Latest news with #Area-51
Business Mayor
08-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Alienware reveals Aurora class laptops for mid-range gamers
For the first time in nearly two decades, Alienware is launching an Aurora class of gaming laptops. With versatility top of mind, these laptops adapt to any environment, said Matt McGowan, general manager of Alienware, in a press briefing. From intense gaming sessions to deadline-fueled commutes and airport layovers, wherever you are, Aurora laptops seamlessly shift between work and play, he said. This is the first time Alienware is launching a game laptop with the Aurora name since 2006. The launch marks the next step in streamlining the Alienware portfolio to make it easier for you to choose the right gaming machine. Moving forward, you'll see two distinct tiers across Alienware desktops and laptops: Area-51: Our flagship tier designed for those who demand maximum performance and premium features in a durable, robust design. premium features in a durable, robust design. Aurora: Our versatility tier offering strong performance within a sleek, streamlined form factor. At CES 2025, Dell's Alienware division introduced Alienware 30 (AW30), a brand-new design language inspired by extraterrestrial phenomena. Making first contact with the new Alienware Area-51 laptops and Alienware 27 4K QD-OLED Monitor, AW30 takes its next form in Aurora laptops. 'This is in the spirit of simplifying the Alienware product line,' McGowan said. 'It operates more in the mid-range.' The Alienware Area 51 laptop is the high-end of the product line. Alienware 16 Aurora laptop next to a new 34-inch gaming screen. 'Today, we talk about Aurora, which is positioned for a different type of customer,' said McGowan, who noted Alienware has been designing gaming hardware for more than 30 years. During that time, Alienware's design language evolved, and now it's serving multiple generations of gamers. And so Alienware has put a ton of research — with thousands of slides produced — for the new designs. 'We're getting into a new era of product and so visually, you're going to see us demonstrate that across different product tiers in very different ways, but they're all going to have that language,' he said. He noted that the company is seeing a lot new user a lot of new users come into the PC space. 'A lot of lot of users that have never gained on a on a PC,' he said. 'I'd say that COVID was a huge driver for this. We saw people take to PC gaming at a rate faster than we've ever seen. And the industry has grown. And quite frankly, we haven't seen those users move away from PC gaming.' But now that means there are different categories of player on gaming PCs. Alienware's role is to be the 'interface to the game' for players, McGowan said. 'Our objective is to provide you with the most immersive, immersive experience. Our objective is not to get in the way of of your gaming experience,' he said. 'We actually want that to be as fluid as possible. So we use technology to make sure that you are immersed in the game.' While the Area 51 brand targets the enthusiast core, Alienware will support new users with the Aurora. 'One of them we call the everyday escapist. These are people that are new to PC gaming. These are people that want to express themselves individually. They're typically more youthful. They are there for fun. They play to be with their friends. They play as a as a place to belong,' McGowan said. He added, 'That's where the Aurora laptop is going to be anchored.' The Alienware 16 Aurora laptop from rear view. Blending ergonomic and thermal advancements, Aurora combines comfort and performance in a sleek, understated profile. It transitions effortlessly across environments, maintaining both versatility and a polished appearance, all with a touch of sci-fi inspiration. Cloaked in a stunning Interstellar Indigo satin finish and adorned with an iridescent badge, Aurora captures the mystery of the inky night sky. Portability is achieved by shedding the rear thermal shelf, helping Aurora more easily slide into a backpack. Now, the thermal package is found beneath the device, and strategically takes advantage of unused space where a tall rear foot would normally be located. Coined Cryo Chamber, this solution helps maximize airflow intake and expel heat efficiently through strategically placed vents. Credit is due to the four exhaust vents, three copper heat pipes, air in takes above the keyboard (and in the Cryo-chamber itself), and dual ultra-thin blade fans that make up Aurora's Cryo-Chamber design. The new 16-inch QHD+ display is designed to impress. Gamers will enjoy incredibly smooth, responsive gameplay with up to a 240Hz refresh rate, vibrant clarity at 500 nits of brightness, and the added precision of Nvidia G-Sync support. Whether it's fast-paced esports or immersive RPGs, this display delivers a premium experience across the board. Rob Townsend at Alienware said the new color for the laptop is dubbed 'interstellar indigo,' a very dark blue that reminds you of a dark night sky. You can turn down the RGB lights and play on a subway, dialing down the conspicuousness of the machine. The laptop is designed for ease of use, with an accessible way to open. Townsend said the Alienware 16 Aurora uses up to 115 watts of power, with an Intel Core (Series 2) up to i9, and Nvidia RTX GPUs. They include options for 3050, 4050, 5060 or 5070 GPUs. By contrast, the Alienware 16X Aurora uses up to 155 watts of power. It uses an Intel Core Ultra (Series 2), up to Ultra 9 for a processor. It also has Nvidia RTX 5060 and 5070 GPUs. It has a QHD+ 240Hz 500 nit screen with advanced Optimus and G-Sync. The laptop weighs 5.9 pounds and its height at the rear is 0.89 inches. At the front, the height is 0.3 inches. Alienware also has a 34-inch gaming monitor on the market as well. While lighting is a core element of the gaming aesthetic, we recognize the need to tone things down when appropriate. After a strong debut last year, we're bringing Stealth Mode to Aurora. This handy feature was inspired by customers who found lighting effects to be distracting in certain spaces, like a library, café or classroom. Now a quick tap of the dedicated Stealth Mode button (F7 shortcut) turns the keyboard backlighting white and shifts Performance Mode to Quiet Mode, which subdues fan noise and extends battery life. Beyond gaming, Aurora laptops are designed to make browsing, traveling and daily tasks effortless and enjoyable. Here are some subtle design elements that promote greater comfort during everyday use-cases and long gameplay sessions. The company said fluid contours make the laptop more comfortable to hold and carry. Pillowed palm rest results in a more comfortable typing experience. Open laptop with one-hand thanks to chamfered front edge. And rear port placement improves cable management and provides more space for seamless mouse movement. Alienware 16 Aurora keyboard. The Alienware Aurora isn't just a gaming laptop; Alienware said it's your all-day, everyday companion, seamlessly adapting to your needs wherever you go. Powered by up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs, multiply performance with Nvidia DLSS 4, generate images at unprecedented speed, and unleash further creativity with Nvidia Studio. Aurora offers flexible GPU configurations—choose from GeForce RTX 30, 40, or 50 Series Laptop GPUs—alongside high-performance Intel processors and high-speed memory cards, so it can handle everything life throws your way. Alienware 16 Aurora is made for mobility. Morning: You're heading to class or the office, your Alienware Aurora tucked neatly in your bag. In the lecture hall or meeting room, activate Stealth Mode for a quiet, distraction-free experience and extend battery life. Take notes, deliver presentations, tackle research projects and juggle intensive applications, all at the same time. The crisp keyboard, full size numpad and responsive trackpad make even the most mundane tasks a breeze. Afternoon: The workday/school day is done, and it's time to head over to a friend's place for some serious gaming. Unleash the Aurora's full potential: disable Stealth Mode, watch the AlienFX lighting ignite, and feel the machine kick into Performance Mode as you dive into your favorite games. The system's comprehensive array of ports allows you to connect your mouse, keyboard, headset and external displays with ease, transforming Aurora into a portable battle station. Manage all your Alienware peripherals, RGB lighting, game library and more using the Alienware Command Center app. Evening: Back at home, unwind and stream your favorite shows or catch up on social media, all on the same versatile machine. The vibrant 16:10 QHD+ display, combined with the immersive soundscape of Dolby Atmos, creates a truly captivating experience. Alienware's 34-inch monitor. Within the all-new Aurora laptop class, we're offering two options: the Alienware Aurora 16 is the entry model while gamers seeking a more feature-rich experience can scale up to the Alienware 16X Aurora. The starting price is $1,149. Select configurations of Alienware Aurora Laptops will launch in North America on May 8, 2025 starting at $1,149 (US). Additional models will arrive soon after. Join Alienware at PAX East in Boston next weekend. (May 8th – May 11th) Booth #12019.
The Verge
08-05-2025
- The Verge
Here's Alienware's fresh take on entry-level gaming laptops
Alienware is introducing a pair of new, more affordable gaming laptops: the Aurora 16 and 16X, starting at $1,149 and $1,949, respectively. Unlike the flagship Area-51 laptops announced back at CES, the Auroras are meant to be a little more versatile, portable, and comfortable for general laptop use. They replace the older Alienware M, X, and cheaper Dell G lines — which will be slowly phased out as part of Dell's streamlining of its product lines. Some configurations of the Aurora 16 and 16X are launching today in North America, with additional models arriving later. The duo of indigo-colored 16-inch laptops are lighter, smaller, and cheaper than the 16- and 18-inch Area-51 models. They're still pretty hefty at around 5.5 to 5.86 pounds, but much lighter compared to the 7.6 to 10 pounds of the Area-51. And the new models even have a stealth mode button that switches the RGB lighting to a simpler white light and tones down the fans. The Auroras get their name from one of Alienware's desktop lines, but they're meant to be taken places, as the 16 and 16X were designed to fit in a backpack thanks to a lack of thermal shelf (the big butt behind the hinge many gaming laptops have). Instead, the Auroras have a protruding bump beneath their chassis where their fans pull in air. Spec-wise, both laptops have 16-inch displays, but the Aurora 16 starts has a 300-nit 120Hz 2560 x 1600 IPS panel, while the 16X has the same resolution but gets up to 500 nits and 240Hz refresh rate. The Auroras have two USB-A, two USB-C, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, a proprietary power plug, and Wi-Fi 7. Each has its ports on the left and rear, freeing up the right side for unhindered mouse movements while gaming. One of the USB-C ports on the 16X gets faster Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort 2.1 instead of just USB 3.2 Gen 2. Both laptops can be outfitted with up to an Nvidia RTX 5070 GPU, but for CPUs, the 16 gets Intel 'Raptor Lake Refresh' chips — based on architecture from 2022 — while the 16X has the latest Intel 'Arrow Lake' configurations up to the Core Ultra 9 275HX. While the Aurora 16 starts at a very low price that's more akin to a MacBook Air, its starting config has a two-generations-old RTX 3050 GPU and just 8GB of RAM. That's a pretty old GPU for a new laptop in mid-2025 and a shockingly low amount of RAM for any Windows notebook above $1,000, let alone a gaming laptop. Even Apple's base models now give you more. The Aurora 16 can of course be purchased with more RAM than that, and the 16X starts with a more respectable 16GB and RTX 5060. Dell-owned Alienware is angling these new models at gamers on a budget or those who can only justify one device for both play and work (or school). I just can't help finding it funny that, between Alienware and its parent company Dell, it's actually Alienware with the clearer and more pleasant-sounding naming scheme. Somehow, the try-hard gaming brand with an alien head logo understands that names are better than a mish-mash of Plus, Premium, Pro, and Max.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
Alienware's New Area-51 Desktop PC Makes DIY Gaming Upgrades Easier
The Alienware Area-51 namesake is one I've known since I was a young gamer. Ever since my early years playing the Myst series and Fury 3 on my father's computer, the importance of understanding the components within your machine has been a part of my life. As such, when I consider a new desktop PC, I focus on products that will power my daily lifestyle. I need fast connections to my local DIY networking rack, and a platform I can rely on as a 4K content creator. My trusted machine also has to deliver while gaming, which means being able to handle graphics-intensive AAA titles with ease. The latest Alienware Area-51 Desktop PC delivers on all these requirements and more, and is well-suited for gaming enthusiasts and prolific content creators alike. Each configuration is powered by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU, which means gamers will have access to NVIDIA Blackwell, which powers new graphics innovations like neural rendering and upgraded ray tracing. NVIDIA DLSS 4 boosts frame rates and offers cleaner details to games, while NVIDIA Studio and the newest NVIDIA NIM (Inference Microservices) offer upgrades for creators and developers. Purchasing a gaming desktop PC is an investment, so users should consider both performance and upgradeability when making their decision. The Alienware Area-51 Desktop offers both to serious gamers who don't want to build a new PC from scratch, but also want to own a desktop that makes future upgrades possible for many years. In a year of powerful new GPUs and components requiring more processing power, how is Alienware differentiating itself from the pack? There are three main answers to this: future proofing, upgradeability and accessibility. The Area-51 Desktop still includes bold design choices, with rounded corners and a futuristic, streamlined look that helps the machine stand out in a sea of rectangular sameness. After feedback from the gaming community and many years of development, Alienware has introduced a new, upgraded Area-51. The Alienware Area-51 has a noticeably clean and spacious interior, with a new Alienware-branded motherboard designed specifically for this desktop PC. The included Alienware motherboard supports a dual-channel RAM configuration, with up to 64GB (in a 2 x 32 GB configuration) of DDR5 XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) memory at a fast data transfer speed of 6400 MT/s. (Third-party motherboards can be installed with the purchase of an AlienFX board conversion kit.) At 80L, this is a full-size PC tower, which allows for compatibility with even the largest components and better thermals. Alienware is offering multiple configurations of the Area-51 Desktop, so serious gamers have many options depending on their needs, including the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU. At launch, the desktop features the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. The company sells up to 8TB using the M.2 PCIe NVMe slots on the motherboard. In addition, Area-51 includes a 3.5" HDD bay and two 2.5" SSD bays for additional storage expansion beyond the three M.2 PCIe slots. The Area-51 may support more than 36TBs of storage depending on drive availability. Keeping your desktop cool is crucial for longevity, and keeping its noise low is crucial for your sanity. To address both these needs, the Area-51 doesn't have any exhaust fans. Instead, its new positive pressure airflow system uses three different fan sizes (dual 140mm fans, dual 180mm fans and dual or triple 120mm fans, built with compatibility for both liquid and air-cooled options) and a gasket architecture to better enable air intake and keep components cool during intensive gaming sessions. Once that cool air enters the system, it is then naturally heated by the components. Gaskets located inside the chassis prevent air leakage and build positive pressure, pushing the hot air out through a passive exhaust, while also reducing air circulation and noise. According to Alienware, this translates to 25% more air, a 13% cooler temperature, a 45% quieter experience and 50% more processing power. While you have the option of upgrading the fans to a 420mm liquid-cooled option, the tower includes either 360mm LC or 240mm LC. Dust is another common problem for desktop PCs because it can decrease airflow and efficiency over time. The Area-51 introduces three removable and cleanable filters found on the front, top and bottom of the system. Each of these filters can catch dust to help airflow stay unrestricted and reduce the accumulation on your internal components. In my experience building computers, many towers integrate filters, but don't make them easily accessible. The Area-51 allows you to access these filters without having to take apart the chassis, allowing for easier routine maintenance. Alienware designed the Area-51 Desktop with environmentally friendly components. A tempered-glass door protects your tower from heat and scratches, the side panel is constructed from steel and the chassis includes water-based paints that have low toxicity and low flammability. Learning how to replace or upgrade your power supply unit (PSU) can be a complicated task if you've never done it. If you've never switched out components before, how do you educate yourself on the process without potentially damaging your investment? By scanning QR codes located on or near the Area-51 PSU, you'll be redirected to one of several video tutorials showing you exactly how to replace the unit. The videos explain everything from where the screws are located on the tower to how to remove and plug in modular cables. In addition to clear audio and visible directions, captions and transcripts ensure accessibility. Even for a gamer like myself who has invested decades into my library of PC games and hundreds of hours in playtime, the task of upgrading and maintaining can sometimes feel like a chore. I am a true visual learner – it's why I enjoy making videos – so I understand the struggle of trying to learn from a printed guide. Unless you already know where to look or what a component is called, building and maintaining a personal computer can be a daunting task. At the time of this writing, Alienware has produced video tutorials explaining how to install a PSU, a solid state drive, a graphics card, memory modules and maintain your fan filters. The chassis includes grooves or indentations located on the bottom front of the bezel and the top of the rear that are designed for grabbing. This design allows gamers to easily access both sides of the tower to keep cables organized and switch out components as needed. The Alienware Area-51 Desktop includes your choice of either a 1500W Platinum- or an 850W Gold-rated PSU, either of which ensure proper wattage and power efficiency for the included components. And if you get stuck at any point, Alienware Elite Care makes it easy to get help on-demand. While the Alienware Area-51 has been an iconic brand for gamers since 1998, this newest version provides guidance for those who want it, while also letting serious gamers customize their experience. I'm confident my younger self would've been completely blown away by everything this PC has to offer.
