14 DAY TRIAL // After launching the new Skylake-based gaming laptops Alienware 13, 15, 17 and 18, Dell decided to upgrade its desktop X51 line as well to the new "Skylake" CPUs from Intel.
In addition to bringing the new Skylake platform, Dell also upgraded its liquid cooling solution in order to withstand the extra heat in case users might want to try overclocking the unlocked Core i7-6700K chip.
Although the X51 gaming PCs aren't exactly new, they are however among the first gaming machines designed to offer gamers performance in a smaller-than-usual form factor, and probably being among the first devices to proliferate the mini-ITX idea.
However, similar to designs developed recently by Corsair, the X51 can have its main processing unit replaced over time. Unfortunately, since newer CPUs like the recent Core i5-6700K require a completely new chipset, new models of X51 need to be manufactured from the ground up.
It gets only a "Skylake" update, and that's it
Overclocking enthusiasts should be careful, however, when overclocking their new Intel CPUs since the compact size of the new X51 doesn't allow the air to circulate too much inside the case, and while liquid cooling could do the job just fine, showing a bit of extra care didn't hurt anybody.
Since the new X51 comes with the new Z170 chipset, it's quite obvious that the new machine will also have DDR4 support, so that's even better news for those who would like to upgrade their memory modules for an even better performance than their previous X51 system.
Unfortunately, just like every mini-ITX out there, graphics options - which don't even include high-end models from NVIDIA or AMD - are limited. You can purchase a base X51 model that includes a custom 4GB GTX 745 GPU and then upgrade it to an AMD R9 370 or a 2GB GTX 960, and that's it. The X51 motherboard can actually support any PCI Express X16 device, so in theory you can plug any high-end GPU inside.
Pricewise, new Alienware 51 models can start at $1099 (€975) in the US, while the mid-tier comes equipped with a Core i7 and R9 370 for $1549 (€1374), while top models equipped with a Core i7 and a GTX 960 will arrive for $2049 (€1818).