterigos will feature 'a hub-based world where choices matter'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/upcoming-rpg-asterigos-will-feature-a-hub-based-world-where-choices-matter/
It's kind of rare to see a modern RPG opt for a cartoon aesthetic rather than the earthy palettes and stern realism we've become accustomed to. But the first gameplay trailer for Asterigos: Curse of the Stars shows us that a little touch of Pixar maybe isn't such a bad thing. The action-RPG from new outfit Acme Gamestudio has just been listed on Steam with a release window for 'Fall 2022.'

After years in development, witch shop sim Potionomics is finally releasing this autumn
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/after-years-in-development-witch-shop-sim-potionomics-is-finally-releasing-this-autumn/
I've been loosely following the development of witch shop sim Potionomics (not to be confused with Potion Craft), for a long time—over four years, apparently. It's been "coming soon-ish" for long enough to stretch that definition, but now at last it's coming soon-ish for real. With a new trailer that shows us a cross-section of the brewing, haggling, and management involved in running a successful potion shop, Potionomics has also conjured up an autumn 2022 release window.

EVE Online prices are going up
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/eve-online-prices-are-going-up/
The cost of doing business in EVE Online is going up. CCP Games announced today that in order to support the game's continued growth, the price of both Omega subscriptions and Plex will be going up in May.

Tug-of-war RTS Warpips is a bit of cute, casual carnage
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/tug-of-war-rts-warpips-is-a-bit-of-cute-casual-carnage/
Warpips, the fast-casual strategy tug of war tower defense hybrid thing from Skirmish Mode Games, has finally released. After a year in Early Access, Warpips is now 1.0 with a big update adding all manner of new units to the fight.

Connect traincars in order in puzzler Railbound from Golf Peaks and inbento makers
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/connect-traincars-in-order-in-puzzler-railbound-from-golf-peaks-and-inbento-makers/
Afterburn is quickly becoming one of my favorite puzzle developers, and if I'm honest, it's mostly because they keep coming up with somewhat surprising concepts. Their latest will be Railbound, a "relaxing puzzle game about fixing train connections" that sounds like it'll be just up my alley too.

Raven QA union vote moves forward with NLRB approval
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/raven-qa-union-vote-moves-forward-with-nlrb-approval/
As reported by the Washington Post, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Raven Software's 21-person Quality Assurance unit can move forward with a vote to unionize.

Infinity Ward's social media goes dark, suggests a Modern Warfare 2 announcement is near
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/infinity-wards-social-media-goes-dark-suggests-a-modern-warfare-2-announcement-is-near/
On Friday, the Twitter and Facebook profiles of Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward "went dark", swapping in profile pictures and header images that seemed to be plain black. As IGN found out after brightening up the header image, however, there's actually something hidden in there, and it sure looks like part of the picture is the mask worn by SAS operator Simon "Ghost" Riley in Modern Warfare and Warzone.

The Bethesda Launcher will be shut down on May 11
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-bethesda-launcher-will-be-shut-down-on-may-11/
Back in February, Bethesda announced plans to place a merciful bullet in the brainpan of the Bethesda Launcher, an unloved alternative to certain other popular digital game management programs. Those plans have since been elaborated in an update to a blog post about sunsetting the launcher and migrating to Steam. "If you do have games through the Bethesda.net launcher," it says, "don't worry. Starting on April 27 you'll be able to migrate your games and Wallet to your Steam account."

Satisfactory devs outline Update 6, new approach to reach release
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/satisfactory-devs-outline-update-6-new-approach-to-reach-release/
The developers at Coffee Stain Studios have taken a new approach to Update 6 for Satisfactory, releasing a 12-minute video outlining the entire update—as well as why they're doing so. In short, they're letting you know in advance that the update won't be huge, but that's because they're taking time to really drill down and get the game ready for its 1.0 release—which will probably be this year. To that end, Update 6 releasing some time in early June might be the last big update before the whole thing comes tumbling out.

Hyper Light Breaker publisher Perfect World is now Gearbox Publishing
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/hyper-light-breaker-publisher-perfect-world-is-now-gearbox-publishing/
Perfect World Entertainment, which publishes Torchlight, the Neverwinter MMO, and the upcoming Hyper Light Breaker, recently announced its acquisition by the Embracer Group.
The publisher will adopt Gearbox branding, though it says no changes have been made to personnel, stating: "All of our games will continue to be published by the same group of enthusiastic gamers. Though the company name is changing, our titles, development plans, and passion for our work will remain."

Be a little pachinko playing goblin in Peglin
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/be-a-little-pachinko-playing-goblin-in-peglin/
Peglin is a roguelike with a unique twist: You're a cute little goblin, and also you fight your way through the world by playing peg-popping brick-breaking pachinko. "Peglin plays like a combination of Peggle and Slay the Spire," say the developers, and from some time with the game that's... completely correct.

Vampire Survivors update 0.5.1 takes us to The Bone Zone
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/vampire-survivors-update-051-takes-us-to-the-bone-zone/
Viral hit Vampire Survivors has hit Update 0.5.1, which released today, adding a new, quite hard challenge stage to the much-delighted-in game. As usual, I do not know what the heck is going on in the new update for Vampire Survivors, all I know is that I must play it: much like the creator of Vampire Survivors, incidentally.

Valorant's next agent controls nightmare ink, shadow monsters
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/valorants-next-agent-controls-nightmare-ink-shadow-monsters/
Riot's hero shooter Valorant is gearing up to begin Episode 4 Act 3 in the next week or so. At the same time, a new agent will be joining the Valorant roster. Her name is Fade, she's from Turkey, and she fights with shadow powers. Fade's abilities involve manipulating a goopy, sticky-looking substance that is apparently "nightmare ink", which she can use to recon enemies, limit their movement, and impair their vision.

Several private equity firms might be interested in buying Ubisoft
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/ubisoft-may-be-the-next-videogame-publisher-to-be-acquired/
With Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard (to add to Zenimax Media and the many other studios and publishers Microsoft owns), Take-Two buying Zynga, Embracer Group buying Gearbox Entertainment, and Sony buying Bungie (with Sony CEO Jim Ryan saying to expect more of the same), it's been a season of consolidation in the videogame industry. According to a report by Bloomberg, Ubisoft could be next.
>> Ryuu96 made a thread about this report.

Diablo Immortal is coming to PC after all
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/diablo-immortal-is-coming-to-pc-after-all/
Turns out Diablo Immortal, the mobile spin-off that's garnered its fair share of controversy, is heading to PC as well.
The action RPG will be making its way to PC in open beta on June 2, the same day as its full release on iOS and Android. There'll also be cross-play and cross-progression between both platforms, so you can play on the go and then pick up where you left off on your desktop. It's a surprise move considering Blizzard had focused so heavily on perfecting the game for mobile. The game's initial announcement irked an awful lot of Diablo fans, which came at a time when many were expecting news on the much-anticipated Diablo 4. The reveal faced hefty backlash with fans accusing Blizzard of forgetting its roots, calling it a "slap in the face" and claiming that Blizzard had "spit in the faces" of the community.

By the way, I won't be able to post the news tomorrow, at least at its usual time. I'll try to post them later, but I'm not promising anything.

AMD next-gen AM5 X670 & B650 motherboards to only support DDR5 memory

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-next-gen-am5-x670-b650-motherboards-to-only-support-ddr5-memory

It's a rumour but not unexpected

AMD preparing EXPO (EXtended Profiles for Overclocking) for Ryzen 7000 DDR5 memory overclocking

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-preparing-expo-extended-profiles-for-overclocking-for-ryzen-7000-ddr5-memory-overclocking

AyaNeo OLED gaming console to feature 12W AMD Ryzen 5000U APU, no RDNA2 graphics

https://videocardz.com/newz/ayaneo-oled-gaming-console-to-feature-12w-amd-ryzen-5000u-apu-no-rdna2-graphics

Personally I am still searching for a good alternative to a Steam Deck after my issues with it and I was hoping that maybe Aya Neo OLED would be it. But alas, they took 1 step forward and 2 steps back. Vega GPU? Really? Why even bother...

QD-OLED May Have Solved This Longstanding OLED TV Problem FOREVER

QD-OLED continues to be fap worthy.

Yeah, building a Zen4 system will be very expensive, and this could be a clear advantage for Rocket Lake if it still supports DDR4 (I've seen some rumors saying that Intel asked its board partners to not enable DDR4 support for those chips even in current s1700 boards).

Also, and from the same source as that bit of info, Tom's Hardware, there's that rumor that the X670 chipset will actually be two chiplets! Weird.