I love quirky gaming PCs, but the Alienware Aurora R16 is a rig that’s designed to shake off any weird kid allegations. Unlike its R15 predecessor, Dell’s latest system has ditched the Portal turret getup and instead wears a sleek little black case that embodies conventional efficiency rather than eye-catching aesthetics. Is that ultimately a good thing? Absolutely, but I can’t help but feel that many players looking for an oddball gaming machine will end up eyeing other brands.
With prices starting at $1,249.99 / £1,149.99, The Alienware Aurora R16 is pretty approachable. At least, it is if you’re looking for a low-key machine, as the RTX 4090 model I’ve been testing comes in at a whopping £4,179.00 / $4,694.99. There’s no getting around the fact that’s a lot of money to pay for a rig, even if it will produce fantastic results in even the most demanding new releases. Normally, I’d take that fact for what it is, but with Dell stripping back its latest system to what is essentially a black box with some complicated, proprietary innards, the new best Alienware gaming PC contender on the block is a harder sell.
