Smaller, cooler Alienware Aurora R16 is ready to play

You won’t need a desk the size of Area 51 to find room for Alienware’s latest gaming PC: the Aurora R16 has shrunk its external volume by a whopping 40% over the outgoing R15 version, while keeping its internal capacity unchanged to leave room for the latest Intel and Nvidia hardware. Cooling hasn’t been compromised, though – it’ll actually chill those components more effectively, meaning quieter gaming sessions.

The Aurora R16 desktop inherits Alienware’s Legend 3 design language, first seen on the latest-gen X- and M-series laptops introduced earlier this year. The old, angular styling has been replaced with a more traditional form factor, helping drop the external volume from 61 litres to just 36 litres, while keeping the internal volume at 25.2 litres.

A redesigned top air intake, larger front vent and new RGB-illuminated Stadium Loop side intake have improved airflow so much that Alienware reckons the new system is 20% quieter than the old one, with up to 10% lower CPU temps and 6% lower GPU temps. Add in the optional clear side panel and this is definitely a machine meant to be seen from the side, rather than hidden away under a desk.

Other tweaks include better cable management routed behind the motherboard, and a minimum of two 120mm chassis fans. The system will launch with a 240mm AiO water cooler, with air-cooled models expected to follow later.

Depending on how much cash you’re willing to splash, the Aurora R16 can be outfitted with 12th or 13th-gen Intel CPUs, Nvidia RTX 40 series graphics cards, as much as 64GB of DDR5 memory, up to 8TB of SSD storage (plus an optional 1TB hard disk) and 80 Plus Platinum-rated power supplies up to 1000W.

It’ll be the first machine to launch with the latest version of Alienware’s Command Center software, which should make controlling all those RGB lights a little easier.

The Alienware Aurora R16 is only destined for the US and Canada right now, with other territories set to follow later. Prices are set to kick off from US$1750 / CA$2300 for a system headlined by a Core i7-13700F CPU and Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card.

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A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews. When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.