Alienware today introduced what it says is one of the fastest factory-tuned home computers to date. A new version of the Area-51 ALX mid-tower PC uses the power efficiency of Intel's new 45-nanometer Core 2 Extreme QX9650 quad-core processor combined with the case's more advanced cooling to offer one of the highest default clock speeds of any desktop PCs: the new system jumps from 3GHz to 4GHz without overheating or extreme power demands. t also becomes the first known system to use AMD's Radeon HD 3870 graphics and pairs two of the GPUs together for better 3D performance in CrossFire mode.

As part of Alienware's premium ALX line, the updated Area-51 is priced at $5,500 but comes with the 4GHz quad-core processor and dual Radeon HD cards as standard alongside 2GB of memory, dual 160GB 10,000RPM hard drives, and both built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi as well as an accompanying access point. The system retains other upgrade options such as dual Radeon HD 2900 XT cards or dual 64GB solid-state hard drives. Alienware ships stock systems ordered today shortly after Christmas.