With the RTX 50-Series firmly settling onto the shelves, older RTX 4090 machines are looking particularly strong for value. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Dell's latest Memorial Day sales, which has chopped $900 off the final price of the brand's premium Alienware x16 R2 gaming laptop.
This is a luxury slimline chassis, but it's still excellent value at $2,699.99 (was $3,599.99) at Dell. You're getting an Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor for that price, a pairing that will typically cost you between $3,000 and £3,500 even when the best gaming laptops are on sale. I rarely see RTX 4090 gaming laptop deals straying this far into the $2,000s, and considering the x16 R2 has a reputation for its high price today's Memorial Day deal is particularly surprising.
For reference, Dell is also discounting its brand new Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptops ahead of Memorial Day, but an RTX 5080 configuration is still going to cost you $3,299.99 (was $3,599.99) for a weaker graphics card overall. Yes, the chunkier design and DLSS features mean that RTX 5080 could stretch a little further than the RTX 4090 under the hood here, but you're spending $600 more on a rig with a lower-class GPU.
Should you buy the Alienware x16 R2?
The Alienware x16 R2 isn't without its faults, but at $2,699.99 it's far easier to recommend to a wider market. This is a super slimline machine, which is one of the reasons it's one of the best Alienware laptops on the market. Right off the bat, it's going to suit anyone who transports their laptop regularly - far more so than thicker Area-51 or M-Series options. That rear cooling shelf does make finding a backpack a little tricky, but I was able to comfortably transport the rig in a larger bag and the thin profile saves plenty of space by itself.
I tested an RTX 4080 configuration, which middled in its performance compared to other, chunkier, builds. That's likely down to the slimline design. You're always going to sacrifice a little power when you opt for a more portable chassis, but if you're after a machine that isn't going to break your back it's a trade-off well worth making. Plus, this rig packs an RTX 4090 card under the hood, so you'll still be covered for high-settings gameplay at speedy framerates.
Overall, I'd recommend the Alienware x16 R2 to anyone looking for performance value among high-end cards while still being able to cart their machine from place to place. RTX 50-Series rigs aren't looking too great from a price-performance ratio when it comes to native rendering, so it's these older releases that are taking the top spot for sheer cost-effectiveness.
I'm also rounding up all the best Asus gaming laptops I've tested, as well as the best Razer laptops for a look at the wider market. Or check out the best gaming PCs available for a more permanent setup.
