Alienware introduced the latest version of its desktop gaming PC, the Aurora R16, midway through last year, marking a radically non-radical shift away from its Giger-inspired origins. Going beyond a mere plexiglass window addition, this release presents an all-new chassis design that will inspire love or scorn.
According to Alienware, the redesign meets the needs of loyalists looking for a simpler chassis that fits seamlessly into their setups and can more easily accommodate aftermarket components. Alienware has probably done too well on the one hand, creating a machine that looks decidedly earthier than Alien, but on the other hand it still fails with a machine that is still not as expandable as PC enthusiasts would like.
The new Aurora R16 starts at $1,300 (£1,349 and $2,800 AUD) and in typical Dell fashion you can configure the machine with a 13th Gen Intel i7 with Nvidia RTX 4060 all the way up to a top-end 14th Gen Intel i9-14900F, RTX 4090 , 64GB DDR5 and 8TB SSD for an absurd $5,300.
My test device came with a liquid-cooled Intel Core i9 13900F, 32 GB of DDR5-5600 memory, a 512 GB SSD, and 1 TB 7200 RPM HDD. Graphics power is provided by an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, although I couldn’t tell exactly which brand Dell is supplying from the blank veil surrounding it. There’s a new 240mm heat exchanger at the top of the case and a 120mm exhaust fan at the back.
Aurora R16 specifications
CPU: 13th Generation Intel Core i9-13900F
Pictures: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB
Cooling: 240mm Alienware AIO
RAM: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 5600MT/s
Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SDD + 1TB HDD
Current: 1000W
Guarantee: 1 year
Price: $2799
Upgrading even this latest Alienware system can still be a bit tricky due to the proprietary motherboard and custom 1000W power supply. The motherboard only offers two DDR5 RAM slots and two M.2 SSD slots without heatsinks. It’s quite basic and lacks the necessary features, and Alienware’s RAM and SSDs come without heat spreaders as they are simple barebones chips.
And speaking of those storage drives: Dell is remarkably stingy when it comes to SSD capacity. Shoving just a 512GB SSD into a machine that costs nearly $3,000 isn’t a good idea in an age when 1TB drives are the minimum we’d recommend for PC gamers.
Back out to the case design: I’m not a fan of what Alienware did there. Cover the distinctive alien main logo and this could be any other RGB case from anywhere on the web. Note that this is the first showcase of the company’s new Legend 3 industrial design, and it’s a far cry from the more stylish Legend 2 Design Language that made the R15 and X16 laptops so standout.
Available only in black, the new chassis is 40% smaller than the previous model, measuring 16.5 x 7.8 x 18.1 inches. Despite its compact size, it has a capacity of 25 liters and can accommodate large RTX 4090 GPUs. This makes it more convenient for my setup or in theory even for a living room TV. The R16 features an acrylic side panel with a stylish honeycomb ventilation design for better airflow and concealing cable clutter. However, the sliding rear panel release system, secured with a Phillips screw, could certainly be simpler.
The front of the Aurora has an inch-wide opening that cleverly hides a front air intake, while still giving you a solid panel with three 5Gbps USB Type-A ports, one 10Gbps Type-C and an audio combo jack for easy access. The signature RGB ring can easily distract from the opening and of course you can adjust the beautiful lighting.
There’s a ton of ports on the back too, with a pair of 5Gbps USB-A, one 10Gbps USB-C, one 20Gbps USB-C and four USB 2.0-capable audio outputs and an Ethernet 2.5Gps port, so you can you can connect everything your peripherals will rarely be a problem. The R16 supports WiFi6E and comes with a stubby, puck-like antenna that has great reception.
However, the standout feature of the new R16 design is its significantly improved thermal performance. Unlike its predecessors, the R16 operates quietly, even under heavy loads, maintaining this low noise level even in Performance mode. During stress tests and demanding benchmarks, such as Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K with Psycho ray-tracing, the R16 remained remarkably quiet, with both CPU and GPU temperatures comfortably below 70°C.
The caveat here, however, is that Alienware appears to be pushing the power limits of the Aurora R16’s processor to achieve those low thermal and acoustic levels. While my benchmark scores are generally in line with expectations, I noticed that CPU performance in Cinebench and Geekbench was noticeably lower than that of a Lenovo Legion PC with a Core i7 13700F.
That could also explain the choice of F-variant CPUs over the K-series, which allow overclocking.
Buy as…
✅ You’re an Alienware fan looking for a solid, pre-built machine: For those looking for a forgettable gaming PC experience, the Aurora R16 is as good as Alienware PCs come.
✅ You’re not interested in PC tinkering: The proprietary nature of the design won’t be an issue if you’re not the type who values an upgrade path.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You DO want to tinker with your PC: The limited nature of even this redesigned Alienware is anathema to many a dedicated PC gamer.
❌ You have a large game library: Dell continues to be thoroughly stingy with the SSD storage it offers gamers in its off-the-shelf PCs.
❌ You prioritize value for money: Alienware PCs have always had a higher price point, and that’s no different here. You can get better specs, a better upgrade experience, and better performance for the same money if you choose a different system builder.
However, in terms of gaming performance, the Aurora R16 still excels. Not only does it operate much quieter than previous models, but it also maintains this performance effortlessly. For my gaming and high-productivity tasks like video editing, the new Aurora R16 proved to be a seamless experience: everything runs incredibly smoothly and, quite frankly, wonderfully.
That power limit issue only really rears its ugly head when you’re testing against raw benchmark numbers, and not necessarily when you’re just gaming with it. Balancing the power and the actual experience can be a worthy compromise for many PC users, although it stings a little knowing you’re definitely leaving potential performance on the table.
Despite its seemingly ordinary appearance, it stands out to me as the best gaming PC Alienware has ever produced. The performance is near top class and the acoustics are truly impressive, maintaining quiet operation even during the most demanding tasks. But that doesn’t mean this is the best gaming PC; There are faster, better value gaming PCs that don’t have Alienware’s unnecessary customization, and that’s where we’d recommend PC gamers spend their money.
But while I have some reservations about its upgradability, it’s worth noting that this machine’s target audience is likely to prioritize the core experience over tinkering and even raw performance. The real Achilles heel for me, however, is the warranty and service aspect, with Dell only offering modest one-year coverage. In a market where many smaller PC makers ship for three years or more, Alienware could expand its offerings in this department to better meet customer expectations.