Some Of Dell’s Alienware Gaming PCs Can No Longer Be Shipped To These Six States

Compared to regular computers, gaming computers are more powerful due to the faster processors and GPUs that they use, which in turn also require a PSU with a higher output, Throw in the added RGB that we’ve come to expect from gaming rigs and you’ve got yourself a computer that has a higher energy consumption than a regular workplace computer.

This usually isn’t an issue or one that most people don’t really think about, but it seems that in the state of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, it looks like some of Dell’s Alienware computers are no longer allowed to be sold. The company has been forced to stop shipping its Alienware PCs to those states due to power consumption regulations that have been adopted by those six states.

For those unfamiliar, the reason behind this adoption of the regulation is based on the findings of a 2015 study by the Semiconductor Industry Association. They found that based on a benchmark system of 10-14 Joules/per bit transition, computer would not be sustainable by 2040 as it would eventually exceed the estimated world’s energy production.

According to Dell, “Yes, this was driven by the California Energy Commission (CEC) Tier 2 implementation that defined a mandatory energy efficiency standard for PCs – including desktops, AIOs and mobile gaming systems. This was put into effect on July 1, 2021. Select configurations of the Alienware Aurora R10 and R12 were the only impacted systems across Dell and Alienware.”

Tyler Lee
Categories: Computers
Tags: alienware, Dell, Legal