Dell to cut XPS gaming desktops, embrace Alienware

The new face of Dell gaming.

(Credit: CNET)

The Wall Street Journal reported this morning on Dell's plan to stop competing with itself. Rather than selling both high-end XPS gaming PCs as well as similar products from Alienware (which it acquired in 2006), Dell will shift all of its gaming energies at Alienware, including providing Dell R&D resources. As the Journal also noted, this shift will mirror the move that Hewlett-Packard made when it acquired Voodoo, although in that case HP immediately involved Voodoo in developing HP's BlackBird 002. The Dell-Alienware relationship has seen each brand operate under its own silo, with little product development cooperation thus far.

We're told that Q1 of next year is when we finally see the fruit of Dell and Alienware's first full collaboration, so think CES 2009 or thereabouts. As for what happens with XPS, Dell told us that it will retain the brand as a luxury line, but it won't be tailored to gaming. Its XPS One all-in-one desktop is a good example of what Dell has in mind for XPS moving forward.

[psumarine91]

I have an XPS 420 that I purchased last year. Whenever I turn the tower on it gives me an error code that it does not read the RAM. I have to keep restarting it until it can fully turn on. The worst part is that it reads only 50% of the memory. I have had the motherboard replaced and all of the RAM, updated the BIOS version etc. I have made about a dozen phone calls to Dell's "premium" support service and they have not diagnosed my problem. This is the 4th generation of Dell computers that I have purchased and will be my last.

[cardfan1212]

Sounds like user error. Mine works fine.

[kt2005]

true dat<br /><br />Dell computers are awesome, I've bought several computers from them, including a XPS 720. Works perfect for me.<br /><br />This is probably one of the stupidest moves Dell could make, pushing away consumers by making us spend more money on overpriced hardware. Sure, Alienware is the est, but I don't have the money to pay for it, which is why I went dell. Hell, my newest XPS 420 can play Crysis on the highest settings and it cost only $2000.

[mr_gouda]

Personally, I prefered the XPS machines over Alienware's. Alienware's PCs look tacky and the whole alien vibe is dated. They need to move their designs out of the 90s.