The last time we heard Dell using the Area-51 moniker was with the Alienware Area-51m R2 that launched five years ago, which itself was revived after the 2007 Alienware Area-51 m9750 and the 2008 Area-51 m15x and the Area-51 m17x. At CES 2025, Dell is once again resurrecting the Area-51 branding with the new Alienware 14 Area-51 and Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptops.
Unlike the XPS, Latitude, and Inspiron lines, the Alienware brand isn't going away any time soon according to Dell. The Alienware 14 Area-51 and the 16 Area-51 are essentially the Alienware m16 and m18 but in a somewhat redesigned chassis.
The chassis is a zero-hinge construction, featuring a see-through window at the base offering an illuminated insight into the cooling area. Dell says that the new Area-51 laptops offer enhanced thermal modules with added copper and a larger vapor chamber, although only the high-end SKUs use a vapor chamber.
Powering the Alienware 14 Area-51 and 16 Area-51 is Intel's new Arrow Lake-HX generation with Core Ultra 7 255HX and Ultra 9 275HX CPU options. Nvidia's latest Blackwell RTX 50 series GPUs are also in the offing. However, don't have any hopes of a Dell Graphics Form Factor (DGFF) upgradeable GPU like the Area-51m R2 had.
The laptops come with only a QHD+ (2560x1600) 500 nits 300 Hz G-Sync display in 16-inch and 18-inch variants with no other option in the offing.
Other features include up to an 8 MP webcam, CherryMX ultra-low profile mechanical keyboard on both models, AlienFX touchpad on higher SKUs, up to 11-phase VRMs, up to 32 GB DDR5-7200 XMP or 64 GB DDR5-6400, and Wi-Fi 7 among others.
The Alienware 16 Area-51 and Alienware 18 Area-51 will be available later in Q1 in select configuration for a launch price of $3,199, with the entry-level configuration starting from $1,999.
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Source(s)
Dell CES 2025 press brief