At a glanceExpert’s Score
Execs
Good construct high quality
Nice gaming efficiency
Numerous ports (together with Ethernet)
Cons
Too costly for the specs
Dim show
No biometrics for Home windows Howdy
No NPU for AI options
Our Verdict
The Alienware 16 Aurora is the lowest-end mannequin in Alienware’s laptop computer lineup. With a lower-end show and a slower CPU, the value simply feels too excessive for this expertise.
Value When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Greatest Pricing In the present day
Value When Reviewed$1,499
Greatest Costs In the present day: Alienware 16 Aurora
$1149.99
$1,329.99
$1389.99
$1500
The Alienware 16 Aurora is a budget-focused 16-inch gaming laptop computer. At $1,499, nonetheless, the value is simply too excessive: This machine makes many compromises, from the CPU to the show and the shocking lack of any NPU in any respect. This worth is creeping in the direction of the mid-range mark, and you may spend much less to get higher {hardware} from a competitor.
It’s unlucky: I reviewed this machine alongside the Alienware 16X Aurora, and that exact mid-range laptop computer is a superb worth for the {hardware}. In case you’re taking a look at this Alienware laptop computer, I like to recommend trying on the 16X Aurora as an alternative.
Alienware 16 Aurora: Specs
The Alienware 16 Aurora is a 16-inch laptop computer with an Intel Core 7 240H CPU — or an Intel Core 9 270H chip in the event you spring for the top-end mannequin. Nonetheless, our overview unit had the Core 7 chip. Considerably confusingly, whereas these are Intel Core (Sequence 2) processors, they’re based mostly on the older Raptor Lake structure. It doesn’t have an NPU, so that you gained’t get Copilot+ PC options on this machine.
Our overview unit was a $1,499 mannequin that got here with an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU, however this machine can also be accessible with RTX 3050, 4050, and 5070 graphics. The RTX 5070 possibility particularly doesn’t make a lot sense, because it makes the machine practically as costly as Dell’s higher-end Alienware 16X Aurora, which affords an all-around higher expertise.
Our overview unit additionally had 32GB of DDR5 RAM, which is essentially the most RAM this machine is out there with — Alienware additionally affords variants with much less RAM.
The bottom mannequin begins at $1,149 on Dell’s web site on the time of the overview, nevertheless it consists of an older RTX 4050 GPU and solely 16 GB of RAM.
Mannequin quantity: AC16250
CPU: Intel Core 7 240H
Reminiscence: 32 GB DDR5 RAM
Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060
NPU: None
Show: 2560×1600 IPS show with 120Hz refresh fee
Storage: 1 TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
Webcam: 720p digital camera
Connectivity: 2x USB Kind-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), 2x USB Kind-A (USB 3.1 Gen 2), 1x HDMI 2.1 out, 1x Ethernet (RJ-45), 1x combo audio jack, 1x energy in
Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Biometrics: None
Battery capability: 94 Watt-hours
Dimensions: 14.05 x 10.45 x 0.89 inches
Weight: 5.49 kilos
MSRP: $1,499 as examined
Naturally, the Alienware 16 Aurora delivered cheap efficiency at average settings in these video games.
Alienware 16 Aurora: Design and construct high quality
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware 16 Aurora seems to be like a black laptop computer from some angles, however the darkish blue of its “Interstellar Indigo” shade is seen from sure angles. This laptop computer has a reflective Alienware brand on its lid, however except for that it might simply be knowledgeable workstation laptop computer. Alienware hasn’t emphasised the standard gamer aesthetic on this design.
This machine has an anodized aluminum lid, however the remainder of the physique is plastic — for extra metallic, you’ll need to spend additional on a higher-end gaming laptop computer. However plastic is ok, and the laptop computer seems to be good and feels strong, though it’s a little vulnerable to selecting up fingerprints. The hinge is simple to open with a single hand and feels strong, and it doesn’t transfer round as you kind or recreation on the laptop computer. It’s a well-put-together machine.
Alienware 16 Aurora: Keyboard and trackpad
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware 16 Aurora has a full-size chiclet-style keyboard full with a quantity pad on the proper. The 1.4mm of key journey ends in a pleasant typing expertise. It’s fairly snappy and never mushy as it’s on many lower-end laptops. It is a strong keyboard.
Dell included a backlight on the keyboard, nevertheless it doesn’t have customizable colours — you need to use white gentle, however that’s it.
The trackpad right here works wonderful. It’s a fairly sized trackpad — many laptops have a lot bigger ones, however the dimension is ok with me. The press-down motion feels wonderful. A pleasant glass trackpad feels smoother — that is clearly a plastic floor — nevertheless it’s nonetheless easy and responsive.
Alienware 16 Aurora: Show and audio system
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware 16 Aurora has a 16-inch 2560×1600 decision IPS show with a 120Hz refresh fee and as much as 300 nits of brightness. It’s a wonderful show with a strong decision and a good refresh fee, however I want it was brighter. Each time I exploit a gaming laptop computer with a show that caps out at 300 nits, I at all times need extra brightness. It doesn’t wow, although — the colours aren’t practically as spectacular they are often on a higher-end show in dearer gaming laptops. It’s cheap for a price range laptop computer, nevertheless it feels low-end for a $1,499 laptop computer.
This isn’t a contact display, and it’s not an OLED show both — it has an anti-glare coating that works nicely, so it’s not a shiny, reflective show. Greater brightness settings are sometimes essential to overpower glare on shiny shows, however that isn’t the case right here.
I take a look at each laptop computer’s audio system by enjoying Steely Dan’s Aja and Daft Punk’s Get Fortunate. The sound high quality throughout Aja was respectable, though a bit of flat — there wasn’t the sort of crisp instrument separation you hear on high-end audio system. Daft Punk’s Get Fortunate had a enjoyable sound, although there wasn’t a ton of underlying bass.
Alienware 16 Aurora: Webcam, microphone, biometrics
The Alienware 16 Aurora has a 720p webcam. The picture is fairly grainy and washed out, and that’s no shock — 720p webcams are low finish, and Dell is chopping a nook right here to maintain the laptop computer’s worth down. It would work if you want to have a video assembly and don’t want a high-resolution picture, however that’s about it. And, as a result of there’s no NPU on this machine, you don’t have entry to Home windows Studio Results webcam results on this machine.
The twin-array microphone on this machine produces moderately muffled audio — this machine wasn’t constructed with video conferencing in thoughts, though it affords the fundamentals in the event you want them.
The Alienware 16 Aurora doesn’t have any biometric {hardware}, so you’ll be able to’t signal into Home windows together with your face or a fingerprint. A $1,499 laptop computer ought to have biometric help, whether or not that’s a fingerprint reader or facial recognition. That’s too massive a nook to chop at this worth level.
Alienware 16 Aurora: Connectivity
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware 16 Aurora has a terrific number of connectivity — it even has an Ethernet port!
On the left, you’ll discover a USB Kind-A port, a combo audio jack, and an Ethernet (RJ-45) jack. On the again, this machine has a second USB Kind-A port, two USB Kind-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a power-in port.
It’s a terrific number of ports, and the one factor lacking may be an SD card reader, in the event you’re in search of that. Except for that, it’s nicely laid out — particularly with many of the ports being within the again, the place it’s simple to plug the facility cable and different equipment in so that they keep out of your means.
This machine has Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 {hardware}, so it’s as future proof as may be with the newest requirements.
Alienware 16 Aurora: Efficiency
The Alienware 16 Aurora’s cooling system works nicely. Enjoying the newest massive video games like Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 and Doom: The Darkish Ages, the followers stayed on the quiet facet for a 16-inch gaming laptop computer — particularly a extra budget-focused laptop computer, as quieter followers are usually reserved for higher-end gaming laptops and less-expensive laptops typically go for the “jet engine” sound profile. This laptop computer blows many of the sizzling air out of the again, and the keyboard solely will get mildly heat. Some sizzling air comes out of the edges — in an ideal construct, it could all exit of the again and away out of your mouse hand — nevertheless it’s not too dangerous.
Naturally, the Alienware 16 Aurora delivered cheap efficiency at average settings in these video games. As at all times, although we ran this machine by our customary benchmarks to see the way it performs in additional element.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
First, we run PCMark 10 to get an thought of total system efficiency. With a PCMark 10 total rating of seven,068, this machine is available in noticeably behind the pricier Alienware 16X Aurora. The Intel Core 7 Meteor Lake CPU right here can’t preserve tempo with the higher-end Intel Core Extremely 9 and AMD Ryzen AI 9 chips within the higher-end laptops we’re evaluating it to. It’s a lower-end gaming CPU.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
Subsequent, we run Cinebench R20. It is a closely multithreaded benchmark that focuses on total CPU efficiency. It’s a fast benchmark, so cooling underneath prolonged workloads isn’t an element. However, because it’s closely multithreaded, CPUs with extra cores have an enormous benefit.
With a Cinebench R20 multi-threaded rating of 6,284, this machine as soon as once more is available in behind different laptops. That’s largely as a result of the Intel Core 7 240H CPU right here has 10 cores, whereas the Intel Core Extremely 9 275HX has 24 cores. Most purposes don’t profit from multithreading this a lot, nonetheless, so this isn’t consultant of the distinction in real-world gaming efficiency.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
We additionally run an encode with Handbrake. That is one other closely multithreaded benchmark, nevertheless it runs over an prolonged interval. This calls for the laptop computer’s cooling kick in, and plenty of laptops will throttle and decelerate underneath load.
The Alienware 16 Aurora took 900 seconds on common to finish the encode. That’s quarter-hour, and it’s considerably slower than different laptops — once more, this CPU simply doesn’t have as many cores as I’d prefer to see.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
Subsequent, we run a graphical benchmark. We run 3Dmark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU efficiency, on all of the laptops we overview.
With a 3Dmark Time Spy rating of 10,263, the Alienware 16 Aurora got here in behind different laptops as soon as once more — that’s as a result of Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU right here. This chart helps illustrate how necessary the selection of GPU is and the way a lot sooner higher-end GPUs may be.
After that, we run the benchmarks constructed into some video games. First, we use the benchmark in Shadow of the Tomb Raider to check all of the gaming laptops we overview. It’s an older recreation, nevertheless it’s an effective way to match GPU efficiency throughout completely different PCs.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
With a mean FPS of 132, the Alienware 16 Aurora delivered wonderful efficiency. It was behind different laptops with sooner GPUs, however not by a lot. This older recreation is seeing diminishing returns from higher-end GPUs.
Lastly, we run the benchmark in Metro Exodus. It is a extra demanding recreation, and we set the benchmark to 1080p decision on the Excessive element setting.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
With a mean FPS of 43 on this high-end Metro Exodus benchmark, the Alienware 16 Aurora provided fairly playable efficiency even at these brutal graphical settings. It’s an excellent instance of the strong efficiency you may get with out splurging on a top-tier CPU or GPU lately. In fact, it is available in behind dearer laptops with higher-end GPUs.
Total, the Alienware 16 Aurora delivered playable efficiency, nevertheless it’s held again by the elements in comparison with higher-end, dearer gaming laptops.
Alienware 16 Aurora: Battery life
The Alienware 16 Aurora we acquired had a big 94 Watt-hour battery, though Dell’s spec sheet mentioned it had a 60 Watt-hour battery — count on that smaller battery on lower-end variants and this bigger battery on higher-end ones. It delivered surprisingly good battery life away from an outlet for a gaming laptop computer, doubtless because of its lower-end CPU.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Metal on repeat on Home windows 11 with airplane mode activated and the keyboard backlight turned off till the laptop computer suspends itself. We set the display to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks. It is a best-case state of affairs for any laptop computer since native video playback is so environment friendly, and actual battery life in day-to-day use is at all times going to be lower than this.
The Alienware 16 Aurora lasted 603 minutes on common — that’s simply over 10 hours. For a gaming laptop computer that isn’t significantly centered on battery life, that is fairly good!
Alienware 16 Aurora: Conclusion
The Alienware 16 Aurora doesn’t impress, which is a disgrace as a result of I reviewed it alongside the Alienware 16X Aurora, and that laptop computer did impress with the worth it delivered. The core downside right here is the value — $1,499 is simply too excessive for an expertise like this one.
It’s a price range expertise at a mid-tier worth. If this machine had a sooner CPU or a extra spectacular show — ideally each — it could be simple to suggest. For now, you’re in all probability higher off trying elsewhere for a price range gaming laptop computer — except Dell is having an enormous sale on this mannequin.
I might suggest you take a look at the Alienware 16X Aurora in the event you’re in search of an Alienware laptop computer, nonetheless — that’s a lot better worth for cash. Or, in the event you’re in search of a price range gaming laptop computer, take a look at PCWorld’s finest gaming laptops listing for higher values.
