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The Alienware 16 Area 51 may just be the most unique gaming laptop I\u2019ve reviewed this year. Its sci-fi-inspired styling immediately makes it stand out from the pack, but its great gaming performance and surprisingly heavy weight \u2013 nearly ten pounds with the power adapter included \u2013 make this more of a desktop replacement thana typical 16-inch gaming laptop. Its size and weight return with better cooling, high in-game FPS, and a luxurious user experience. <\/p>\n
The Alienware 16 Area 51 embodies so much of what makes a great gaming laptop, it\u2019s hard not to fall in love \u2013 with a couple exceptions. But if you can live with a few trade-offs, what you\u2019re left with is a portable gaming rig that looks, feels, and plays every bit of its $3,000 price point. <\/p>\n
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Alienware 16 Area-51 Gaming Laptop \u2013 Photos<\/h3>\n<\/output><\/p>\n\n\nPurchasing Guide<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe Alienware 16 Area 51 is available in multiple prebuilt configurations ranging from $2,199 to $3,599. It can also be customized with different tiers of processor, graphics card, storage, memory, webcam, and keyboard with prices ranging from $1,849 to $5,559. Custom configurations can be ordered directly from Dell<\/u> while preset configurations can be acquired from retailers including Amazon<\/u>, Best Buy, and Newegg<\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\nDell Alienware 16 Area 51 \u2013 Design and Features<\/strong><\/h2>\nAlienware\u2019s designs aren\u2019t always winners, but no one could accuse the brand of playing it safe. I\u2019ve come to expect a healthy dose of science fiction from Alienware products after years of Alien-inspired designs. The last few years in the gaming laptop space have seen the brand strike a middle ground between uniqueness and general good looks, and the Area 51 is one of the best examples. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s available in a single colorway, a deep teal which makes up most of its lid. It\u2019s not a common color for gaming laptops but looks beautiful in contrast to the black used throughout the rest of the case. It\u2019s not a machine that will pass for a business laptop any time soon, unless business laptops start shipping with glowing alien heads on the lid and full RGB keyboard decks, but it\u2019s not garish enough to be distracting if you turn off the lighting.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Review System Specifications<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Display<\/p>\n
16-inch, WQXGA (IPS), 500-nits<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Resolution<\/p>\n
2,560 x 1,600 (16:10) <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Processor<\/p>\n
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Graphics<\/p>\n
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Ports<\/p>\n
3 x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1, 2 x Thunderbolt 5, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x SD Card slot, 1 x Audio combo Jack<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Networking<\/p>\n
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750 (2×2 320MHz) MIMO, Bluetooth 5.4<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Audio<\/p>\n
Woofer: 2W x 2 = 4W total, Tweeter: 2W x 2 = 4W total, Realtek Smart Amplifier ALC1708 (Woofer), RealTek amplifier ALC3329 (Tweeter), Dual-array microphones; Dolby Atmos; IntelliGo noise reduction<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Dimensions (W x D x H)<\/p>\n
14.37 x 11.41 x 0.85 – 1.12 inches<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
There are two less-common display upgrade options to choose from, and I recommend taking advantage of both. When you customize your own system, you can choose between a 4K and 1080p webcam and, surprisingly, there\u2019s no price difference between them (though, presumably, the 4K camera will have a small impact on battery life, but I wasn\u2019t able to test this to confirm). You can also choose between a standard or fully mechanical gaming keyboard with Cherry Ultra-Low Profile switches for an additional $50. <\/p>\n
I was surprised to find that Dell didn\u2019t outfit the system with an OLED display like the Razer Blade 16<\/u> and other close competitors around its price. Instead, it uses a 16-inch WQXGA IPS display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Though it can\u2019t deliver anywhere near the same black levels as an OLED, it looks very good and delivers a crisp picture thanks to its 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and esports-ready 240Hz refresh rate. It also doesn\u2019t carry the same risk of burn-in or reduced performance over time and still offers great colors and 500-nits of peak brightness for use during the day.<\/p>\n
The system is a chunker, though. On its own, it weighs in at 7.49 pounds and is 1.1 inches thick at its tallest point. If you actually plan on gaming and want the best performance, you\u2019ll also need to lug around the bulky power brick, which adds another couple of pounds. Frankly, it\u2019s not the kind of system I personally want to carry around every day. You feel every bit of its weight, even without the brick, which makes this system feel much more like a desktop replacement rather than something you\u2019d actually carry with you throughout the day. But you can<\/em>, so for the intermittent gaming marathon at a friend’s house or the campus library, it could still be a compelling option.<\/p>\nIt comes with a generous port selection, so connecting peripherals or a docking station won\u2019t be an issue. And I have to commend Alienware for making good use of its added thickness by putting most of that I\/O around the back where it won\u2019t get in the way of a mouse. There are three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, two Type-C Thunderbolt ports (version four for the RTX 5060 and RTX 5070 and Thunderbolt 5 for everything higher), and a full-size HDMI 2.1 video-out for connecting a monitor. Thunderbolt 5 is a major upgrade here, offering up to 80 Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth to support the highest resolution external monitors. The power brick also connects around the rear and uses a straight plug that doesn\u2019t get in the way of other cables. The only other ports are on the left side. There, you\u2019ll find an SD card reader and an audio combo jack.<\/p>\n
The system also makes good use of its size for cooling. There are plenty of vents to bring cool air in and exhaust it out the back, away from your hands. The keyboard gets warm when gaming but doesn\u2019t get hot or uncomfortable to use. The vent right above it does, but it\u2019s away from your fingers. I recorded a peak temperature of 86\u00b0C after benchmarking for a good hour, which is well away from the range of thermal throttling. The system also didn\u2019t get excessively loud, though like other high-performance gaming laptops, its fans are loud enough to warrant headphones if white noise bothers you \u2013 or you could just crank up the speakers.<\/p>\n
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The sound quality on the built-in speakers is surprisingly full-bodied compared to what you would usually expect from a gaming laptop. It uses dual two-watt speakers for bass, complete with their own amplifier that\u2019s separate from its pair of two-watt tweeters. This isn\u2019t common in gaming laptops, or even full-size gaming PCs, and allows the system to sound louder and more full as a result. Watching Netflix or listening to music with the included speakers is a no-brainer. For gaming, I would still opt for a gaming headset due to the loud fans.<\/p>\n
My sample was sent with the Cherry mechanical keyboard, and it is 100-percent worth the cost to upgrade. Though it\u2019s a little louder than a membrane keyboard, Cherry\u2019s ultra low profile switches are sublime to type on with great tactility and the classic precision feel iconic to mechanical keyboards. They\u2019re also per-key backlit and fully programmable, so you can change colors and assign macros to your heart\u2019s content. <\/p>\n
The trackpad also stands out by not being oversized like most other gaming laptops. It measures 4.5 by 2.5 inches, which I prefer to the massive trackpads on most gaming laptops. It may not offer as much real estate for gaming, but it stays out of the way for typing and, let\u2019s be real, who uses a trackpad for serious gaming anyway? Like the keyboard, it\u2019s also backlit and able to deliver a convincing RGB wave of its own.<\/p>\n
The 4K webcam on my sample was also excellent. It handled challenging lighting well and its sharper quality was immediately noticeable. But since most teleconferencing apps still limit you to 1080p, whether it\u2019s a real benefit over the FHD version will depend on how you plan to use it. There\u2019s no privacy shutter, which is a bummer, but it does support Windows Hello and worked reliably for me throughout my testing. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s another interesting feature around the bottom of the system. Like the Razer Blade 18, Dell has added a window into the bottom panel giving you a peek into its internals. The pane is made of Gorilla Glass for durability and scratch resistance, and is surrounded by a protective lip, but I could still see this getting microscratches over time. <\/p>\n
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Alienware 16 Area-51 Gaming Laptop \u2013 Software<\/h3>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
Dell Alienware 16 Area 51 \u2013 Software<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe Alienware 16 comes with the Alienware Command Center for system configuration. It\u2019s a very polished suite that\u2019s designed to be easy to use, so newcomers don\u2019t need to worry about being overwhelmed. At the same time, it offers more depth for advanced users that may want to try their hand at overclocking. <\/p>\n
Opening it up for the first time, you\u2019re given a brief introduction to its different capabilities and then dropped into the Command Center home page. This page provides you with a quick overview of system diagnostics like CPU and GPU utilization and temperature data. The same panel allows you to change your current performance mode, launch games, and, by clicking on the graphic of the laptop, customize the lighting of the keyboard, trackpad, and logo on the lid. <\/p>\n
If you click into the Performance tab, you\u2019ll be treated to a much larger view of the diagnostics from the home page. Along the top are six different modes: ExpressCharge for quicker charging, Quiet, Balanced, Performance, Overdrive, and Custom. Clicking a tooltip to the right shows details for each mode in both a star ranking and in text, so you know exactly how each balances performance, temperatures, and battery life.<\/p>\n
The game launcher is a nice addition, but I personally never use systems like this. It essentially doubles up on Steam and other launchers. I could see launching a game from here if you had it open anyway, but otherwise, it just adds another piece of software running in the background.<\/p>\n
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Alienware 16 Area-51 Gaming Laptop \u2013 Benchmarks<\/h3>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
Dell Alienware 16 Area 51 \u2013 Performance<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe Alienware 16 Area 51 has a lot going for it in the design department, but that doesn\u2019t amount to much if the laptop doesn\u2019t hold its own when it comes to gaming. The system definitely does, and I suspect it has to do with its cooling system, but there\u2019s more to the story than pure numbers. <\/p>\n
Before getting into facts and figures, a quick reminder about our testing procedure at IGN. Every system we test is put through a series of synthetic and in-game benchmarks, all with the same settings and matching conditions, so we can provide the best comparisons possible. While the synthetic benchmarks we use are all standardized, in-game benchmarks offer many more options. To keep things consistent, we set all of our games to high or max settings and demonstrate the performance with different levels of upscaling and frame generation. Our settings are disclosed in the charts.<\/p>\n
For this review, I\u2019m presenting the Alienware 16 in comparison to the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16, which uses the same processor and graphics card. I\u2019ve also included the Razer Blade 16, which utilizes the AMD Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 CPU and the higher performance RTX 5090, but in a thinner and more portable design. <\/p>\n
The Alienware 16 Area 51 I reviewed is a high-performance configuration with a steep $3,000 price point to match, but you don\u2019t need to spend that much if you\u2019re willing to scale back on some of the components. Dropping to an Intel Core Ultra 5 255 HX and an RTX 5060 graphics card drops the price all the way to $1,849 when ordered direct from Dell. <\/p>\n
To its credit, the company provides plenty of configuration options to help you dial in the system for your needs. In addition to the two processor options, you can choose any Nvidia laptop GPU up to the RTX 5090, and choosing anything from the RTX 5070 Ti up also nets you the higher performance CPU. It can be configured with up to 64GB of memory and 12TB of NVMe storage, both of which are user upgradeable. <\/p>\n
Beginning with synthetics, the Alienware 16 comes out swinging, eking out higher scores across the board compared to the Aorus Master 16. Every score is close, as you would expect from a system with the same core components, but the consistently higher performance definitely points to a better implementation from Dell. The Blade 16 bests both in 3DMark\u2019s Speed Way and Steel Nomad benchmarks thanks to its higher-performance RTX 5090. The results of the Procyon Office Productivity benchmark highlight the advantage the Intel Core Ultra 9 275 HX offers over the AMD Ryzen 9 AI HX 370. <\/p>\n
The Alienware\u2019s performance advantage remains consistent when we move to in-game benchmarks. Performance remains expectedly close between it and the Aorus Master 16, but it still pulls the same or slightly better performance across everything but Assassin\u2019s Creed Shadows with frame generation disabled. The difference is small enough to not be noticeable and potentially a result of a process spinning up in the background. <\/p>\n
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At the laptop\u2019s native 1600p resolution, the trend continues. With the exception of Assassin\u2019s Creed, the Alienware 16 pulls a consistent, if small, lead over the Aorus and both of them match or beat the Razer Blade 16 more often than you might expect. <\/p>\n
The Alienware 16\u2019s cooling system may be the cause, as the Aorus Master reached a peak of 93 degrees Celsius in my testing. It could also be how Dell has configured power delivery for the laptop. Either way, it offers impressive performance even in demanding games.<\/p>\n
When it comes to use as a daily driver, it\u2019s mostly excellent. The keyboard is the best I\u2019ve ever used on a gaming laptop, even topping the MSI Titan 18 HX AI which also has a Cherry ULP mechanical keyboard. The trackpad has also been one of my favorites. I prefer a smaller trackpad in general, but the accuracy and reliability it offered were fantastic. This is one of the only laptops I\u2019ve tested where I didn\u2019t misclick or activate it by accident even once, despite cranking out thousands of words in the time I\u2019ve had it.<\/p>\n
The biggest issue facing it is how heavy it is and just how much it needs <\/em>its power brick. Gaming performance takes a big hit the minute it\u2019s unplugged and battery life plummets. This goes with the territory for gaming laptops, of course, but most others with this size display aren\u2019t tipping the scales as heavily as the Alienware 16. The Aorus Master 16, for comparison, is almost two pounds lighter while offering similar performance and a nicer OLED screen. Battery life tanks when it\u2019s unplugged too, of course, but at least it\u2019s easier to carry with the power brick.<\/p>\nFor pure productivity, it works well and you\u2019ll be able to get a few hours out of it for mixed use. But, in that case, you can also take advantage of its Thunderbolt ports and charge it with a much smaller 100W GaN charger. Just be warned, it\u2019s not enough to overcome the power draw when you\u2019re gaming, or to unlock its full performance, so it\u2019s a solution that only works some of the time. <\/p>\n
When it comes to battery life, the Alienware 16 was able to last just over six hours in Procyon\u2019s battery life test with the screen set to half brightness. I personally find this is a bit too dim for my own use, even indoors, but that comes down to preference. At that brightness and with mixed use between Google Docs, Sheets, web browsing, and Microsoft Office, it lasted closer to four hours with Energy Saver mode turned on.<\/p>\n
Christopher Coke has been a regular contributor to IGN since 2019 and has been covering games and technology since 2013. He has covered tech ranging from gaming controllers to graphics cards, gaming chairs and gaming monitors, headphones, IEMs, and more for sites such as MMORPG.com, Tom\u2019s Hardware, Popular Science, USA Today\u2019s Reviewed, and Popular Mechanics. Find Chris on Twitter @gamebynight<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n