Alienware's getting ready to launch its console-like gaming PC, the Alpha, in just a few weeks, so we took the $550 base model and put it up against a handful of console games to see how it performs against the competition. Instead of pushing the settings on the Alpha to the max, we tuned each game to achieve the best frame rate without sacrificing too many graphical flourishes in the process.

　　The $550 version of Alienware's Alpha ships with a 2.9GHz Intel Core i3 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and a slightly souped up Nvidia GTX 860M GPU with 2GB of VRAM. Considering the modest specs, it's surprising to see how well the Alpha fares when put up against PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

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　　Now Playing: Alienware Alpha - A Console or a PC?

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　　$550 Alienware Alpha vs. PS4 and Xbox One - Graphics Comparison

　　GameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023

　　Thompson: The Pop Culture Icon’s Strange Legacy - LoadoutFirearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer

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　　For more videos of the Alpha in action, check out Alienware's YouTube channel, and stay tuned to GameSpot for more Alpha coverage, including a comprehensive look at Alienware's custom, console-like UI. How do you think the $550 Alpha stands up to $400 consoles? Were the differences obvious or too minor to detect? Is Alienware right to call it a console, despite its PC roots? Let us know in the comments below!

　　Editor's note: The first version of the above video featured labeling errors, which have been amended. GameSpot regrets the error.