Dell shutters its Alienware X51 'experiment'

OREANDA-NEWS. July 21, 2016. Dell has announced it's retiring the popular X5 compact gaming PC after four years in favor of two newer designs.

Named after the infamous Area 51, long associated with supposed UFOs and aliens, the X51 debuted in 2012 and has gone through several changes with the most recent model including high-end Intel processors and liquid cooling.

The company released the Alienware Alpha in 2014 as a stop-gap until the Steam Machine version could be finalized. However the Windows iteration has perhaps proven to be the better option for gamers in the long run.

Dell has also suggested looking for more power can go with the "VR-ready" Alienware Aurora though it is a mid-tower PC instead of a compact model.

Representatives from Dell did not immediately reply to our request for comment.