The much-anticipated Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop, announced at CES 2025, is now available for order starting today. This flagship model comes in two sizes: the 16" variant, starting at $3,199.99, and the 18" variant, starting at $3,399.99. Both models are powered by cutting-edge components, featuring the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and NVIDIA Blackwell GPU. To secure your unit and avoid any shipping 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
Both the 16" and 18" Area-51 gaming laptops come equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, boasting a max turbo frequency of 5.4GHz, 24 cores, and 40MB of L2 cache, is currently the fastest laptop processor available, outperforming the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D by 7% according to Passmark. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, although not yet tested by us, is reported by VideoCardz.com to be 16% more powerful than the RTX 4080 in 3DMark Time Spy benchmarks. Enhanced by DLSS 4.0 compatibility, this GPU should deliver exceptional performance on the QHD+ display.
The base configurations include your choice of 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 sizes offer upgrade options to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.
The Area-51: New Style, More Power, Better Cooling
For 2025, the Alienware Area-51 features a sleek magnesium alloy chassis with advanced cooling systems designed to manage the heat from the latest components. This includes additional fans, larger cutouts for improved airflow, increased use of copper, and a new thermal interface material for efficient heat dissipation. Dell claims this setup supports a power ceiling of up to 240W TDP while maintaining quiet operation.
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 hidden, enhancing the laptop's aesthetic appeal. Customization options for RGB LED lighting are plentiful, true to Alienware's style. 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 is heavier at 9.6 pounds.
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