The Memorial Day deals in HotHardware’s May 25, 2024 roundup were temporary offers, not evidence of current pricing or stock. The selection ranged from high-end Alienware gaming desktops to Dell XPS systems and an 18-inch Alienware laptop; the reported prices below apply only to the configurations and promotion described at the time.
What the Memorial Day roundup covered
HotHardware’s May 25, 2024 article covered a Memorial Day weekend promotion on Dell and Alienware PCs. It included powerful gaming desktops, a more modest XPS desktop, and laptop offers spanning XPS, G16, and Alienware m18 models. The article’s listed prices are historical snapshots: they do not establish what Dell sells these systems for now, whether the configurations remain available, or whether a current listing is a comparable deal.
Reported desktop configurations and prices
| System | Configuration reported | Price in the May 2024 roundup |
|---|---|---|
| Alienware Aurora R15 | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, 32GB DDR5 memory, 2TB SSD | $2,749.99, described as $1,300 off |
| Dell XPS desktop | 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, 16GB DDR5 memory, 512GB SSD | $1,099.99; an optional liquid-cooling upgrade was an additional $50 |
| Alienware Aurora R16 | 14th Gen Intel Core i9, RTX 4090, 32GB DDR5 memory, 2TB SSD | $2,999.99 |
| Alienware Aurora R16 | Intel Core i9-14900F, RTX 4080 Super, 32GB DDR5 memory, 1TB SSD | $2,399.99 |
These are the configurations and amounts reported in the 2024 roundup, not current quotes. In particular, the Aurora R15’s stated discount compares with the reference price used in that promotion; it is not a measure of savings available today.
Reported Alienware m18 laptop offer
The roundup listed an Alienware m18 with an AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX, GeForce RTX 4070, 64GB DDR5 memory, 2TB SSD, and an 18-inch QHD+ display (2560 × 1600) with a 165Hz refresh rate for $1,999.99. That amount likewise describes the May 2024 promotion only.
#1 Best Overall
- Legend perfected: Modern design with a matte "basalt black" finish in an optimized chassis with customizable AlienFX lighting zones, including the striking stadium lighting.
- Game changing graphics: Step into the future of gaming and creation with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060Ti graphics, powered by NVIDIA Blackwell architecture.
- Marathon gaming unlocked: This high-performance technology ensures clean energy is consistently available, unleashing the top-level power of Intel Core Ultra processor 7 265F as you game, livestream, and multi-task for hours on end.
- Total command: Alienware Command Center software allows you to create and edit AlienFX lighting across the ecosystem, choose and monitor your performance mode across distinct power states, and create custom gaming profiles for your whole library.
- Dell Services: 1 Year Onsite Service provides support when and where you need it. Dell will come to your home, office, or location of choice, if an issue covered by Limited Hardware Warranty cannot be resolved remotely.
Other laptop families in the roundup
The article also mentioned offers on Dell’s XPS 16, XPS 17, XPS 14, and XPS 13 laptops, as well as the Dell G16. The available article details do not establish their specific configurations or prices here, so those models cannot be compared reliably against the named desktop and m18 configurations from the reported information alone.
How to interpret the product claims
HotHardware reported Dell’s claim that the Aurora R15 cooling system was “up to 12% quieter and 62% more performant than the previous gen.” It also quoted Dell describing the XPS desktop as “spaciously designed to maximize airflow and reduce noise.” These are manufacturer claims relayed in the article, not independent measurements or a direct performance comparison.
Rank #2
- Legend perfected: Modern design with a matte "basalt black" finish in an optimized chassis with customizable AlienFX lighting zones, including the striking stadium lighting.
- Game changing graphics: Step into the future of gaming and creation with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 graphics, powered by NVIDIA Blackwell architecture.
- Marathon gaming unlocked: This high-performance technology ensures clean energy is consistently available, unleashing the top-level power of Intel Core Ultra 9 processor as you game, livestream, and multi-task for hours on end.
- 240mm heat exchanger: The 240mm heat exchanger, available on the optional CPU liquid cooling, heightens thermal resistance, ensuring temperatures stay consistently low during longer gaming sessions.
- Total command: Alienware Command Center software allows you to create and edit AlienFX lighting across the ecosystem, choose and monitor your performance mode across distinct power states, and create custom gaming profiles for your whole library.
Which systems the roundup positioned for different needs
For demanding gaming
The Aurora R15 and R16 configurations paired high-end graphics cards with substantial memory and storage. Their specifications make them the gaming-focused options in this roundup, though the listed 2024 prices alone cannot show whether they offer good value now.
For a more moderate desktop setup
The XPS desktop configuration combined an i7-13700 and RTX 4060 Ti with 16GB memory and a 512GB SSD. HotHardware characterized it as a more modest choice for gaming and mainstream content creation than the Alienware systems.
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Rank #3
- Legend perfected: Modern design with a matte "basalt black" finish in an optimized chassis with customizable AlienFX lighting zones, including the striking stadium lighting.
- Game changing graphics: Step into the future of gaming and creation with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 graphics, powered by NVIDIA Blackwell architecture.
- Marathon gaming unlocked: This high-performance technology ensures clean energy is consistently available, unleashing the top-level power of Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF processor as you game, livestream, and multi-task for hours on end.
- 240mm heat exchanger: The 240mm heat exchanger, available on the optional CPU liquid cooling, heightens thermal resistance, ensuring temperatures stay consistently low during longer gaming sessions.
- Total command: Alienware Command Center software allows you to create and edit AlienFX lighting across the ecosystem, choose and monitor your performance mode across distinct power states, and create custom gaming profiles for your whole library.
For gaming away from a desk
The m18’s 18-inch high-refresh-rate display, RTX 4070, 64GB memory, and 2TB SSD made it the portable-system option among the specifically detailed configurations. A laptop offers portability that a desktop does not, while the roundup provides no current price comparison or direct performance testing between the m18 and desktop PCs.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- [Intel Core i5 Gaming Processor] Released in 2021 The Alienware Aurora R12 Gaming Desktop in Dell's Alienware family comes with all the latest technology including DDR4 Memory clocked at a whopping 3200MHz and a 11th generation Intel 6-core Processor. The Six cores on the the Core i5-11400F processor allows for exceptional multitasking. To save power the processor will run @ 2.6Ghz under low use but will boost to 4.4GHz under heavy use for powerful performance!
- [Graphics] This Alienware Aurora R12 Gaming Desktop comes with a a Dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti graphics card with 8GB of Dedicated Graphics Ram great for gaming or photo and video editing
- [High Speed RAM And Enormous Space] The 16GB DDR4 RAM Running @ 3200MHz will let you smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once and a 2TB (2000GB) Hard Disk Drive and a second 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive will provide fast startup, fast data transfers, and allow for large file storage!
- [Operating System] Windows 11 is Microsoft's latest Operating System released in 2022 and if you want to downgrade to the older windows 10, you can downgrade with an easy download from Microsoft's website.Windows Pro comes with everything that Windows Home comes with, plus extra features your organization might require like active directory and bitlocker device encryption (normally an $100 upgrade if purchased seperately).
- [Extra Details] Wifi and Bluetooth come integrated. A keyboard and Mouse are included. [PORTS & SLOTS] (2x) Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports | Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports with Powershare technology | Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port with Powershare technology | Headphone/Line Out | Microphone/Line InRear Ports 6. SPDIF Digital Output (Coax) | SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK) | RJ-45 Killer E3100G Gigabit Ethernet | (6x) Type-A USB 2.0 Ports | Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 with Powershare technology (up to 15W) | Type-A
Rank #4
- Brilliant display: Go deeper into games with a 16” WQXGA 120Hz display with 300 nits brightness.
- Game changing graphics: Step into the future of gaming and creation with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop GPUs, powered by NVIDIA Blackwell and AI.
- Innovative cooling: A newly designed Cryo-Chamber structure focuses airflow to the core components, where it matters most.
- Comfort focused design: Alienware 16 Aurora’s streamlined design offers advanced thermal support without the need for a rear thermal shelf.
- Dell Services: 1 Year Onsite Service provides support when and where you need it. Dell will come to your home, office, or location of choice, if an issue covered by Limited Hardware Warranty cannot be resolved remotely.
What to check before buying a comparable PC today
- Confirm the exact CPU, GPU, memory, storage, and display configuration; model names alone do not guarantee the same specifications as the 2024 offers.
- Compare a live price for the exact configuration rather than treating a past sale price or discount figure as current.
- Match the system to its main use: gaming demands may favor a stronger GPU, while mainstream creation and general use can call for a different balance of processor, graphics, memory, and storage.
- Decide whether desktop power and upgrade considerations or laptop portability matter more to your setup.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
