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Dell builds out the Alienware line with stylized peripherals.

Alienware Area 51.
Enlarge / Alienware Area 51.

At E3 this year, Dell announced updates and changes to the Alienware line. The massive Alienware Area 51 gaming desktop is getting a refresh to include AMD's new Threadripper CPUs, and Alienware is getting its own gaming mice, mechanical keyboards, and monitors.

Until now, the Alienware family mainly consisted of laptops, desktops, and consoles, so gamers had to look elsewhere for peripherals to pair with their Alienware devices. According to Dell, customers told the company they wanted more mice, keyboards, and other gaming accessories so they had more options to build an entire gaming ecosystem out of Alienware products. Dell listened, and the result of that customer research are the new Alienware gaming mice, mechanical keyboards, and monitors.

The two new Alienware corded gaming mice both have on-the-fly DPI switching between precision and speed so they can match the tempo of the gaming they're playing; the $49 Advanced Gaming Mouse has three configurable levels of DPI switching, while the $89 Elite Gaming Mouse has five. Both have a swappable side grip so the user can adjust the ergonomics best for their hand, and the Elite Gaming Mouse has a three-position palm rest as well. Inside the Elite Gaming Mouse are four weights the user can adjust depending on how heavy they like their mouse to be. Both mice have 13 customizable buttons and RGB lighting, too, so users can change the lighting to match the rest of their system.

Accompanying the two gaming mice are two new mechanical keyboards. The $89 Advanced Gaming Keyboard uses KaiHua switches and spring-loaded keys to give that improved tactile feedback gamers expect, and it features anti-ghosting technology and support for macro commands. The $119 Pro Gaming Keyboard has all the same features as the Advanced model, but also includes a volume roller, onboard memory (useful for macro commands), and a 13-zone RGB backlighting system. Dell's new Alienware 25 gaming monitor has a 24.5-inch TN, 1920x1080 LCD display with super-thin three-side bezels, a refresh rate of 240Hz, and a response time of 1ms. It models with Nvidia G-Sync ($699) or AMD FreeSync ($499).

Dell joins HP and other PC manufacturers that are going after gamers more intently with matching accessories for their existing gaming lines. In contrast to Razer, which started out with gaming accessories and has since developed its own gaming systems, Dell and HP are targeting existing fans on their gaming families with accessories that fit into the same line. However, it's unclear if gamers will want to pay upwards of $90 on an Alienware-branded mouse if they already have a device that works for them or can find a similar option at a better price.

Dell is also updating its Area 51 gaming desktop to support AMD's Threadripper CPUs and Intel Skylake processors, plus up to three graphics cards. The new Area 51 will be the only device to ship with Threadripper in 2017—you can buy Threadripper CPUs on their own, but Alienware is the first and only device maker to integrate them into a product in 2017. That's exciting for anyone thinking of taking the plunge and buying an Area 51, but, at the same time, that means you'll be spending over $1,700 at least to get it. Exact pricing for the Threadripper-powered Area 51 hasn't be announced, but it will be available starting July 27. All of Alienware's new peripherals will be available starting June 13.

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Channel Ars Technica