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

Dell has officially brought back the iconic Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop, first announced at CES 2025, and it's now available for order. You can choose between two sizes: the 16" model, starting at $3,199.99, and the 18" model, starting at $3,399.99. As expected from Alienware's flagship, the Area-51 is packed with cutting-edge components, including the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and NVIDIA Blackwell GPU. Make sure to place your order soon, as shipments are set to begin on April 30, to avoid any potential delays.

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

Both the 16" and 18" Area-51 gaming laptops come in a single configuration featuring the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and 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 available, outperforming the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D by 7% according to Passmark. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, while not yet tested by us, is reported by VideoCardz.com to be 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

The 2025 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 copper usage, 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 look. The hinges are mostly internal, making them nearly invisible. True to Alienware's style, there are extensive RGB LED lighting customization options. For connectivity, you get 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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