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You can tell by looking at the ports on the backside of the Alpha. The r2 has a graphics amplifier port and all USBs are 3.0, so they have the blue plastic in them. Here is a picture I found of an r1 on top of an r2. pics.computerbase.de/7/3/1/0/0/22-630.708405485.jpg You should still be able to find compatible CPUs for them. A couple comments below this another user mentioned an alternative i7 type to what I suggest in my video. I got mine from eBay. I’d say you run a risk by getting them second hand, but mine worked out. I purchased it used through an organization that resells PC parts to raise money for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in my state, so I felt it had a little more integrity versus a random eBay user. Good luck!

@@ghoti1hp30 Mine is the one on top in the picture.

@@ghoti1hp30 Do you know what generation will work? And what are other specs I should look for to make sure that I'm getting the right one for the r1?

I can't figure out the socket type on the r1, I'm having a hard time deciding deciding on the right CPU.

@@randomtube8226 From what I understand the socket type for the CPU is an LGA1150. The primary thing you need to be conscious of when choosing a processor is whether it has an S or a T at the end of it. These types of processors require less power to run compared to “normal” processors. The Alpha doesn’t provide enough power to consistently run a standard i7 and it could also run the risk of overheating and bottlenecking due to its small form factor. The lower power CPUs shouldn’t have those concerns. I put an i7-4790T in mine because it’s a lower power requirement and doesn’t risk overheating. As another commenter shared, they did a 4790S and were successful. I’ve seen forum posts where people have concerns about overheating with the S models, but other people don’t have any issues with the S and consider it the best bang for your money. Based on what I have read/used: 1. I’ve only seen 4th generation Intel processors used. So the i7-4xxx models. 2. I would go with a an i7-4785 or an i7-4790 (which is what I have and it’s been totally solid). 3. The T models are more expensive and harder to find, but they seem to be what’s considered the most bulletproof from issues. The S models also have success stories, but some people have heating issues with them. You may be totally fine with an S but T seems the safest. Totally up to you on if you want to try an S. If you do, just make sure you apply a proper amount of thermal paste and try to give the Alpha good airflow around it.

Thank you.

Thanks for the perspective. I haven’t had any issues with temperature management or performance, but good for others to consider using more than I did.

Thanks for your comment! Glad you found it relevant today.

@@ghoti1hp30 No problem! :D It runs great, I'm just trying to put an i7 in it because dual core is pretty obsolete nowadays and it's not able to run discord and some games together without slowdown.

Haha. Thanks, I think. 🧐😆

Can't say that I've ever seen an i9, but I don't know that it's specifically not possible either. I definitely think the GPU, if not the RAM too, would bottleneck it. If you were trying to do something non-GPU intensive (like just general computing, etc.) it may be worth the shot at an i9 if it's even possible.

I’ve seen people say the same on forums or other videos, but it doesn’t seem to work 100% of the time for other people, and it didn’t for me.

Thanks for checking it out! Glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks, Daniel. Yea, it really does hold up pretty well in a lot of games. It was my primary gaming machine for a while.

@@ghoti1hp30 mine too. Still plays most games just fine and a great guest room or entertainment center pc.

@@ThailandDantotherescue For sure. I use mine as a secondary PC to stream my games from, or just as a TV to watch something while I'm in my office.

Can you post links of stuff you bought plz

@@ThailandDantotherescue this is what im using mine for.

Thanks - I appreciate it! Glad it was helpful. 👍

Thanks so much!

@@ghoti1hp30 YEZZZIRSKI!🔥 Feel free to peep our new drop!

Go for 16gb of ram first. The i5 to i7 isn’t a big difference.

@@CDYTRCG that's what I figured, thank you.

@@beefcrevice no problem! Enjoy the upgrade!

I'd suggest the RAM first too. It'll be a bigger practical difference and is also a much easier process, for what it's worth.

Will these take 16gb of ram?

@mountainmangaming79, short answer: probably not. I would not buy one full price today. I think your money can go further with a pre-built desktop system. If you can find a used one for cheap, that’s what I did and it may be worth it depending on what you play and what you require. Long answer: it depends on what you play, which version of the alpha you have (r1 or r2), and how much you’re willing to upgrade components. For most major games in 2022, I would say it’s going to perform on the low/weak side. It’s not going to get you 100+ fps on really demanding games, but it can play open world RPGs on lower/medium settings. A few comments down I outlined what I’ve done to mine (which is an r1 so I can’t upgrade the GPU). I can play games like Elder Scrolls Online on medium settings pretty well. I can play games like CSGO totally fine on it. I don’t think it would handle Warzone well given how demanding it is on RAM and processing power. I haven’t tried Fortnite or PUBG but I presume they would be a challenge for the Alpha in anything but lower settings.

Glad to be of help, Johnathan! Good luck with the upgrades.

Hey Curley. I think it depends on what games you play and what level of performance is acceptable to you. What do you play? Mine is an r1 model, so I can’t add a graphics amp to it like the r2 can. If you have an r2 then I think most people try to do the graphics amp to give it more life. I use mine primarily as a streaming PC, but I do play some games on it. The GPU in the r1 is essentially a 750ti, so it’s pretty much lower mid-range. With the i7 and 750ti I can play bigger games like Destiny 2 and Elder Scrolls Online in low/medium settings at around 75fps. It’s just not lightning quick to boot them up. It will run less demanding or older games like CSGO at 100+. I haven’t ever tried something like Warzone on it, but I imagine it would struggle purely based on RAM bottlenecking. I increased my RAM to 8 gigs, but even my desktop with 16 gigs uses a lot of the RAM for Warzone. In terms of loading times, I still have the stock 5400 RPM hard drive in it. Most people say that the biggest bang for your buck is swapping out the hard drive for an SSD. Lots of people do that immediately and it increases performance and can also most likely increase frames per second slightly due to the read time. I was more concerned with processing power for streaming versus the time it takes to launch a game. Let me know if this helps!

Thanks, SandMan! I appreciate you checking it out. <3

Yep - it's a solid game living in a world of games with bugs and hacking. xD

Thanks, Pop Jon! Glad it was helpful!

Based on what I have seen/read, I believe the answer is no. The board in Alienware Alphas is a custom design for Alphas. It is smaller than a general mini ITX. Additionally, the ports almost certainly wouldn't line up properly with the Alpha housing and the cooling units for the CPU and GPU would not line up as well. You'd probably be better off taking the CPU and RAM out of the Alpha and building a new mini ITX. Keep in mind that the GPU in Alpha r1s can't be removed, so you'd need a new solution for that with a new motherboard as well.

Do you have an Alienware Alpha like I do in this video? If so, the most powerful CPU that these can use (that I'm aware of through research) is an i7-4790t. That's what I have now. The "t" is important, because they are a lower-power version of the i7. Regular i7s may or may not work; different people have had different experiences. Anything but "t" did NOT work for me. Unfortunately, I haven't found the "t" series in any major retailers. I bought mine used from eBay, like this: www.ebay.com/itm/384552152630?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28 There are others available online if you use Google Shopping, but I at least trusted eBay seller reviews and product conditions more. You just have to look for them - I'd expect to pay about $150 USD. Hope this helps!

Thanks, Brody!

I understand this sentiment exactly, sir. ; ]

All the claps, my dude. How we roll. xD