
I tested Alienware's new Area-51 RTX 5080 gaming laptop — and it's out of this world
The Alienware 16 Area-51 ($2,999 to start) isn't here to mess around. Featuring a futuristic design and powerful components, this machine delivers an incredible gaming experience that justifies its steep asking price.
The Liquid Teal finish on the anodized aluminum chassis gives this laptop a dark iridescent sheen that shifts colors when viewed under different lighting conditions. I also like how the RGB lighting on the back mimics the motions of the aurora borealis, which serves to heighten this laptop's otherworldly feel. And if that wasn't enough, there's a clear Gorilla Glass window on the bottom that lets you see the internal components.
Speaking of internals, all configurations pack an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and up to an RTX 5090 GPU. Combine that with up to 64GB of RAM, and you have a machine that can play the best PC games at high frame rates, especially with Nvidia DLSS 4 enabled. Games also look beautiful on the laptop's 16-inch 240Hz display.
Like the HP Omen Max 16, the Alienware 16 Area-51 is a heavy laptop with an equally massive price tag. But if you're looking for a gorgeous notebook offering peak gaming performance, then this machine is worth every penny. Find out why in my full review.
Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop (starting)
Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop (as reviewed)
Price
$2,999
$3,249
Display
16.0-inch, QHD+ 240Hz, 3ms (500 nit) display
16.0-inch, QHD+ 240Hz, 3ms (500 nit) display
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
GPU
Nvidia RTX 5070 mobile GPU
Nvidia RTX 5080 mobile GPU
RAM
32GB
32GB
Storage
1TB
1TB
Ports
2x USB-A, 3x USB-C (2x Thunderbolt 4), 1x HDMI, 1x SD-card slot, 1x headphone jack
2x USB-A, 3x USB-C (2x Thunderbolt 4), 1x HDMI, 1x SD-card slot, 1x headphone jack
Dimensions
14.37 x 11.41 x 1.12 inches
14.37 x 11.41 x 1.12 inches
Weight
7.49 pounds
7.49 pounds
The Alienware 16 Area-51 impresses thanks to its powerful components, vivid 16-inch display and stellar design.
Alienware's latest doesn't look like a typical gaming laptop. Though it doesn't skimp on RGB lighting, its Liquid Teal finish and curved edges give it a distinct appearance. The term 'otherworldly' is cliche, but it's an apt description. If aliens made laptops, I imagine those machines would look something like this.
The sturdy chassis is not only eye-catching, but it feels good to touch thanks to the smooth aluminum surface. I enjoy the way the lid's colors shift under different lighting conditions since it's not something I usually see on electronics. Despite its unique appearance, the laptop isn't visually aggressive and can fit well in most environments.
Our review unit is configured with a Cherry MX ultra-low-profile mechanical keyboard that's a dream to type on. The keys are clicky without being overly loud, and I'm satisfied with their short travel distance. The smooth and responsive touchpad is somewhat small, but it works just fine.
Except for a 3.5mm headphone jack and an SD card slot on the left-hand side, all of the Alienware 16 Area-51's ports are located on the back. The ports in question include a pair of USB-A, three USB-C and one HDMI.
I'm pleased with the overall port selection, but having them all on the back can make it difficult to connect and disconnect peripherals when the lid is open. However, this won't be much of an issue if you plan to keep this laptop on your desk and use it as your primary gaming or work machine.
After reviewing the RTX 5090-driven HP Omen Max 16, I had high expectations for the Alienware 16 Area-51. Thanks to our review unit's Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, RTX 5080 laptop GPU and 32GB of RAM, I was not disappointed. This laptop is a gaming powerhouse.
On Ultra Nightmare graphical settings and 1600p resolution, I got Doom: The Dark Ages to run at a buttery smooth 108-120 frames per second with DLSS 4 disabled during my testing. With DLSS 4 enabled, id Software's game can run at a little over 240 fps, which effectively matches the display's refresh rate. The more demanding Cyberpunk 2077 can run at around 70 fps at high settings and DLSS 4 turned off. With Nvidia's frame-generating tech enabled, the frame rate can hit around 240.
Alienware 16 Area-51 (RTX 5080)
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (RTX 5080)
HP Omen Max 16 (RTX 5090)
Assassin's Creed: Shadows (Ultra High)
52
45
49
Black Myth: Wukong (Cinematic)
58
45
51
Cyberpunk 2077
62
50
58
In our lab tests, we run several titles through their respective built-in benchmark tool. As you can see in the table above, the Alienware 16 Area-51 can run games like Assassin's Creed: Shadows and Black Myth: Wukong close to 60 frames per second at 1080p resolution and max graphical settings without DLSS. This RTX 5080-powered laptop has comparable performance to the RTX 5090-powered Omen Max 16, which is pretty remarkable.
DLSS 4 is a vital feature if you want to play games at blisteringly high frame rates. But even without DLSS, both my personal testing and our lab tests show you'll still get relatively smooth performance across various games.
Not only do games run phenomenally, but they also look great on the Alienware 16 Area-51's 16-inch display. Though I wish there were an OLED option, the sharp 1600p resolution, smooth 240Hz refresh rate and overall vivid picture quality will keep your eyes happy.
Neon signs and holograms in Cyberpunk 2077 have a nice glow to them, which enhances the futuristic feel. Games with more naturalistic hues, like Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, also appear convincing. And while the display doesn't support HDR, it gets plenty bright, allowing you to see everything in clear detail.
Alienware 16 Area-51 (RTX 5080)
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (RTX 5080)
HP Omen Max 16 (RTX 5090)
Nits (brightness)
515
464.4
362.8
sRGB
115.2%
196%
199.7%
DCI-P3
81.6%
138.9%
141.4%
Delta-E
0.21
0.29
0.31
Our lab testing backs up my anecdotal experience. As you can see above, the Alienware 16 Area-51 doesn't have oversaturated color reproduction (sRGB and DCI-P3). Color accuracy (Delta-E) is slightly better than on competing laptops like the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and HP Omen Max 16.
If you like bolder colors, you might prefer the displays on the latter two laptops. However, if you want colors that are comparatively more naturalistic, you might lean toward Alienware's display.
The 240Hz refresh rate is perfect when playing games at equally high refresh rates. During my testing, I never saw a hint of stuttering or flickering. The 3ms response time isn't as low as on other laptops, but unless you're a professional gamer, you might not notice any input lag—I certainly didn't.
I'm generally ambivalent about RGB lighting, but my feelings aren't mixed here. The Alienware 16 Area-51 features some spectacular RGB lighting.
That Gorilla Glass bottom I mentioned doesn't just let you see what's on the inside; it also allows the RGB lighting on the fans to cast an underglow that's equally mesmerizing and spooky. This same lighting also goes up and through the top of the keyboard deck.
The out-of-the-box colors and lighting effects are nice, but if you want, you can customize them via the built-in and user-friendly Alienware Commander Center app.
The Alienware 16 Area-51 is unquestionably an excellent gaming laptop. However, it's not perfect.
At 14.37 x 11.41 x 1.12 inches and 7.92 pounds, the Alienware 16 Area-51 is one big and heavy gaming laptop. The latter is especially true if you factor in the 2.2-pound power adapter.
Due to the laptop's weight, I kept it on my desk and never took it into a meeting room at our office. I also didn't bring the laptop home with me like I always do with other devices I'm reviewing.
The Alienware 16 Area-51's weight is admittedly a non-factor if you don't plan to take it anywhere. But if you want to travel with this enormous notebook, you might not have a good time.
Laptops don't typically have great battery life, and the Alienware 16 Area-51 is no exception. In our testing, Alienware's notebook lasted just shy of two hours when running the PCMark 10 gaming benchmark test and a little over four hours while surfing the internet.
Web surfing battery life (hh:mm)
Gaming battery life (hh:mm)
Alienware 16 Area-51 (RTX 5080)
4:10
1:50
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (RTX 5080)
4:37
1:36
HP Omen Max 16 (RTX 5090)
3:20
1:25
As you can see, the Alienware 16 Area-51 lasted a little longer than its competitors for gaming battery life. It endured almost an hour longer than the Omen Max 16 when web surfing, which is commendable, but the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i ran almost 20 minutes longer.
Like the laptop's weight, battery life won't be an issue if you keep the machine plugged in, which you'll want to do anyway to get the best gaming performance. But if you want to get work done while you're out and about, you'd better not leave the power brick behind.
Not only does the Alienware 16 Area-51 sport a space-age design, but it also commands an astronomical price. Right now, this laptop starts at $2,999, which is on par (or more expensive) than even some of the best gaming PCs. A model packing an RTX 5090 GPU, 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD would set you back $3,949, which is firmly in gaming desktop PC territory.
If you're looking to make this laptop your main work and gaming PC, then you might be able to justify the price, especially if you want a portable gaming rig. However, if you're not going to travel with this machine, you might be better off with a proper desktop PC like the $1,249 HP Omen 35L.
There's no denying that the Alienware 16 Area-51 is a fantastic gaming laptop that delivers uncompromising RTX 50-series performance. On top of that, it's also a beautiful-looking machine with elegant curves and tasty RGB lighting. Yes, it's heavy and expensive, but it's also freakin' awesome!
If you want a gaming laptop offering comparable performance but with an OLED panel, the Legion Go 7i Pro or HP Omen Max 16 are great, if expensive, alternatives. But if you like what I have to say about Alienware's gaming notebook and can stomach its price, then you won't go wrong with this purchase. The Alienware 16 Area-51 comes with my highest recommendation.

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Overall, the Alienware 16 Area-51 is expensive, but surprisingly, it's more affordable than other RTX 50 series gaming laptops we've seen on the market. Image 1 of 2 Image 2 of 2 This thing looks like it's about to blast the thrusters and head to outer space. I am in love with this design. It's been said before, even I have said it, but damn does this thing look like it's about to blast the thrusters and head to outer space. From the curved edges to the sci-fi-esque vents, the Alienware 16 Area-51 stays true to its namesake. I'll admit, however, I'm not a fan of the Liquid Teal color; it just doesn't look nice. I would've preferred white or another lighter color. Despite that, the black on the hinge contrasts quite well with it, and opening up the lid activates the RGB light bar embedded within the hinge, producing an aurora-esque diffused light. It looks pretty sick. (The Alienware logo lights up, too.) 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Here's how it compares: HP Omen Max 16: 5.92 pounds, 14.04 x 10.59 x 0.9~0.98 inches Razer Blade 16 (2025): 4.6 pounds, 13.98 x 9.86 x 0.59~0.69 inches Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 (RTX 5080): 5.5 pounds, 14.05 x 10 x 0.91~1.18 inches Image 1 of 3 Image 2 of 3 Image 3 of 3 To maintain its spaceship aesthetic, most of the ports on the Alienware 16 Area-51 are located on the back, with the exception of the SD card slot and headphone jack on the left. Overall, you should have everything you need here. 2x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) 1x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) 2x Thunderbolt 5 ports (for configurations with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and above) 1x HDMI 2.1 1x SD-card slot 1x 3.5mm headphone jack If you really need more ports, check out our best USB Type-C hubs and best laptop docking stations pages. I didn't expect the Alienware 16 Area-51 to offer great battery life I didn't expect the Alienware 16 Area-51 to offer great battery life, considering how much of a chunky monkey it is, but I'm still a bit disappointed. On the Laptop Mag battery test, which sets the laptop to continuously surf the web over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, the Alienware 16 Area-51 lasted 4 hours and 10 minutes. That's not bad per se, but the Aorus Master lasted a whole hour longer, and the Razer Blade lasted over three hours longer. There's a similar trend on the PCMark 10 Gaming battery life test, where the Area-51 lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes, while the Razer Blade and Aorus Master lasted 40 to 60 minutes longer, respectively. Click to view chart data in table format Alienware 16 Area-51 HP Omen Max 16 Razer Blade 16 (2025) Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 Battery life (Higher is better) 4.1 3.2 7.22 5.02 PCMark 10 Gaming Battery life (higher is better) 1.5 1.24 2.28 2.54 Displays designed for video games are precious to me Displays designed for video games are precious to me, and if I'm paying over $3K for a gaming laptop, it better be pretty. Unfortunately, the Alienware 16 Area-51's 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz, LED display falls a bit short. It's plenty bright, more than its competition, and nearly as bright as the M4 MacBook Pros. However, the color is severely lacking for the price, and that's likely due to the LED panel, whereas its top rivals use OLED. I hopped into an expedition in Elden Ring Nightreign and bodied those nightmare Flame Chariots. While their flames were bright, and everything looked lively, the lack of boldness took me out of it a little. I think the issue is that the LED panel feels like I'm looking at a screen, whereas OLED feels like looking through a window. I'll say this, however: I didn't have any trouble navigating the shadowy mines. I watched the trailer for the currently bombing Lilo & Stitch film, and the night shots were clear, which is nice because I didn't need to squint. And although the day shots were really bright, those Hawaiian waters didn't look as bold as I wanted them to. According to our colorimeter, the Area-51 doesn't meet the 100% DCI-P3 color coverage that Dell claims it does (falling to 81.6%). However, it does break its claimed 500-nit display brightness. Click to view chart data in table format. Alienware 16 Area-51 HP Omen Max 16 Razer Blade 16 (2025) Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 Display brightness (Higher is better) 516 363 372 378 sRGB color gamut (Higher is better) 115% 199.7 204% 114% DCI-P3 color gamut (Higher is better) 81.6% 141.4 144.6% 81.0% Color accuracy (Lower is better) 0.21 0.31 0.3 0.23 Nothing is more satisfying than a mechanical keyboard in a gaming laptop. Nothing is more satisfying than a mechanical keyboard in a gaming laptop. It still feels like a dream that laptops like the Alienware 16 Area-51 are rocking a CherryMX mechanical keyboard. This baby is clicky and punchy; bodying fools in Marvel Rivals felt as smooth as ever. I knocked out 83 words per minute on the typing test, which is above my usual 81-wpm average. Moving to each key felt effortless, thanks to that mechanical bounce. The 4.4 x 2.5-inch touchpad is not only colorful, but it's also glass, so it's silky smooth to the touch. It also features a mid-depth, sharp click, which is satisfying to navigate with. My only gripe is that I wish the touchpad were taller because it makes it more challenging to select a wide area. the Alienware 16 Area-51's top and bottom-firing speakers made me feel like I jumped right into the thick of combat. With two tweeters (treble) and two woofers (bass), the Alienware 16 Area-51's top and bottom-firing speakers made me feel like I jumped right into the thick of combat. Although the music performance could have been better. Dashing across Limveld in Nightreign, oppressive but present strings played in the background while the Depraved Perfumer tried to murder me. I dodged and sliced through them, and got that satisfying slash sound effect when I made impact. When I popped my ultimate ability off, it sounded a bit more muted than I would've liked, but the overall environmental sound effects played well together. It got occasionally muddy when larger bosses started chomping at me. Jumping into my long-lasting hyperfixation, I listened to 'Wouldn't You Like' from Epic: The Musical. The stringed instruments sounded gentle and full, and when Hermes came in, I enjoyed his soft vocals, but I realized they were maybe a bit too soft. The vocals didn't hit the crispness I expected. While I could distinguish most of the instruments from one another, there was some muddiness, and the percussion got snuffed a bit. But overall, it's a strong set of speakers compared with the mediocrity we usually find in even the most expensive gaming laptops. You adjust the audio via Dolby Access, with presets for Game (which I used for gaming), Music (used for music), Movie, Voice, and Dynamic (which I experimented with but wasn't a fan of). This monster doesn't need to worry about slimming down for portability's sake, so it even crushes RTX 5090 gaming laptops on some tests. Packed into the Area-51's thick chassis is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU with 16GB of VRAM. This monster doesn't need to worry about slimming down for portability's sake, so it even crushes RTX 5090 gaming laptops on some tests. Trying our luck with the Gaping Jaw again, my comrades and I leapt into its chaotic purple lightning storms, and the Area-51 easily maxed out the cap at 60 frames per second on max settings at native resolution. Up against the RTX 5080 in the Aorus Master and the RTX 5090 in the Razer Blade and Omen Max, the Area-51 either matched or took the crown on three major gaming benchmarks. So the Area-51 is better than the rest at playing Assassin's Creed Mirage, Black Myth: Wukong, and Far Cry 6. While the Area-51 may not have taken the lead on the rest of the gaming benchmarks, it got pretty darn close across the board. You won't be disappointed with this level of performance. And keep in mind that our benchmarks don't account for DLSS 4, so if you want to get into multi-frame generation magic, you can expect a significant increase in frames. Click to view chart data in table format. Alienware 16 Area-51 HP Omen Max 16 Razer Blade 16 (2025) Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra (Higher is better) 14,073 12,734 14,024 13,695 3DMark Time Spy Extreme (Higher is better) 10,558 10,100 10,770 10,097 Assassin's Creed: Mirage (1080p, fps) 149 137 120 145 Black Myth: Wukong (Cinematic, 1080p, fps) 58 51 58 52 Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, fps) 62.94 58.04 65.83 61.52 Far Cry 6 (1080p, fps) 121 109 97 120 Monster Hunter Wilds (1080p, fps) 82.82 76.55 70.86 85.67 Red Dead Redemption II (Ultra, 1080p, fps) 117 86.9164 Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, fps) 183 175 166 185 The Alienware 16 Area-51 absolutely dominated its competition Don't think Alienware forgot about overall performance. The Area-51 is toting the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor with 32GB of RAM, and it's one heck of a powerhouse. It didn't flinch when I opened a couple dozen Google Chrome tabs and a handful of YouTube videos while Nightreign downloaded in the background. The Alienware 16 Area-51 absolutely dominated its competition on the Geekbench 6 overall performance test and our HandBrake benchmark, which requires it to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. However, the Area-51 lagged a bit behind on SSD speeds, coming in third on our 25GB file transfer test, but since it's above 1 GBps, it should be good for most things. Now, even though the Area-51 is rocking fans all over the place, it still gets a bit spicy while gaming. We clocked it at 118.7 degrees Fahrenheit between the F8 and F9 keys, which is way above our 95-degree comfort threshold. Yet, it might be safe to sit it in your lap. How? The underside only reached 93.1 degrees. However, I'd proceed with caution since the underside features a glass window, which might burn if it gets too hot. Click to view chart data in table format. Alienware 16 Area-51 HP Omen Max 16 Razer Blade 16 (2025) Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 Geekbench 6 (Higher is better) 20,498 19,822 16,025 19,175 Handbrake conversion (Lower is better) 1.58 2.54 3.12 2.18 25GB File Transfer Test (Lower is better) 23.36 19.2 15.52 40.4 25GB File Transfer Test (SSD speed) 1,149 1,395 1,730 665 Heat (Degrees Fahrenheit) 92.9 88.6 97.9 94.3 Gaming Heat (Degrees Fahrenheit, 95 comfort threshold) 118.7 105.8 125.8 116.8 With an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, the Area-51 supports an NPU with 13 peak TOPS (trillion operations per second). With that, you can access your usual Copilot software, like Windows Studio Effects, Cocreate, and Live Captions. Apart from potential performance gain, there isn't any Dell or Alienware-branded software with unique AI capabilities. Like most laptop webcams, even the Alienware 16 Area-51's 4K shooter isn't great. Despite that, the webcam handles colors decently well. My blue shirt and the ensemble of colorful outfits of the My Hero Academia crew behind me popped in the image. However, its resolution didn't keep my face and hair from looking fuzzy. And the poor contrast overexposed the window and ceiling. If you plan on streaming, I recommend checking out one of the best webcams. The software you'll be using the most will be the Alienware Command Center, which features settings for performance, keyboard and chassis lighting, game aggregation, and a quick link to the Dolby Access app. There's also Dell SupportAssist, which handles your drivers, hardware scans, and warranty. The Area-51 comes with a one-year limited warranty. The Alienware 16 Area-51 is a near-perfect gaming laptop The Alienware 16 Area-51 is a near-perfect gaming laptop, boasting incredible performance, a bright 16-inch display, a great keyboard, strong speakers, and a beautiful design. But its display can't beat OLED, and we've seen much better battery life numbers elsewhere. A gaming laptop that supports both an OLED panel and significantly better battery life is the Razer Blade 16, although you'll need to pay about $1,000 more to get it. I'll pray to Cthulhu for an OLED variant of the Alienware 16 Area-51 in the future, although right now, this gaming laptop is easily one of the best we've seen this year, and its price point makes it all the more compelling.