Alienware - Area-51 - 18" 2.5K Gaming Laptop - Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX - 32GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti - 2TB Storage - Liquid Teal
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Highlights
- Key Specs
- Screen Type: WVA
- Screen Size: 18 inches (Size of the screen, measured diagonally from corner to corner.)
- Screen Resolution: 2560 x 1600 (Screens come in a range of resolutions (measured in pixels, horizontal x vertical). The higher the resolution, the greater the picture quality.)
- Touch Screen: false (Touch-screen devices make navigating more intuitive. Using a touch-screen display, you can do things such as tap to select, hold and drag to move items, swipe to scroll, and pinch to zoom.)
- Refresh Rate: 300Hz (The number of frames per second the device can produce natively without enhancement. Higher rates help produce smooth, seamless pictures.)
- Brightness: 500 nits (A measure of the total light output.)
- Processor Model: Intel Core Ultra 9 Series 2 (Your computer's processor is like its brain. Working in combination with system memory, the power of the processor determines the complexity of software you can run, how many programs you can have open at the same time, and how fast those programs will run. Most computers feature an AMD, Intel or Snapdragon processor.)
- CPU Base Clock Frequency: 2.7 gigahertz (Actual central processing unit (CPU) speed may vary by device configuration and design. The average rate at which the processor is able to execute tasks under normal operating conditions as asserted by the manufacturer.)
- Storage Type: SSD
- Total Storage Capacity: 2000 gigabytes
- System Memory (RAM): 32 gigabytes (Random-access memory (RAM) is a computing device's short-term data storage, which allows active information to be accessed quickly. The size and type of RAM determines how efficiently the device can handle large amounts of information at one time. For example, gaming or video editing requires more RAM for optimal performance.)
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (Often referred to as a "graphics processing unit" (GPU), this device is responsible for displaying image content and decoding/encoding video content in programs and games.)
- Display Connector(s): 1 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x Thunderbolt (The number and type of connectors used to connect to an external display.)
- Battery Chemistry: Lithium-ion
- 2-in-1 Design: false (A laptop and a tablet combined in one lightweight, portable device. Sometimes referred to as "convertible" or "hybrid" laptops, these devices deliver the processing power and keyboard of a laptop. When you're ready to play, either detach the screen or fold your 2-in-1 into tablet mode to comfortably watch movies, play games, read an e-book and more.)
- Backlit Keyboard: true (Integrated lights allow for visibility of the keys in low-light conditions.)
- General
- Brand: Alienware
- Model Number: LAA18250 -9444BLU-PUS
- Product Name: Area-51 - 18" 2.5K Gaming Laptop - Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX - 32GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti - 2TB Storage
- Color: Liquid Teal
- Year of Release: 2025
- Display
- Display Type: LED
- Screen Type: WVA
- Screen Size: 18 inches (Size of the screen, measured diagonally from corner to corner.)
- Screen Resolution: 2560 x 1600 (Screens come in a range of resolutions (measured in pixels, horizontal x vertical). The higher the resolution, the greater the picture quality.)
- Touch Screen: false (Touch-screen devices make navigating more intuitive. Using a touch-screen display, you can do things such as tap to select, hold and drag to move items, swipe to scroll, and pinch to zoom.)
- Refresh Rate: 300Hz (The number of frames per second the device can produce natively without enhancement. Higher rates help produce smooth, seamless pictures.)
- Synchronization Technology: G-SYNC (NVIDIA Adaptive Sync) (Generally, these technologies allow syncing between a computer/console game's frame rate and the device's refresh rate for a smoother display without tearing.)
- Display Surface: Anti-glare
- Brightness: 500 nits (A measure of the total light output.)
- Processor
- Processor Brand: Intel
- Processor Model: Intel Core Ultra 9 Series 2 (Your computer's processor is like its brain. Working in combination with system memory, the power of the processor determines the complexity of software you can run, how many programs you can have open at the same time, and how fast those programs will run. Most computers feature an AMD, Intel or Snapdragon processor.)
- Processor Model Number: 275HX
- Processor Model Year of Release: 2025 (The year the processor model was initially available for sale or built into a computer.)
- CPU Base Clock Frequency: 2.7 gigahertz (Actual central processing unit (CPU) speed may vary by device configuration and design. The average rate at which the processor is able to execute tasks under normal operating conditions as asserted by the manufacturer.)
- CPU Boost Clock Frequency: 5.4 gigahertz (Actual central processing unit (CPU) speed may vary by device configuration and design. The maximum rate at which the processor is able to execute tasks, typically only used for a short period of time as needed. This rate may temporarily boost the processor's performance, but may result in overheating, shutdown, or damage to equipment if sustained.)
- Number of CPU Cores: 24-core (A core, or "brain" of a CPU, allows it to receive and execute instructions. Each core can work independently or together to perform parallel operations.)
- Number of CPU Threads: 24 (Generally, the more threads, the faster and more responsive the operating system.)
- CPU Cache Memory Level: L2
- L2 Cache: 36 megabytes (Cache memory, also called CPU memory, is random-access memory (RAM) that a computer microprocessor can access more quickly than it can access regular RAM. This memory is typically integrated directly with the CPU chip or placed on a separate chip that has a separate bus interconnect with the CPU.)
- Neural Processing Unit (NPU): true (Whether the product comes with an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) that performs computations for AI (artificial intelligence) functions to increase proficiency of the CPU and reduce power consumption.)
- Maximum NPU Performance: 13 trillions operations per second (The maximum neural processing unit (NPU) computations performed. NPUs increase proficiency of the CPU and reduce power consumption for AI (artificial intelligence) functions.)
- Storage
- Storage Type: SSD
- Total Storage Capacity: 2000 gigabytes
- Solid State Drive Capacity: 2000 gigabytes (The amount of data that can be stored on the device's solid state drive (SSD). SSD is a flash-based storage with faster speeds than a hard disk drive (HDD).)
- Solid State Drive Interface: PCIe (Connects the solid state drive to the host system. PCI and SATA interfaces are the most common; PCI interfaces are typically faster, but SATA interfaces are compatible with a wider range of systems.)
- Memory
- System Memory (RAM): 32 gigabytes (Random-access memory (RAM) is a computing device's short-term data storage, which allows active information to be accessed quickly. The size and type of RAM determines how efficiently the device can handle large amounts of information at one time. For example, gaming or video editing requires more RAM for optimal performance.)
- Type of Memory (RAM): DDR5 (Each type of RAM delivers a different level of speed, bandwidth, energy efficiency and performance.)
- System Memory RAM Speed: 6400 megahertz (How fast the information-storing hardware operates. The faster the RAM, the faster memory can be transferred to other system components. Ultimately, faster RAM improves operational efficiency.)
- Number Of Memory Slots: 2
- Number of Memory Sticks Included: 2
- Graphics
- Graphics Type: Dedicated (Dedicated graphics uses a separate graphics card for processing video images. Because it does not use memory from the system's RAM, there is no extra burden on the CPU and graphics are processed more efficiently. Integrated graphics shares system RAM to process video images.)
- GPU Brand: NVIDIA
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (Often referred to as a "graphics processing unit" (GPU), this device is responsible for displaying image content and decoding/encoding video content in programs and games.)
- Advanced Graphics Rendering Technique(s): DLSS 4 (Deep Learning Super Sampling), Ray tracing (Imaging technology designed to improve graphics rendering.)
- GPU Base Clock Frequency: 2.3 gigahertz (The minimum rate at which the graphics controller is guaranteed to operate.)
- GPU Boost Clock Frequency: 2.45 gigahertz (The maximum ideal rate at which the graphics controller is able to operate, typically only for a short period of time.)
- GPU Video Memory (RAM): 16 gigabytes (Random-access memory (RAM) is a GPU’s, or graphics cards, short-term data storage, which allows active information to be accessed quickly. The size and type of RAM determines how efficiently the GPU can handle large amounts of information at one time. For example, larger amounts of RAM for gaming or video editing increases performance.)
- GPU Video Memory Type (RAM): GDDR7 (Each type of RAM delivers a different level of speed, bandwidth, energy efficiency and performance.)
- Power
- Total Graphics Power: 300 watts
- Battery Cells: 6-cell
- Battery Capacity: 8205.12 milliampere hours (The amount of energy stored in the battery.)
- Battery Chemistry: Lithium-ion
- Compatibility
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home (The operating system manages all software and hardware, including files, memory and connected devices. Most importantly, it lets you interact with your device and your programs in a visual way; otherwise, you'd be typing computer code to get anything done.)
- Connectivity
- Display Connector(s): 1 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x Thunderbolt (The number and type of connectors used to connect to an external display.)
- Number of Thunderbolt Ports (Total): 2
- USB Ports: 3 x USB-A 3.2 (The number and type of USB ports the product has.)
- Number of USB Ports (Total): 3
- Number of USB-A Charging Ports: 1
- Headphone Jack: true (The device features an interface that allows for the connection of headphones.)
- Microphone Input: true (The device features an input for connecting an external microphone.)
- Wireless Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (The manner in which a device sends data to another device over a short distance without the use of wires or cables.)
- Wireless Standard: BE (The wireless networking protocol used by the device. Each iteration of the protocol is based on the 802.11 standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standards Association. Denoted by letters following 802.11 (802.11a, 802.11ac, etc.), each version, published in alphabetical order, encompasses all previous versions.)
- Wireless Networking Standard: Wi-Fi 7 (The wireless networking standard used by the device. Each iteration of the standard developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance corresponds to an existing IEEE 802.11 protocol; for example, standard 802.11ac (or AC) is termed Wi-Fi 5. Refers specifically to the standard the device is designed to use, but ultimately determines product interoperability and backward compatibility including previous versions.)
- Number Of Ethernet Ports: 1
- Network Connectivity: None (The manner in which a device sends data to another device over a long distance using a cellular network.)
- Camera
- Front-Facing Camera: true
- Front Facing Camera Megapixels: 2 megapixels (The more megapixels, the more detail that the camera facing the user can capture.)
- Front Facing Camera Video Resolution: 1080p (Refers to the number of pixels, both horizontally and vertically, used by the camera facing the user to capture video. The higher the resolution the finer the video detail that can be seen.)
- Built-In Microphone: true
- Features
- 2-in-1 Design: false (A laptop and a tablet combined in one lightweight, portable device. Sometimes referred to as "convertible" or "hybrid" laptops, these devices deliver the processing power and keyboard of a laptop. When you're ready to play, either detach the screen or fold your 2-in-1 into tablet mode to comfortably watch movies, play games, read an e-book and more.)
- Backlit Keyboard: true (Integrated lights allow for visibility of the keys in low-light conditions.)
- Customizable Keyboard Lighting: RGB
- GPS Enabled: false
- Touchpad Type: Multi-touch, Gesture, Precision
- Media Card Reader: true (A hardware device that allows for access to data on a memory card and enables the transfer of its files to a computer. These devices may have one or multiple slots for various types of memory cards, and may be integrated into the computer or available as an external device.)
- Media Card Slot: Secure Digital
- Windows AI: Copilot
- Dimensions
- Product Height: 1.2 inches (The out of box height of the item. Height is measured as the vertical distance from the bottom of the item to the top as it would be primarily used or placed.)
- Product Width: 16.14 inches (The out of box width of the item. Width is measured as the horizontal distance from one side of the item to the other as it would be primarily used or placed.)
- Product Depth: 12.59 inches (The out of box depth of the item. Depth is measured as the distance from the front of the item to the back as it would be primarily used or placed.)
- Product Weight: 9.56 pounds (The out of box weight of the item.)
- Certifications Listings & Approvals
- ENERGY STAR Certified: false (Devices carrying the ENERGY STAR service mark, such as computer products and peripherals, kitchen appliances, and other products, generally use 20% to 30% less energy than required by federal standards.)
- EPEAT Qualified: false (The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) was designed to provide an environmental assessment tool for purchasers. In order to qualify for EPEAT, a product must meet all 23 required criteria.)
- Included
- Optical Drive Type: None (An optical disk drive (ODD) uses a laser light to read data from or write data to an optical disc. These discs include CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs. This allows you to play music or watch movies using prerecorded discs.)
- Numeric Keypad: true
- Stylus Included: false
- Warranty
- Warranty - Parts: 1 Year Basic Onsite Service-Retail
- Warranty - Labor: 1 Year Basic Onsite Service-Retail
- Other
- UPC: 884116651444
Alienware Area-51 gaming laptops are engineered for maximum power, packed with innovation, and encased in other-worldly design. By fusing an advanced thermal strategy, increasing airflow and elevating power with Intel Core Ultra HX processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs, we're bringing alien-class performance to the most passionate gamers.
- Unapologetic power: Area-51 was intentionally designed to reach new performance horizons by enabling higher graphics and processor power limits.
- Game changing graphics: Step into the future of gaming and creation with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs, powered by NVIDIA Blackwell and AI.
- Intelligent processing: Intel Core Ultra HX processors integrate CPU, built-in GPU, and NPU into a single package designed for AI acceleration and balanced performance across your favorite things to do.
- Introducing the Cryo-Chamber: Developed by our engineers, Area-51’s new Cryo-Chamber structure, located at the bottom of the laptop, focuses air to the core components where it matters the most.
- Bringing comfort to the forefront: Our new Area-51 laptops combine mystery and other-wordly design with fluid contours and soft surfaces that inspires comfortable gameplay for hours.
- Unapologetic power: Area-51 was intentionally designed to reach new performance horizons by enabling higher graphics and processor power limits.
- Game changing graphics: Step into the future of gaming and creation with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs, powered by NVIDIA Blackwell and AI.
- Intelligent processing: Intel Core Ultra HX processors integrate CPU, built-in GPU, and NPU into a single package designed for AI acceleration and balanced performance across your favorite things to do.
- Introducing the Cryo-Chamber: Developed by our engineers, Area-51’s new Cryo-Chamber structure, located at the bottom of the laptop, focuses air to the core components where it matters the most.
- Bringing comfort to the forefront: Our new Area-51 laptops combine mystery and other-wordly design with fluid contours and soft surfaces that inspires comfortable gameplay for hours.
Whats Included
- Alienware 18 Area-51 Laptop
- Power Adapter
- Quick-Start Guide
- Alienware 18 Area-51 Laptop
- Power Adapter
- Quick-Start Guide
Q: Does this unit compatible with PCIe Gen 5 like Samsung pro 9100?
A: Yes,it is compatible with PCIe Gen 5 SSDs, including the Samsung 9100 Pro, provided the SSD uses the M.2 NVMe interface and fits within the laptop’s physical and thermal constraints.
A: XMP is supported, but only for 7200 MT/s configurations. You must enable XMP manually via: BIOS → Performance → Extreme Memory Profile → Enable XMP Profile 1. Or via Alienware Command Center (AWCC). Note: Dell only lists 16GB XMP modules officially (e.g., ADATA AOAV724CSV1-BNLS), so 64GB XMP kits (2×32GB) are not officially validated yet.
Q: Can additional ram be installed?
A: Yes, there are 2 Memory slots. you can replace the existing Memory modules by adding 64 GB: 2 x 32 GB, DDR5, 6400 MT/s, Non-ECC, Non-XMP.
Q: Does this unit have a Thunderbolt connection?
A: Yes, it has 2 X Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort Alt Mode/USB Type-C/USB4/Power Delivery.
Q: Does this machine support steam and any game available on steam?
A: Yes, you can install Steam like any other Windows application, and it will run perfectly on this machine. The ability to run games depends on the individual game's system requirements, but based on the specs of this Alienware laptop, it can handle most modern and demanding games with ease.
Q: Does it have dvd optical capability?
A: No, it does not have Optical Disc Drive. We need to use an external Disc Drive
Q: Does this laptop have the mechanical keyboard?
A: No, the laptop uses Low-Profile Keyboard with AlienFX per-key lighting.
A: No, it has WQXGA 300Hz display which does not officially support HDR.
Compare similar products
Alienware Area-51 gaming laptops are engineered for maximum power, packed with innovation, and encased in other-worldly design. By fusing an advanced thermal strategy, increasing airflow and elevating power with Intel Core Ultra HX processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs, we're bringing alien-class performance to the most passionate gamers.
The new performance precedent. Alienware Area-51 gaming laptops are engineered for maximum power, packed with innovation, and encased in other-worldly design. By fusing an advanced thermal strategy, increasing airflow and elevating power with Intel Core Ultra HX processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs, we're bringing alien-class performance to the most passionate gamers.
Velztorm sells computers with custom/upgraded configurations to enhance system performance. If the computer has modifications as listed above, the manufacturer’s box was opened by our highly skilled technicians for testing, inspection, and installation of the upgrades according to the specifications advertised. All computers and components are brand new.; ; - Model: Alienware 18 Area-51 AA18250; - Form/Style: Standard; - Model No: USEAA18250HBTSHPXS; - Processor: 15th Gen Ultra 9- 275HX 2.70GHz Processor (upto 5.4GHz, 36MB Cache, 24-Cores, 24-Threads, 8 Performance-cores); - Memory: 64GB DDR5 SO-DIMM; - Graphics: GeForce RTX 5090 24GB GDDR7 Dual (Integrated+Dedicated) Graphics, ; - Storage: 2TB PCIe SSD (Solid State Drive); - Operating System: Windows 11 Pro-64; - Display: 18 IPS WQXGA (2560x1600) 144Hz 16:10 Display; - Connectivity: 802.11be, Bluetooth 5.4, RJ-45; - Ports/Slots:, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 2 Thunderbolt 5, SD Card Reader, Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack; - Input/Output: Webcam, Black, Per Key RGB KB Standard Keyboard, ; - Battery: 360W PSU, 6-Cell 96 WHr Battery; - Other Features, ; - Color: Liquid Teal; - Weight: 9.1lb; - Product Dimensions (WxLxH): 12.6 IN x 16.15 IN x 0.95 IN; - 1 Year Manufacturer warranty from Velztorm (Professionally upgraded by Velztorm) ;
Built to break limits. Throttle less and carry more with the latest Intel Core Ultra processor, next-gen NVIDIA graphics, and a thermal architecture that can actually keep up with your gameplay.
| Pros for Alienware - Area-51 - 18" 2.5K Gaming Laptop - Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX - 32GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti - 2TB Storage - Liquid Teal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor Speed, Cooling System, Build Quality, Performance, Fan Noise | Overall Performance, Speed | There were no pros for this product— | Overall Performance, Processor Speed, Cooling System, Screen Quality, Portability |
| Cons for Alienware - Area-51 - 18" 2.5K Gaming Laptop - Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX - 32GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti - 2TB Storage - Liquid Teal | |||
| Battery Life, Weight, Portability | Noise Level | There were no cons for this product— | Battery Life, Fan Noise |
Specs
Reviews
Customer Images
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
- Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Heavy, but great for gaming
Very impressed with the performance and build quality of this laptop. I have had other gaming laptops by other brands and while they worked well the build quality left a lot to be desired. This Alienware feels top notch! The hinges for the screen seem strong and keep the monitor in place but is still easy to open. The overall design of this laptop is very nice and looks pretty streamlined. The laptop seemed well protected in the box that it was shipped in so no damage could happen. The box and laptop are heavy, I thought this was just because of the box and packaging, but the laptop itself its very heavy and you need two hands to pick it up. With a gaming laptop you give up the light weight of a traditional laptop. I would not recommend getting this if you plan to run around a college campus with it as it weighs too much and would be difficult to lug around. If you need to occasionally need to bring it with you then it will be totally fine. The size of this laptop is great for gaming. I was able to setup the laptop on my coffee table and sit on the couch and play games. The screen is large enough to see everything (screen clarity is fantastic and bright), and playing games from the comfort of my couch was very nice. You will need to bring the charging brick if gaming as the battery only lasted about an hour before power was severely reduced making the game glitch. When plugged in games ran fantastic and I had absolutely no issues running games for hours on end. The fans did spool up and did run at full speed, while they were louder than a regular laptop, I was impressed with how quiet they actually where. With my other gaming laptop, when the fans spooled up you could hear it from the other room. This Alienware provided sufficient cooling while still being quiet and I could still hear the game from the built in speakers. While I'm not blown away by the built in speakers, they do work well, and everything is clear and easy to hear. They just do not provide booming sound but for casual gaming they will be fine, but headphones would be better. The keyboard is easy to type on with even if you have larger fingers, and the mouse pad is also good to use. I really like that the mouse pad lights up and can mimic the lighting affect that is on the keyboard. You can adjust all of the lighting from the keyboard/mouse pad, fans, Alienware logo, and even the thermal shelf can be adjusted. I like lighting so it's fun to be able to customize the colors to my liking. Battery life is fine for everyday use and I'm getting about 3 hours with normal use. I did not adjust any settings, but I'm sure you could make it a little longer by reducing screen brightness, disabling the lighting effects, etc. If you plan to play games on battery, think again. I was able to get about an hour of game play before power management reduced everything down as the battery was at 20%. This laptop uses a lot of power because of the graphics card, screen, processer, etc. While I was hoping for a little longer on battery while gaming, I'm not going to fault it for only lasting an hour. So, carrying the power brick around is a must, thankfully it isn't super heavy and is slim to fit into a bag easily. Overall, I really do like this laptop and that it plays all my games with ease! The built in Alienware software works perfectly and is actually useful.
Posted by apalmo
- Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great performance, aesthetics, and build quality
The Alienware 18" Area-51 is the gaming laptop to get in 2025. It features the best cooling I’ve seen in any gaming laptop, which maximizes the performance of both the CPU and GPU. Its aesthetic design is top-notch, and it has great build quality. [ Performance ] The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a beast of a CPU that improves noticeably over the previous-gen i9-14900HX in multi-core use. The RTX 5070 Ti GPU is a good value proposition as long as you know what to expect from it. The ‘5070 is the new 4090’ hype from a certain CEO is not something to take seriously. I say this as the owner of a gaming laptop with RTX 4090, having used it for countless hours of high-end gaming. This comparison between models is based almost exclusively on the increased AI-powered frame generation capabilities of the 50 series, with a bit of upscaling magic added in. The frame-gen technology is impressive, but it comes at the cost of frame output latency and introduces visual artifacts. The more frames generated, the worse the latency and artifacts. Being able to match framerates is not the same as matching performance. This is mostly useful in casual/single-player games where raw performance is of less importance. Where performance matters, spending the extra money for the 5080 or 5090 would be worthwhile. The boost from 12GB (in 5070 Ti) to 16GB (in 5080/5090) of VRAM can be quite significant in some games. Both the 5080 and 5090 use the more performant GB203 cores instead of the GB205 that the 5070 Ti uses. The differences in both benchmarking and real-world experience are very significant. Basically, you get what you pay for here, regardless of marketing hype. Over five days of gaming, this laptop’s performance has been extremely solid, thanks largely to its impressive cooling. The side and rear exhaust with bottom intake are now a common formula, but this laptop manages it better than any other I’ve used. The overall performance can be managed in the Alienware Command Center app, with the default ‘balanced’ profile maximizing non-overclocked performance. The default fan curves manage the thermals well enough to prevent reaching the point of CPU thermal junction throttling in Time Spy benchmarking, which is already something many competing laptops fail to accomplish. This laptop manages this feat without the fans getting particularly loud. They did get significantly louder with the ‘overdrive’ profile, which performs overclocking, but the fans never reached an obnoxious level and refrained from high-pitched whining. So, preventing thermal throttling, check. Overhead for overclocking, check. Good cooling to noise ratio, check check check. This is cooling done right in a field where most disappoint. I achieved a 3DMark Time Spy score of 18,019; Graphics 18,215; CPU 16,989 with the ‘balanced’ (non-overlocked) profile. The display is bright, vibrant, responsive, and large enough that I didn’t feel compelled to use an external display, though I will be hooking one up later. While IPS display technology is getting a bit long in the tooth for high-end gaming, this display didn’t disappoint. [ Aesthetics & Design ] They nailed the aesthetics and design of this laptop, and it all comes together brilliantly. The soft-touch coating on the palm rest feels nice. The touchpad is glass-smooth and very responsive. The keyboard has decent tactile responsiveness and a great key layout. I particularly appreciate the independent volume/mute buttons, rather than being shuffled into the function keys as Fn-key combo alternate functions. Good port availability with USB, HDMI, and Ethernet ports all located in the rear, which I dare say they should be (but often aren’t in other gaming laptops). The display frame has an angled lip that makes it easy to pull up the display from the front or sides. The display has strong hinges that greatly resist screen wobbling. This laptop is a wet dream for those fond of RGB lighting. What may not be clear from some of the product images available is that the trackpad backlighting and ‘thermal shelf’ (the area behind the display hinges) lighting are multi-zone, allowing for cool lighting effects. I’ve attached two images showing the rainbow effect on both to highlight this. What I couldn’t manage to capture well on camera is that the lighting tapers off into the thermal shelf over a gradient, which looks quite slick. The fan lighting is visible from the bottom through the glass window, or when looking down directly over the laptop, but the grating makes it invisible from other viewing angles. [ Misc. ] The audio was standard fare: good max volume, low bass, and a bit hollow-sounding, but nothing unexpected or unusual for a laptop. The webcam in this model/configuration is only 1080 FHD (a UHD with HDR variant is available) with mediocre quality, losing significant detail even in decent indoor lighting. There is more system stutter than I expected when switching between integrated and discrete graphics (such as when launching a game). I experienced some issues with the Alienware Command Center software.
Posted by Gerbil
- Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Mighty (and Massive) Laptop
The Alienware Area-51 laptop is a powerhouse in both size and performance, delivering the experience of a desktop - though in some areas it slightly feels like it falls a bit short. Given its weight of almost 10 lbs, the Area-51 presents itself as a beautiful, hefty device that looks ready to handle whatever is thrown at it. It has lights for the back, underside, keyboard keys and trackpad, which give off a soft glow that isn’t distracting and can be customized in Alienware Command Center. The trackpad is smooth to the touch and a good size in my opinion - it also clicks similarly to a mouse. As for the keyboard there is a numpad and dedicated volume buttons which is always a plus for me. The 300Hz display with the 5070 Ti is incredible when it comes to shooter games like Call of Duty and Overwatch 2, and at 18 inches, the matte screen feels perfectly sized - more immersive than smaller gaming laptops when it comes to games like RDR2, Armored Core VI, and Indiana Jones (all of which run beautifully with max or relatively high settings). However, the viewing experience overall feels less sharp than other displays I’ve come across - not sure if it’s just me or if it’s due to the Area-51’s combination of screen size, resolution, and matte finish. After using laptops that feel like they’re ready to cook my next meal following a long gaming session, the Area-51’s cooling capabilities come as a nice surprise. The bottom of the laptop only feels a little warm, and the keyboard also barely gets warm - it does an amazing job overall. I do have to note that the fans run loudly at times though, loud enough to cover game audio if I’m not using a headset. Speaking of audio, for the space that the speakers appear to occupy, the speaker sound is pretty tinny, even with Dolby Audio enhancements on. Thankfully the 3.5mm audio jack is close to the corner of the laptop, making it easily accessible for plugging in headphones. That being said, when it comes to convenience there are a few things worth noting. As mentioned earlier the Area-51 is about 10 lbs and its 360W power adapter weighs a little over 2 lbs. To me, even moving it from room to room in the house feels inconvenient - I can’t really imagine choosing to take this with me when it’s time to travel. The other thing is that all of its ports (besides the headphone jack) are on the back of the laptop, which makes plugging things in a bit more difficult than most other laptops which have ports on the sides. To me, it feels like Alienware intended this laptop as a set-it-and-forget-it type of device so it could potentially replace a desktop especially for space saving situations like a college dorm room table for example - where it’s possible to move it around if it comes to it. In the end, the Area-51 delivers excellent performance, especially for gaming and multitasking. The 2TB SSD is also great for large game libraries and recorded clips. However, its considerable size and weight can limit portability compared to other gaming laptops with similar specifications and pricing. For those prioritizing mobility, lighter alternatives might be worth exploring - but as a stationary powerhouse, the Alienware Area-51 is still a solid choice.
Posted by AnSmolCoffeeBeane
