$550 Alienware Alpha vs. PS4 and Xbox One - Graphics Comparison

By Peter Brown: "Alienware's getting ready to launch its console-like gaming PC, the Alpha, in just a few weeks, so we took the $550 base model and put it up against a handful of console games to see how it performs against the competition. Instead of pushing the settings on the Alpha to the max, we tuned each game to achieve the best frame rate without sacrificing too many graphical flourishes in the process."

[Foehammer]

Quite interesting

I wonder if it's upgradable?

[HaydenJameSmith]

The CPU, Harddrive and Ram can be upgraded but GPU can't as its integrated to the Motherboard.

[Magicite]

so basically it cant get improved visuals.

[HighResHero]

Ouch.

[HaydenJameSmith]

@dmitrijs88

Improved visuals ? Not so much cause the GPU isn't upgradable, better performance... most probably.

[ToneDeezy]

The GTX860 is a pretty high-end GPU, so it's the one that needs upgraded the least, anyway.

[UltimateMaster]

So, not upgradable.
Seriously, who boost everything else BUT the GPU?

[nitus10]

According to the following:
http://www.polygon.com/a/e3...

"There are i5 and i7 options as well, and users can upgrade everything but the GPU on their own."

so basically "yes" you can upgrade yourself or purchase the box with the appropriate CPU. Of course the article does not mention hard disk size or replace-ability but I would assume that was was a given unless you void your warranty upon opening the case.

Anyway this product is not out till sometime next year (most likely March through June - possibly).

[decrypt]

The alienware is overpriced crap. You could build a HTPC yourself with much better specs.

Having said that, the PS4 is of no contest here. As the PS4 has no games.

Meanwhile an HTPC would have access to 30+ years of gaming library. There is no contest.

[torchic]

decrypt is back!

[CernaML]

^I guess he finally figured out which part he needed to RMA.

[DC777]

Which is why I wish they would just sell the box so I can build my own.

[Future_2015]

Every game on the comparison did look better on the alpha except watch dogs, plus you dont get tied down to a lot of those 30fps caps on consoles so you can play at a higher framerate or up the graphical settings more and get 30fps. Plus you can play console exclusive games like titanfall, ryse and dead rising 3 on pc which is a bonus. Lastly you will actually save a ton of money buying games on steam and online codes. new games on consoles around around now 40-44 pounds while on steam for example borderlands the pre equal is 29.99 pounds. also the insane sales right now on steam like grid 2 for 5 pounds

[nX]

Exclusives > graphical advantages

[starchild]

Which exclusives? All platforms have exclusives.

[BattleAxe]

^^^

You mean games like Starcraft, World of Warcraft, Company of Heros, DOTA2 and League of Legends...exclusives like these?

[starchild]

Yep, those are a few examples of PC exclusives. I don't know why some console fanboys get this strange idea that only the console they own has exclusives.

There are just as many or more exclusives I find that I like on the PC as on any of the consoles.

And another thing I like about the PC is that, besides full PC exclusives, it also gets a lot of games it shares with one console or the other. These are games that are like partial exclusives or, at least, games that you can't play on one of the consoles. I'm talking about games like Project Spark, Below, Titanfall, Ryse, and Ori And The Blind Forest, which are shared with Xbox One. Or games like H1Z1, Planetside 2, No Man's Sky, Transistor and The Witness, which are shared with PS4.

Hell, the PC also gets games like Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Assassin's Creed Rogue that it shares with last gen consoles, while the PS4 and Xbox One miss out on them.

There's simply no way to get the breadth and variety of games you get on PC on any other platform. If you only own one of the consoles you are going to miss out on many of these games.

Personally, I will always prefer the platform that gives me the broadest variety of games, the most flexibility in how I play those games and how they look and perform, backwards compatibility to continue playing those games even after I upgrade or change my system, options to expand or modify those games, and the best graphics and framerates available for those games.

[BrianG]

Future_2015

"Plus you can play console exclusive games like titanfall, ryse and dead rising 3 on pc which is a bonus"

Titanfall, Ryse, and Dead Rising 3 are not console exclusives....

[HighResHero]

Physical copies & GOG for my collection. Steam for great multiplayer and the odd discounted or obscure titles.

[Spenok]

I disagree with the first part of this comment. Everything else however, is easily true with no disputing even remotely possible.

However, Tomb Raider did NOT look better, PS4 has Tressex, better texture overlays (I.E. Wet skin, and raindrops running down her skin), better, more natural lighting etc. Titanfall was very hard to tell due to the differences in gameplay so no comment. Shadow of Mordor had better lighting in PS4, thought more natural colors on the Alienware.

So in MY opinion, the extra $150 isn't worth it. Though I already have a nice PC capable of running these games as it is. However if I didn't something like this would be a clear reason to get into PC gaming. Especially with the points you made.

[raymantalk1]

console versions look every bit as good and they are over a year old tech

[zero_gamer]

As a PC gamer, always avoid buying these cheap "gaming" rigs. You will regret it. To get the most out of PC gaming you will spend more than you would on a console by a decent margin. That's just not going to change any time soon.

[breakpad]

and i say what are you gonna play on this console???...Steam crappy games , LOl or WOW ?? and other crappy MMoRPG (because allt he others AAA games are released for consoles also) ..NO exclusive games -NO buying for me ...and PC lets face it has NO exclusive killer app games

[Chrischi1988]

Lol^^ you call yourself a gamer and act like on PC you dont get games? Many of the loved games you guys play today, started on PCs. Many games like Diablo1 came to a console, but nobody played them there, just like with every real time Strategy game. To act like a Warcraft (not WoW), Starcraft, Command and Conquer, Age of Empires, Counter Strike, Diablo2, Morrowind and so on did not define gaming as of today, of consoles, is just pure ignorance and childish behaviour. I can tell you, PC has more exclusives than any other console out there, especially if we put Indies into the calculation. Many genres were started on the PC, like ego shooters and strategic games. Ypu get a pc and ypu get hundreds of exclusives, many of them AAA titles, you get a console and get like 4. 3rd Parties excluded, as all of them get the and where do they look best? On PC. Doesnt matter? Visuals dont matter? When I am on my Wii U news, ps4 fanboys always say, visuals is what its all about, but when a pc gamer comes buy to remind that pc is best in that area, it suddenly is about gameplay and 3 exclusive games. I tell you what, I take a Starcraft over a GoW anytime, but guess what, for starcraft you need to use your brain to be good, instead of hitting just buttons. On PC many ganes at least are still hard, unlike on consoles, where all games are made easy, so every idiot thinks he is a pro gamer in that game.

[DoomeDx]

If they really want to see how it holds up against current gen..They should atleast unlock the framerate so it can get above the 60FPS.

ORRR...Show the FPS of the console versions aswell :/ how can you compare something if you only show the FPS of the Alienware Alpha?

[strangeaeon]

Someone else should just step up and offer a real console. Screw it, why not have 5 players? I would like to see LG or Samsung make a go at it.

[Volkama]

I'm actually quite surprised that Samsung still haven' entered the fray. They're well equipped t do so, at least on the hardware side.

Also quite surprised MS haven't tried to move past making hardware. Getting their OS and Live out on 3rd party hardware was always the idea I think, but no signs of that.

The 2 things both point to console hardware not being remotely lucrative in itself, and for that reason alienware and steamboxes etc are silly to try and directly match the model.

[Lulz_Boat]

compare it with uc4 graphics please :D

[AndrewLB]

You can't compare it's graphics to a game that nobody has seen actual gameplay footage from. You guys keep acting as if that trailer for Uncharted 4 is gameplay, and it's not.

The fact alone that no actual gameplay has been shown this close to release is strange.

I'm sure you guys remember what they did with Uncharted 3 right?

http://i.imgur.com/LfOBnhz....

[Lulz_Boat]

blah blah blah, stop crying little xbot. this unchy 3 comparison is useless. they just used different clothes. you can actually see drake loooking like the E3 pics in the desert section OF THE FINAL GAME. Have you ever played the game??? mhh no, because you are just a delusional bot.

[chaldo]

"This close to release"

What?

[BiggerBoss]

It's not surprising at all that you're using a picture off of MisterXMedia's site LOL. How about you actually play uncharted 3 and you can see just how good it looks. It's impressive even by todays standards and has some of the best rain and water I've ever seen in a game.

OT: I don't really see the appeal of the Alpha, for that price I could build a better PC, but I guess that suits Alienwares business model

[Spotie]

That you resort to manufactured nonsense is both hilarious and sad.

[xtremexx]

lol, lets compare it to an unreleased game... -_-

[Shineon]

I want it

[kevnb]

A gaming pc is like having a truck, not everyone needs one but they are awesome.

[ShowGun901]

agreed! also, trucks tend to guzzle gas, making them more expensive to upkeep... so far, ive spent around $1,200 on my gaming rig, making it much more expensive than my ps4. its really a luxury item, in the sense its unnessasary.

gotta love it though! LOL

[uth11]

yeah, but I prefer to compare them to race cars. Better performance, but needs more upkeep. Not for everyone.

[Whitey2k]

Ps4 can keep up with that didn't the benchmark from DF over evil within where the ps4 is comparible to an i3 and say 760ti gfx card I think the i3 is exaggerated I think its its comparible to atleast a quad core

[Dirtnapstor]

Why bother with this? If you have a premium PC rig, why not just run an HDMI out to your TV? I've plugged and played in that respect. Seemingly this is a gaming PC without the monitor.

[vikingland1]

All I have is a 2010 average laptop (not great for gaming) . I've never built a PC so this interests me. If I ever get one of the alienware systems it would be the Alpha with i7 and 2 TB HDD. But it is very pricey for what it is. It also comes with a XB360 controller.

[ocelot07]

Seriously man look into building your own. I can't stress how easy it is. Do what I did when I first started learning about building PC's. I bought a broken PC from a second hand market for £5. Everything inside was fine except the HDD and DVD drive was missing.

I watched a tutorial on youtube. Then I had ago of taking it apart. Then I put it together slapped in a dvd drive and 20gb hard drive a friend gave me. Installed XP and it worked fine.

That gave me the confidence to build my own PC. I struggle to replace light bulbs yet I can build PC's.

[vikingland1]

Those YT tutorials are handy. I use them every once in a while. I would want a small pc to fit under my TV though.

[krazeecain]

You can get HTPC or media center computer cases that are oriented sideways and are quite compact. In fact, you can get really small cases that are designed for mini-ITX motherboards that would probably be about as small as the alpha!

[nitus10]

Running a 10m HDMI cable may be the cheapest solution however having cable on the floor can be a hazard unless you are the only one in your house. To get around this you can get a wireless HDMI transmitter and receiver however this is more expensive. Still if you have an expensive PC gaming rig $100 to $500 is a small price to play.

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

While i admit the boost in visuals is nice, the cost is just way too high.
all things considered itll probably cost you about 600ish for the base model. thats essentially one and a half xbox ones or ps4's.

At some point a difference in price makes the any edge the alpha has pretty irrelevant. now if this thing actually came out at 399, then wed have soemthing here.

[R-A-S-0]

You're forgetting how cheap PC games are. Also no subscription fee. You'd be saving money with the Alpha in a matter of weeks (depending on how often you buy games). You could build a better PC for less though, because Alienware...

[Aloren]

Really ? That 150 or 200 dollars difference would be erased in less than a year if you factor in game prices and online cost. I mean I can get shadow of mordor, Alien Isolation, and preorder DA Inquisition and the Witcher 3 and pay a grand total of about 100 euros.

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

Understandable that you'd bring that point because my comment wasnt partcularly clear. What I meant when I made that comment was in regards to alpha system, not all of PC gaming. The fact that steam makes up the cost difference doesn't make me want an alpha any more because there is still the infinitely cheaper rout of building a pc. I feel like the alpha doesn't really have a proper audience because it doesn't stack up well against console price and convenience, while PC gamers know there are much more cost effective routes to even greater power.

[tee_bag242]

Wow.. it performs much better than I thought it would. It's already getting a better FPS than either of the consoles.

[Unarmed_Civilian]

They chose best FPS over max gfx settings.

"Instead of pushing the settings on the Alpha to the max, we tuned each game to achieve the best frame rate without sacrificing too many graphical flourishes in the process."

Anyway im getting the 750 ti its a great budget card with low power consumption.

[FlyingFoxy]

And that's with a fairly mid range mobile GPU, if you could shove a card like a GTX 970 in there it would fly, and it doesn't cost a fortune.

[Ka7be]

I donno, but Tomb rider looks better on the PS4. Better textures and her hair is also better and PS4 is $380. for $550 i can bulid my own system which is as good as the Alpha or maybe better.

[Unarmed_Civilian]

As they sed in the article they chose better fps over max setting while testing, so the gfx looks worse compared to PS4.

[Ka7be]

Well of course they lowered the settings on the Alpha. If they cracked up the setting on the alpha the fps will be 20-30fps against the PS4 50-60fps.

Alienware Alpha is waste of money. I can make a better PC spec with 550 euros.

[Ginesis]

I'm buying one of the Alphas because what I spend to get one, I'll recover cause PC games tend to be cheaper and the selection is huge.

[Unarmed_Civilian]

How about you go to a PC oriented site forum and ask the guys to build you a PC for 550$ , they know where its the cheapest and at the end of the day you can replace your GPU unlike the Alpha.

[Ginesis]

I've always wanted to build my own but the one thing that stops me is that I dont want the 'eyesore' of a tower in my living room and I like that the Alpha boots up to Steam.

[Volkama]

You can boot any PC straight into Steam mate, or straight into big picture mode if you want to go at it with a controller.

The case is a a fair reason to get this though, and the warranty and such will be easier to deal with if there is a problem. That can count for a lot.

[R-A-S-0]

You can set up windows to boot up in Steam big picture so you can play with a controller and never even see Windows. You can build pretty small PCs these days, but obviously not as small as the Alpha.

http://www.corsair.com/en-g...

I really like this case but obviously its pretty big compared to an Alpha/console

[Ginesis]

That would actually work for me hmmmm.....

[R-A-S-0]

I play all my games with a controller on my TV; its glorious man.

Just grab one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Log...

and a Dualshock 4 (the touch pad actually controls the mouse pointer) and you're ready to go!

[MajorGecko]

dont forget the constant updates and getting all the parts to work together perfectly with no issues, alien ware alpha sounds like you can take it out of the box and play, something appealing to us console games who dont have rome total war 2 yet :(

[chasegarcia]

@Ginesis

The lower end Alpha model is not a bad choice considering pc games cost less, unique hardware design (no pc tower), and you cannot build a BETTER pc for that price. If you plan on spending more than $600 it makes sense to build your own for performance sake. Unless you really really want plug and play hardware.

[Unarmed_Civilian]

Its a bad compare test
A) they lowered the gfx setting on Alpha to get best FPS
B)they didn't show what the exact setting were.
C) no FPS counter on console side so no idea whats the performance
D) Alpha is overpriced like everything from alienware

[ninjahunter]

About the overpriced thing. You cant build a pc that performs as well for the price, taking into consideration a copy of windows 8 and a controller. you could get close, however the disparity in part quality would be apparent, in favor of alienware.

[mochachino]

Pretty cool. Would be better if you could upgrade the GPU, I doubt it will be able to keep up in 2-3 years.

[kingduqc]

If it's faster then the ps4 today it will be faster then the ps4 in 6 years and will showcase similar gaming performance troughout it's life.

People with all their "Optimization" BS that console somehow are magic and make everythings work. The optimization is just details that developpers take out and you can do the same with with video setting. A gpa in 2006 released in november give you a better experience then a ps3 in recent games like ass creed or far cry 3 and it's the same thing with w/e alpha "console" alienware is releasing.

[jmc8888]

Gamespot continues to show how utterly clueless they are.

How can you publish a comparison and not even really show a comparison?

Showcasing a low bit-rate video side by side comparison is sloppy.

Not showing the framerate comparison is also sloppy.

Anyone that saw this video is not one bit more informed about what they are getting if they are interested in an Alpha.

Where's the analysis? There's none at all!!!

Take any old PC with an i5 or i7 in it (so literally it could be from LAST DECADE aka 2008) and pop in a $329 GTX 970.

It will blow away the Alpha. You want to play medium or mostly ultra?

Then use that $220 saved to basically buy every PC game you want on sale during the Steam winter sale.

[Sir_Simba]

I dont recommend it, just build a PC or get the PS4,
never build a PC that competes with consoles because you can build something better all you need is patience. if you dont want to wait then just get a PS4, or if you have the money get both.

[Silly gameAr]

Don't think I want to waste the time or the money.

[sovkhan]

Consoles are the fuel of war of video games, without consoles no triple A...be advised!!!

[kryteris]

Maybe as high as $200 over priced, and so called discrete gpu is not upgradable. The PS4/X1 will scale better with future titles, the specs are not good enough to last 4 years, maybe 2.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Blows the PS4 out of the water.

People complaining about the price must not have bought a $600 PS3.

People saying the specs are outdated must no be interested in the next gen consoles, which had outdated specs the second they hit the shelves.

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

Alienware? I don't think anyone cares.

[ATi_Elite]

Actually that's not a bad price for a very capable Pc. I'm shocked Alienware didn't price it higher as all their hardware is usually overpriced and underpowered but this one is about right.

Still better and cheaper to build one yourself.

Ps4 vs Alienware which one is better?

How totally stupid because it all depends on what games you like.

If you like console games then a ps4 or xb1 is the best choice. But if you like PC exclusives then of course the pc is the right choice.

Stop comparing Pc to consoles because Pc Gaming is a whole different world

A world where DDR4 RAM and 4k resolution is available Now!

[ShadowWolf712]

It's Alienware.

Now were this, say, MSI... lol

[5eriously]

Can it play Killzone et al?

Thought not! Then my PC is fine no need to waste!

[Protagonist]

Anyone care to explain to me what graphics does to improve games.

I mean Minecraft just got another 9.5 from IGN, Hotline Miami is one of the best games out there, gamers love Terraria, Spelunky got an overall of 9.0

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition for the PS4 got 8.5 and the same for PC. Would it have gotten 9.5 if the PC version was tested on Alienware Alpha?

Save your money folks... The PS4 is cheap and will last you at least 8 years, while next year some will already talk about why you should buy the next new high-end PC.

[kevnb]

why not just boycott the new systems?

[Protagonist]

I´d rather boycott the neverending high-end PC´s.

Gaming is for fun, not solely graphics and frames per second.

[fashionfreakj86]

If we can't compare Uncharted 4, then lets compare QUANTUM BREAK for the XB1.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

As you can see, graphics is mindblowing for hardware thats very outdated against the ALPHA or other High end rigs. Thats how you know developers always take their time to optimize consoles.

But I will choose game consoles any day because developers always optimize games to work as best as they can on game consoles (even with the outdated hardware) and always just neglect old PC hardware and not bother optimizing games to work on old PC's because they feel alot of PC gamers will just upgrade their hardware anyways. If you bought an alienware alpha console, you can expect to see a major downgrade in the future when it comes to game graphics compared to game consoles (ps4 and xbox1) because when it comes to multi-platform games, optimization for consoles mostly always comes first before old PC hardware which the stock Alien alpha console will be.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[ChickeyCantor]

These "mind blowing" graphics are a non issue with PC. The stigma comes from the fact that gamedevelopers were catering to the PS3 and Xbox360 which were using non x86 hardware.

Now that the PS4 and X1 do have that hardware, developers can also focus on PC while retaining easy scalability with minimal optimization issues.

PS4 and X1 are not using any space magic. They are closer to traditional PC's more than ever. It's just that the keyword here is "Exclusives". But 2nd/3rd gen multiplat games will look no different.

Nvidia and ATI cards will contain better and new features over time. Consoles have to rely on driver updates only which might not always be inclusive.

don't forget Mantle and DX12.

[ChickeyCantor]

"Alien ware"...Eh they overprice their hardware.

[Cid33]

how can they compare with settings turned off? ps4 is running tress fx or something like that looking at tomb raider hair. and watch dogs quality is higher on ps4 other games do not make any significant diffidence. its a more expensive pice of crap, better to put those money in upgrades for your pc or buy a console if that's your preference.

[krazeecain]

People say that games aren't all about the graphics, and thus use this point to condemn PC's. This doesn't make sense to me though. Yes, you can buy a really expensive gaming PC and it will have better graphics than the new consoles. But you can also buy a PC that's CHEAPER than the new consoles, which is backwards compatible with nearly all PC games of the past 2 or 3 decades... they're also home to some of the most innovative indie games, and they generally feature lo-fi graphics.

[GAMEnjoy_]

It's not about specs, it's about Games they make the each platform special :-)

I got also good PC(i7 4770K, 12GB DDR3, GTX 660 OC) but the only game I've been playing on it was Witcher 2 ;-) and few other games which didn't impress me so I don't even remember their names... But I remember all games I've been playing on PSX, PS2 and few on X360 as on my PS4(besides Vita). You know why? Bcuz Sony had always some kind of magic with it:) I remember these times with PSX and PS2, it's just that feeling when you playing game on console is different than on PC. For me it's more this magic ;-) Playing on PC is so... plastics. No vibe for me.

That's why I am patient and I'm waiting until that magic returns on PS4. I think it will happen in 2015 and so beyond. Let the force be with you!

[Kumomeme]

just make own rig with steam os
much cheaper,more choice,more game,more freedoms