The new Alienware laptops hide their gaming power behind grown-up design
Dell's Alienware laptops usually scream "gamer" from across the room, but the new Aurora 16 and 16X bring a toned-down vibe that might actually fit in at the office, in class or even at your favorite coffee spot. These redesigned laptops ditch the usual flashy, spaceship-like look for something a little more subtle – at least until it's game time.Starting at $1,149 for the Aurora 16 and $1,949 for the more powerful 16X, these two are meant to be more versatile and portable compared to Alienware's beefy flagship Area-51 laptops. They are still built for gaming, but they also won't feel totally out of place when you are not gaming.Both models come in a slick indigo finish, feature 16-inch displays and are noticeably lighter and smaller than the Area-51 lineup. We are still talking about 5.5 to 5.86 pounds, which is no featherweight, but it is a huge drop from the 7.6 to 10-pound Area-51 machines.One of the cooler features? There is a stealth mode button that kills the RGB lighting, quiets the fans and switches to a low-power mode to extend battery life. It is perfect when you are trying to fly under the radar or just squeeze out some extra juice away from a wall outlet.
The Aurora 16 from all angles. | Image credit – Dell Unlike many chunky gaming laptops, these don't have that big thermal shelf sticking out the back. Instead, airflow comes in through a bump on the bottom of the chassis, making them a lot easier to slide into a backpack. That design change alone makes them way more practical to carry around.
Port-wise, both still keep power and HDMI at the back for cleaner cable management. You get your standard mix of USB-A and USB-C ports, plus a 3.5mm audio jack and Ethernet port on the left. The right side stays clear so your gaming mouse doesn't have to fight for space.
The Aurora 16X. | Image credit – Dell Both laptops rock 16-inch displays at 2560 x 1600 resolution. The Aurora 16 comes with a 300-nit, 120Hz panel, while the 16X kicks it up to 500 nits and a smooth 240Hz refresh rate. So if you are into competitive gaming, that 16X display will definitely give you the edge.Under the hood, the base Aurora 16 model has an Intel Core 7 240H CPU, RTX 4050 GPU, 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. But the 16X really dials it up – featuring a Core Ultra 9 275HX with 24 cores, an RTX 5060, 32 GB of RAM and 2 TB of storage. What do all these specs mean in simpler terms? Well, the upgraded model has a faster "brain," a much better "visual engine," more "short-term memory" and a bigger "filing cabinet," making it significantly more powerful for gaming, video editing and other demanding tasks compared to the base model.Battery life isn't a strong suit for the base model, too. Its 60Wh battery won't hold up long under heavy gaming. The 16X improves things with a larger 96Wh battery, which should last longer – though you'll still want a charger nearby for long sessions.Now, if you've got the cash, both laptops offer higher-end upgrade options, with the ability to bump up to an RTX 5070 GPU. The 16X can go all the way up to 64 GB RAM and 4 TB of storage, making it a serious workstation for more than just gaming.
Of course, none of this comes cheap. Even the base model starts over a thousand bucks, so budget-conscious buyers might look elsewhere. And they have options – Asus, for example, recently upgraded its entry-level gaming laptop with the same RTX 5060 Ti and 5060 graphics cards found in the 16X. And that one starts at just $950. Acer's new Nitro AI laptops also just launched, but they won't save you any more money than Alienware either.
So yeah, Alienware's Aurora 16 and 16X bring a more balanced look and feel, but you'll still need deep pockets if you want in.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Phone Arena
2 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Google plans to improve Pixels by adding new features, some AI based, to Gboard
As you might recall, the Emoji Kitchen combines two different emoji at your request often with some seriously funny results. Having a page with all of your favorite mashups makes it easier to find them and they will be right at your fingertips when you want to use one. Another possible new feature discovered is called "SmartEdit," which would allow you to add, remove, or replace certain words using your voice. Just so you're aware, these edits will be sent to Google along with your editing commands and any text that is edited. Since Gboard already allows users to make vocal commands, "SmartEdit" will probably add some new capabilities to the current version of the feature. You might be able to keep your favorite emoji mashups on an Emoji Kitchen favorites list. | Image credit-Android Authority Smart Reply is the AI-powered feature that shows quick replies to messages you've received and the options are contextually correct making the response options relevant. But not every Android user likes Smart Reply and the current process of disabling the feature requires the user to go to Settings > Security & Privacy > More Security & Privacy > Android System Intelligence > Keyboard . That process seems a little too long for some, and Google apparently agrees. It is working on a much shorter method which would go like this: Settings > Corrections & suggestions . Google also hints at a way for Pixel users to "finish your task directly without app switching." The rumor mill believes that this refers to a situation when a friend texts you asking for your flight number. An upcoming feature called Magic Cue would search your Gmail inbox to find this information without having you go through all of your emails looking for the answer. Gboard might then have this information attached to your clipboard from where it is just a tap away from being included in a message to your friend. This feature is expected to debut with the release of the Pixel 10 series. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
GSM Arena
3 hours ago
- GSM Arena
Spotify's lossless HiFi update might be coming very soon
It seems Spotify HiFi might be dropping sometime in the near future, if the latest leaks are to be believed. Spicetify, which is a command-line interface tool for the desktop Spotify client, has posted multiple images on its social media account that have mentions of this upcoming feature within the latest v1.2.66 update. Spotify 1.2.66 mentions lossless in more parts of UI 👇#NewSpotify #SpotifyLossless #SpotifyLossless (pigeon) is mentioned in "Connect to the device" sidebar & under the artist in NPB (Now Playing Bar)Lossless will be available up to 24-bit/44.1KHz (FLAC + Widevine). Lossless… — spicetify (@spicetifyapp) June 19, 2025 For starters, the most obvious giveaway is the presence of a new option within the Audio quality setting dropdown, which includes a Lossless setting that can provide up to 24-bit/44.1kHz audio in FLAC. The onboarding for the app also includes mentions of lossless audio for Premium subscribers. Aside from lossless, it seems Spotify also has some new audio features up its sleeve, which, when paired with a compatible pair of headphones, claims to offer "cleaner, more natural sound". Digging further into the code also revealed mentions of spatial audio without further elaboration. What's not visible in these screenshots is what technology is being used for spatial audio, as there is no mention of specific codecs such as Dolby Atmos. It's possible the aforementioned cleaner, natural sound feature could be using Spotify's proprietary spatial audio tech that only works with select headphones. Moreover, there is also no mention of high resolution audio, as sampling rates seem to top out at a decidedly CD-quality 44.1kHz. Spatial Audio is mentioned in the code, however, I don't think it's Dolby Atmos. I don't see any UI or feature regarding Spatial Audio either, just that it exists in code interacting with the player so, don't expect it anytime soon — spicetify (@spicetifyapp) June 19, 2025 Of course, this was all dug out with the help of the override product state feature in the Spicetify tool and none of it is accessible in the current app. Even with the tool, you can only see mentions of the new features and not actually use them. Spotify announced its lossless HiFi feature all the way back in early 2021. While the company didn't provide a date, it was clear that the feature was imminent and most likely coming at a higher pricing tier than regular Premium. Then, Apple decided to rain on Spotify's parade and launched its own lossless audio feature, complete with high resolution audio and Dolby Atmos, for no additional cost. This likely took the wind out of Spotify's sails as the company immediately dropped all talks of the HiFi feature and adopted radio silence. It seems it was completely caught off guard and since then has been trying to formulate a viable plan to finally launch the service. It's possible the company might still end up charging more for the HiFi plan but we have heard over the years that there will be additional content included to justify it and the company has been building quite the content library outside of just music. As for now, we still don't have an exact date, so this feature could either drop tomorrow, two months later, or never. Source
GSM Arena
4 hours ago
- GSM Arena
Motorola Razr 2025+ review
Razrs aplenty, more so in the US than anywhere else. The Razr+ 2025 is another entry in the Motorola clamshell foldable lineup, a middle ground between the vanilla model and the high-end Ultra. Razr+ 2025 (left) next to Razr 2025 This particular model is seemingly a US-exclusive - not even Motorola Canada appears to be selling it. Both the US and Canada are getting the plain Razr 2025 and the Razr 2025 Ultra, so there's no shortage of North American Razrs. This year, there's no direct international counterpart to this Razr+ - the non-plus and the Ultra have their Razr 60 alter egos. Motorola Razr+ 2025 • Motorola Razr 2025 • Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 That said, it's worth keeping in mind that the Razr+ 2025 is in many ways the same phone as the Razr+ 2024, which, in turn, is the North American version of the Razr 50 Ultra (reviewed here). We'll be coming back to these comparisons along the way, as well as when we get to decision-making time. Motorola Razr+ 2025 • Motorola Razr+ 2024 • Motorola Razr 50 Ultra As the middle option in the roster, the Razr+ 2025 has a beefier chipset than the vanilla model, but not the current flagship Snapdragon that the Ultra gets. Another inbetween solution can be seen in the displays - main one is almost like on the vanilla model, the cover one is the same as on the Ultra. The camera system is another area where the plus is bridging the gap, relying on the same main camera as the Razr 2025, but paired with a telephoto instead of an ultrawide - the Ultra makes do without a zoom camera, but features nicer main and ultrawide modules. There's a minor upgrade in the ingress protection, same move to IP48 that we saw on the Razr 2025. However, there's no change to battery capacity, unfortunately. Motorola Razr+ 2025 specs at a glance: Body: 171.4x74.0x7.1mm, 189g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame (6000 series), stainless steel hinge; IP48 dust and water resistant (dust > 1mm; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min). 171.4x74.0x7.1mm, 189g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame (6000 series), stainless steel hinge; IP48 dust and water resistant (dust > 1mm; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min). Display: Main: 6.9" Foldable LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, Dolby Vision, 165Hz, HDR10+, 3000 nits (peak), 1080x2640px resolution, 22:9 aspect ratio, 413ppi; Cover: 4.0" LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, Dolby Vision, 165Hz, HDR10+, 2400 nits (peak), 1272x1080px, 417 ppi, Gorilla Glass Victus. 6.9" Foldable LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, Dolby Vision, 165Hz, HDR10+, 3000 nits (peak), 1080x2640px resolution, 22:9 aspect ratio, 413ppi; 4.0" LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, Dolby Vision, 165Hz, HDR10+, 2400 nits (peak), 1272x1080px, 417 ppi, Gorilla Glass Victus. Chipset: Qualcomm SM8635 Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.0 GHz Cortex-X4 & 4x2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A520); Adreno 735. Qualcomm SM8635 Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.0 GHz Cortex-X4 & 4x2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A520); Adreno 735. Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 4.0. 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 4.0. OS/Software: Android 15. Android 15. Rear camera: Wide (main) : 50 MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.95", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto : 50 MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.95", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS. : 50 MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.95", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; : 50 MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.95", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS. Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm. 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm. Video capture: Rear camera : 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS; Front camera : 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps. : 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS; : 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps. Battery: 4000mAh; 45W wired, 15W wireless, 5W reverse wired. 4000mAh; 45W wired, 15W wireless, 5W reverse wired. Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive; NFC. 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive; NFC. Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos). Motorola Razr+ 2025 unboxing The Razr+ 2025 showed up in a box no different than the one we got the non-plus in. It's a graphite-colored cardboard package with not a whole lot inside. There's no charger, but you do get a USB-C cable, and it's an e-Mark-ed 5A-capable one, unlike the plain 3A cable of the Razr 2025. The Razr+ 2025's bundle doesn't include any form of protection, which was also our experience with the non-plus. North American models seem to be treated this way, while the rest of the world typically gets two-piece snap-on covers. Page 2
