Alienware rediscovers its enthusiast roots with the Area-51 desktops and laptops

I still remember the first time I saw the Alienware Area-51 gaming desktop in person back in 2004. That massive black plastic tower — with giant vents on the front shaped like the eyes on its alien head logo — was enormous, and I wanted to… Desperately getting one (even if it would take up at least a quarter of the floor space of my New York apartment at the time). The Area-51 desktop was discontinued in 2017, but Alienware decided it was a good time to reintroduce the line with a full-size 80-litre tower (although without the giant plastic alien head shell). And I still want one.

It was announced alongside the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards in Consumer Electronics Show 2025The redesign is aimed squarely at enthusiasts who want a future-proof gaming PC. Alienware says it can handle more than 600W of dedicated graphics power and up to 280W of dedicated processing power (up to Intel Core Ultra 9 285K). It uses standard components so everything can be serviced and replaced. Plus, its size can accommodate the largest components available today with room to spare.

Part of the reason you’ll be able to easily upgrade in the future is the positive pressure airflow system. It uses a group of fans of different sizes integrated with gaskets inside the case, creating greater internal air pressure than outside the case, which helps push hot air through the rear vents without using exhaust fans. Liquid cooling is also an option.

The new Alienware Area-51 desktop will be available later in the first quarter of 2025 in an initial high-end configuration priced at $4,500. Lower-end configurations will be available later in the year.

Alienware also introduced new Area-51 gaming laptops. Available in 16- and 18-inch models, it will feature next-gen Nvidia graphics and up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU. The anodized aluminum bodies feature a color-changing iridescent teal finish. The rear exhaust rack is transparent and has a “lighting animation that mimics the unexpected movements of the Aurora Borealis.”

On the bottom there are clear Gorilla Glass windows so you can see the components, but the Alienware also uses fans with RGB lights that shine through the glass as well as through the keyboard. Alienware says the Area-51 laptops support the highest total power ceiling in a gaming laptop. For total graphics power, it can have up to 175W and up to 105W of processor thermal design simultaneously.

Like desktops, laptops will arrive later in the first quarter in a high-end configuration at launch priced at $3,200. Entry-level configurations will be available later starting at $2,000.