Alienware 16 Area-51 review: A fully retooled gaming mothership

Alienware is at its best when it makes no-holds-barred gaming machines that are big on style and performance. By reviving an iconic nameplate and combining it with an all-new design packing some seriously intergalactic vibes, the Alienware 16 Area-51 laptop is just that. Sure, it's so big and heavy that you won't want to move it around very often. And battery life be damned, because if you aren't plugged in, you probably aren't pushing those pixels hard enough. But if you're in the market for a classic desktop-replacement gaming notebook with flagship specs and an unmistakable aesthetic, this rig represents a beastly return to form.

• Unique design
• Strong performance
• Clicky mechanical keyboard
• Lots of ports

• Pricey
• Big and heavy
• More display options would be nice

Design: A revamped spaceship

Alienware's industrial design is so far out there that its systems have almost ...