Alienware Aurora R11 review: A GeForce RTX 30-series beast

Our Verdict

The Alienware Aurora R11 packs powerful hardware in a distinctive chassis, although it's loud, heavy and expensive.

For

Powerful hardware
Distinctive pattern
Plentiful customization options
Good for both gaming and productivity

Confronting

Runs hot and loud
Software needs work

Tom's Guide Verdict

The Alienware Aurora R11 packs powerful hardware in a distinctive chassis, although it's loud, heavy and expensive.

Pros

+
Powerful hardware
+
Distinctive design
+
Plentiful customization options
+
Proficient for both gaming and productivity

Cons

-
Runs hot and loud
-
Software needs piece of work

Alienware Aurora R11 Review: Specs

Processor: Up to Intel Cadre i9-10900F
RAM: Upwards to 128 GB
Graphics Card: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090
Storage: Up to 2 TB SSD + 2 TB HDD
Accessories: Dell Multimedia Keyboard, Dell Optical Mouse MS116AW
Ports: USB-A, USB-C, 3.5 mm audio, optical audio, DisplayPort, HDMI
Size: 19.0 x 17.0 ten 8.8 inches
Weight: 39 pounds

The Alienware Aurora R11 is ane of the most powerful pre-built gaming PCs you can buy. Naturally, that also makes information technology one of the well-nigh expensive. E'er since the brand'southward inception, Alienware's value proposition has been clear: Get a stylish, functional gaming PC right out of the box, simply exist ready to dish out a few yard dollars for it.

The Aurora R11 is the latest evolution of that philosophy, and it's a pretty expert machine. Just be aware that it requires a lot of money and space, too as some patience to bargain with lackluster software.

While yous can theoretically become the Aurora R11 for every bit little as $1,110, y'all'll be saddled with an outdated GPU, relatively little RAM and an old-school hd. More futurity-proof models of the R11 offset at $2,440 and go up from in that location. Whether it's worth the premium depends on how much the Alienware brand name ways to you — and how much you demand the Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-series right now.

In our tests, the Aurora R11 performed beautifully for both games and productivity, in spite of a few usability hiccups. If you like how the system looks and don't listen springing for the best hardware, the Alienware Aurora R11 may be one of the best gaming PCs — indeed, i of the best computers menstruum — yous can buy.

However, as of September 2022 Alienware discontinued the Aurora R11, so you may have a hard time finding one for a reasonable price. You can bank check our best gaming PCs list for some alternative, and there's a new Alienware Aurora 2022 model in the works with a bigger, cooler (literally) case and the latest components — so continue an eye peeled for our review of that model once it becomes bachelor.

Alienware Aurora R11 review: Price and availability

The Alienware Aurora R11 is bachelor right now, although your preferred model may not be available for commitment right away. That's because these machines utilize Nvidia GeForce RTX xxx-series GPUs, which are in pretty short supply lately. At the time of writing, shipping time is 2-3 weeks — which, admittedly, might be better than trying to find the GPUs à la menu.

Pricewise, the Aurora R11 runs the gamut from $1,110 all the style up to $v,000 — or more. I was able to configure a $5,120 arrangement with an Intel Core i9-10900KF CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 GPU, 128 GB 3200 MHz RAM, 2 TB SSD + 2 TB HDD storage and a 1000W power supply.

At the accented other end of the spectrum, for $one,110, you can go an Intel Core i5 10400F CPU, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Super GPU, viii GB 2933 MHz RAM, i TB HDD storage and a 550W power supply. Personally, I'm not certain these specs are worth fifty-fifty the modest asking toll, but yous can also mix and match desired components to observe some kind of affordable compromise.

Tom's Guide reviewed a loftier-end Aurora R11 model with an Intel Core i9 10900K CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 GPU, 64 GB RAM and 2 TB SSD + ii TB HDD storage. This configuration would cost about $4,100, depending on your software and instance options.

Alienware Aurora R11 review: Pattern

I of the most hit aspects of the Alienware Aurora R11 is its physical pattern. Instead of a boxy rectangle, the Aurora R11 has an oval face and a rounded chassis, somewhat similar a flattened egg.

It'due south futuristic and distinctive, and makes a much ameliorate chat piece than "hither'southward a blackness box full of parts."

Granted, this creativity comes at a cost (in addition to the monetary one). The Aurora R11 is a hefty machine, at 18.9 10 17.0 ten 8.7 inches, and whopping 41 pounds.

This machine eats desk space for breakfast — assuming your desk won't crack and splinter under its weight. On the other paw, if it lives on the floor, and then you lot won't really get to capeesh its design.

Alienware Aurora R11 review: Ports and upgradability

Because its hardware, it should come every bit no surprise that the Alienware Aurora R11 comes with a plethora of ports. On the front alone, you lot've got three USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and 3.5 mm ports for discrete mic and audio.

On the back, y'all'll detect 10 more USB-A ports, another USB-C port, an Ethernet port, an optical sound port, half dozen different 3.5 mm sound inputs, and a handful of DisplayPorts and HDMI ports (depending on your GPU).

Generally speaking, it'southward a generous corporeality of ports, although I experience like having only 2 USB-C ports is not equally frontward-thinking as it could be for a auto that could very well last between five and 10 years.

What'due south odd about the Aurora R11, though, is that for all of its girth and weight, in that location'southward not much room to maneuver when yous open up it up. If you want to upgrade the machine, you tin slide off the side and back plates hands enough by manipulating a few switches.

But the interior is very cramped, and unless you lot want to add a hard drive, or some more than RAM, the parts may non play nicely with the PC'southward curved chassis. Purchase the Aurora R11 with a CPU and GPU you like, because odds are, you'll exist stuck with both for a while.

Alienware Aurora R11 review: Gaming performance

The Alienware Aurora R11 represents my first time using an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 card, and the GPU was equally impressive as I'd hoped. Coupled with the Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor (with a 360 Hz refresh rate — more than on that soon), the Aurora R11 played some of my favorite PC games more than beautifully and fluidly than I'd e'er seen them before. Whether you desire to fuel ultra-high-framerate 1080p gaming, cinematic 4K gaming or something in-between, the Aurora R11 can support your setup.

I put the Aurora R11 to the test with Doom Eternal, Historic period of Empires 3: Definitive Edition, Baldur's Gate 3 and Final Fantasy XIV — all of which tin put demanding machines through its paces, if you turn the settings up loftier enough. With 1080p resolution, frame rate capped at 360 fps and the residue of the settings turned up as high as they would go, I still got incredible results. Doom Eternal ran at more than than 300 frames per second, even during intense firefights; Final Fantasy 14 never dipped below well-nigh 150 fps, even when I was in a crowded city center, replete with other players.

We also benchmarked the Aurora R11 with a variety of games at 4K and Ultra settings. Assassin's Creed Valhalla reached 53 fps; Grand Theft Auto Five, 61 fps; and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 59 fps.

Contrast with the similarly powerful MSI 1000000 Trident X, which employed the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, and it's not even a fair comparing. That machine earned 52 fps on Assassin'southward Creed Odyssey (Valhalla was not however available), 45 fps for GTA V and 44 fps for Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The RTX 3090 represents a significant upgrade with noticeable gameplay benefits — although for the price, we suppose it had better provide top-notch visuals.

The Aurora R11 also fared well in terms of 1080p performance, reaching scores like 152 fps on GTA V, and 136 fps on Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The Trident X, for comparison, accomplished 134 fps and 120 fps on those games, respectively.

Overall, the Aurora R11 is one of the nearly powerful gaming machines we've ever tested — simply that'south non really surprising, given the hardware that's gone into it. Whether it'southward worth $4,000 is a picayune harder to quantify.

Alienware Aurora R11 review: Overall functioning

As y'all might imagine, the Alienware Aurora R11 is a productivity powerhouse. Between the PC's powerful hardware and a 360 Hz monitor, I institute that fifty-fifty Windows appeared to run quicker and smoother than usual. I couldn't faze the auto with my everyday programs. Even with Microsoft Give-and-take, Slack, Discord, Steam, Spotify and a multimedia-tab-filled Chrome up and running simultaneously, I was hard-pressed to use more than almost 15% of the organisation's memory; the CPU was even less bothered. Movies and TV stream without a hitch; music sounds cracking, provided you can supply high-quality headphones or speakers.

In terms of bogus benchmarks, the Aurora R11 besides excelled, copying 5GB of files from a thumb drive in 4.ane seconds, achieving a transfer charge per unit of ane,243 MBps. Oddly, that'due south non quite up to the Trident X'southward standards, which achieved a transfer rate of 1,275 MBps, but it's close enough that you'd never exist able to tell without a stopwatch.

On an older Geekbench iv.iii general performance test, the Aurora R11 earned an impressive 41,822 score, compared to the Trident X's 40,378. A newer Geekbench v.3 exam pegged the Aurora R11's functioning at eleven,143, but we don't notwithstanding have other systems confronting which to compare this. In a vacuum, at least, information technology's a very high score.

Still, there are some qualitative bug with the Aurora R11's performance. During everyday productivity tasks, the Aurora R11 runs a little warm and emits a repose fan hum. But during gaming, the automobile essentially becomes a very loud space heater, blasting audio and heat beyond anything in its immediate vicinity.

After about 30 minutes gaming on the Aurora R11, I took off my sweatshirt and checked my thermostat to see if I'd accidentally turned it upwardly. Imagine my surprise when I came back to my seat and discovered where the heat was actually coming from the PC. The GPU can striking temperatures of lxxx degrees Celsius subsequently prolonged use — within tolerable technical limits, but enough to warm up your firsthand surroundings.

Alienware Aurora R11 review: Software

If I have one large criticism of the Alienware Aurora R11, it'southward the potentially prohibitive price. But if I accept a second criticism, information technology's the broken, unintuitive software. While the Aurora R11 doesn't come up with much "bloatware," per se, it does come with a suite of Alienware tools: Command Center, Digital Delivery, Updates and so along.

When I get-go set up the Aurora R11, the computer recommended that I run the built-in Dell SupportAssist software. The system ran a serial of long, tedious tests — and the 2nd information technology was washed, pinged me with an urgent alarm that it had been zero days since my last test; did I want to run it again? I thought that maybe updating the software would iron out the kinks, but no: After taking a whole afternoon to download most 400 MB worth of files, the organization restarted and informed me that it had been zero days since my final scan, and I had to run one again ASAP.

I somewhen turned off all the Alienware software and went through Windows Update instead. While Alienware's heart is in the correct place, it'southward disappointing that its bespoke software provides a clunkier feel than the default OS. (You can utilise Alienware software to control some LED lights on the front of the PC, though, which tin can admittedly exist very pretty.)

Alienware Aurora R11 review: Verdict

If nothing else, the Alienware Aurora R11 is consistent. When nosotros reviewed its predecessor, the Alienware Aurora R10, we pointed out that the system provided excellent performance in a fashionable and potentially very expensive parcel. The same is true here. I have a hard time recommending a $four,000 organisation to PC gamers — particularly when, with a little know-how, they could build something similar for thousands of dollars less — simply there's no reason why you'd have to purchase the exact model we reviewed. Y'all could customize a perfectly practiced Aurora R11 for $2,000 or so, and have a fashionable, functional centerpiece for your gaming setup.

The system's physical design has some charms and some drawbacks, and the performance depends very much on how much you lot're willing to spend on parts. Only generally speaking, Alienware'southward reputation for premium PC products is well-earned. The Aurora R11 could make a sizable dent in your bank account, simply you exercise, at least, get what yous pay for.

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom'due south Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of scientific discipline and technology. Afterwards hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.