Alienware Hanger18 Looks Like a Receiver, Acts Like an HTPC

Posted on July 3, 2007 at 9:55 am (PST)

Or, of course, that’s just the point: home theatre PCs (HTPCs) aren’t supposed to look like PCs, they’re supposed to look like the typical A/V components. In this respect, at least, Alienware has hit a home run (except for the out-of-place alien head, but what are they supposed to do? That’s their logo!). The specs are a curious choice, from the AMD Athlon X2 4600+ (why no Core 2 Duo?) and relatively low-end nVidia 7600 GS (why no ATI/AMD card with its enhanced AVIVO capabilities?), resulting in lower-than-expected performance results. And, the price is up there: $3,199. There are some other faults, but overall, this looks like a decent HTPC if you just gotta have one NOW.