Alienware's Area-51 Now Supports RTX 5090 Graphics Card
Earlier this year, Dell gave the iconic Alienware Area-51 lineup of prebuilt gaming PCs a well-deserved refresh, but until recently, you could only configure it with one graphics card option—the RTX 5080. That limitation is no longer in place. Starting today, you can equip your Alienware Area-51 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU and, finally, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, all starting at $5,499.99. Even better, you won’t have to wait months for your system to arrive; Dell estimates an early April ship date.
Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Prebuilt Gaming PCs Are Now Available
New Release
Alienware Area-51 Intel Core Ultra 9 285K RTX 5090 Gaming PC (32GB/2TB)
$5,499.99 at Alienware
The $5,500 config might be the "base" configuration for an Alienware Area-51 gaming PC equipped with a 5090 GPU, but at that price, I’d still expect stacked specs—and this configuration delivers. It’s equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU, 32GB of DDR5-6400MHz RAM, and a 2TB NVMe SSD. The Core Ultra 9 285K is Intel’s latest flagship CPU, offering stellar workstation and gaming performance. While it doesn’t quite match the performance uplift we hoped for from the i9-14900K, right now, it’s the best Intel has to offer. The processor is cooled by a massive 360mm all-in-one liquid cooler, and the system is generously powered by a 1,500W 80Plus Platinum-rated power supply.
New for 2025: The Alienware Area-51 Chassis
Dell unveiled the revamped Alienware Area-51 gaming PC at CES 2025. The chassis looks similar to the 2024 R16 model but features aesthetic and cooling redesigns along with updated components. The I/O panel is now positioned at the top of the case instead of the front, and the tempered glass window now spans the entire side panel rather than just a smaller cutout. As a result, the side panel vents are gone, and air intakes are located at the bottom and the front of the case. Alienware is now pushing a positive airflow design (more intake than exhaust airflow), which means a less dusty interior. The internal components have been refreshed with a new motherboard, faster RAM, and a more powerful power supply to accommodate the new generation of CPUs and GPUs.
The RTX 5090: The Most Powerful Graphics Card Ever
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 has become the most powerful consumer GPU on the market. While Nvidia has focused heavily on software updates, AI features, and DLSS 4 technology to enhance gameplay performance, the 5090 still boasts an impressive 25%-30% improvement in pure hardware-based raster performance over the RTX 4090. Additionally, the 5090 has more (32GB vs 24GB) and faster (GDDR7 vs GDDR6) VRAM compared to the 4090. This GPU is extremely hard to find at its retail price and is currently selling for $3,500-$4,000 on eBay.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 FE Review by Jackie Thomas
“The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 has officially taken the performance crown from the RTX 4090, but with less force than previous generations. In traditional non-AI gaming, the RTX 5090 provides one of the smallest generational uplifts in recent memory. However, in games that support it, DLSS 4 really does deliver massive performance gains—you just have to accept that 75% of the frames are generated with AI.”
Check out more of the best Dell and Alienware gaming deals of 2025.
Some Other 5090 Prebuilt Alternatives:
Amazon lists a couple of Skytech-branded RTX 5090 gaming PCs for an even more attractive price point of $4,799.99 shipped. Note that these don’t ship out immediately. They’re equipped with capable AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processors, which perform nearly as well in terms of gaming, though they fall behind slightly when it comes to workstation performance.
Skytech Prism 4 AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D RTX 5090 Gaming PC with 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD
$4,799.99 at Amazon
Skytech Legacy AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D RTX 5090 Gaming PC (32GB/2TB)
$4,799.99 at Amazon
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