Alienware is typically known for sci-fi focused, spaceship-inspired designs. But with its new Aurora laptops, the Dell subsidiary is going for a bit more subtlety.
In time for PAX East, Alienware is launching the Alienware 16 Aurora and Alienware 16X Aurora, systems that blend understated (well, for Alienware) designs with gaming power. It feels like the successor to last year's Alienware m16 R2, which dialed down the gaming looks and added a "stealth mode" for quiet performance and plain lighting – and that feature is coming back with the Auroras.
Both Auroras come in a dark blue "interstellar indigo" chassis that features the alien head logo on the lid, but little else that screams gaming notebook. They have curved edges designed to be comfortable to pick up and carry, and can also be opened with one hand.
Alienware has made these gaming laptops smaller than its classic designs by eliminating the "thermal shelf," a cooling solution that typically juts out the back of the laptop. Instead, there's a cooler on the bottom of the device, where a rear foot would usually be found. This sucks cool air in from the bottom of the laptop and exhausts it from the back and sides.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Alienware 16 Aurora | Alienware 16X Aurora |
|---|---|---|
CPU | Up to Intel Core 9 270H | Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX |
GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050/4050/5060/5070 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060/5070 (up to 115 W) |
Memory | Up to 32GB DDR5-5600 | Up to 64GB DDR5-5600 |
Storage | Up to 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD | Up to 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
Display | 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 120 Hz, G-Sync, 300 nit brightness | 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240 Hz, G-Sync, 500 nit brightness |
Webcam | 720p | 1080p, IR, Windows Hello |
Battery | 60 WHr or 96 WHr | 96 WHr |
Weight | 5.49 pounds (2.49 kg) | 5.86 pounds (2.66 kg) |
The 16X Aurora is a more premium version of the system, with higher-end components and parts. It goes up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 64GB of RAM, 2TB display, and a 240 Hz, 300-nit screen. Additionally, it has a higher-resolution webcam than the standard 16, and has a metal lid and bottom (as opposed to just the metal lid on the 16 Aurora).
There are other quality differences: The 16X has single-zone RGB, while the regular 16 just has white backlighting. Additionally, one of the 16X's USB Type-C ports supports Thunderbolt 4, while that's not the case on the 16.
The new systems will start at $1,149 in the US. For the regular Alienware 16 Aurora, that will get you an Intel Core i7 14700H (Raptor Lake Refresh), 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, Nvidia RTX 4050, and a QHD, 120 Hz display.
At launch, the Alienware 16X Aurora will start at $1,949, though a cheaper base model will launch "soon after," an Alienware rep tells me. The $1,949 system has a Core Ultra 9 275HX, 32GB of RAM, 2TB of storage, an RTX 5060, and a QHD, 240 Hz screen.
The Aurora laptops follow the launch of the new Area-51 machines announced earlier this year and recently released, and are the first Aurora-branded notebooks from the company in almost 20 years. Alienware's revival of its Aurora and Area-51 laptop sub-brands come as its parent company, Dell, attempts to simplify its naming schemes.
