Dell’s Alienware family was an original trailblazer for the modern gaming computer—and their new 18-inch Area-51 laptop proves they’re still a leader in this market. The mighty Alienware 18 Area-51 Gaming Laptop is every bit as sleek and futuristic ...

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Matt Elliott is a senior editor at CNET with a focus on laptops and streaming services.

With such a high price tag, you'd expect Alienware to pack this laptop with all the best goodies. For the most part, it has, and the performance and general experience are great. But the screen is disappointing, the unplugged performance isn't great, and ...

Solid gaming performance. Really bright, 240-Hz display. Convenient ports in the back. Responsive touchpad. Battery life is decent. Keyboard and palm rests get warm. Cheaper gaming laptops perform just as good. Chunky. Poor speakers. No Thunderbolt 5 or SD ...

For 2025, Alienware revived its iconic Area-51 name and gave it an all-new design and flagship components. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget) Alienware is at its best when it makes no-holds-barred gaming machines that are big on style and performance.

The Alienware 16 Aurora is a budget-focused 16-inch gaming laptop. At $1,499, however, the price is just too high: This machine makes many compromises, from the CPU to the display and the surprising lack of any NPU at all. This price is creeping towards ...