Alienware Space 51 assessment: Absurd pace, critical outlet anxiousness

Finest Costs At the moment: Alienware Space-51

The Alienware Space 51 is a laptop computer with historical past. The primary Alienware Space 51 desktop was launched again in 1998, after which got here the Space 51 laptops within the 2000s. Quick ahead to at this time and the Alienware Space 51 remains to be among the many strongest laptops obtainable and able to record-setting efficiency.

Alienware 16 Space 51: Specs and options

The Alienware 16 Space 51 has Intel’s Arrow Lake cell processors. Which means loads of cores—the mannequin I reviewed, with the Intel Core Extremely 9 290HX Plus, serves up a complete of 24 cores. The configuration I reviewed additionally had a Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of strong state storage.

• CPU: Intel Core Extremely 9 290HX Plus
• Reminiscence: 32GB DDR5-6400
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080
• NPU: Intel AI Increase as much as 13 TOPS
• Show: 2560×1600 240Hz OLED anti-glare with Nvidia G-Sync
• Storage: 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD
• Webcam and microphone: 1080p webcam with IR digital camera and privateness shutter, twin microphone array
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 5, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x SD card, 1x 3.5mm combo audio
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Home windows Whats up facial recognition
• Audio: 2x 2-watt tweeters, 2x 2-watt woofers
• Battery capability: 96 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 14.37 x 11.41 x 1.12 inches
• Weight: 7.49 kilos
• Working System: Home windows 11 Professional
• Value: $4,759.99 MSRP as configured

The mannequin I examined had an MSRP of $4,759.99, however the vary of pricing is broad, as Alienware affords many configurations. 

The entry-level mannequin with an Intel Core Extremely 7 255HX and GeForce RTX 5080 begins at $2,379.99. Tick off all of the choices, although, and also you’ll be spending $11,519.99. 

Quite a lot of the additional bucks go in direction of the Space 51’s storage choices, which go all the best way as much as a 12TB RAID 0 configuration with a trio of 4TB PCIe 5.0 strong state drives. That’s an unbelievable quantity of storage, however for those who want it, the Space 51 is among the many few laptops that may ship it.

Alienware 16 Space 51: Design and construct high quality

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Alienware was once an organization that was somewhat brash and daring in its design, however lately it has taken a extra restrained strategy. The Alienware 16 Space 51 is an effective instance of that.

Oh, certain, it’s large—the laptop computer measures over an inch thick and weighs over seven kilos. And it does embody customizable RGB-LED accent lights. Nonetheless, these traits are counter-balanced by the laptop computer’s curved, natural design language, matte navy colorway, and relative lack of aptitude in addition to the accent lights I discussed.

Does it work? Sure, for essentially the most half. I notably just like the rear accent gentle, which has a nice, diffuse glow. Nonetheless, I feel Alienware has skewed a bit too easy with the standard of its supplies. The outside makes use of aluminum panels with a pleasant luster and attention-grabbing green-blue hue, however the remainder of the laptop computer’s inside supplies lack texture and present no luster underneath shiny lights. Which means the Space 51 both seems to be about as costly because it really is, or fairly a bit much less so, relying on if the laptop computer is open or closed. Alienware has positioned a enjoyable clear panel in direction of the rear fringe of the underside panel however, being that it’s on the underside, you gained’t usually have the possibility to see it.

That’s to not say the laptop computer is poorly constructed, although. Quite the opposite, it’s among the many most strong giant gaming laptops I’ve just lately examined. Machines this large can flex and groan underneath their very own weight, however the 16-inch Space 51 reveals virtually no flex when picked up from a single facet or nook. Keyboard and show flex are additionally minimal. The tip result’s a laptop computer that appears like a tank however seems to be like an financial system automobile.

Alienware 16 Space 51: Keyboard, touchpad

Foundry / Matthew Smith

The Alienware 16 Space 51’s keyboard is just a little particular—or at the very least it was on the configuration I reviewed. Whereas the bottom mannequin has a typical keyboard with scissor change keys, the Space 51 I reviewed had CherryMX ultra-low-profile mechanical key switches (a $50 non-compulsory improve).

I like this keyboard. It’s crisp, taut, snappy, and fast. Keys activate easily however backside with a definitive tactile motion and an audible snap. I might in all probability go together with these switches for my desktop keyboard—on a laptop computer, they’re spectacular.

The keyboard format is spacious. That’s partly as a result of it lacks a numpad, which leaves loads of house for the remainder of the keyboard. The palm rests are additionally beneficiant. RGB-LED lighting is commonplace for all Space 51 fashions and will be custom-made per-key.

Whereas the Space 51’s keyboard is top-notch, its touchpad shouldn’t be. It’s tiny, measuring about 4 and a half inches large by two and a half deep. That doesn’t depart a lot room for multi-touch gestures. The floor is RGB-LED backlit and lights up when touched, which is enjoyable, but it surely’s in any other case an underwhelming expertise.

Alienware 16 Space 51: Show

Foundry / Matthew Smith

You should buy the Alienware 16 Space 51 with one in every of two show choices, each of which give 2560×1600 decision and a 240Hz refresh charge. 

The inexpensive possibility makes use of an IPS panel that lacks HDR however has Nvidia G-Sync with Superior Optimus. Alternatively, you may improve to an OLED panel that helps HDR and Nvidia G-Sync however lacks Optimus. The OLED panel improve is at the moment linked to the Intel Core Extremely 9 290HX Plus processor. If all different specs are the identical, selecting the OLED panel and the 290HX Plus provides $350 to the worth tag. 

I like the OLED shows, although not only for the same old causes. Sure, it has excellent distinction, vivid shade, and excellent movement readability—all of which is typical for OLED. What I actually like, although, is the semi-gloss end. That is unusual for an OLED show on a laptop computer, and it makes the show quite a bit simpler to view in a shiny room. With that mentioned, the anti-glare end reduces the perceived distinction (although it nonetheless seems to be nice). This is because of how ambient gentle is subtle throughout the show.

One extra factor to notice in regards to the OLED show is that it lacks assist for switchable graphics. Which means the highly effective Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 may also be lively and, as I’ll focus on within the battery part, that’s unhealthy information for battery life. If you’d like your gaming laptop computer to even be transportable—maybe you’re a scholar or a work-from-home skilled—the IPS show may be a greater choose.

Alienware 16 Space 51: Audio

Each Alienware 16 Space 51 has a four-speaker sound system with a pair of two-watt tweeters and a pair of two-watt woofers. The audio system are primarily directed in direction of the person, which gives a transparent path for the sound and prevents it from turning into muddled if the laptop computer is used on a softer floor. The audio system supply wonderful quantity and a transparent, crisp presentation with some low-end oomph. Although they gained’t please audiophiles, the audio system are nice for a gaming laptop computer and I anticipate most homeowners might be proud of them.

Alienware 16 Space 51: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

A 1080p webcam is packed within the Alienware 16 Space 51’s high bezel. It gives a pointy picture with good shade replica, although it usually seems to be a bit grainy. The microphones, in the meantime, seize clear audio with good quantity and reject tender to reasonable background noise.

Biometric login is supported by an IR digital camera that can be utilized for Home windows Whats up facial recognition. The function is quick, dependable, and can be utilized even in a darkish room. A fingerprint reader shouldn’t be obtainable.

Alienware 16 Space 51: Connectivity

Alienware packs cutting-edge connectivity in high-end configurations of the 16-inch Space 51. This contains two Thunderbolt 5 ports. Each of those ports assist 80Gbps knowledge transfers, DisplayPort video output, and energy supply with as much as 130 watts in and 15 watts out. These are extraordinarily succesful ports and their inclusion means the laptop computer can deal with a variety of shows, storage units, and different peripherals—it doesn’t get higher than this.

The Thunderbolt 5 ports are backed up by three USB-A ports. It’s good to see this variety of USB-A ports included. It means you may connect a USB-A wired keyboard, mouse, and gamepad without delay. 

Extra bodily connectivity contains HDMI 2.1, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and a full-sized SD card.

Wi-fi connectivity can also be strong, because the laptop computer helps Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. At this value, I’d anticipate the Space 51 to assist trendy wi-fi requirements (as do opponents), but it surely’s good to see that Alienware didn’t maintain again on this space.

Alienware 16 Space 51: Efficiency

The Alienware 16-inch Space 51 I acquired had the Intel Core Extremely 9 290HX Plus. That is Intel’s flagship cell gaming and workstation processor. It delivers 24 cores, eight of that are efficiency cores and 16 of that are environment friendly cores, with a most Turbo frequency of 5.5GHz.

Alienware paired the beefy Intel processor with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5080. The laptop computer delivers as much as 175 watts of energy to the GPU, which must be excellent news for gaming efficiency. The Space 51 I examined additionally had 32GB of DDR5-6400 reminiscence and a 2TB PCIe 5.0 strong state drive.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

We begin off with PCMark 10, a holistic system benchmark, and—holy smokes, the Space 51 is quick on this check. The Space 51’s rating of 11,538 is a brand new document and beats most related laptops by over 1,000 factors.

As a result of it is a holistic check, it advantages from good efficiency throughout all elements of the laptop computer. The Space 51 configuration I examined is effectively balanced on this regard. The CPU and GPU are each quick and supported by a wholesome quantity of RAM and a speedy PCIe 5.0 strong state drive. Mixed, this offers the Space 51 a snug lead.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Subsequent up is Cinebench 2024, a closely multi-threaded CPU benchmark. The Space 51 as soon as once more delivers a implausible rating on this check, although it falls only a couple dozen factors in need of setting a document. Nonetheless, that is clearly a implausible consequence and signifies the Space 51 will churn via closely multi-threaded CPU duties with ease.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Handbrake, our different CPU check, tells an identical story. This check includes transcoding a feature-length movie at 1080p decision. Amazingly, the Space 51 is ready to accomplish that in simply over six minutes—one other document consequence.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Clearly, the Space 51 I examined is a standout in terms of CPU efficiency. However what in regards to the GPU? Whereas it does present Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5080, the Space 51 is priced in territory the place RTX 5090 laptops are typically obtainable.

Nonetheless, 3DMark reveals that that is much less of an issue than it could at first seem. The RTX 5090 cell is technically a extra succesful GPU than the RTX 5080 cell, however in actuality the latter can usually go toe-to-toe with its large brother. This comes all the way down to the facility and thermal constraints of contemporary laptops. 

Understand that the Space 51 is out there with an RTX 5090, too. I’d anticipate it to be at the very least just a little faster than the RTX 5080, although by how a lot I can’t say.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is an odd case, as a result of the Space 51 doesn’t carry out in addition to can be anticipated on this machine. The extent of efficiency appears to counsel a CPU bottleneck, although that shouldn’t be the case given how briskly the processor is. In any case, this may grow to be an outlier.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Metro Exodus places the Space 51 again in its anticipated place, because it manages to fall in proper behind the MSI Raider 16 Max HX, which has the identical CPU and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090. There’s additionally a big and really impactful hole between the Space 51 and fewer performant programs with RTX 5070/5070 Ti graphics.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Shifting on to Cyberpunk 2077, we once more see the Space 51 carry out effectively, although the outcomes fluctuate. The 1080p consequence with out ray tracing engaged reveals consequence, however not an incredible one. This makes me suppose as soon as once more that we now have a CPU bottleneck. 

Trying on the ray traced consequence, nevertheless, we see the Space 51 once more performs effectively. The efficiency hole between the RTX 5070/5070 Ti programs and the Space 51 with RTX 5080 is far bigger than the hole between the Space 51 with RTX 5080 and the MSI Raider 16 Max HX with RTX 5090. In different phrases, you’ll get much more on your cash with the improve from RTX 5070 to RTX 5080 than you do with the improve from RTX 5080 to RTX 5090.

Alienware 16 Space 51: Battery life and portability

The Alienware 16 Space 51 that I reviewed was a closely upgraded mannequin, and one specific improve has a giant unfavorable impression on battery life: the OLED show. That’s as a result of the Space 51 with the IPS show has switchable graphics, whereas the mannequin with the OLED show doesn’t.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Because the graph reveals, this makes for somewhat dire battery life regardless of the Space 51’s giant 96 watt-hour battery. The laptop computer fell in need of three hours of battery life in PCWorld’s battery check, which loops a 4K file of the quick movie Tears of Metal. And this, thoughts you, was with the Battery energy profile engaged.

Whereas this result’s quick, it’s not mysterious. The Space 51 has a strong but additionally power-hungry Intel processor paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 with a graphics energy of 175 watts. Alienware says whole system energy draw is as much as 240 watts for the Space 51. Even a bigger battery can’t stand as much as that, notably when a laptop computer doesn’t present the choice to disable the Nvidia GPU and fall again to built-in graphics.

Alienware 16 Space 51: Conclusion

The Alienware 16 Space 51 is an impressively highly effective laptop computer that delivers throughout a number of elements of efficiency. It has an unbelievable CPU, a good GPU, a wholesome quantity of RAM and a quick strong state drive. The mannequin I reviewed additionally had an exquisite OLED show and a mechanical keyboard. 

Sadly, the Space 51 with the OLED show additionally struggles with quick battery life, and the laptop computer’s design is a bit drab contemplating its value. Nonetheless, for those who care extra about efficiency than portability or seems to be, the Space 51 is a implausible alternative—each for gaming and for any workload that requires a beefy CPU.