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

by Chloe Apr 21,2025

Dell has officially reintroduced the iconic Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop, first unveiled at CES 2025, and it's now available for order. The new lineup offers two sizes: the 16" model starting at $3,199.99 and the 18" model at $3,399.99. As expected from Alienware's flagship, the Area-51 is powered by the latest technology, featuring the Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and NVIDIA Blackwell GPU. Orders placed now are set to ship starting April 30, so act quickly to avoid any potential delays.

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" versions of the Area-51 gaming laptops are equipped with a single configuration: the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a powerhouse with a max turbo frequency of 5.4GHz, 24 cores, and 40MB of total L2 cache. According to Passmark, it's the fastest laptop processor available, outperforming the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D by 7%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, while not yet tested by us, has shown a 16% performance increase over the RTX 4080 in preliminary 3DMark Time Spy benchmarks as reported by VideoCardz.com. Combined with DLSS 4.0 compatibility, this GPU is set to deliver exceptional gaming performance on the QHD+ display.

The base configurations include your choice of a 16" or 18" QHD+ display with a refresh rate ranging from 240Hz to 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 gaming laptop boasts a magnesium alloy chassis with enhanced cooling to manage the heat from its high-performance components. This includes additional fans, larger vents for improved airflow, increased copper usage, and a new thermal interface material to efficiently dissipate heat. Dell claims the laptop can handle a power ceiling of up to 240W TDP without increasing noise levels.

The design of the Area-51 emphasizes sleek lines 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. True to Alienware's style, there are extensive options for RGB LED customization. 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 comes in at 9.6 pounds.

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