Alienware 18 Area-51 vs Dell XPS 16 (9640)
64.4Performance42.4
64.1Display38.4
94.7Battery99.3
23.6Portability51.3
7 spec wins — Alienware 18 Area-513 spec wins — Dell XPS 16 (9640)
InnoReviews verdict
Alienware 18 Area-51 wins this laptop face-off, 63.6 to 55.5, pulling ahead mainly in display (+26) and performance (+22). Dell XPS 16 (9640) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Alienware 18 Area-51
- Stronger performance score: 64 vs 42
- Stronger display score: 64 vs 38
- 177% higher charging: 360 W vs 130 W
- 150% higher Refresh rate: 300 Hz vs 120 Hz
- 100% higher RAM: 32 GB vs 16 GB
Reasons to pick the Dell XPS 16 (9640)
- Stronger battery score: 99 vs 95
- Stronger portability score: 51 vs 24
- 48% lower weight: 2.13 kg vs 4.12 kg
- 23% lower thickness: 18.7 mm vs 24.3 mm
- Lower launch price: $1,899 vs $3,400
Display
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 18 ″+10% | 16.3 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS LCD | IPS (4K OLED touch optional) |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 | 1920x1200 |
| Refresh rate | 300 Hz+150% | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (RTX 5060, RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5090 optional) | Intel Arc (RTX 4050/4060/4070 optional) |
| RAM | 32 GB+100% | 16 GB |
| RAM type | DDR5-6400 (SODIMM) | LPDDR5X-6400 (soldered) |
| Storage | 1,024 GB+100% | 512 GB |
| Storage type | M.2 NVMe SSD (PCIe 4.0/5.0) | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,057+26%Top 20% | 2,418Bottom 22% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 19,869+45%Top 14% | 13,656Top 47% |
Battery
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 96 Wh | 100 Wh+4% |
| Charging | 360 W+177% | 130 W |
Design
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 4.12 kg | 2.13 kg+48% |
| Thickness | 24.3 mm | 18.7 mm+23% |
| Material | Anodized aluminum | CNC aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 5 (DisplayPort 2.1, Power Delivery; Thunderbolt 4 on RTX 5070 and below), 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, 5Gbps RJ-45, SD card reader, 3.5mm audio jack | 3x Thunderbolt 4, microSD, 3.5mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Webcam | 1080p + IR camera (4K option) | 1080p + IR |
| Biometrics | IR face (Windows Hello) | Fingerprint reader (power button), IR face (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Alienware 18 Area-51 | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
Related comparisons
Alienware 18 Area-51vs Framework Laptop 13 ProVSAlienware 18 Area-51vs ASUS TUF Gaming F16 (2025)VSAlienware 18 Area-51vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025) GU605VSAlienware 18 Area-51vs ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2025)VSDell XPS 16 (9640)vs ASUS TUF Gaming 16 (2026)VSDell XPS 16 (9640)vs Dell XPS 13 (9350)VSDell XPS 16 (9640)vs Dell XPS 16 (2026)VSDell XPS 16 (9640)vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition)VS