• Adobe After Effects

  Advice on PrePurchase PC & Specs

  Posted by Gary Behrend on September 4, 2016 at 2:08 pm

  I was thinking about buying an Alienware PC model # A51R2-1766SLV made by dell. I currently have a Mac Mini and an older outdated HP use. Through a Friend I can get this new unused Alienware PC for a really really good price ($999 instead of the retail price of $1700). The Specs are Below. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) how well would this PC work with After Effects, ProPremiere, & Rendering? I’ve tried to do my homework, but would just like some reassurance. I’d rather buy nice than by twice. Your help would be appreciated.

  FULL SPECIFICATIONS (not summarized)

  GENERAL
  – Manufacturer – Dell Alienware
  – Series – Area 51
  – Model Number – a51R2-1766SLV

  VIDEO
  – GPU Type – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
  – Video Memory – 4GB GDDR5
  – VR Ready – Yes
  – Video Connectors – 1 x HDMI
  – This PC Supports 3 Extra Wide Video cards for up to 12K. Unstoppable graphics capabilities can enable a mind-melting 11520×2160 resolution across triple Ultra HD 4K monitors (sold seperately). The new Area-51 is designed to support up to three full-length double-wide graphics cards.

  PROCESSOR – Core i7 5820K (3.3GHz)
  – CPU Core – Six-Core
  – CPU Type – Core i7
  – CPU Speed – 5820k (3.3GHz)
  – Turbo Boost Speed – Up to 3.6GHz
  – Smart Cache – 15MB
  – CPU Brand – Intel
  – Front Side Bus – QPI 0GT/s
  – CPU Socket – LGA 2011-3
  – CPUs Installed – 1
  – CPUs Supported – 1

  MEMORY
  – Total Memory – 16GB
  – Memory Speed – DDR4-2133
  – Memory Slots (Total) – 4
  – Form Factor – 288-pin DIMM
  – Maximum Memory Supported – 32GB

  OPERATING SYSTEM
  – Windows 10 Home 64-bit

  CASE & MOTHERBOARD
  – Case Orientation – Vertical
  – Motherboard Chipset – Intel X99 Express

  CPU Main Features
  – Virtualization Technology
  – Hyper-Threading Technology
  – Idle States
  – Execute Disable Bit
  – Thermal Monitoring Technologies
  – Intel 64
  – Enhanced Intel Speedstep Technology
  – Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O
  – Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables
  (EPT)
  – Intel Identity Protection Technology
  – Intel Smart Response Technology
  – Intel AES New Instructions

  HARD DRIVE
  – HD Interface – SATA
  – HD Capacity – 2TB
  – HD RPM – 7,200 RPM
  – HD Configuration – 1 x 2TB

  SOLID STATE DRIVE
  – SSD Capacity – 128GB

  MULTIMEDIA DRIVES
  – Optical Drives Included – 1
  – Optical Drive – DVDRW
  – Optical Drive Specs – Slot-Loading Dual
  Layer DVD Burner (DVDRW, CD-RW)

  AUDIO
  – Audio System – Internal High-Definition
  – Audio via Creative Sound Core3D

  COMMUNICATIONS
  LAN
  – Gigabyte LAN
  – LAN Data Rate Speed – 10/100/1000Mbps

  WLAN
  – Intel Dual Band Wireless – AC 7260
  – Bluetooth – Bluetooth 4.0
  – Wireless Technology – 802.11ac

  MEMORY CARD READER
  – FRONT/TOP PANEL PORTS
  – USB 3.1
  – 2 x USB 3.1 (Gen 1 Type-A)
  – BACK PANEL PORTS
  – USB 2.0
  – 4 x USB 2.0 (Type-A)
  – USB 3.1
  – 4 x USB 3.1 (Gen 1 Type-A)
  – LAN RJ45 – 1
  – Audio – 5 ports

  Here is A Quick Summary Of Specifications:
  (FULL Specifications found above)

  – Intel Core i7-5820K Processor 3.3GHz
  – Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  – 16GB DDR4-2133 RAM
  – 128GB Solid State Drive+2TB 7,200RPM
  Hard Drive
  – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB GDDR5 VR
  Ready
  – Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner
  – Media Card Reader
  – 10/100/1000 Network
  – Intel 7260 802.11ac 2×2 Wireless

  Tudor “ted” jelescu replied 9 years, 12 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  Tudor “ted” jelescu

  September 4, 2016 at 8:01 pm

  Having worked on Alienware before I can tell you that they look great, however I was disappointed by the performance – and it was not just my particular machine, there were 6 in our office. Now we have 2 Origin PC and 4 3XS ones that work great, however the price was pretty steep. I have a great machine at home however that did not break the bank, an MSI, with 32 GB RAM, i7, GTX870M. What I love most is a 3 SSD SuperRAID2 setup. That was worth all the money. This rig was under 2500 USD and it’s a workhorse. So I guess if you have the funds I would recommend to choose something else, but for the price you can get it at, it may be the machine of choice for you.

  Tudor \”Ted\” Jelescu
  Senior VFX Artist

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