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.
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