I still remember the first time I saw the Alienware Area-51 gaming desktop in person in 2004. This huge, black plastic tower — with huge openings in the front shaped like the eyes of its alien head logo — was huge, and I DESPERATELY wanted one (even if it would eat up at least a quarter of the floor space of my NYC apartment in that time). The Area-51 desktop was discontinued in 2017, but Alienware decided the time was right to reintroduce the line with a full-sized 80L tower (though not with the giant plastic alien head chassis). I still want one too.
Announced alongside the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards on CES 2025the redesign is aimed squarely at enthusiasts who want a gaming PC with a future. Alienware says it can handle more than 600 watts of dedicated graphics power and up to 280 watts of dedicated processing power (up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K). It uses standard components so everything can be serviced and replaced. Plus, its size can accommodate the largest components available today with room to spare.
Part of the reason you'll be able to easily upgrade it in the future is its positive pressure airflow system. It uses a combination of different sized fans combined with gaskets inside the chassis that create a higher internal air pressure than outside the case, which helps push hot air through the rear vents without the use of exhaust fans. Liquid cooling is also an option.
The new Alienware Area-51 desktop will be available later in the first quarter of 2025 with a high-end starting configuration priced at $4,500. Lower configurations will be available later in the year.
Alienware also introduced new Area-51 gaming laptops. Available in 16- and 18-inch models, they will feature next-generation Nvidia graphics and up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. Anodized aluminum bodies have a lustrous finish that changes color from liquid paint. The rear exhaust shelf is transparent and features “light animations that mimic the erratic movements of the Aurora Borealis.”
There are clear Gorilla Glass windows on the bottom so you can see the components, but Alienware also used fans with RGB lights that shine through the glass as well as up through the keyboard. Area-51 laptops support the highest total power in a gaming laptop, says Alienware. For total graphics power, it can reach up to 175 watts and up to 105 watts thermal design profile to the processors simultaneously.
Like the desktop, the laptops will arrive later in the first quarter with the top configuration at launch priced at $3,200. Entry-level configurations will be available later starting at $2,000.