The Alienware Aurora R16 is the latest model in the Aurora line of gaming PCs, following the previously released Alienware Aurora R15. But instead of refreshing it with minimal changes to its design and specs, Dell completely revamped it for a more professional fit while still maintaining its gaming performance.
The exterior is the biggest difference between the R15 and R16, with the latter sporting a more office-ready black rectangular case and a touch of RGB lighting that gives it a touch of color. According to Dell, there’s about a 40% decrease in total volume over the R15, as well as an overall 20% quieter system, up to 10% lower CPU, and 6% lower GPU temperatures.
Another major benefit the Aurora R16 has over the Aurora R15 is the price difference. The latter was a high-end gaming PC and it showed in the pricing, which could reach over $5,000. But the former on average is $800 cheaper with a similar configuration.
For example, the Aurora R16 review unit sent to us features an Intel Core i7-13700F processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 12GB GDRR6 graphics card, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD of storage, and is priced at $1,899. The Aurora R15 with the same configuration costs $2,719.99. A huge difference in MSRP, making the R16 a mid-range option with the same specs.
Alienware will also host a Twitch livestream on August 3, 2023 at 11 AM ET, if you want to find out more about the Aurora R16.
A bold move from Alienware
It’s interesting to see Dell branch out into a more diverse market using its hardcore gaming Alienware brand. At first, it seems odd, as Dell has plenty of other PC models that are tailor-made for a more professional setting.
However, when you consider that the PC gaming market hasn’t been faring particularly well and has faced its steepest slump in over 20 years, something that even Dell warned would continue to trend in 2023, it makes sense that the manufacturer would inject life into its gaming brand by introducing it to a market that could end up being quite lucrative.
Gaming PCs thrive in their specialty, which is offering exceptional gaming performance for hardcore and professional gamers while allowing said gamers to upgrade their internal components. But thanks to strong specs and performance, gaming PCs can also double as excellent productivity and creative or editing machines. And those roles are perfect for office workers, who often are saddled with underperforming desktops.
Of course, we’ll see how effective this is, but it’s a bold and smart move from Dell. Let's hope it pans out for Alienware.
