Alienware brings back Area 51 with large laptops and desktops

Like the hack of government black sites in 2019, so is Alienware Naruto is running Back to Area 51. The Dell-owned brand offers longtime fans a chance to enjoy a somewhat old-school aesthetic. The new Area-51 laptop looks the part, offering rounded corners and moody RGB lighting reminiscent of classic Alienware design. Conversely, the Area-51 desktop looks very similar to its current, more functional design. Except – this time – it’s really big.

The new 16″ and 18″ 51″ laptops are the big brothers of M16 R2 and M18 R2 From 2024. Both include the option of an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX or Core Ultra 9 275HX, as well as Nvidia’s 50-series GPUs. There are additional options of up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM (32GB includes DDR5XMP at 7200 MT/s). The laptop supports a whopping 175W of TGP power, which may be necessary to support high-end 50-series GPUs. We haven’t yet tried the latest laptop gaming options from Intel and Nvidia, but what you’re really here for is the aesthetics. The bottom panel includes a small transparent window to take a look at some of the components.

I wasn’t able to “use” the Area-51 laptops in any meaningful way before CES, though I did tap their keys with their CherryMX mechanical switches and found myself reminded Previous gaming laptops With their full mechanical keyboards. It was a surprisingly enjoyable typing experience that I haven’t felt before on a laptop in a long time, and that alone makes me excited to test it out. As for visuals, both laptops feature an IPS LCD display with QHD+ (2560 x 1600) resolution up to 240Hz.

Prices for Area-51 laptops start around $2,000, but a launch configuration with high-end 50 series cards will start at $3,200. It’s supposed to launch sometime in early 2025, with more configuration options to come later.

Alienware has been changing its design ethos over the past few years. There is no place for that Clearer than with Latest Aurora R16 desktop And its appearance is more worldly than Past science fiction Designs. The same design with the RGB ring and rounded square bezel carries over to the new Area-51. It’s larger, and the pictures don’t do its massive dimensions justice. This case is intended to hold 50-series Nvidia GPUs. It includes a sliding shelf to act as a support for these massive cards up to 450mm long. The tower is so large that it must be future-proofed against any cards that could become larger. Its size is equal to its price. The new desktop should be available sometime in the first quarter of 2025, though the starting price will set you back $4,500.

The case itself measures 24″ x 9″ x 22″. Powering high-end, next-gen Nvidia GPUs is no joke, so the Area-51 includes an 850W 80 Plus Gold or 1,500W 80 Plus Platinum PSU. Opposite the power supply is a cradle to house more drives other than the built-in SSD storage. If you have an old drive and need to install it on your computer, Area-51 gives you extra space.

The big consideration in Area 51 is whether “positive pressure airflow” cooling will work in practice. A typical case fan system sucks in cool outside air and exhausts it through other fans. The idea is that all the fans point inward while the hot air exits passively through the rear vents – without the need for an exhaust fan. It’s a technology that’s been around for years, with the added benefit of cooling graphics cards better than traditional fan settings. Alienware claims its new Tower runs 13% cooler than other fan settings and stays quieter while doing so.

Gizmodo covers all the coolest and weirdest tech from the showroom at Consumer Electronics Show 2025 In Las Vegas. Follow our live coverage here.