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Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) vs MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W

Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)
64.8Inno Score
VS
WINNER
MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
64.9Inno Score
61.6Performancespec-basedchip68.5
97.5Graphics87.6
55.5Displayspec-based55
94.7Batteryspec-based73.3
20Portabilityspec-based42.3
4 spec wins — Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)2 spec wins — MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W

InnoReviews verdict

This one is close to a dead heat: Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) scores 64.8 against 64.9 for MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W. Pick by the categories that matter to you, or by price.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)

  • Stronger graphics score: 98 vs 88
  • 62% higher 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (GPU): 22,099 vs 13,644
  • 50% higher charging: 360 W vs 240 W
  • 45% higher Refresh rate: 240 Hz vs 165 Hz
  • 20% higher capacity: 96 Wh vs 80 Wh

Reasons to pick the MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W

  • 35% lower weight: 2.2 kg vs 3.4 kg
  • 16% lower thickness: 23.9 mm vs 28.5 mm
  • Lower launch price: $2,599 vs $3,200

Display

Display comparison: Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) versus MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
SpecAlienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
Screen size16 ″16 ″
Panel typeIPSOLED
Resolution2560x16002560x1600
Refresh rate240 Hz+45%165 Hz
Peak brightness500 nits—

Performance

Performance comparison: Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) versus MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
SpecAlienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
ProcessorIntel Core Ultra 9 275HXIntel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 LaptopNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU
RAM32 GB32 GB
RAM typeDDR5-6400 (2x SO-DIMM)DDR5
Storage1,024 GB1,024 GB
Storage typePCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (3 M.2 slots)PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) versus MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
SpecAlienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
Geekbench 6 (single)2,925Top 28%—
Geekbench 6 (multi)18,978Top 17%—
3DMark Time Spy Graphics (GPU)22,099+62%Top 9%13,644Top 31%

Battery

Battery comparison: Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) versus MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
SpecAlienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
Capacity96 Wh+20%80 Wh
Charging360 W+50%240 W

Design

Design comparison: Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) versus MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
SpecAlienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
Weight3.4 kg2.2 kg+35%
Thickness28.5 mm23.9 mm+16%

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) versus MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
SpecAlienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
Ports2x Thunderbolt 5 (DisplayPort 2.1, Power Delivery), 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, SD card reader, 3.5mm combo jack3x USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen2 (DisplayPort, PD 3.0), 1x Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort, PD 3.1), HDMI 2.1, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm combo jack
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth5.4—
Webcam1080p or 4K (8MP) with IR720p HD
BiometricsIR face (Windows Hello)—

Software

Software comparison: Alienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250) versus MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
SpecAlienware 16 Area-51 (AA16250)MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2W
Operating systemWindows 11 HomeWindows 11 Home

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