Alienware Aurora R8 Review: A Compact RTX Gaming Powerhouse
Introducing The Intel 9th Gen And NVIDIA Turing-Enabled Alienware Aurora R8
Dell-Alienware's Aurora gaming desktop PC lineage continues with Intel's latest 9th Gen Core processors on board and a fresh injection of ray-tracing, courtesy of NVIDIA's Turing GPUs. The Alienware Aurora R8 promises richer image quality for ray-tracing supported titles, while continuing to push performance boundaries for a compact gaming PC, with evermore powerful platform hardware and self-contained liquid cooling.
RTX equipped configurations can span from an Intel Core i7-9700K paired with a GeForce RTX 2070OC, 16GB of DDR4 2666MHz RAM, and a 128GB SATA SSD + 2TB HDD system for around $2,159, on up to a Core i9-9900K with a GeForce RTX 2080Ti OC (or dual GeForce RTX 2080's), 64GB of HyperX DDR4 3200MHz RAM, and a 2TB NVMe SSD + 2TB HDD fully-loaded powerhouse for a wallet-busting $5,500 and change. All of these configurations include Alienware's high performance liquid cooling for the processor. GPU liquid cooling is reserved for its bigger sibling, the Area-51, however.
Alienware delivered our review unit to the lab a few weeks ago and we have been running it through its paces ever since. The test unit weighs in much closer to the base model at $3014.99. It is fueled with a Core i7-9700K, a single GeForce RTX 2080 OC, 32GB of HyperX's DDR4 2933MHZ RAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe NMVe SSD + 2TB HDD for storage, and Killer's 1535 802.11ac 2x2 Wireless LAN. This represents a respectably balanced system for buyers seeking a well-rounded, high-performance gaming PC. Check out the full specifications below...
While gamers are the natural primary audience for a system like this, the Aurora also makes a strong proposal for creative professionals. Video and photo editing, CAD modeling, neural network programming, and more workflows all benefit from the same high-end hardware gamers want. Users who pull double duty will get all the more value out of a premium system like this one.
The Aurora R8 did not arrive alone, Dell also shipped over their UltraSharp U3219Q 4K USB-C monitor to provide the best experience. As is the case with other UltraSharp monitors, this one arrives factory calibrated, with 99% sRGB coverage, and also touts VESA certified DisplayHDR 400 for HDR playback support.
Its narrow bezels, high resolution, color accuracy and expansive size makes it a compelling option for photo and video editing in particular.
The USB-C cable cleans up the desk by driving both the display itself and the integrated USB hub. The connection works perfectly using the Type-C connector on the RTX 2080 in the Aurora R8. The U3219Q also has DisplayPort, HDMI, and a USB 3.0 Type-B uplink for use as needed with "legacy" equipment.
The U3219Q does not come cheap at around $850, but it does deliver unquestionably professional results. If you are in the market for pure gaming, however, a 1080p or 1440p panel with a high refresh rate and adaptive sync is probably the better course of action.
Enough about the display, let's check out the rig...
RTX equipped configurations can span from an Intel Core i7-9700K paired with a GeForce RTX 2070OC, 16GB of DDR4 2666MHz RAM, and a 128GB SATA SSD + 2TB HDD system for around $2,159, on up to a Core i9-9900K with a GeForce RTX 2080Ti OC (or dual GeForce RTX 2080's), 64GB of HyperX DDR4 3200MHz RAM, and a 2TB NVMe SSD + 2TB HDD fully-loaded powerhouse for a wallet-busting $5,500 and change. All of these configurations include Alienware's high performance liquid cooling for the processor. GPU liquid cooling is reserved for its bigger sibling, the Area-51, however.
Alienware delivered our review unit to the lab a few weeks ago and we have been running it through its paces ever since. The test unit weighs in much closer to the base model at $3014.99. It is fueled with a Core i7-9700K, a single GeForce RTX 2080 OC, 32GB of HyperX's DDR4 2933MHZ RAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe NMVe SSD + 2TB HDD for storage, and Killer's 1535 802.11ac 2x2 Wireless LAN. This represents a respectably balanced system for buyers seeking a well-rounded, high-performance gaming PC. Check out the full specifications below...
| Alienware Aurora R8 | |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-9700K 8-Core/8-Thread 3.6GHz (Max Turbo 4.9GHz) |
| OS | Windows 10 Home 64-bit |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 OC 8GB GDDR6 |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD 2TB 7200RPM SATA HDD |
| Memory | 32GB HyperX DDR4-2933MHz Dual Channel |
| Power Supply | Alienware 850W Multi-GPU Approved PSU |
| Networking | Killer 1535 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi + Killer 2500 Gigabit LAN |
| Ports: Front | 3x USB-A 3.0 (5Gbps) 1x USB-C 3.0 (5Gbps) 1x Headphone Jack 1x Microphone Jack |
| Ports: Rear | 5x USB-A 2.0 3x USB-A 3.0 (5Gbps) 1x USB-A 3.1 (10Gbps) 1x USB-C 3.1 (10Gbps) 1x DisplayPort 1x RJ-45 Killer Gigabit Ethernet 1x SPDIF Digital Output (Coax) 1x SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK) 1x Rear L/R Surround |
| Monitor | Dell UltraSharp U3219Q 4K USB-C (Sold Separately, $849) |
| Weight | 32.67 pounds (14.819 kg) |
| Dimensions | 18.6" x 8.35" x 14.19" H x W x D (472.52 x 212 x 360.5 mm) |
| Warranty | 1-year limited |
| Price | Starting at $2159.99 ($3014.99 as configured) |
While gamers are the natural primary audience for a system like this, the Aurora also makes a strong proposal for creative professionals. Video and photo editing, CAD modeling, neural network programming, and more workflows all benefit from the same high-end hardware gamers want. Users who pull double duty will get all the more value out of a premium system like this one.
Dell UltraSharp U3219Q
The Aurora R8 did not arrive alone, Dell also shipped over their UltraSharp U3219Q 4K USB-C monitor to provide the best experience. As is the case with other UltraSharp monitors, this one arrives factory calibrated, with 99% sRGB coverage, and also touts VESA certified DisplayHDR 400 for HDR playback support.
Its narrow bezels, high resolution, color accuracy and expansive size makes it a compelling option for photo and video editing in particular.
The USB-C cable cleans up the desk by driving both the display itself and the integrated USB hub. The connection works perfectly using the Type-C connector on the RTX 2080 in the Aurora R8. The U3219Q also has DisplayPort, HDMI, and a USB 3.0 Type-B uplink for use as needed with "legacy" equipment.
The U3219Q does not come cheap at around $850, but it does deliver unquestionably professional results. If you are in the market for pure gaming, however, a 1080p or 1440p panel with a high refresh rate and adaptive sync is probably the better course of action.
Enough about the display, let's check out the rig...
