Alienware X51 R2 Desktop Gaming System Review
Alienware X51 R2 External Features
The Alienware X51 is a nice looking rig. The side panel of the X51 is simplistic, though it can be flashy. The section in the center of panel can be illuminated in a variety of colors, it’s controlled through the Alien Command center application within the Windows operating system. There are times I like a little bit of ‘Bling’ to my system, other (more frequently) I prefer less, and the X51 from Alienware handles that without an issue for me.
The Alienware X51 R2 keeps everything stylish but not overstated. The front of the X51 chassis features a gloss black finish with almost nothing but the essentials. Up top we have the power button, on the left we have the slot loading optical drive while on the right we have a pair of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports and the 3.5mm head phone jacks. At the bottom we have the trademark Alien head, the eyes can be set to glow to match the side panels or their own independent color.
The top of the Alienware X51 R2 chassis is slotted to allow for the necessary airflow to keep the Intel Core i5 4430 processor cool.
The bottom of the Alienware X51 chassis is designed similar to the top with regards to providing the necessary airflow, though here we are working on keeping the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 breathing. At each of the corners of the Alienware X51 R2 we can find a rubber foot that will prevent the X51 from sliding around on your desk.
The back panel of the Alienware X51 R2 is pretty common by today’s standards. The I/O panel features four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, two HiSpeed USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, Coaxial and optical SPDIF out, HDMI and the usual six 3.5mm audio jacks. Towards the bottom of the X51 chassis we can find the pair of DVI ports, HDMI, and DisplayPort that is featured on the included NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670. Just to the left of the GTX 670 we can make out the plug for the system power. The back panel that doesn’t feature some sort of I/O is a mesh to aid in the system breathing during those long gaming sessions you’re bound to have with the Alienware X51.
The opposing side panel is quite similar to the first side panel, though there is one distinct difference. There is some alien scripting up top. As with the other side, the light panel can be adjusted to match the other side and eyes, or done on its own.