Alienware Alpha

Smaller, lighter and as smart as the consoles ; Matches the consoles for gaming power ; Xbox 360 controller included ; Dedicated Alienware UI

Can’t upgrade GPU ; More expensive than consoles ; Entry-level CPU and RAM limits performance

Stylish, compact design ; HDMI in support ; Decent performance ; Windows-free experience ; Upgradeable

No GPU upgrade ; Easily outpriced ; No Origin, Uplay support ; Rough UI

With or without Valve, the Steam Machines are coming. And with the Alienware Alpha, Dell is one of the first – and arguably the strongest – of the hopeful PC-based game consoles to grace us with its glow … literally.

The compact Alienware Alpha plays a huge library of PC games in a living-room-friendly format, and it works with a standard Xbox 360 controller.

It's built around the Steam gaming platform, so it's harder to use for PC games purchased elsewhere. The custom UI is slow and clunky, and the base configuration is underpowered for long-term use.

The bold Alienware Alpha makes good on many parts of its promise to meld the gaming PC and living room game console, but there are still too many rough edges to make this a true console killer.

When Valve first revealed its Steam Machines, it sparked a smaller, gaming PC revolution, but there's no sign of them just yet. While Alienware had its Alpha listed as a Steam Machine, the gaming PC maker has taken matters into its own hands and has...

Alienware has cooked up a brilliant tiny PC, but there are a few issues it suffers from. While performance is great, it's let down by its rather slow hard disk drive. It only spins at 5,400rpm, making getting booted into Steam from a cold boot a rather...

Alienware has crafted a tip-top PC that's smaller than both next-gen consoles, yet it packs in enough grunt to compete with both whilst also doubling up as an actual Windows box too. It's not perfect though, it's expensive compared to a next-gen...

Alpha UI creates a solid console illusion ; Custom gamepad drivers solve most mouse and keyboard problems ; Makes it easy to play PC games on a TV

Painfully long load times ; Overprotective console mode blocks some games from running ; Driver issues can cause trouble with some titles

The Alpha does a lot of things right. It's a small, compact gaming PC that fits into your entertainment center. It uses a combination of custom launchers and mouse-emulation to give users an experience analogous to that of a traditional game console...

Solid gaming performance. Good connectivity. 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. Includes wireless Xbox 360 controller. Compact chassis.

Loading games is more difficult than on a gaming console. GPU can't be upgraded. Lacks DVI and VGA ports. No keyboard or mouse included.

Overall, the Alienware Alpha gaming PC shows some promise. Its performance is top notch for the price, and whenever Steam finally releases the Steam Machine/Steam OS, you'll be in a good position to install it. However, as an overall gaming system,...