My favorite design element is the small window on the bottom of the laptop. At first glance, this seems excessive, because for example, men’s shoesHow often do you look at the bottom of a PC? But if desktops can have glass panels that reveal the insides of the machines, why not laptops? More importantly, Alienware’s elevated cryogenic chamber (its technical name) improves thermal performance through increased airflow and a hidden exhaust that helps dissipate heat from critical components like the GPU. However, due to the placement of the vent, you don’t want to use the device on your lap for long periods of time (especially when gaming). But for a feature that would normally be purely functional, Alienware’s solution is smart and elegant.
Of course, the downside of adding extra glass to an already heavy laptop is that it makes the device even less easy to carry. At 7.5 pounds, the Alienware 16 Area-51 comes very close to a typical 18-inch laptop like this. (7.2 pounds) compared to a similarly sized non-gaming device. The Area-51 also offers sufficient connectivity options (three USB-A, two USB-C and HDMI 2.1), but most of the ports are on the back. This is good for keeping cables neat and out of the way, but they’re a bit harder to reach, adding to the feeling that you won’t be moving this computer around much. I wish Alienware had left room for a single USB-C port somewhere on each side. A full-size SD card reader and 3.5mm audio on the left side are useful for quickly transferring media or connecting headphones, but it would have been nice to have another slot for accessories like USB drives so you don’t have to fumble around the back.
Screen: Clear and fast, but more options would be nice
The Alienware 16 Area-51 has a 2560 x 1600 pixel display with a 240 Hz refresh rate, G-Sync support, and 500 nits of brightness. In a vacuum, this is a really solid panel. It has a matte coating to reduce reflections and produce vibrant colors that will look good even in sunny rooms. My only complaint is that I would have liked to see different display options for a flagship system.
For demanding gamers or people who want to use the system to edit photos or videos.A 4K screen upgrade (preferably OLED) would be a good option. Since the Area-51 can accommodate up to an RTX 5090 GPU, a panel with a refresh rate of 300 Hz or higher would have been a good option for a very competitive crowd. And unfortunately even if you want to upgrade to the 16-inch model There are also no additional display options available for this version.
Performance: More cooling, more speed
Our $2,800 test model has a 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, 32GB of RAM, 2TB of SSD storage, and an NVIDIA RTX 5080 GPU. It’s no surprise that such a loaded system had no trouble with games like this. Cyberpunk 2077. Even using Ultra graphics presets at 1080p with ray tracing enabled, the Area-51 still achieves 90 fps. in now Invoice, The Alienware performed even better at the same epic resolution and settings, clocking in at 154 fps.
Fortunately, the Area-51 is pretty configurable if you don’t have nearly $3000 to spend. A base model starts at $2,000 less with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX chip, 16GB of RAM, and an RTX 5060. On the other hand, if you want absolute performance, you can upgrade this unit with an RTX 5090, although it currently starts at $3,550.
Battery life: Don’t leave home without a power cord
Peter Parker’s beloved Uncle Ben once said, “With great power comes great loss of energy” (or something like that), and Area 51 is a perfect example of that. In PCMark 10’s Modern Office battery charge test, the Alienware computer lasted just four hours and thirteen minutes. That’s more than three hours less than its predecessor. m16 R2 (7:51) – and five hours less than last year ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (9:17). When I retested the ASUS with just the GPU (instead of automatically switching to integrated graphics), the 3:08 time was worse. So if you plan to regularly use power-hungry portable gaming machines like these without a power outlet, make sure you have a portable charging solution on hand.
Summary
While the Alienware 16 Area-51 may not be as portable as some of its competitors, it still has a lot going for it. It has an attractive design, a nice screen (although more options would be nice), loads of ports and top performance with lots of configuration options so you can dial in the specs just the way you like. Of course, Alienware’s flashy space aesthetic might not sit well with those not ready to be transported to the mothership. But aside from the short battery life and high price of well-equipped models, this system offers almost everything you could want from a flagship gaming laptop.