Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Alienware Aurora R16 Desktop Pros
Slick and fairly compact design
Largely quiet even under load
Tool-less access and parts abound
Nice I/O
Cons
Underwhelming performance for the price
Proprietary as can be
Likely a dust magnet
Alienware has never been known for its value. It has always had more going on with style and performance. The Alienware Aurora R16 desktop fits that mold with a curious design that eschews a lot of typical approaches to PC building in favor of something a bit offbeat. It’s not as wild as the Aurora R15 externally, but it’s still a curious sight. As for performance, the Alienware Aurora R16 has plenty. The airflow might be a little confusing, and regular dusting will probably be high on the maintenance list, but the Aurora R16 can deliver where speed is concerned. That said, it’s not exactly punching above its weight. That’s especially true as configured here for $2,365 with just an RTX 4070 inside. However, that is paired with a monster of an Intel Core i9-14900KF. That’s not the most sensible pairing, as it goes a little CPU-heavy. Consider that Lenovo’s Tower 7i Gen 8 is only slightly more, at $2,549, with the same CPU, beefier liquid cooling, fewer proprietary parts and most importantly, an RTX 4080 Super. With a choice between the two, I wouldn’t even hesitate to opt for Lenovo’s far more value-minded option. Alienware Aurora R16 Specs Price as reviewed $2,365Size 38-liter custom (16.5 x 7.8 x 18.1 in/418 x 197 x 458 mm)Motherboard Alienware 0RF96M Z690 customCPU 3.2GHz Intel Core i9-14900KFMemory 32GB DDR5-5600Graphics NVIDIA RTX 4070Storage 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD (boot) (SK Hynix PC801)Networking GbE, Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675x 802.11AX, Bluetooth 5.3Connections USB 2.0 (x2 rear), USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (x3 front, x2 rear), USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (x1 front, x1 rear), USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (x1 rear), 3.5mm audio connector (x1 front, x6 rear), Optical SPDIF, Coaxial SPDIF, Gigabit Ethernet, Antenna x2, HDMI (x1 on GPU), DisplayPort (x3 on GPU)Operating system Windows 11 Pro The Alienware Aurora R16 starts at $1,344. This gets you an air-cooled Intel Core i7-14700F, Nvidia RTX 4060, 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory, 1TB of NVMe storage, a 500-watt 80 Plus Platinum power supply, Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 and no peripherals. From there, Alienware offers a ton of upgrade options. Before we get into that, however, it’s worth noting that as of this writing, Nvidia’s new 50-series cards are available and should find their way into the Aurora soon enough. The exact build of our test PC might not be available. So the pricing below, accurate as of this writing, will likely be different by the time you read this. It should give you a general idea about the R16’s value and other upgrade options, though. With that in mind, you can get a selection of Intel CPUs, including the Core i7-14700F, -14700KF, i9-14900F, -14900KF and even a 13th-Gen i9-13900F. All of the K Series processors require upgrading to a 1,000-watt power supply and liquid cooling. On the GPU side, there’s everything available from an RTX 4060 Ti to an RTX 4090, with many steps in between. You can even go the AMD route with a Radeon RX 7900XTX. Everything above the RTX 4070 also requires upgrading the power supply to a 1,000-watt model. Mark Knapp/CNETDDR5 memory at 5600MT/s is available in 16GB or 32GB capacities and 64GB at 5200MT/s. Storage also comes in a wide range with 1, 2 and 4TB M.2 SSDs available to populate a single slot or both available slots. Alienware also offers a 7,200rpm hard drive with 1TB of storage. There’s both air cooling for the CPU or 120mm or 240mm radiators for liquid cooling. One liquid cooling option has AlienFX lighting, but that includes only a 500-watt power supply and 120mm radiator. Our test unit costs $2,364 as configured. Dell doesn’t offer this config with Windows 11 Pro but our test unit came with it instead of Windows 11 Home. If we were building one ourselves, and again this was before the 50-series GPUs became available, we’d opt for the RTX 4070 Super configuration since there was no additional charge at the time of this writing, or we’d spend the extra $100 for the 4070 Ti Super. The Intel Core i9-14900KF seemed a bit overkill when paired with an RTX 4070. Instead, we’d opt to save a little and get the cheaper Core i7-14700KF or even the air-cooled Core i7-14700F. Doing so would largely offset the cost of the faster video card. Generally speaking, while there were a plethora of upgrade options available, they quickly could balloon the price of the R16 to far above what a similarly- outfitted PC would be from a more value-oriented manufacturer. It’s just something to keep in mind. Speedy, but not exceedingly or class-leadingly Mark Knapp/CNETIn many ways, the Alienware Aurora R16 is a performance powerhouse. The processor included in our test unit is a proper beast, and even though the fans can ramp up a bit to keep it cool with just a single 240mm radiator, they don’t make much more than a calming hum while the Core i9 blasts through workloads. In Geekbench 6, it even zipped past the Core i9-14900KF inside the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 by a modest margin. However, the Lenovo came out ahead in the Cinebench R24, where its 360mm radiator likely helped keep up the sustained performance required for that test. The combined performance of the R16’s CPU and GPU, as well as its fast memory and storage, make it a force to be reckoned with in the holistic PCMark10 benchmark, where it hit a huge 9,778 points. So just about any everyday computing task thrown its way will be a breeze. Its gaming performance is predictably strong, with the RTX 4070 putting up solid numbers in our benchmark suite. Despite the graphics card being on the small side, it appears to get plenty of air from the one front intake fan and the side vents, which helped it keep heat down and speed up. There’s a good gap between it and the performance of the RTX 4060 in the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8 I tested, but it’s also a far cry from the Tower 7i Gen 8’s RTX 4080 Super. Mark Knapp/CNETThe system is able to put up triple-digit frame rates at 1080p easily enough, hitting a little over 200fps in Guardians of the Galaxy at High settings and in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at Highest settings. However, there’s still room for improvement. It underperformed in some areas next to the RTX 4070 FE in our tests of that card, which managed better results in 3DMark’s Port Royal Time Spy and Fire Strike Ultra benchmarks and The Riftbreaker’s GPU benchmark. On the plus side, the Alienware Aurora R16 can sustain its performance. Running 3DMark’s Steel Nomad stress test, which pushes the system with a demanding benchmark run 20 times in a row, the Alienware Aurora R16 passed with 99.1% consistency, seeing scores ranging from 3,610 to 3,644 with only light noise coming from the system. Some alien oddity inside to get a somewhat smaller outside Mark Knapp/CNETThe Alienware Aurora R16 is an interesting-looking machine. It’s not quite as out-there as the alien heads of yore, but it features a unique air channel at the front with a ring of RGB lighting that syncs with an exhaust fan in the back. The top of the system and half of the glass side panel both feature a lattice of honeycomb-shaped holes that provide stylish ventilation. Out in front, Alienware has an almost barren case except for the glowing Alienware logo that doubles as a power button, a recess with three USB-A ports, one USB-C port and a headphone combo jack. Those ports are complemented by a good collection of connections on the back: six USB-A and two USB-C ports (one clocking in at 20Gbps), plus surround-sound-ready audio ports, Wi-Fi antenna connections, Ethernet and the typical array of video outputs coming from the graphics card. The system isn’t massive, but it’s not exactly small either, at 16.5 by 7.8 by 18.1 inches. It fits neatly between the ATX-sized Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 and mATX Legion Tower 5i Gen 8 while being slightly narrower than both. However, where those two desktops conform to some standards, the Alienware Aurora R16 largely doesn’t. As the name might suggest, the inside of the Alienware Aurora R16 is truly alien. Having messed around with PCs a good bit, I felt like I wasn’t in Kansas anymore when I cracked open the case. It’s easy enough to get inside, with a quick-release glass side panel and toolless entry on the opposite side. That’s where the normality ends. The R16 has a custom motherboard, special power supply and all sorts of internal case accouterments. A bulky plastic bracket attaches to the single front case fan and seems to channel the air toward the graphics card while also slotting into a GPU support bracket. Another bracket attaches atop the PSU’s own cover, and it seems to simply serve as a plug for holding onto the ends of unused power connectors. Like the outside, a ton of parts inside use toolless attachments, which can be handy but may make upgrades and replacements difficult (apart from the part removal). Mark Knapp/CNETThe motherboard itself isn’t the usual ITX, mATX or ATX shape, instead stretching out horizontally about as much as an ATX board but only about as tall as an mATX. It’s not even rectangular: a section protrudes near the case’s front. Cables run in unexpected places and are unusual types. Upgrading or replacing components in this system looks like it might be a considerable headache outside of storage upgrades. Those, however, should be simple with a free M.2 2280 slot and a cage for a single 3.5-inch drive. Upgrading the GPU would require not only ensuring it’s short enough but also not too thick, as anything above a 2.5-slot thickness is liable to run into the PSU enclosure. It would also definitely call for a blower-style cooler. Memory upgrades are also a letdown, as there are only two slots, so you’d likely have to sacrifice the existing sticks rather than add to them. Then again, you may want to, since they’re unsightly sticks with no heat spreaders, just bare green PCB. With one intake fan, three exhaust fans and plenty of unfiltered inlets, the Alienware Aurora R16 is all but guaranteed to end up having negative pressure inside the case, which will suck in dust. I’d encourage regular cleaning, which the quick-release side panel thankfully makes easy. Overall, the Alienware Aurora R16 is an interesting system: powerful and attractive but also pricey, which is pretty standard for Alienware. With Nvidia’s RTX 50-series cards coming soon, you’ll probably want to hold off either for the latest CPU and GPU options or if the prices come down to clear out the remaining stock of the R16. Geekbench 6 (single-core) Alienware Aurora R16 3092Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 3062Dell XPS 8960 2948Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 2833HP Omen 35L 2656Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 2427Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 2273 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Geekbench 6 (multi-core) Alienware Aurora R16 19924Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 18735Dell XPS 8960 18699Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 16959HP Omen 35L 12745Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 12091Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 9947 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Cinebench 2024 GPU Dell XPS 8960 27034Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 26537HP Omen 35L 25725Alienware Aurora R16 18063Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 11444Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 10474Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 10038 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Cinebench 2024 CPU (multi-core) Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 1896Alienware Aurora R16 1806Dell XPS 8960 1554Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 1431HP Omen 35L 961Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 783Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 749 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
3DMark Steel Nomad Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 6636HP Omen 35L 6445Dell XPS 8960 5239Alienware Aurora R16 3659Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 2878Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 2366Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 2335 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 17565Dell XPS 8960 17525HP Omen 35L 16426Alienware Aurora R16 9927Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 7277Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 6232Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 6007 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
PCMark 10 Pro Edition Alienware Aurora R16 9778Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 9720Dell XPS 8960 9539HP Omen 35L 8732Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 8533Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 8128Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 7531 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Guardians of the Galaxy (High @1920 x 1080) Alienware Aurora R16 219Dell XPS 8960 213Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 207Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 184HP Omen 35L 146Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 144Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 129 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
The Riftbreaker GPU @1920 x 1080 Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 560Dell XPS 8960 550HP Omen 35L 523Alienware Aurora R16 354Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 269Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 243Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 235 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest @ 1920 x 1080) Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 255Dell XPS 8960 250Alienware Aurora R16 226Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 174HP Omen 35L 174Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 148Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 142 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
3DMark Port Royal Dell XPS 8960 18402Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 18139HP Omen 35L 17936Alienware Aurora R16 10736Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti 7868Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) 6186Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) 5985 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Systems configurations Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US) Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-144400F; 16GB DDR5 RAM; 8GB Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics; 1TB SSDDell XPS 8960 Microsoft Windows 11 Home;3.4GHz Intel Core i7-14700K; 21GB DDR5 RAM; 16GB Nvidia RTX 4080 Super graphics; 1TB SSDMinisforum AtomMan G7 Ti Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.2GHz Intel Core i9-14900HX; 32GB DDR5 5,600MHz RAM; 8GB Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics; 1TB SSDHP Omen 35L Microsoft Windows 11 Pro; 4.2GHz AMD Ryzen 7 8700G; 64GB DDR5 3,600MHz; 16GB Nvidia RTX 4080 Super graphics; 2TB SSD + 1TB SSDLenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 34IRZ8 Microsoft Windows11 Home; 3.2GHz Intel Core i9-14900KF; 32GB DDR5 4,400MHz RAM; 16GB Nvidia RTX 4080 Super graphics; 1TB SSDLenovo Legion Tower 5i 26IRB8 (90UT001AUS) Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-144400F; 16GB DDR5 5,600MHz RAM; 8GB Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics; 1TB SSDAlienware Aurora R16 Microsoft Windows Pro; 3.2GHz; 3.2GHz Intel Core i9-14900KF; 32GB DDR5 5,600MHz RAM; 12GB Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics; 1TB SSD
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