Christmas is a great time to get a new gaming PC, and Alienware Area-51 laptops are some of the best we've ever tested. Whether you choose the Alienware 18 Area-51 or the Alienware 16 Area-51, you'll be able to customize them at the point of purchase and get the exact PC you need.
Lots of exciting choices lie ahead, and they're important ones, too. Picking the right specs will affect your gameplay in a major way, so before you purchase, you'll decide on things like the CPU, GPU, display, and even keyboard.
How can I decide between a 16-inch and an 18-inch Area-51 laptop?
The Alienware 16 Area-51 and the Alienware 18 Area-51 offer a lot of the same customization options, including the same choice of Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series laptop graphics cards. They differ slightly in Total Performance Power, which reflects the maximum combined power of the CPU and the GPU, and in display refresh rates.
This can be a tricky decision, but it mostly comes down to whether you want a bigger screen or not. There are also practical differences: the 18-inch Area-51 laptop comes with an Ethernet port, and its keyboard has a full numpad on the right, whereas the 16-inch doesn’t. The 18-inch model also ups the refresh rate to 300Hz instead of 240Hz.
Both the 18-inch and the 16-inch models let you scale all the way up in terms of specs, and they stay cool under pressure.
The extra power headroom (280 W vs. 240 W) on the 18-inch model will let you squeeze out a little bit more performance at the high-end, but honestly, they're both absolute gaming beasts — you'll be fine either way.
Choose based on what fits your lifestyle more. If you need something more portable, the 16-inch Area-51 makes more sense, as it’s lighter by about 2lbs. The 18-inch laptop is a true desktop replacement, with a full keyboard, huge display, and the power to breeze through all the latest games.
TL;DR: The 18-inch Alienware Area-51 has a slightly higher Total Performance Power (280 W vs. 240 W) and higher display refresh rates (300 Hz vs. 240 Hz). It also comes with an Ethernet port and a full numpad. Otherwise, both laptops can be customized to offer the same specs.
How do I pick the right laptop graphics card to play all my favorite games?
Alienware Area-51 laptops give you access to all of Nvidia's best GeForce RTX 50-series laptop graphics cards, including the RTX 5060, RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080, and the RTX 5090. All of these configurations are ready to run the latest games, but the RTX 5080 is a sweet spot in terms of value and performance.
The RTX 5060 is Nvidia's mainstream laptop GPU, and it comes with 8 GB of video memory (VRAM). That's a great starting point for many gamers who are more on the casual side but still want the option to dial it up. With the help of Nvidia's DLSS 4 AI frame generation, even resource hogs like Cyberpunk 2077 will run smoothly, but you'll have to compromise on the settings.
Fancy an RTX 5070? Higher settings await. It's a powerful 1080p graphics card, so that's the kind of external display you should aim for. The RTX 5070 Ti, on the other hand, serves up 12 GB of video memory. That gives you enough juice to upgrade to 1440p or to make the most of Area-51's gorgeous WQXGA (2560x1600) display.
That brings us to the RTX 5080. This is an outrageously good laptop GPU, with a whopping 16 GB of VRAM, and it's a definite upgrade over the previous three. If you want a laptop that can run absolutely every game without a hitch, and you don't want to worry about upgrading for years, this is your best bet.
Lastly, the RTX 5090 is Nvidia's crowning achievement in this generation. It gives you 24 GB of VRAM — something that most desktop graphics cards can only dream about — and endless frame rates. If you want the best laptop for 4K gaming at max settings, including recent hits like Battlefield 6 or Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, this is the GPU to choose.
TL;DR: The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 laptop GPU is the best fit for gamers who want top-tier performance without jumping all the way to the RTX 5090. The RTX 5060 and the RTX 5070 will suffice for casual gamers, and the RTX 5070 Ti lands somewhere in between. The RTX 5090 is a powerhouse GPU for the most demanding players.
Is a PCIe Gen 5 SSD worth upgrading to in the Alienware Area-51?
Upgrading to a PCIe Gen 5 SSD can be worth it if you’re not just a big gamer but also a creator. A faster SSD will cut back on loading screen times, help assets in games appear faster, and also support demanding tasks, such as video editing or streaming. Most users will be satisfied with a PCIe Gen 4 SSD, which is fast enough to support even high-level gaming.
The good news is that Alienware's Area-51 laptops have so much customization available for storage, both before and after you buy. You can choose between a 1 TB and a 2 TB Gen 4 PCIe SSD, or a 2 TB Gen 5 PCIe SSD. There are also RAID configurations up to 12 TB if you need loads of storage.
You can add storage to your laptop even after you've bought it, and you can still choose either PCIe Gen 5 or Gen 4 later on. You can use either one post-purchase as long as you drop it in the correct M.2 slot.
TL;DR: A PCIe Gen 5 SSD is mainly worth it for power users and content creators. Most gamers will be perfectly fine with a PCIe Gen 4 drive.
Can you customize the keyboard on the Alienware Area-51 laptop?
Yes, you can take your pick from two keyboard options when you order your Alienware Area-51 laptop: a standard English US keyboard or a CherryMX ultra low-profile mechanical keyboard. Both come with per-key AlienFX RGB lighting, so you can make them look just as flashy or understated as you like. You’ll choose this when placing your order.
If you love the unique feel and the tactile feedback a mechanical keyboard can provide, then you’ll love the CherryMX keyboard on the Area-51 laptop. With 1.8mm key travel and German-engineered stainless steel switches that use gold-plated electrical contacts rated for a 15-million keystroke lifespan, this keyboard feels premium in every sense of the word.
TL;DR: You can upgrade to a CherryMX mechanical keyboard when you buy your Area-51 laptop, and this is a good option for gamers who want a crisp, tactile response.
Is Christmas a good time to buy a laptop?
The holidays are the perfect time for laptop upgrades, with good deals all around, and a lot of exciting games coming up in the new year.
If you buy an Alienware Area-51 laptop right now, you'll be able to play all the latest hits, including new titles like Marvel Cosmic Invasion. You'll also be ready for 2026, with the long-awaited GTA 6 on the horizon, alongside loads of other exciting games.
TL;DR: The holiday season is a great time to buy a laptop, and with all the new games that have come out in 2025 or are slated for 2026, upgrading can give you endless entertainment.
Pick the Alienware Area-51 laptop that suits you best
Whether you want something budget-friendly or a laptop packed to the brim with the best components available, Alienware Area-51 laptops can be customized to your heart's content.
Before you shop, take your pick between the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 255HX and the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 275HX, and choose from among Nvidia's best RTX 50-series graphics cards, ranging from the RTX 5060 to the powerful RTX 5090.
Optimize your storage, picking between PCIe Gen 5 and Gen 4, and decide how much RAM you want (you can have up to 64 GB, so even hardcore multitaskers will be happy). Finish off with your choice of mechanical vs. non-mechanical keyboard and 1080p vs. 4K webcam to optimize it to absolute perfection.
If you’re thinking of buying an Alienware Area-51 this December, 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. Learn more about the Dell price match and price guarantee, including the terms, exclusions and restrictions.
