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

Author : Olivia May 16,2025

Dell has officially brought back the iconic Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop, first announced at CES 2025, and it's now available for pre-order. You can choose between two sizes: the 16" model starting at $3,199.99 and the 18" model at $3,399.99. Both variants come packed with cutting-edge technology, featuring the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and NVIDIA Blackwell GPU. To secure your unit without facing further delays, place your order now as shipments are scheduled to begin on April 30.

The Alienware Area-51 Gaming Laptop Is Now Available

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

0$3,199.99 at AlienwareNew Release### Alienware 18 Area-51 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 5080 Gaming Laptop

0$3,399.99 at Alienware

Currently, both the 16" and 18" Area-51 gaming laptops are available with a single configuration: the powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX can reach a max turbo frequency of 5.4GHz and features 24 cores and 40MB of total L2 cache, making it the fastest laptop processor on the market according to Passmark, boasting a 7% lead over the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, though not yet tested by us, reportedly shows a 16% performance increase over the RTX 4080 in preliminary 3DMark Time Spy benchmarks from VideoCardz.com. With DLSS 4.0 compatibility, this setup is poised to deliver exceptionally high frame rates on the QHD+ display.

The base configurations offer a choice between a 16" or 18" QHD+ display with refresh rates ranging from 240Hz to 300Hz and G-Sync certification, 32GB of DDR5-6400MHz RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD. Both models allow for upgrades to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.

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

For 2025, the Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop boasts a magnesium alloy chassis with enhanced cooling systems to manage the heat from its powerful components. This includes additional fans, larger air vents, increased copper usage, and a new thermal interface material for improved heat dissipation. Dell states that the laptop can handle a power ceiling of up to 240W TDP while maintaining low noise levels.

The design of the Area-51 emphasizes smooth contours with rounded edges and soft corners, moving away from the typical squared-off look of other laptops. The hinges are mostly internal, nearly invisible, enhancing the sleek design. As expected from an Alienware product, there are numerous options for RGB LED customization. For connectivity, you'll find 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 tips the scales at 9.6 pounds.

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