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The Alienware Aurora R15, which starts at $1,399, is a great gaming PC that is better than its predecessors in a few key ways. It has the most powerful parts you can buy packed into an attractive, easy-to-open case. Even though the chassis looks a lot like the Legend 2.0 case that launched with the Aurora R13 last year.
Alienware says it has been redesigned to run cooler and quieter, which is what we found when we put our review unit through its paces. But case design is surprisingly important when it comes to choosing the best gaming PC for you. This is because PCs’ insides are usually very changeable, so this isn’t a good way to tell them apart.
Alienware Aurora R15 specifications
Specification | Description |
---|---|
Processor | Intel Core i7-7700K (4.2GHz) |
Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti |
Memory | 16GB DDR4 |
Storage | 2TB HDD + 256GB SSD |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet |
Ports | USB 3.0, USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, headphone/mic jack |
Dimensions | 472.52mm x 212mm x 360.50mm |
Weight | 22.9 pounds |
Alienware Aurora R15: Design

When you look closer, you’ll see that Alienware has redesigned the case to improve airflow. For example, they punched some hexagonal holes in the side and added five 120mm case fans to high-end models with Intel CPUs that end in “K,” which means they can be overclocked. The company also changed the design of the processor and moved some parts around inside the case to make room for today’s powerful GPUs and make sure the R15 runs cooler and quieter. You can buy this Alienware Aurora R15 from its official website
Ports and Upgradeability
The Aurora R15 from Alienware has all the ports a PC gamer could want, some of which are located on the front and the rest on the back. If you prefer not to put your gaming rig on the floor, you may be disappointed to learn that this PC lacks any top-mounted connections.
The simplicity of being able to plug in devices through the front of the R15’s case is unrivaled, even if doing so does slightly detract from the design. There is a headphone jack and three USB-C ports (two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port with PowerShare (meaning the port continues to supply power to connected devices even when the PC is turned off), and one USB-C Gen 2 port with PowerShare) on the front of the laptop.
Alienware Aurora R15: High-end gaming

The RTX 4090 is the best graphics card currently available, and it performs exceptionally well with the Aurora R15. Red Dead Redemption 2 shows that the Aurora R15 can outperform a bespoke RTX 4090 desktop when paired with an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X.
The same held true, albeit to a lesser extent, in Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Both the Alienware Aurora R15’s processor and Dell’s superior thermal management are likely contributing to the improved performance.
Alienware Aurora R15: Performance
With a Core i9-13900K and 64GB of DDR5 RAM, as well as Alienware’s improved cooling, I anticipated brisk productive performance. Single-core performance for the Aurora was 2,176 on Geekbench 5, while multi-core performance was 22,813.
The MSI Infinite RS 13th, which has the same CPU as the winner but 32GB of RAM, achieved a single-core victory by a single point and a multi-core victory by a significant margin (23,752). The Core i9-12900K-powered HP Omen 45L from the previous generation achieved 1,912 on a single core and 15,924 on a multi-core benchmark.
Final Words
The Alienware Aurora R15 is a true next-generation gaming personal computer that, in its most powerful version, comes equipped with both a 13th-generation Core i9 CPU and the RTX 4090 GPU. When you combine that with a cooling system that is absolutely monstrous, there is no PC game that you won’t be able to run with ease.
Alienware Aurora R15 review: THE GOOD AND THE BAD
The Good
- Easy to open, plenty of ports
- Stays cool and quiet under load
The Bad
- Very expensive
FAQS
Even with top-of-the-line gear like the RTX 4090, you can still make upgrades. The CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage are all easy to swap out.
On January 5, the new Alienware Aurora R15 units will be available for as little as US$1,750. On the Alienware Aurora R15 desktop, you can choose from the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X to the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which is the whole Zen 4 stack.