Alienware Area-51m R2 dials up its desktop-class performance with new Intel chips

Alienware Area51m R2 Press Hero
Alienware Area51m R2 Press Hero (Image credit: Dell)

What you need to know

  • Dell announced the Alienware Area-51m R2 today.
  • The updated laptop brings even more powerful desktop-class specs to the table.
  • Those include 10th Gen Intel CPUs, NVIDIA RTX SUPER graphics, and more.
  • The Alienware Area-51m R2 is expected to go on sale June 9 starting at $3,050.

Dell's Alienware Area-51m was already one of the most powerful gaming laptops you could get your hands on. That's in no small part because it uses powerful, desktop-class overclockable CPUs and graphics chips. Now, it's getting even more robust with the upgrade to Intel's new 10th Gen Core-S series chips, alongside NVIDIA RTX SUPER graphics.

The beefy Area-51m now packs up to a 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900K. That's a full desktop-class processor, bringing 10 cores, 20 threads, and up to a crazy 5.3GHz of performance. That's in addition to a range of graphics options, going up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER with 8GB of GDDR6 memory. For AMD fans, the Area-51m also now includes Radeon RX graphics option as well.

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CategoryAlienware Area-51m R2
Operating SystemWindows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Display17-inch 4K 60Hz 25ms;500 nits; 100% AdobeRGB; Tobii eye tracking
17-inch FHD 300Hz 3ms; 300 nits; 100% AdobeRGB; Tobii eye tracking
17-inch FHD 144Hz 9ms; 300 nits; 72% NTSC; NVIDIA G-Sync + Tobii eye tracking
17-inch FHD 144Hz 9ms; 300 nits; 72 percent NTSC; Tobii eye tracking
ProcessorUp to 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900K
GraphicsUp to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, 8GB GDDR6
MemoryUp to 32GB DDR4 XMP 3200MHz
StorageUp to 2TB x2 NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs
WebcamHD (720p)
ConnectivityKiller Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i (802.11AX) built on Intel chipset
Killer Ethernet E3000
Bluetooth 5
Ports2x USB 3.2 Gen 1
1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 w/ Powershare
1x SD card reader
1x Thunderbolt 3
1x Alienware Graphics Amplifier
1x HDMI 2.0b
1x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4
1x Global Headset
1x microSD
1x RJ-45 Killer Ethernet port
AudioStereo speakers
Battery90WHr
DimensionsHeight (rear): 31.8 mm (1.25 in.)
Height (peak): 44mm (1.7 in)
Height (front): 27.65 mm (1.089 in)
Depth: 402.6 mm (15.85 in)
Width: 319.14 mm (12.565 in)
Weight4.1 kg (9.04 lbs) to 4.7 kg (10.4 lbs)
ColorsLunar Light
Dark Side of the Moon
PriceStarting at $3,050
AvailabilityJune 9, 2020

With all the heat generated by the desktop-class parts inside, the Area-51m need pretty powerful cooling as well. Dell's solution is its Alienware Cryo-Tech technology, which takes advantage of a honeycomb air intake above the keyboard, larger fan blades, and feet on the bottom of the laptop to help bring in more air. With this iteration, however, Dell says it has added vapor chamber cooling and up to 12-phase voltage regulation on "select configurations" to help maintain power levels.

Alienware Area51m R2 Press

Source: Dell (Image credit: Source: Dell)

Aside from the hardware packed inside, Dell includes Tobii eye tracking with all configurations, along with up to a 4K screen with 100 percent AdobeRGB color gamut coverage and 500 nits of brightness. For those who want to push as many frames as possible, there's also a 1080p panel at an insane 300Hz refresh rate.

The new Alienware Area-51m R2 is expected to go on sale starting June 9 at a starting price of $3,050.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl