Alienware Aurora – 2021

The 2021 Alienware Aurora desktop is a top-of-the-line gaming system with capacity for powerful liquid-cooled processors and high-wattage graphics cards. The system ushers in Alienware’s new Legend 2.0 design language, an evolution of the iconic Legend language that first launched across Alienware’s product line in 2019. Our design team worked closely with Alienware’s design leaders to develop the 2021 Aurora from initial concepts through to design release.

The Aurora 2021 project started with a deep-dive into the world of custom gaming PCs, observing how enthusiasts celebrated and displayed the internal components at the heart of their systems. Visually, Legend 2.0 is a streamlined evolution of the original Legend language with more emphasis on the components within.

The new Aurora keeps the engine-intake gesture of the previous model, with a large airflow feature dominating the front of the system. The thick floating clear panel brings some calm to the gesture, and gives the front I/O ports a place to live inside of the intake area. RGB lights illuminate an internal hex structure that suspends the clear panel infront of the intake grille.

The central light feature extrudes through the front panel and presents the iconic Alienware power button. This light feature exists across all Legend 2.0 products and signifies an interaction point, input/output hardware, or airflow feature.

The large side panel window is core to the design concept, putting the powerful internal components on display with customizable RGB lighting on components and fans. 

The Aurora’s design was conceptualized as a 360 degree experience. The rear cable-cover hides the clutter created by the cluster of I/O and power cables needed for today’s high-end gaming peripherals. The cover is optional, though, and we made sure that the system still looks dynamic without it.

The large side panel window is core to the design concept, putting the powerful internal components on display with customizable RGB lighting on components and fans. 

The Aurora’s design was conceptualized as a 360 degree experience. The rear cable-cover hides the clutter created by the cluster of I/O and power cables needed for today’s high-end gaming peripherals. The cover is optional, though, and we made sure that the system still looks dynamic without it.

Bringing the internal components of the system forward as a core visual element of the system elevates the importance of organization. Affordances for cable management and routing are integral to the design.