Legal adulthood, the right to vote, the age of consent… Let’s face it: 18 is a big deal! So, we’re thrilled to congratulate Intel on its new 18-core multiprocessor, not the least of which because it’s the first-ever chip company to cross that threshold.

And it’s not crossing it alone. In a pairing that would make a professional matchmaker proud, the new Alienware Area-51 is embracing Intel’s 18-core CPU like a giddy groom. The best PC gaming rig in the industry, the first 18-core core chip? A marriage of equals.

Area-51, being Alienware’s first born, flagship product, debuting in 1998 and winning Editor’s Choice from PC Gamer Magazine the same year. Within eight short years, PC World would name the Area-51 desktop among the 25 Greatest PCs of All Time, soon evolving from classic to legend with its radical and beautiful “Triad” redesign. Understandably, we’ve always wanted Alienware’s flagship desktop to be paired with a best-in-class CPU, and the new Intel 18-core is all that.

With the most cores in the industry, there’s a reason the Intel® Core™ i9-7980XE CPU is called the “Extreme Edition.” Ars Technica called it “monstrous,” recognizing its 18-core, 36-thread assets is unprecedented, enhanced by a 24.75MB cache, up to 4.4GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0. Announced at Computex 2017, the Core X-series processor family is, to date, the most powerful high-end desktop platform offered by Intel, the ultimate mega-tasking tool for both gamers and developers to meet the highest demands of PC gaming, virtual reality (VR) experiences, content creation and overclocking as necessary.

Intel’s 18-core powerhouse is perfectly matched by the new Area-51. Maximized for 4K, 8K and VR applications, our flagship rig supports NVIDIA SLI and AMD Crossfire graphics technology, with dual processing unit options. In addition to thermal and overclocking controls, the proprietary Alienware Command Center makes gameplay thrilling with AlienFX, AlienAdrenaline and AlienFusion features. This is all perfectly matched with the iconic Triad chassis purposed for an uncompromised gaming experience thanks to exceptional airflow, thermal management and ergonomics. Alienware’s Area-51 with Intel Core i9-7980XE CPU is available on September 27 starting at $3,999.

Fiercely committed to offering the best, most innovative solutions to our gaming community, Alienware has shown leadership throughout 2017 with the most available VR-ready systems, OLED displays and other industry firsts. Now we’re proud to partner with Intel on a system that’s more powerful than love at first sight, and faster than a pair of newlyweds heading to their honeymoon.