The CPU aside, you can upgrade all of those features for added cost, including adding a second graphics card, but we think this configuration in particular strikes a strong balance between price and performance. Alienware also sent this system just as it added ATI's new 512MB Radeon X1950 XTX graphics card to its configurator. The cost-effective measures extend throughout, including 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM, a single 250GB 7,200rpm hard drive, and a single DVD burner. Intel's pricey Core 2 Extreme X6800 chip isn't an option on the midrange Area-51 5500 our review unit's Core 2 Duo E6700 chip is the fastest offered. The gamer-oriented case, as usual, is not for everyone, and we're still waiting on Alienware to deliver some promised features to its custom software, but minor gripes aside, we like the bang-for-the-buck the Alienware Area-51 5500 provides. The baseline model costs $1,599, and our powerful $2,539 review unit outperformed more expensive PCs on a few of CNET Labs' tests, and in general, this gaming system will deliver smooth frame rates, with room to grow. What caught us off guard, however, is what a good deal the Area-51 5500 is. Not surprisingly, Alienware has rolled out the new case to the rest of its Area-51 and Aurora desktops as well (the ultra-high-end ALX series still awaits a case redesign).
We first saw Alienware's new P2 case on its Area-51 7500, a desktop we reviewed a few months ago in conjunction with our coverage of Intel's Core 2 Duo launch.
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