While both AMD Ryzen Threadripper and Intel Core X-Series (Skylake-X) CPUs have just been unveiled by both of their creators, Dell is already committed to offer them to its customers. Both processors will be the main firepower source for the latest iteration of the company’s high-performance desktop, the Alienware Area-51.
From the outside, the 2017 Area-51 still looks like its older self thanks to the model’s signature triad chassis alongside programmable AlienFX light zones that are scattered throughout the chassis. Depending on customer’s choice of processor, either editions are hardly different from each other.
According to Dell, the Threadripper option will come factory-overclocked across all of the chip’s 16-cores and 32-threads. Not surprisingly, the chip will be accompanied by liquid cooling solution to keep its temperature manageable.
The Skylake-X edition on another hand is also liquid-cooled but will run at stock settings from factory. Interestingly, customers can also choose to add up to 32GB Intel Optane memory into their Area-51 which will be paired with up to 2TB 7200rpm hard drive.
Other than that, either editions can be generally be fitted with up to 64GB quad-channel DDR4-2667 or HyperX DDR4-2933 RAM as well as combination of 1TB M.2 PCIe solid state drive and 2TB 7200rpm hard drive.
For graphics card, Area-51 is able to support up to two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB or three AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB graphics card. Dell is also offering customers the choice of either 850W 80Plus Bronze or 1500W 80Plus Gold power supplies for its Area-51.
The Area 51 Threadripper Edition will be available on 27 July, followed by the Area 51 with Intel Core-X Series in late summer. At this moment, the starting price for either of these machines have yet to be disclosed.
