An Alienware Area-51 laptop is more than just a gaming powerhouse. It's a viable desktop replacement (for those who would rather have a portable machine), with top-notch specifications, industry-leading cooling solutions, and an impressive 16-inch or optional 18-inch display.
Outside of those perks, there's one big thing that turns your Area-51 laptop into an ultra-flexible hub: the Thunderbolt 5 port.
What does Thunderbolt 5 bring to gaming laptops?
Thunderbolt 5 is the latest iteration of the technology, and it's the most powerful by far. It delivers up to 80 Gbps bidirectional bandwidth, which is twice the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4.
Bandwidth Boost dynamically cranks the transmit speed up to 120 Gbps for display traffic. With Thunderbolt 5, you can connect more high-res displays than ever before and transfer files in a flash.
TL;DR: Thunderbolt 5 brings the fastest data transfer rates available. It supports running multiple high-resolution displays at high refresh rates, and other features that enhance your gameplay.
Can you use Thunderbolt 5 to connect multiple displays to your Area-51 laptop?
You absolutely can, and they're all going to be fast, too. Thunderbolt 5 supports a single monitor running at a whopping 540Hz at 4K, but you can also expand to two 8K displays running at 60Hz, or three 4K monitors running at 144Hz. You get to customize your setup and decide what's most important to you at any given time.
The best thing is that these display solutions don't require any compromise.
You can choose to go all-in with a single display with blazing fast refresh rates—a fantastic solution for esports fans. Or, you can go for a stunning, multi-monitor setup to complement the existing 2.5K, 300Hz display on your Area-51.
TL;DR: Yes, you can use Thunderbolt 5 to connect up to three extra 4K monitors, two 8K monitors, or one 4K monitor with refresh rates up to 540Hz.
Can you actually play games from an external SSD with Thunderbolt 5?
You’ll get the best performance when playing games that are directly on your laptop, but it is possible. You can use the Thunderbolt 5 port on your Area-51 laptop to connect an external SSD, and you can then play games directly from that drive—no extra transfers needed. That's because Thunderbolt 5 offers up to 80Gbps of sustained bandwidth.
We all have game libraries the size of a two-story house. If that's you, you'll be pleased to hear that the Alienware Area-51 laptops offer up to an 2TB Gen 5 PCIe SSD, or even up to 12TB of RAID M.2 Gen 4 PCIe NVMe SSD storage. The latter comes in handy if you're a content creator on top of being a gamer.
But, external storage is still helpful. Maybe you've got enough games to fill up your drive and then some, or maybe you're frequently working on large files. With Thunderbolt 5, you can do those things without first copying the files over to your laptop.
TL;DR: Thunderbolt 5 lets you play games directly from an external drive, making large game libraries a lot easier to juggle. However, you’ll get much better performance by porting your games to your laptop.
What are all the things you can connect via Thunderbolt 5 on the Area-51 laptop?
One of the benefits of Thunderbolt 5 is its sheer versatility. Using a dedicated docking station lets you plug in multiple devices all at once into a single port. Connect external displays, capture cards, SSDs, stream decks, and peripherals all at once.
The Thunderbolt 5 protocol manages various connections efficiently, maintaining maximum performance without the traffic jams that could sometimes plague older USB-C hubs.
Some of the cool things that all plug into Thunderbolt 5 include:
- Monitors, lots and lots of them
- Mice
- Gaming keyboards
- Gaming headsets
- External storage
- Capture cards
- Stream decks
Seeing as the Area-51 laptop comes with not one, but two TB5 ports, you can connect everything you need and then some.
TL;DR: You can use the Thunderbolt 5 port to connect multiple displays, but also other peripherals, external storage, and capture cards.
Can you use Thunderbolt 5 to recharge your Area-51 laptop?
Yes, you can use Thunderbolt 5 to give your Alienware Area-51 laptop a bit of power in a pinch. That's because TB5 supports USB Power Delivery 3.1, which allows for charging up to 240 watts over USB-C. Dell's proprietary Thunderbolt 5 docking stations increase that power limit up to 300 watts for Dell PCs.
Area-51 laptops are the single best way to get desktop-level performance in a laptop. You can plug your laptop into a Thunderbolt 5 dock and let it recharge a bit between pit stops, making your entire setup completely movable at any given time. The best way to ensure your laptop has enough power to game on is to use the 360-watt power adapter that comes with it.
TL;DR: Thunderbolt 5 supports charging up to 240 watts, which means you can use it to charge various devices. We recommend using the AC adapter to charge your laptop safely and efficiently.
Can Thunderbolt 5 turn your Area-51 laptop into a full desktop replacement?
The Alienware Area-51 laptop is already a desktop replacement all on its own. It packs the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series laptop graphics cards, as well as high-end Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors. These powerful components are topped off with plenty of RAM and storage options, outstanding displays, and even your choice of keyboard, including the ultra-low-profile mechanical keyboard with CherryMX switches.
Choosing a configuration with Thunderbolt 5 makes this even better, giving you a movable full-blown desktop setup that can go with you wherever it needs to. Thunderbolt 5 helps transform your laptop into a modular, desktop-class hub.
You can use your Area-51 laptop at home and instantly run multiple 4K or 8K displays. You can plug in external drives, audio interfaces, or streaming gear, all while taking advantage of the powerful specs these laptops serve up.
Then, when it's time to go, you can simply unplug a couple of cables and take that same performance with you, ready to be plugged in at your destination.
It's the flexibility gamers and creators always wanted: true desktop power without being chained to your desk.
TL;DR: Alienware's Area-51 laptops are powerful enough to replace a high-end desktop PC. With the use of Thunderbolt 5, you can turn your laptop into a mobile powerhouse that's incredibly easy to set up and take down as required.
If you’re thinking of buying an Alienware Area-51 this January, find out more about their top-tier tech specs on the Alienware website.
And there’s one more thing to know before you buy: Dell offers a price match guarantee. To learn more about the Dell price match and price guarantee, including the terms, exclusions and restrictions, click here.
