I just tried Alienware’s new 18-inch RTX 5090 gaming laptop — and it’s ridiculous in the best way possible

I’ve covered news about 18-inch gaming laptops over the years, but I’ve never actually tested one for review. That ends now, as the gargantuan Alienware 18 Area-51 Gaming Laptop has just landed on my desk.

I briefly got to see this beast at a pre-CES event last year, but having it in my office lets me truly appreciate this laptop’s enormity. It really is stunning (and intimidating) up close.

I’ll have a full written review for you soon, but right now, I wanted to share my first impressions of the Alienware 18 Area-51 Gaming Laptop. This includes not just my initial thoughts on its size, but its gaming performance.

Size matters

The Alienware 18 Area-51 is basically a larger version of the Alienware 16 Area-51 I reviewed. Like that laptop, this 18-inch model features a Liquid Teal finish on its anodized aluminum chassis that gives it a dark iridescent sheen that shifts colors when viewed under different lighting conditions. There’s also RGB lighting on the back that mimics the motions of the aurora borealis and a clear glass window on the bottom that lets you see inside.

At 16.1 x 12.5 x 0.9 and 9.5 pounds, this Alienware laptop is an absolute monster. It makes its 16-inch counterpart seem tiny and lighter in comparison. Due to its size and weight, this machine is effectively a desktop. That might not be ideal if you want to travel with the Alienware 18, but its large size is also beneficial.

For instance, that huge 18-inch display, with its 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and 300Hz refresh rate, lets you see every minute detail in the games you’re playing. Websites and videos also look quite good, even if the panel isn’t an OLED. With such a spacious display, it’s easy to keep multiple tabs open on the screen, which definitely serves to make this hulking thing a true desktop replacement.

Speaking of big, I’m already in love with the roomy keyboard. Not only do my large hands have plenty of room to move, but the keys have Cherry MX mechanical switches, which make them a dream to type on. Like the Alienware 16 Area-51, the keys are clicky without being annoyingly loud, and the huge touchpad is smooth and responsive.

Stellar performance

Though I just received the Alienware 18 Area-51, our lab testers have already run the laptop through our slew of performance benchmarks. Given its Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, 64GB of RAM and 2TB SSD, I’m not surprised that this laptop delivers outstanding performance.

In our lab tests, we run several titles through their respective built-in benchmark tool with games set to maximum graphical settings and 4K resolution. As you can see, the Alienware 18 Area-51 can run games like Doom: The Dark Ages, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2 at well above 60 frames per second.

I ran a quick test on Cyberpunk 2077, which is one of the most graphically demanding games out there, and the Alienware 18 Area-51 had no trouble running the game at around 65 frames per second on the ray tracing overdrive graphical setting. I’ll do more thorough testing, but so far, these results are promising.

Naturally, you can get better performance results at lower graphical settings and resolution, not to mention enabling DLSS, which is Nvidia’s frame-boosting technology. Regardless, this laptop won’t disappoint when it comes to performance.

Outlook

I’ll need more hands-on time with the Alienware 18 Area-51 before delivering my final thoughts, but right now, it’s one of the most impressive gaming laptops I’ve tested.

Like I said, it’s basically a suped-up version of the Alienware 16 Area-51, both in terms of size and specs. Given how much I like that 16-inch laptop, I expect I’ll dig its larger cousin just as much… if not more.

My Alienware 18 Area-51 review will be in soon, so stay tuned for that in the coming days!

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Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.