is dell and alienware the same

Alienware is a subsidiary of Dell, and they mainly operate gaming laptops. Their systems mostly have alien-based designs. Alex Aguila and Nelson Gonzalez founded this firm in 1996. Currently, Vivian Lien is leading it.

Dell showed interest in buying the company in 2002 but did not buy it until 2006. Being a subsidiary, the company still retains the right of marketing and design by getting benefits from Dell’s supply chain and purchasing power. It played a key role in decreasing their operating cost. Let’s explore this guide that will help you know Dell and Alienware's history and their relationship.

Alienware's History

Alienware, while operating as a sole company, offered gaming laptops and relevant products, and it was formed in 1996. The childhood friends Alex Guila and Nelson Gonzalez were the co-founders of this brand. Initially, they started working while assembling desktops for different businesses. After some time, they started focusing on building premium gaming systems.

In the 1990s, their business started to grow as PC gaming evolved big time during this era, so it was the best time for manufacturing companies to grab the opportunity. In 1996, Alex and Nelson built the company “Sakai,” and it started growing rapidly due to the increasing popularity of PC games. Working with different versions of Windows and MS-DOS were some of the challenges the company faced initially. It was tough to make top games work correctly on the 2D and 3D video card drives.

At that time, PCs of other brands were not producing the desired results of the consumers. And there was a huge market gap which was perfect for a new organization to grow. By the end of 1997, the growth rate was pretty good for the company, and they changed their official name to Alienware. The inspiration for the name was taken from the show “X-files” to appeal to the consumers.

Company’s Growth

The growth of this brand continued till the end of 2000. In some of their early desktops, built-in Intel processors and graphics cards were present. Also, the 2D and 3D cards were integrated into their desktops which made them perfect for the latest games. In 2000, they started manufacturing systems in different designs, including Plasma Purple, Nova Yellow, Cyborg Green, and other appealing colors.

The first gaming laptop of the brand “Area 51-M” was launched in 2002. The 15-inch display, AMD Radeon graphics card, and Intel Pentium 4 processor were installed in it. Other features included a modem, DVD drive, and floppy drive, so it was an ideal replacement for the desktop in that era.

Some drawbacks were also observed in this device, like poor battery life, a disappointing cooling system, and higher cost. Another machine “Area 51 Predator 1” was introduced in 2003. It was one of the most powerful devices of that era. NVIDIA Geforce 5900 graphics and processor of Intel Pentium 4 were installed in it. Its design had space-age aesthetics. The brand continued introducing similar designs to draw the attention of its potential customers.

When did Dell Buy Alienware

A lot of people still wonder and confused that does Dell owns Alienware and how much they bought this company for. The answer is yes, the acquisition of Alienware occurred in March 2006. Dell stated that the company that they bought is now a business worth around $3 billion. One of the reasons for the acquisition was that their products had a hefty price, so they became expensive in the market. Also, they did not have enough resources for business expansion, so a corporation like Dell was the best option who can invest in the brand’s growth.

The brand started reinvesting in its products after the acquisition. They revamped the design and bring some innovations to their products. They launched the smallest laptop in the world in 2010 which was M11x which had an 11-inch display. on the contrary, another machine “M18x” was released after some time which had a huge display of 18.4 inches. It was regarded as the largest laptop.

Alienware is now mainly regarded as the top gaming laptop brand and they are doing good in terms of business. The acquisition played a key role in their growth and the numbers which are mentioned above show how they are making progress financially. Some of their top gaming laptop models include x15 R2, M15 R7, x14, and X17.

These models offer great portability, luxury design, and powerful specifications. These machines are not limited to the use of gamers but graphics designers, video editors, and programmers. However, as a consumer, you must assess your needs and make the purchasing decision accordingly. The cost can be a major concern, so you have to be vigilant in this regard.

The information provided in this post will hopefully make a valuable addition to your knowledge as a laptop user. It will also save you time and effort in your buying journey.