The biggest problem with Alienware gaming PCs has always been their relentless use of proprietary parts. I've heard horror stories from previous Alienware owners about how the second they tried to swap out or upgrade one of their PC's components, they bricked the entire system. Thankfully, the brand has finally turned a new leaf with its latest Area-51 gaming PC, but maybe not quite as cleanly as we'd hoped.
When it was announced at CES at the beginning of the year, it finally seemed as though Alienware was joining the best gaming PCs on the shelves by opening up its chassis and motherboard compatibility to third-party possibilities. In theory, that was exciting because it meant you could customize and upgrade the latest Alienware rig without fear of bricking it. Now though, Alienware has launched the AlienFX board cable conversion kit. It costs $34.99 at Dell, and because the manufacturer has used a slightly awkward daughterboard for its case, you'll need one if you ever want to swap out your system's motherboard.
