Alienware, the gaming division of Dell, has unveiled its latest flagship desktop, the Aurora R16. The new model features a completely redesigned tower that is 40 percent smaller than its predecessor, the Aurora R15, while maintaining the same internal volume and upgradability. The Aurora R16 also boasts improved airflow, acoustics, and performance, thanks to the latest Intel and Nvidia components.
What’s new in the Aurora R16?
The Aurora R16 is the first desktop to adopt Alienware’s Legend 3 design language, which was introduced with its gaming laptops earlier this year. The new tower has a more rectangular shape, with larger air intakes and exhausts, and a ring-shaped LED on the front panel. The tower also has a tool-less design that allows easy access to the internal components for upgrades or maintenance.
The Aurora R16 can be configured with up to a 13th Generation Intel Core i9 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card, delivering impressive performance for gaming and content creation. The desktop also supports DDR5 memory, Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5 Gbps ethernet, and up to 8 TB of solid-state storage. Additionally, the Aurora R16 debuts the Alienware Command Center for desktops, a software suite that lets users customize their system settings, lighting effects, game profiles, and more.
How does the Aurora R16 compare to the Aurora R15?
The Aurora R15 was launched in late 2022 as Alienware’s flagship desktop, featuring a triangular-shaped tower that was part of the Legend 2 design language. The Aurora R15 offered up to a 12th Generation Intel Core i9 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card, along with DDR4 memory, Wi-Fi 6, and up to 4 TB of solid-state storage.
However, the Aurora R15 also had some drawbacks, such as loud fan noise, high temperatures, and a bulky frame. The Aurora R16 addresses these issues by adopting a smaller and sleeker tower that has better airflow and acoustics. The Aurora R16 also offers more powerful and efficient components, such as DDR5 memory, Wi-Fi 6E, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-Series GPUs.
How much does the Aurora R16 cost and when is it available?
The Alienware Aurora R16 is available now on Dell’s website, starting at $1,749. The base model comes with an Intel Core i5-12600K processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, 8 GB of DDR5 memory, a 512 GB solid-state drive, and a 550 W power supply. Users can customize their system with different CPU, GPU, memory, storage, and power supply options.
The Aurora R16 is currently available in the US and Canada with RTX 3050, RTX 3070, RTX 3070 Ti, RTX 4080, or RTX 4080 Ti graphics cards. In Europe and Asia, the desktop also offers RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti options. The availability of different GPU models may vary depending on the region and stock.