3 days ago
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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- The Alienware 18 Area-51 usually retails for $3,199.
- It is simply a gaming laptop that delivers an unbelievable show acknowledgment to its almighty hardware and arsenic almighty cooling system.
- Traveling with the machine volition beryllium hard due to the fact that of its weight; you'll besides person to wage rather a spot for the system.
Alienware 18 Area-51 is simply a precise fitting sanction for this machine due to the fact that it is retired of this world. It's a high-end gaming laptop that tin treble arsenic a almighty enactment machine. It's similar if the Alienware m16 R2 from 2024 deed the gym; this is simply a precise beefy computer.
It sports an 18-inch WQXGA solution (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) display. Although the deficiency of a 4K surface whitethorn beryllium disappointing, I didn't caput it truthful overmuch due to the fact that it has an unthinkable refresh complaint of 300Hz and a effect clip of 3ms for ace creaseless gameplay.
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Below the surface is simply a Cherry MX mechanical keyboard. I fell successful emotion with it the infinitesimal I began typing. The cardinal presses are responsive, the buttons are comfortable, and they adjacent person a clicky consciousness that I enjoy. I didn't deliberation it was imaginable to replicate mechanical keyboards connected laptops due to the fact that of their size, but it seems this was imaginable connected the Alienware 18 since it's truthful big.
Powerful performance
My reappraisal portion contained an Intel Core Ultra 9 275Hx processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, and 64GB of memory. This is technically the astir almighty laptop I've tested each year, truthful it should present show matching its high-end hardware. However, according to the benchmark tests, it performed astatine astir the aforesaid level arsenic the MSI Raider 18 HX. Below is simply a benchmark array comparing the champion results of the 2 machines.
Geekbench 6 | PCMark 10 | Cinebench R23 | Cinebench 2024 | |
MSI Raider 18 HX | 21,874 | 8,433 | 40,290 | 2,271 |
Alienware 18 Area-51 | 19,245 | 9,274 | 37,715 | 2,137 |
Even if the Area-51 laptop falls down successful definite tests, it is inactive a formidable machine susceptible of handling pugnacious originative workloads similar video editing, euphony production, and 3D modeling. Music creation is further helped by the talker system, which consists of 2 woofers and 2 tweeters, fine-tuned by Dolby Atmos.
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Needless to say, the instrumentality excels astatine gaming. I was capable to tally respective AAA titles astatine maximum graphical settings without a hitch. And considering however galore modern titles are terribly unoptimized, that's truly saying something.
One important diagnostic gives the Alienware 18 the borderline implicit the Raider 18 arsenic a enactment machine, and it's thing the Alienware m16 R2 besides had: Stealth Mode. By pressing F7 connected the keyboard, Stealth Mode converts the keyboard's RGB lighting into plain white. It adjacent turns disconnected the touchpad's backmost lighting for a much subtle look that fits amended successful an bureau setting.
What impressed maine the most
As large arsenic the hardware was during testing, it wasn't what impressed maine the most. I already knew it was going to execute incredibly well. What truly knocked my socks disconnected was the cooling system. Gaming laptops, arsenic you astir apt know, tin tally truly hot. High-end components request a batch of energy.
Many caller gaming laptops person robust cooling systems, but nary are arsenic effectual arsenic the Cyro-Chamber connected the Alienware 18. It's a enclosure located connected the bottommost of the machine that draws successful aerial to chill down cardinal areas portion besides propping up the laptop to beforehand amended airflow.
What's truly chill (pun intended) is that you tin really spot the fans astatine work. There's a solid sheet implicit it wherever you tin spot the laptop's internals. Don't interest astir it breaking since it's made retired of Gorilla Glass.
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In summation to the Cyro-Chamber, the machine has 4 fans targeting "aggressive hotspots", 7 copper vigor pipes, "encapsulated gallium-silicon" implicit the processor, and six vigor vents astir the broadside and back. Having each these cooling components connected 1 laptop seems excessive, but they are captious to enjoying this device.
Even erstwhile I had a video crippled moving astatine its highest graphical settings, the Alienware 18 ne'er ran hot. At most, it became a small warm, but I could ever comfortably spot my manus connected the keyboard.
Its instrumentality tin go noisy, though it depends connected the scenario. While playing "Monster Hunter Wilds", the fans kicked successful erstwhile the in-game country saw dense rain, and determination were a batch of creatures moving around. Apart from definite situations, they're beauteous quiet.
An country for improvement
The Alienware 18 Area-51 laptop is amended than astir desktops connected the market. Even if you're not a gamer, I inactive highly urge the instrumentality to originative professionals who request a almighty instrumentality for 3D modeling, video editing, oregon bundle development. Its precocious level of show cannot beryllium understated.
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There is 1 important facet astir the Alienware 18 that makes it hard to question with -- it's heavy, and I mean, heavy. The machine unsocial weighs 9.56 pounds, and the 360W powerfulness adapter weighs 2.2 pounds. So, together, that's astir 12 pounds successful total, and you volition request that powerfulness adapter connected hand. This instrumentality doesn't past precise long.
Even astatine its astir energy-efficient, the machine lone lasted for astir 2 hours erstwhile I ran ZDNET's modular laptop test.
ZDNET's buying advice
Be prepared to ammunition retired the large bucks for the Alienware 18 Area-51. Prices commencement astatine $3,200 for the basal model. My reappraisal portion retails for $4,450, though I person seen discounts connected it.
If you're looking for a lighter option, I suggest checking retired the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i. It houses akin hardware and weighs conscionable 5.67 pounds. The MSI Raider 18 HX is different coagulated enactment that comes with a 4K display.
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