Alien gaming computer

Alien Technology Sighting

While everyone was buzzing about Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS at this year’s E3, Miami-based boutique system builder Alienware quietly stole the show with the announcement of its new Video Array technology available in the new ALX computer line. In a move to please hardcore PC gamers and technophiles alike, Alienware’s X2 motherboard enables two identical PCI-Express videocards to work in parallel to dramatically improve graphics quality.

Benchmark numbers haven’t been released yet, but Alienware claims that the Video Array has resulted in performance jumps of up to 50 percent. A behind-closed-doors demo backed up that claim, and we’ve got to say, we’re impressed with both the hardware and Alienware’s push beyond the status quo.

How does it work?

Alienware created software that lives in between the game and the videocard drivers, effectively “splits” the signal, and sends the split signal to each videocard. Each videocard then sends its own video signal to Alienware’s proprietary video merger hub, where the individual signals are again combined into one. Because of this, the Video Array will be able to work with any two identical “off-the-shelf” graphics cards running each card maker’s standard drivers.

The X2 motherboard is based on Intel’s Tumwater chipset and supports two PCI-Express cards, two Intel processors, DDR2-400 memory, SATA RAID, gigabit Ethernet, and 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.

Power to spare

Considering the awesome power of the latest batch of high-end graphics cards by both ATI and Nvidia, is Alienware’s Video Array technological overkill? Brian Joyce, director of marketing for Alienware, says, “The visual experience provided by the latest games is largely hardware limited.” So, will Far Cry and upcoming titles like Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 tax even ATI’s and Nvidia’s high-end cards? Joyce notes that the Video Array technology will enable gamers to experience these games at incredibly high resolutions with all of the “bells and whistles” turned on. Of course, systems running the Video Array won’t come cheap—they’ll be at least $4,000, thanks to two high-end PCI-Express graphics cards, water cooling, and a massive power supply. Expect these machines to begin shipping in late 2004.