Latest news with #Aurora16
Phone Arena
09-05-2025
- Phone Arena
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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
Stuff.tv
08-05-2025
- Stuff.tv
Alienware's subtle new Aurora 16 laptops still promise space-age performance
Most of Alienware's gaming laptops look like they came from another planet; the reimagined Aurora range feels a little closer to home, for blending in around the office, classroom or coffee shop when it isn't play time. The name might sound familiar if you've been gaming for a while: Aurora laptops have been lost in space for two decades now, but Alienware has guided this reborn version down to earth with a choice of Intel chipsets, Nvidia 5000-series graphics, and a one-touch Stealth mode for when RGB illumination isn't the vibe to go for. Announced at the PAX East gaming event, the Alienware Aurora 16 and Aurora 16X swap the desktop replacement-style rear shelf of the Area 51 flagship laptop line for a more traditional laptop look. They'll more easily slip in a 16in laptop bag as a result, with contoured edges all round and a satin finish that adds a little extra grip. Handy, given it'll be spending a lot more time on the road than the firm's bigger, badder models. Alienware's raised thermal shelf design sticks around, leaving plenty of room for an unrestricted supply of cool air to the internal hardware. The backlit keyboard and illuminated Alien head logo on the lid haven't gone anywhere either, but pressing the Stealth mode button (indicated by the teensy silhouette of a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber on the F7 key) swaps all the lights to a subtle white. This'll also put the laptop in a battery-friendly power mode to eek out a little more time away from the mains, and silence the internal cooling fans. Each laptop still has its power and HDMI ports at the rear, along with a brace of USB A and C ports, for cleaner desktop use. The single USB-A, 3.5mm audio combo jack and Ethernet port at the left side keep the right side free so as not to get in the way of a gaming mouse. Once you've clocked off, though, the more potent Aurora 16X should be able to tackle just about any game. It can be specced up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics, with 155W of total power shared between them. The 16in screen is a QHD+ LCD number good for 240Hz refresh rates and 500 nits of brightness. With a big enough wallet you can then equip it with 64GB of RAM, 4TB of SD storage, and a 96Whr battery. The more mainstream Aurora 16 has a lower power ceiling, with up to 115W split between its Core i7 or i9 processor and RTX 5000 series graphics. It gets up to 32GB of RAM, 2TB of storage and a 120Hz, 300nit LCD screen, with a choice of 60 or 96Whr batteries. With Nvidia's latest GPU line commanding eye-watering prices, the 5070 might be this generation's laptop sweet spot. Alienware will also offer the Aurora 16 with RTX 4000 and RTX 3000 GPUs if you're looking to keep costs in check. Alienware will open pre-orders imminently, with prices set to start from $1149 in the USA. European and UK pricing has yet to be revealed.
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.
