- #Serial ata controller driver alienware area 51 serial
- #Serial ata controller driver alienware area 51 upgrade
The eight-in-one media-card reader complicates this issue, though, as it requires its own internal USB connection to the motherboard. In addition to the standard legacy and integrated surround-sound audio ports, the Alienware Area-51 Extreme includes eight USB 2.0 ports-four in the rear and four in the front. Two of the four DIMM slots remain available, and you can add three PCI cards (four slots are free, but one is blocked by the imposing graphics card fan).Ĭonnecting peripherals is generally no problem, but with a new motherboard and the inclusion of a media-card reader, Alienware has had to make some tricky design moves. The organized interior facilitates easy upgrading, as do the 5.25-inch drive bays, with their simple tool-free mechanism, and the two easily removable 3.5-inch drive cages, which are also tool-free after you remove a screw that's meant to prevent dislodging during shipping. The internal cabling remains impeccable, with cords tied and routed neatly out of the way. You'll have to unplug the power cord to the side panel's cooling fan, however, to completely remove the panel. A traditional metal interior supports the plastic outer shell, although the latches on the front door and the side panel are made of plastic and, as a result, feel a bit flimsy.Īccess to its interior is simple, requiring the removal of two thumbscrews. Regardless of its hue, the Alienware Area-51 Extreme remains an imposing desktop, although we don't relish the idea of traveling with it because of its size. You had to pay for color customization last year, but now you can select any one of the seven color options (with matching keyboard and mouse, of course) for no additional charge. The latest Area-51 revamp from Alienware uses the same case that came with the Area-51 we reviewed last spring, a full-tower ATX case with a stylized, plastic outer shell. Our $4,506 Area-51 Extreme test system was expensive to be sure, but gamers with deep pockets will certainly be satisfied.
#Serial ata controller driver alienware area 51 upgrade
All of these parts work together to form a powerhouse machine built to stay ahead of any game, backed up by Alienware's fantastic support and upgrade services.
#Serial ata controller driver alienware area 51 serial
Fans glowing and quietly humming, this black monster tower backs up its intimidating appearance with Intel's new Pentium 4 3.4GHz Extreme Edition chip, an overlocked Nvidia GeForce FX 5950 Ultra graphics card, 1GB of high-speed 400MHz memory, and a serial ATA RAID hard drive array. Alienware's latest incarnation of its Area-51 line maintains the brand's imposing alien-head design.