Alienware Area-51 Returns: Enhanced Style, Power, Cooling

Dell has officially brought back the iconic Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop, which was first announced at CES 2025 and is now available for order starting today. The Area-51 comes in two sizes: the 16" model, starting at $3,199.99, and the 18" model, starting at $3,399.99. Both models are packed with the latest technology, featuring the Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and NVIDIA Blackwell GPU. To ensure you don't miss out, place your order now as shipments are scheduled to begin on April 30.

The Alienware Area-51 Gaming Laptop Is Now Available

Alienware 16 Area-51 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 5080 Gaming Laptop

$3,199.99 at Alienware

Alienware 18 Area-51 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 5080 Gaming Laptop

$3,399.99 at Alienware

Currently, both the 16" and 18" Area-51 gaming laptops are available with a single configuration: the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX offers a max turbo frequency of 5.4GHz, 24 cores, and 40MB of L2 cache, making it the fastest laptop processor on the market according to Passmark, with a 7% performance lead over the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 mobile GPU, while not yet tested by us, is reported by VideoCardz.com to be about 16% more powerful than the RTX 4080 in 3DMark Time Spy benchmarks. With DLSS 4.0 compatibility, this GPU should deliver exceptional performance on the QHD+ display.

The base configurations include a choice between a 16" or 18" QHD+ display with a refresh rate of 240Hz-300Hz and G-Sync certification, 32GB of DDR5-6400MHz RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD. Both models offer upgrade options to 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.

The Area-51: New Style, More Power, Better Cooling

For 2025, the Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop introduces a magnesium alloy chassis with enhanced cooling systems to manage the heat from its powerful components. This includes additional fans, larger cutouts for improved airflow, increased use of copper, and a new thermal interface material for better heat dissipation. Dell claims the laptop can handle a power ceiling of up to 240W TDP without increasing noise levels.

The design of the Area-51 features smooth contours with rounded edges and soft corners, moving away from the typical squared-off designs. The hinges are mostly internal, making them nearly invisible. As expected from an Alienware product, there are extensive RGB LED lighting customization options. Connectivity options include three USB Type-A 3.2 15Gbps ports (one with PowerShare), two Thunderbolt / USB Type-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a card reader. The 16" model weighs 7.5 pounds, while the 18" model weighs 9.6 pounds.

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