The video reviews a decade-old Alienware Area 51 gaming PC, highlighting its powerful original specs, solid gaming performance with Cyberpunk 2077, and notable design features despite outdated elements and thermal challenges. Attempts to upgrade with multi-GPU setups and overclocking reveal limitations, but overall the system remains a capable and upgradeable machine even after ten years.
The video explores a decade-old Alienware Area 51 gaming PC, which originally cost over $6,000, with its 2016 CPU alone priced at $2,000. The host examines the machine’s unique triangular design, heavy build, and dated features such as the absence of USB-C ports and the inclusion of a DVD/Blu-ray drive. Despite its age, the system’s ventilation and cooling setup, including large front fans and a small 120mm radiator for the CPU, are noted. The PC was reportedly used by an architecture firm, highlighting its intended use for demanding tasks like CAD.
Inside, the system houses an EVGA GTX 1080 Ti graphics card, likely a later upgrade, paired with a powerful Intel Core i7-6950X 10-core CPU and 32GB of DDR4 RAM. The motherboard supports multiple GPUs, though this particular unit only has one installed. The power supply is a robust 850W 80 Plus Gold unit, reflecting Dell’s focus on reliability. Storage options include three hard drive bays and one SSD bay, with some hot-swappable capabilities, and the system features proprietary front panel controls and lighting.
Upon powering up, the host installs Windows 11 and runs Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p medium settings. The system performs well with stable frame rates around 60 FPS, though the GPU temperatures climb to about 80°C, which is high but not throttling. The CPU remains cool around 62°C. This demonstrates that despite its age, the Alienware Area 51 can still deliver a solid gaming experience, albeit with some thermal concerns.
The host then attempts to upgrade the system by adding a second GTX 1080 Ti to enable SLI. However, physical differences in the card designs prevent the use of the high-bandwidth SLI connector, forcing the use of flexible connectors. Unfortunately, modern games like Cyberpunk 2077 do not support multi-GPU setups effectively, resulting in the second GPU being idle and no performance gains. Additionally, the added card increases temperatures and causes some games to crash, showing the limitations of multi-GPU configurations today.
Finally, the host experiments with overclocking the CPU but encounters issues as the frequency remains locked at stock speeds despite BIOS adjustments. Some games also fail to launch after attempted overclocking. Despite these challenges, the video concludes that the Alienware Area 51 remains a powerful and upgradeable system even after ten years. The host reflects on purchasing the PC for $700 Canadian without storage and encourages viewers to check out related content before ending the video.