20. Alienware Aurora Support

The AC adapter for the Aurora M7700 is also desktop-like. It weighs a little over 3 pounds (1.4 kg) and offers theoretical maximum power delivery of 220 Watts. Under heavy load this little power brick heats up to just over 129°F (54°C). A fan inside this power supply wouldn't hurt.

Size comparison: the HP's power supply in the front and the Alienware's power brick to the rear.

On the Aurora M7700, the ports and connectors cluster most heavily on the left and rear sides, just as on the Asus A7J. The Alienware unit is the only test candidate that offers two Firewire ports and four separate audio inputs and outputs, including an optical SPDIF output.

A bunch of ports and connectors populate the left side

Beneath the PC Card slot you'll find a powerful 7-in-1 memory card, which can even accommodate a Microdrive device. The rubber card reader cover and the plastic dummy PC card undoubtedly keep dirt and dust at bay, but are too easy to lose.