by Alienware introduced the latest version of its desktop gaming PC, the Aurora R16, in the middle of last year, marking a not-so-radical shift away from its Giger-inspired origins. This release goes beyond just the addition of a plexiglass window, presenting an entirely new chassis design that will either attract love or loathing.
According to Alienware, the redesign responds to the wishes of enthusiasts who are looking for a simpler chassis that fits effortlessly into their setups and accommodates aftermarket components more easily. Alienware probably did too good a job on one hand, making a machine that looks more accurate than Alien, but on the other hand it failed with a machine that is still not as upgraded 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 as low as a 13th Gen Intel i7 with Nvidia RTX 4060 all the way up to a range of top- range of 14th Gen Intel i9-14900F, RTX 4090, 64GB DDR5 and 8TB SSD for an absurd $5,300.
My review unit came with a liquid cooled Intel Core i9 13900F, 32GB DDR5-5600 memory, a 512GB SSD, and a 1TB 7200RPM HDD. An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 provides graphics power although I couldn’t make out exactly which brand Dell is supplying from the white cover around it. There is a new 240mm heat exchanger at the top of the case and a 120mm exhaust fan at the back.
Aurora R16 specifications
CPU: 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900F
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB
Cooling: 240mm Alienware AIO
RAM: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 5600 MT/s
Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SDD + 1TB HDD
Power: 1000W
Warranty: 1 year
Price: $2799
Upgrading even this latest Alienware system can be a bit tricky due to its 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 pretty basic, it doesn’t have the necessary features, and the RAM and SSDs from Alienware come without heat spread, being simple barebones chips.
Speaking of those storage drives, Dell is being very vague about SSD capacity. It’s not good stuffing just a 512GB SSD into a machine that costs almost three grand at a time when 1TB drives are the minimum we’d recommend for PC gamers.
Going back outside of the case design, I’m not a fan of what Alienware did there. The logo covered a signed foreign head and this could be any other RGB case around the internet. 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 such standouts.
The new chassis only comes in black and is 40% smaller than the previous model, measuring 16.5 x 7.8 x 18.1 inches. Despite its compact size, it maintains a 25-liter capacity, accommodating major 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 vent design for improved airflow and to hide cable clutter. However, the rear panel’s sliding lattice release system, secured by a Philips head screw, could be simpler.
There’s an inch gap across the front of the Aurora that cleverly hides a front air intake while still giving you a solid panel with three USB Type-A 5Gbps ports, one 10Gbps Type-C, and an audio combo jack for easy access. The signature RGB ring can easily draw you from the gap and of course you can customize the glorious lighting.
There are a handful more 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 audio outputs and a 2.5Gps Ethernet port – connecting everything that way. your peripherals will rarely be involved. The R16 supports WiFi6E and comes with a stocky puck-like antenna that has great reception.
The standout feature of the new R16 design, however, is its vastly 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 seems to have limited the power limits of the Aurora R16 processor to be able 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 significantly lower than a Lenovo Legion PC running a Core i7 13700F.
That could also explain the choice of the F variant CPUs over the K series, which allows overclocking.
Buy if…
✅ You’re an Alienware fan after a solid pre-built machine: For those after a fire and forget gaming PC experience the Aurora R16 is as good as Alienware PCs have ever been.
✅ Not interested in PC tinkering: The proprietary nature of the design won’t be an issue if you can’t value an upgrade path.
Do not buy if…
❌ You want to tinker with your computer: The restrictive nature of this redesigned Exotic is anathema to many dedicated PC gamers.
❌ You have a large game library: Dell continues to be very serious about the SSD storage it offers gamers in its pre-built PCs.
❌ You prioritize value for money: Alienware PCs have always come at a price premium, 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.
In terms of gaming performance, however, the Aurora R16 is still excellent. Not only does it run much quieter than previous models but it maintains this performance with ease. For my gaming and high-productivity tasks, such as video editing, the new Aurora R16 was a seamless experience – everything runs incredibly smooth and honestly enjoyable.
The issue of that power limit only rears its head when you’re testing for raw benchmark numbers, and not necessarily when you’re gaming it. Balancing power and experience may be a worthwhile compromise for many PC users, although it does feel a bit like you’re leaving potential performance on the table.
Despite its ordinary appearance, to me it stands out as the best gaming PC Alienware has ever produced. The performance is close to excellent, and the acoustics are truly impressive, maintaining quiet operation even during the most demanding tasks. But that doesn’t mean it’s the best gaming PC; there are faster and better value gaming PCs out there that don’t come with Alienware’s unnecessary proprietary nature, and those are where we’d recommend PC gamers spend their money.
But while I have some concerns about its upgrade, it’s worth noting that the target audience for this machine prioritizes the core experience over tinkering and even raw performance. However, the real Achilles heel for me is the warranty and service aspect, with Dell only offering a modest 1 year coverage. In a market where many PC builders provide less than 3 years or more, Alienware could improve its offering in this department to better meet customer expectations.
