In the world of graphics cards, the RTX 4090 is the undisputed champion, topping our GPU benchmarks hierarchy for more than a year now. On the desktop, using our test suite of games, this speedy card delivered an average of 143.1 fps at 1440p ultra resolution. Unfortunately, these days RTX 4090 desktop cards are selling out everywhere as the price of them skyrockets. At press time, the cheapest RTX 4090 card I could find was selling for $2,249 . Just a few days ago, you could get a 4090 for around $1600!
But what if you could get a fully-loaded Alienware gaming laptop or desktop with RTX 4090 graphics for not-much-more than that $2,249? This Cyber Monday , Dell has both.
First, there's a configuration of the Alienware Aurora R15 desktop with an RTX 4090 GPU, a Ryzen 9 7950X CPU, a 2TB SSD and 32GB of RAM and that's on sale for $3,099 . If you want something mobile that's even cheaper, there's a decked-out configuration of the Alienware m16 with an RTX 4090, Core i9 CPU, 2TB SSD, 32GB of RAM and a 240 Hz, 2K display for just $2,799 . In either case, you're getting an entire system for not much more than an RTX 4090 card would cost by itself.
Alienware m16 with RTX 4090 GPU: now $2799 at Dell (was $3499)
This 16-inch laptop comes fully loaded with a Core i9-13900HX CPU, RTX 4090 graphics, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB SSD. Its display runs at 2560x1440 resolution and up to 240 Hz while covering 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
Alienware Aurora R15 Desktop (RTX 4090, Ryzen 9 7950X): now $3099 at Dell (was $3899)
This fully-loaded desktop features Alienware's sleek design, along with an Ryzen 9 7950X CPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a 2TB SSD and Alienware Cryo-tech liquid cooling.
Alienware RTX 4090 Desktop Deal
For those who want a desktop system, there's the Aurora R15 desktop with Ryzen 9 7950X CPU, 32GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD and an RTX 4090 card for $3,099 , reduced from around $3,899. That's the cheapest RTX 4090-powered desktop we've seen.
We reviewed an Aurora R15 with an RTX 4090 and an Intel Core i9-13900KF CPU a few months ago. That system, which had an MSRP of $4,929, returned impressive frame rate of 263 fps in Borderlands 3 at 1080p ultra with the number dropping to a still-smooth 128 fps at 4K.
Considering how much an RTX 4090 desktop card costs right now, you're paying only about $800 for a Ryzen 9-powered PC with great specs. While Alienware uses some proprietary parts, we can try to approximate how much it would cost to build a similarly-specked desktop to the Alienware Aurora R15 config that's on sale and it would easily cost at least $3,400.
Alienware m16 Laptop with RTX 4090: Pros and Cons
If you buy the Aurora R15 desktop, you still have to get a monitor, a keyboard and mouse, which will add to the cost if you don't already own those things. However, the Alienware m16 is a turnkey solution for your gaming needs. It has a 16-inch, 240 Hz screen built right in and you can carry it around or balance it on your lap.
To be fair, a mobile RTX 4090 card is not going to be as fast as its desktop counterpart. The mobile versions of card have a lot more in common with the desktop RTX 4080 and use the same AD103 GPU. But the laptop parts also use far less power and generate less heat, since laptops couldn't handle all the wattage and cooling a top performance desktop card needs. But let's be clear: the RTX 4090 is the fastest laptop GPU you can get.
We haven't tested this Alienware m16, but we have tested a couple of other RTX 4090-powered laptops in the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 and MSI Titan GT77 HX and the results were impressive.
On Borderlands 3 at the highest settings, the RTX 4090 laptops returned frame rates of 177 and 165 fps at 1080p resolution. At 2560x1600, the Strix managed a strong 112 fps and, at 4K, the Titan hit a very smooth 71 fps. With the Alienware m16, you'd be playing at 2560x1440 or lower, because that's what its screen supports.
Note that your mileage will vary depending on the game. If you play an eSports title such as Counter-Strike 2 or League of Legends , you may well be able to get to 240 fps and take full advantage of the 16-inch screen's 240 Hz refresh rate.
If you're going to buy any RTX 4090 laptop this Cyber Monday, this Alienware m16 is a great choice, not only because of its price but because of its other features. This is an Alienware so it has the classic, sci-fi aesthetic and fantastic build quality. It also has AlienFX RGB lighting effects.
If you want to use the laptop for productivity, you'll have plenty of pop, thanks to its 32GB of RAM, 2TB SSD, and Core i9 CPU. The 16-inch, 2560x1440 display should provide lots of room for wide spreadsheets. And, since it outputs at 100 percent of DCI-P3 gamut, the screen should be great for video and photo editing.
For more savings, check out our up-to-the-minute Cyber Monday tech deals live blog . There you'll find the latest deal news and buying advice from our editors all day and night.
Also, see our lists of the best Cyber Monday SSD deals , Cyber Monday GPU deals , Cyber Monday CPU deals , Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals , Cyber Monday monitor deals , Cyber Monday 3D printer deals and Cyber Monday PC hardware deals overall .
