Alienware Unleashes OLED Laptops And Ryzen-Powered Area-51 Desktops

Alienware Area-51 Desktop Gets AMD Ryzen X3D Upgrade

Known Specifications

• CPU: Up to AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D
• RAM: Up to 64GB DDR5-6400 MT/s Dual-Channel RAM
• GPU: Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
• Storage: Up to 2 NVMe SSDs (one Gen 5, one Gen 4), or up to 3 NVMe SSDs running in non-RAID

Impressions
Before we get into laptops, let's talk a bit about Alienware's Area-51 desktop. The Alienware Area-51 we reviewed in early 2025 is back once again, but now leveraging AMD Ryzen X3D CPUs instead of Intel's Core Ultra 200 series chips. But more importantly than just adding support for AMD Ryzen X3D CPUs, the Area-51 will be shipping with AMD's brand-new Ryzen 7 9850X3D chip. The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a souped-up version of the previous best gaming CPU, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. It boasts 8 cores and 16 threads running up to 5.6GHz and a beefy 104MB cache, which is a pleasant bump over the 9800X3D's 5.2 GHz peak boost.

While the final verdict on that CPU awaits to be seen, the 2026 Alienware Area-51 desktops will still be shipping with Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 7 9700X variants. The AMD Ryzen X3D gaming CPU benefits are massive, particularly when targeting high-refresh rate or ray-traced games, which can be just as demanding on the CPU as the GPU. While we anticipate that Intel will be bringing proper competition to the high-end gaming CPU market later this year, AMD's market dominance in its X3D CPUs is undeniable, and clearly recognized here. Alienware's massive, liquid-cooled Area-51 gaming tower is looking better than ever this year, so long as you can afford the entry fee.

While the rest of Alienware's CES 2026 lineup is slated for a Q1 2026 release date, the Alienware Area-51 desktop refresh will be available starting just next month, in February 2026.

Alienware Debuts New Gaming Laptops and Returns To Entry-Level

Entry-Level Alienware Laptop

Alienware is a high-end lifestyle brand for PC gamers, and doesn't usually cater to entry-level shoppers. However, there is apparently a new laptop on the way explicitly for that purpose. According to Dell, the goal is lowering the barrier of entry to the Alienware brand. Dell didn't provide any specifications for us beyond that it would include "a discrete NVIDIA GPU," so how "entry-level" this machine actually turns out to be remains to be seen. It's nice to see Alienware attempt to make a product that mere mortals can afford all the same. It may prove to be a rough year to attempt entry-level gaming laptops, though, especially given that discrete GPUs cannot share a memory pool with the CPU. We aren't sure why Alienware wouldn't opt for a an integrated graphics setup with an AMD Ryzen APU or one of Intel's powerful new Panther Lake processors in that case.

Alienware Thin and Light 16-Inch Gaming Laptop

Another new Alienware laptop design being shown off at CES is one for an unnamed "ultra thin" Alienware laptop. According to Dell, the 16-inch model reduces volume by 50% compared to the 16-inch Area-51. While there is some admitted performance loss compared to the top-of-the-line Alienware laptops, Dell is still operating with the goal of maximizing performance within the thinner form factor. It's intended as a "jack of all trades" for gaming, productivity, and creative work on the go, and the package certainly looks appealing. It'll even be available in a 14-inch model as well.

Sadly, we still don't know much else about this or the planned entry-level laptop. There's a lot more information about the new Aurora and Area-51 laptops, so let's dive into those.

Alienware 16X Aurora

Key Specifications

• CPU: Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX 24-core CPU
• RAM: Up to 64 GB DDR5-6500 MT/s (Dual-Channel)
• GPU: Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 8GB
• Storage: Single or Dual NVMe Gen 4 SSDs supported
• Display: QHD+ 240Hz OLED, G-SYNC

A major highlight of the brand's CES show is Alienware bringing its OLED monitor expertise to its lineup of laptops, specifically the 16-inch models of the Alienware 16X Aurora and the Alienware 16 Area-51. Both of the new laptops will have identical 240Hz anti-glare OLED panels running at QHD+ (2560×1600) resolution, with a stated 120% coverage of the DCI-P3 colorspace. The panels come with DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 certification, and support NVIDIA's G-SYNC variable refresh rate technology. We complained about the lack of an OLED option on the Area 51, but this feature is a pleasant surprise for the Alienware 16X Aurora laptop, which is reasonably high-end but doesn't quite rise to the same specifications as the Area-51 laptops.

The Alienware 16X Aurora looks to be a suitably powerful mainstream gaming laptop with its Intel Core Ultra 200HX Series and NVIDIA RTX 50 series internals. For those who prefer a more distinctly understated laptop aesthetic to the Area-51's unashamed bulk, the Aurora line should be a good fit. 

Alienware 16 Area-51

Key Specifications

• CPU: Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24 cores at up 5.4GHz)
• RAM: Up to 64GB of DDR5-5600 MT/s
• GPU: Up to NVIDIA RTX 5090 24GB
• Storage: Triple NVMe Gen 4 slots, up to 4TB each
• Display: QHD+ 240Hz OLED, G-SYNC

Compared to the Alienware 16X Aurora, the updated Alienware 16 Area-51 now offers the same high-end OLED panel, but a much higher performance ceiling. As we noted in our review, that extra bulk on the back isn't for show—it's actually a "cryo-chamber," and combined with the new fans, is meant to bring down acoustics by 15% and boost airflow by up to 35%. This makes the Alienware Area-51 laptops not just more oriented toward fans of retro Alienware branding, but also higher performance in general, so long as they fit within your price range.

While finalized pricing for these laptops is not yet available, even the entry to Area-51 is likely to cost more than the best 16X Aurora kits. This is because the baseline GPU for the 16-inch OLED Area-51 (and the 18-inch below) is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 12GB, with 50% more VRAM versus the mobile RTX 5070. The more premium build quality in general is also a factor.

Alienware 18 Area-51

Key Specifications

• CPU: Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24 cores at up 5.4GHz)*
• RAM: Up to 64GB of DDR5-5600 MT/s Dual-Channel
• GPU: Up to NVIDIA RTX 5090 24GB
• Storage: Triple NVMe Gen 4 slots, up to 4TB each
• Display: 18" QHD+ IPS-like, 300Hz, G-SYNC