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Dell Alienware Area-51m Packs Desktop Hardware Into Powerful, Upgradeable Laptop (hothardware.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the now-we're-talking dept.

MojoKid writes: Dell just unveiled its latest desktop-replacement class notebook, the new Alienware Area-51m. Unlike most other notebooks, however, the Area-51m is actually packing an array of desktop-class hardware. Intel's Core i9-9900K is an available CPU option, for example, and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 2080 will be offered in the machine as well. The Area-51m also supports up to 64GB of RAM via quad SO-DIMM slots, multiple NVMe M.2 solid state drives and a SATA drive can be installed, and numerous 17.3" display options will be available as well, including a 144Hz IPS G-SYNC model. The Alienware Area-51m is also upgradeable, thanks to the use of socketed desktop processors and a custom GPU module. The machine will be available starting January 29th in two color options, Lunar Light and Dark Side of the Moon.

7 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. 90 WHr battery by vchoy · · Score: 2

    which probably equates to a good uninterruptible power supply (UPS), giving about 30mins to 1 hour of battery time if this bad boy runs at full overclocked and full power speeds.

  2. Re:What the fuck by Bert64 · · Score: 2

    Those idiots in florida probably already have a good boat, this might make a good anchor tho...

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  3. Missing Detail... by Ambvai · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There's a rather notable tidbit I didn't see in this article that I saw from another: "Alienware is using its proprietary Dell Graphics Form Factor (DGFF) cards for GPUs in the Area-51m, and since neither Nvidia nor AMD has promised that they’ll make future chips compatible with that format, Alienware can’t promise future upgrades either."

    1. Re:Missing Detail... by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      There's a rather notable tidbit I didn't see in this article that I saw from another: "Alienware is using its proprietary Dell Graphics Form Factor (DGFF) cards for GPUs in the Area-51m, and since neither Nvidia nor AMD has promised that theyâ(TM)ll make future chips compatible with that format, Alienware canâ(TM)t promise future upgrades either."

      Not to mention there WAS an interchangable GPU formfactor out there - it's called MXM. It's designed for laptops and both nVidia and AMD supported it, as did a few laptop manufacturers at the time (including Dell).

      Instead, it just died because no one used it in a while.

  4. That you can upgrade doesn't matter. by gl4ss · · Score: 2

    The worthwhile upgrades will be on another socket and chipset anyways. It will be interesting for like the 2nd or 3rd potato gamer owner down the line though.

    Also - laptops have had tried to have standards for upgrading gpu for like 16 years now with little success - availability of an upgrade when you would want it is very unlikely.

    It does offer more cpu options though. But that's about it. who cares? there's several laptops now with 2080 if you want that.

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  5. Why only 1TB? by darkain · · Score: 2

    Why is this thing capped at only 1TB of storage? That's how much I have in my 7 year old 10" netbook that I upgraded. The laptop in the article is a fucking beast, there are 5TB SFF drives now, why don't those work?

  6. Re:Pft.. "Laptop" by Tough+Love · · Score: 2

    Dell has shipped desktop replacement laptops before that thermal throttle down to the performance of a much more modest processor. I have one.

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