Alienware backs the Area-51 m5550 with an industry-standard one-year warranty that includes 24/7 phone support, but unlike some other manufacturers', the Alienware warranty also includes onsite service. Upgrading to a three-year warranty costs $275, and the company's AlienAutopsy self-diagnosis software is available for an additional $49. The deep Alienware support Web site includes the expected knowledge database, driver downloads, and FAQs, plus some additional helpful features, such as up-to-date virus information with free virus scans, customer forums, and the option to view your support history.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
| Multitasking suite (in seconds) | iTunes 6.0.4.2 AAC-to-MP3 conversion (in seconds) | Photoshop CS2 performance (in seconds) |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
| BAPCo MobileMark 2005 performance |
(Longer bars indicate better battery life)
| BAPCo MobileMark 2005 battery life in minutes |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
| Id Software/Activision's Doom 3 |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
| Monolith's/VU Games' F.E.A.R. |
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System configurations:
Alienware Area-51 m5550
Windows XP Media Center; 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7600; 2GB DDR2 SDRAM PC2-5300 666MHz; Nvidia GeForce GO 7600 256MB; Seagate Momentus 7200.1 100GB 7,200rpm
Dell XPS M1710
Windows XP Media Center; 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7600; 2GB DDR2 SDRAM PC5300 666MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX 512MB; Hitachi Travelstar 7K100 100GB 7,200rpm
HP Pavilion dv6000
Windows XP Pro; 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo T7400; 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 7400 256MB; Fujitsu MHV2100BH PL 100GB 5,400rpm
PC Club Enpower ENP680
Windows XP Home; 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200; 2GB DDR2 SDRAM PC2-5300 666MHz; Nvidia GeForce GO 7600 GS 256MB; Seagate Momentus 7200.1 80GB 7,200rpm
Toshiba Satellite P105-S921
Windows XP Pro; 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400; 1GB DDR2 SDRAM PC5300 666MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GS 256MB; Fujitsu MHV2160BT 160GB 4,200rpm
