Alienware launches new Aurora laptop line to appeal to mainstream gamers
Inaugurating the lineup are two new laptops, the Intel and NVIDIA-powered Aurora 16 and 16X. #alienware #gaminglaptops
Alienware is expanding the 'Aurora' brand from its desktops to its laptops. Photo: Dell.
Alienware has typically used the 'Aurora' name for one of its desktop lines, but the gaming-focused Dell subsidiary has announced that it is expanding the Aurora brand to include laptops, beginning with the Aurora 16 and 16X.
This comes as part of Alienware's efforts to streamline its catalogue of desktops and laptops into two distinct classes: The Area 51 line, comprising flagship tier hardware for the enthusiast crowd, and the more versatile Aurora line, aimed at the mainstream PC gamer who plays for fun, but who also wants their gaming machine to work smoothly and quickly without tearing an "Area 51" hole in their wallet.
But the Aurora 16 and 16X are not just the inaugural devices in the new Aurora lineup, they're also some of the newest devices to be made in the Alienware 30 (AW30) design language, an evolution of the brand's style that's intended to, what Dell says, evoke "mystery and transcendence", and otherwise be more futuristic and timeless while retaining some Alienware-coded traits.
Alienware says that the chamfered front edge, coupled with a specially designed hinge, makes the laptops easy to open one-handed. Photo: Dell
In any case, the Aurora 16 and 16X do look a bit more understated compared to what we're used to seeing from Alienware. Both laptops use a similar chassis that's marked by rounded edges, including a chamfered front edge for easier one-handed opening. They also come in a new Interstellar Indigo colourway. At a glance, it might be difficult to make it out as an Alienware laptop, if it weren't for the logo; it even forgoes the chunky thermal shelf at the rear of the laptop, which tends to be an Alienware specialty.
It's very much a sleeper build, however, as they house some pretty powerful components inside. Both laptops house Intel Core CPUs, though the regular Aurora 16 is intended to be the more standard of the two, starting with an Intel Core 5 (Series 2) 210H processor, with optional upgrades to a Core 7 or Core 9. The Aurora 16X bumps it up a notch, utilising Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) HX processors (read about it here).
Both the Aurora 16 and 16X are also available with NVIDIA RTX 50 Series GPUs, the RTX 5060 and 5070 to be specific. If you're not looking for that kind of power, though, the Aurora 16 is also up for grabs with an RTX 5050, or the RTX 3050 and 4050, if you prefer to get a last-gen card.
The Aurora 16X also features an improved FHD camera over the regular Aurora 16. Photo: Dell.
The 16-inch QHD 240Hz display on both devices is also nothing to scoff at. And replacing the thermal shelf is what Alienware is calling a 'Cryo-Chamber' situated on the bottom of the laptop, taking up space where the rear feet would normally be. Both Aurora laptops also weigh in around 2.5 to 2.7kg and max out at a height of 23mm when closed, which helps out their portability.
Pricing and availability
Both the Aurora 16 and 16X will be available in Singapore in June 2025, but the pricing on these two are still to be confirmed.
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