Alienware is going all-in on Threadripper, Core-X and gaming peripherals

Alienware arrived at E3 this year in force, with a slew of new gaming systems, new peripherals and even a high-performance 240Hz gaming monitor. Beyond updated X299 and X399 Alienware Area-51 desktops, there is also a new Alienware 15 featuring Nvidia's new Max-Q technology, making it one of the company's thinnest gaming laptops ever.

Let's get started with desktops. Alienware is updating the Area-51 desktop system with new AMD Ryzen Threadripper and Intel Core X processor options. This will be Alienware's first 16-core system, which will come overclocked up to 4.5GHz across all cores. For those who prefer Intel, there will also be Core i9 options. The Area-51 Threadripper Edition will be available in September (we heard earlier today that Threadripper would launch in August), meanwhile, Intel Core X options will launch on the 22nd of August.

Back at Computex, Nvidia unveiled its new Max-Q design initiative, aiming to usher in a new age of ultra thin but ultra powerful gaming laptops. Alienware will be right at the forefront with the Alienware 15 laptop, featuring a GTX 1080 and Max-Q design technology. At its peak, this laptop should only use 110 watts, which means you should be able to game for longer on a 99Whr battery. That said, I don't imagine many people are planning to use their gaming laptops unplugged for lengthy sessions. This laptop will be available from early July with pricing to come later on.

Finally, Alienware is also expanding its presence in the gaming accessory market. For starters, there will be a full range of gaming peripherals complete with AlienFX lighting. The Alienware Advanced Gaming Keyboard is a mechanical board with brown switches, mixing the best of both worlds when it comes to tactile feedback and swift actuation. This is available on the 14th of July. Pairing with the keyboard is the Alienware Advanced and Elite gaming mice. The Advanced is geared towards shooters with fast DPI switching while the Elite is geared towards MMOs with lots of reprogrammable buttons. Both are coming in July.

Finally, Alienware is also launching its very own gaming monitor. The AW2518H and AW2518HF are 25-inch G-sync and Freesync monitors. Both feature a TN panel for 1ms GTG response times along with a massive 240Hz refresh rate. This is a 1080p monitor, as you might expect given its size and refresh rate. This monitor will be available in July but pricing is yet to be determined.

KitGuru Says: Alienware seems to be going all out at E3 this year with all of these announcements. A gaming monitor was probably the last thing I expected to see from them. What do you guys think of Alienware's new lineup?

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