New Alienware Gaming Laptops Launch With Intel Arrow Lake HX Plus Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus Processors And High End Nvidia RTX 50 Series Graphics Hardware In The United States
Dell has officially started selling its latest lineup of Alienware gaming machines today. This release includes the 16X Aurora and two versions of the Area 51. I noticed that these are among the very first systems to carry the new Intel Arrow Lake HX Plus processors. Specifically the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is the star here. It seems like Dell is moving quickly to stay ahead of the curve as we get further into 2024 and 2025. These laptops are available in the United States right now.
The technical side of these machines is quite impressive. You can pack these systems with up to 64 GB of RAM and a massive 12 TB of storage. The processor choice appears to be a slight step up from the older 285HX model. It seems likely that the extra power in the HX Plus series will appeal to those who use their laptops for heavy rendering or professional work on the side. The graphics options are also quite varied.
- Alienware 16X Aurora: Features the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 or 5070 Ti.
- Alienware 16 Area 51: Offers up to the GeForce RTX 5090 for maximum power.
- Alienware 18 Area 51: Supports the RTX 5090 and comes with a 300 Hz display option.
The thing is that these high end specs come with a significant cost. If you want the basic Alienware 16X Aurora with an RTX 5060 and a 240 Hz OLED screen the price starts at 2,119 dollars. Anyway the prices climb very quickly once you look at the Area 51 models. The 16 inch and 18 inch Area 51 versions can easily reach 4,899 dollars and 4,999 dollars for standard configurations. I suspect that most serious users will prefer the build your own option to save some money.
At the top end a fully loaded Area 51 might cost around 8,500 dollars. It is a huge investment for a portable machine. It appears that Dell is targeting the absolute premium market with these price points. The inclusion of OLED panels across most of the 16 inch models might suggest that display quality is becoming a primary focus for the brand this year. While the 18 inch version stays with an IPS level screen for the high refresh rate it still looks like a solid choice for a desktop replacement.
If you already have a 275HX model you might wonder if this upgrade is necessary. It seems like the 290HX Plus is mostly about squeezing out a bit more performance for those who need it. For everyone else the existing models are likely to be enough. We will have to see how these new chips handle heat in such thin chassis over the coming months.
