Alienware X51 Reviewed

When Dell announced the Alienware X51 small form factor gaming PC, the design immediately drew comparisons to modern game consoles. Certainly it would be easy to imagine sliding the X51 onto a shelf in the component cabinet, perhaps even right between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Given that Microsoft and Sony seem more interested in their consoles as media players than gaming machines these days, a gaming-centric HTPC should fit right in. PC gaming in the living room is not for everyone, but it would appear that the X51 can deliver the goods. It would certainly be cheaper to build a standard gaming PC and press it into service as an HTPC, but the X51 has a compelling argument to be made for those interested in the small form factor. 

One shape the Aliens have never assumed previously, however, is the small form-factor desktop.  And let’s be honest, systems in this weight class generally aren’t known for their gaming prowess but usually serve as home theater or mainstream PCs.  The folks at Alienware have a different sort of vision for their next alien life form and if you weren’t paying attention, you’d almost mistake it for a game console rather than a PC.

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