From beastly NVIDIA RTX 50-Series desktop to entry-level gaming laptop — here's what Alienware revealed at CES 2026

Alienware Area-51 Laptop, Area-51 Desktop, 16X Aurora, Ultra Slim, and Entry Level laptop around a big pink and purple badge that reads, "Windows Central CES 2026.".

CES 2026 is going strong in Las Vegas this week, where many of the biggest tech companies are announcing their latest products and services.

MORE CES 2026

(Image credit: Windows Central (Edited with Gemini))

• Start: Tuesday, January 6, 2026
• End: Friday, January 9, 2026
• Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
• More info: www.ces.tech

Now, Alienware, Dell's gaming sub-brand historically noted for its high-end focus, has revealed its 2026 hardware lineup, and there are some surprises.

As expected, Alienware is refreshing its flagship gaming laptop line, but it's also adding a new AMD processor to its current Area-51 desktop. What's more, the company has surprisingly announced two brand-new laptops — an entry-level gaming laptop and an ultra-thin gaming laptop.

Here's everything Alienware announced at CES 2026:

All Alienware CES 2026 announcements

The Alienware Area-51 Desktop can now be configured with an AMD CPU. (Image credit: Dell)

• Alienware Area-51 Desktop — This 80.5-liter flagship gaming desktop was already available with Intel processors (as seen in my Alienware Area-51 Desktop review), but this year, Alienware is adding AMD processors to its configuration options, up to Ryzen 7 9870X3D with 3DV-Cache technology. It offers up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, 64GB dual-channel DDR5 RAM, and up to 4TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD to create a truly beastly gaming desktop.
  • Available February 2026, pricing TBA.

The Alienware Area-51 Laptop can be configured with a Cherry MX Mechanical Keyboard. (Image credit: Dell)

Alienware Area-51 Laptop is a beast of a gaming laptop. (Image credit: Dell)

An RGB light bar goes across the back of the Alienware Area-51. (Image credit: Dell)

The Alienware Area-51 Laptop has an RGB touchpad. (Image credit: Dell)

The Alienware Area-51 Laptop can easily tackle AAA gaming. (Image credit: Dell)

Alienware Area-51 Laptop can fit in both in gaming and professional settings. (Image credit: Dell)

• Alienware 16 Area-51 Laptop — This flagship RGB gaming laptop offers a few different configuration options, including the new Intel Core Ultra 200HK processors, the top NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs (5070 TI, 5080, and 5090), up to 64GB DDR5 RAM with two memory slots, up to 2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 5 SSD, and a 96Whr lithium ion battery. It also features a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) Anti-Glare OLED display that supports G-Sync and reaches up to 240Hz, and a speedy 0.2ms. Consumers also have the option of choosing Alienware's CherryMX mechanical laptop keyboard, which I fell in love with as seen in last year's Alienware 16 Area-51 Laptop review.
  • Available Q1 2026, pricing TBA.
• Alienware 18 Area-51 Laptop — This 18-inch RGB gaming laptop builds upon the 16-inch model to offer even more premium features. It offers the new Intel Core Ultra 200HK processors, up to RTX 5090, up to 64GB dual-channel DDR5, and up to 2RV NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 5 SSD. The 18-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) display supports G-Sync, up to 300Hz, and 3ms. Buyers also have the option of configuring it with Alienware's CherryMX mechanical laptop keyboard.
  • Available Q1 2026, pricing TBA.

The Alienware 16X Aurora is more focused on efficiency while still being gaming capable. (Image credit: Dell)

• Alienware 16X Aurora — This gaming laptop puts more of a focus on power efficiency and offers a design that blends in with non-gaming settings. It can be configured with Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX, 7 255HX, or 9 275HX CPUs, with the choice of an RTX 5060 laptop or 5070 laptop GPU. There are two memory slots, and it can be configured to have up to 64GB DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB NVMe M.2 Gen 4 SSD. The 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) anti-glare OLED display is HDR ClearMR9000 certified, supports G-Sync, and supports up to 240Hz and 0.2ms.
  • Available Q1 2026, pricing TBA.

New Entry-Level and Ultra Slim gaming laptops wil be coming to the Alienware line. (Image credit: Dell)

• New Ultra-Slim Gaming Laptop — An official name and final specs have yet to be announced, it seems, but this will be a slim 17mm-thin gaming laptop available in 14-inch and 16-inch variants. Alienware says it's designed "for people who want the best balance between game performance, creative projects, and portability."
  • Launch date and pricing TBA.
• New Entry-level laptop — Once again, we don't know the official name or final specs of this gaming laptop, but it is specifically designed as a more affordable entry-level gaming laptop. Alienware states it balances "performance, portability, and price." Just don't expect it to be nearly as powerful as the Area-51 Laptop line.
  • Launch date and pricing TBA.

It's interesting seeing Alienware introduce a more affordable gaming laptop and a lightweight gaming laptop to its hardware lineup. This marks a notable shift from its usual mid-to-high-end focus. But I'm definitely not complaining. If anything, it's good to see more purchasing options come to market for us all to choose from.

What do you think about Alienware's 2026 lineup? Are you interested in getting any of these devices? Tell us about it in the comments.

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