So, you've always wanted your own custom-configured gaming laptop and you're planning on snagging a great deal on the awesome Alienware 16 Area-51 or Alienware 18 Area-51 portable powerhouses this Black Friday. That's a very fine choice. After all, the Area-51 boasts not only the most powerful mobile gaming components on the planet, such as Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 Series laptop graphics, but also incredible engineering, including the advanced Alienware Cryo-tech cooling. There's just one thing to consider: how to customize your shiny new portable gaming weapon?
First up, use the official Alienware website. It's the place to go for the absolute best deals this Black Friday and to ensure access to all the latest options and customizations. Dell will also price match any other vendor, so you can be sure you're getting the best offers.
1. Should I go for the Alienware 16 Area-51 or Alienware 18 Area-51?
The choice between the Alienware Area-51 16-inch or 18-inch models is personal preference. Very likely, that hinges on two factors. First, how much importance you place on portability and, second, whether you plan to use an external display.
Pretty obviously, the 18-inch model is a big machine and less portable than its 16-inch sibling. If you're looking for something that's easily transportable but don't plan to lug it about on the regular, the 18-inch model's outsize proportions could actually be an advantage.
That's doubly true if you'll do all your gaming on the Area-51's awesome high-refresh WQXGA display. Bigger is definitely better in that scenario. On the other hand, the 16-inch model's display is also 300Hz with WQXGA resolution (2,560 by 1,600 pixels) and hardly puny. It's also more portable and makes a good fit for hooking up to an external monitor.
What's more, both models boast Alienware's ultra-advanced Cryo-Chamber cooling with Element 31 gallium-silicone thermal interface material, a slick aluminum and magnesium chassis and exactly the same 175 W maximum Total Graphics Power (TGP) for the absolute maximum possible graphics throughput. So, you're not taking a big performance hit for the smaller form factor of the 16-inch model, albeit the 18-inch Alienware Area-51 does offer slightly higher overall Total Performance Power of 280 W compared with the 240 W of the 16-inch option.
TL;DR
Alienware 16 Area-51 is more portable and has comparable GPU performance, but the 18-inch model has a larger screen and a slight edge on overall gaming grunt.
2. What mobile graphics card should I go for?
The simple answer for any gaming laptop is go for the very best graphics card you can afford. That applies to the Alienware Area-51, too. But the good news is that every Alienware Area-51 laptop comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series laptop graphics as standard. So, it's just a question of how high up the range you want to go.
All the Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs have the same unbeatable feature set, including the most advanced ray-tracing tech ever seen, AI-enhanced DLSS 4 upscaling, Frame Generation, and more. But depending on the kind of gaming you're planning on, you'll want to think carefully about which GPU model to go for.
The entry-level Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 with 8 GB of video memory (VRAM) is great for all-round casual gaming at playable frame rates and pairs well with a 1080p external display, for instance. The RTX 5070, meanwhile, gives you that little bit more punch to play modern games, still at 1080p but with the settings cranked up.
If you're planning on mainly gaming on the Alienware Area-51's own WQXGA 300Hz and 240Hz screens or a high-refresh 1440p or 34-inch ultrawide external monitor, like the awesome Alienware 34 AW3425DW consider upgrading to the RTX 5070 Ti with 12GB of memory. The RTX 5070 Ti is also a good choice if you're seriously into esports and looking to maximise frame rates and minimise latency in your favourite online shooters. It'll absolutely tear through titles like Apex Legends, Fortnite and Counter-Strike 2.
Of course, if you're into gaming on a 4K monitor or just want to maximise the eye candy in the most demanding new games, like Battlefield 6 or Black Myth: Wukong, including stunning ray-traced effects, then you'll want to step up to the RTX 5080 and its 16 GB of video memory. Last but far from least, the RTX 5090 is the ultimate mobile graphics chip with fully 24 GB and truly desktop-humbling performance. It's the fastest laptop graphics card you can buy.
TL;DR
Buy the best graphics card you can, but you can't go far wrong with any of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 Series laptop GPUs.
3. What CPU, memory and storage specs do I need?
Both Alienware Area-51 models have solid base specs, but some choice upgrades will amplify your gaming experience. On both the 16-inch and 18-inch variants, the base CPU option is the muscular Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 255HX.
With 20 cores total including eight all-powerful Performance cores, the 255HX cranks out some serious frame rates. It's a great gaming chip. You can also upgrade to the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 275HX. It adds another four Efficient cores for outstanding multi-threaded performance.
That's handy if you're running apps in the background, like Twitch streaming. It also makes the 275HX a perfect pick if you also plan to do some heavy duty content creation on the side, like video encoding.
As for memory, you get 16 GB of DDR5 RAM as standard. That's a good base level for mainstream gaming. However, for optimal performance in next-gen titles, consider stepping up a notch to 32 GB, while the 64 GB option provides the ultimate in future proofing. Both Alienware Area-51 models also sport user-accessible SODIMM memory, giving you the option to upgrade down the line.
As for storage, the Alienware Area-51 has no fewer than three user-upgradable SSD slots, two of which support the latest and fastest PCIe Gen 5 drives. The entry-level option gets you started with 1 TB of storage, but we'd recommend bumping that up to 2 TB or 4 TB to give your games library a little space to breathe.
TL;DR
Whatever Alienware Area-51 model you go for, it comes with a monster Intel CPU, great base specs and plenty of options to up your gaming ante.
4. What additional options should I consider for the Alienware Area-51?
The Alienware Area-51 is extraordinarily well specified as standard thanks to features like Wi-Fi 7, quad speakers, dual array microphones and AlienFX RGB programmable lighting. But there are one or two options to consider.
For connectivity, the Area-51 certainly has you comprehensively covered. Models with up to Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, while laptops specified with RTX 5070 Ti graphics and above upgrade that to Thunderbolt 5. All variants have a further three USB-A inputs, HDMI 2.1, and an SD card reader.
As for keyboard and trackpad, as standard you get easy typing from a sturdy board with per-key RGB lighting and a glass trackpad. But the upgrade to a CherryMX ultra low-profile mechanical keyboard (also with per-key RGB) for even more tactile feedback is definitely tempting.
If you want to really stand out, maybe go for the optional RGB trackpad with multi-touch support. It syncs sweetly with the keyboard and chassis AlienFX RGB lighting.
Last of all, both models come with a standard 2 MP FHD IR (1920 x 1080 resolution) webcam. But you can upgrade that to a full 4K 8 MP IR camera for next-level steaming, video calls and conferencing.
TL;DR
The Alienware Area-51 is seriously well specced as standard, but a few choice upgrades including an RGB trackpad and 4K webcam can sweeten your Black Friday deal.
If you’re thinking of buying an Alienware Area-51 this Black Friday, 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.
