# [Official] Alienware Laptop Club



## shnur

I'm currently not home so I can't upload a pic of mine, but I can add myself up to the M11x's owners








It's a great little baby, cost me 999$ with just a CPU upgrade and doing around 7hrs strong on it, couldn't ask for more...
Gaming performance is ok to my taste: it's a laptop, and I have my desktop, but on other days, it's able to boost out HD video and a handful of games with no lag at low/mid settings (sometimes even high







)


----------



## borito4

Add me to the m11x and 15x lists


----------



## KoukiFC3S

Add me to the M11x club!

Here's a video of it playing MW2.








YouTube- Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer on the Alienware M11x


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


Originally Posted by *borito4* 
Add me to the m11x and 15x lists









Quick question, is your 15x the new "All Powerful" capitalized "M" M15x laptop or is it another model? Just wondering since you didn't specify ANY kind of "M" for that model haha!


----------



## psi_guy

i'm in. proud m11x owner. i rock an alienware desktop as well.


----------



## shnur

why not just an Alienware club then? Maybe Laptop sounds cool or something...


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shnur* 
why not just an Alienware club then? Maybe Laptop sounds cool or something...

This is specifically the laptop sub-forum, and there isn't really an appropriate forum for a generalized Alienware club.

Could you guys get your pics up ASAP? Good pics make for good discussion starters to keep the thread alive and act as proof that you should be included in this club!

*Edit:* This club is now official!

*Edit Edit -* Look what Purolator just brought me:









Now I just need to wait for the actual M15x to put in it!


----------



## shnur

I have taken some awesome pics, I'll be uploading them shortly









I like the bag, tell how it is, I'm currently looking into a bag for my m11x and my other stuff that goes in a bag and I'm having a hard time to decide...

Funny that you don't have the laptop yet


----------



## Freelancer852

Yea, it's kind of funny actually. I ordered both the laptop and bag at the same time _(had a promotion code from someone that gave me $25 off Dell apparel)_ and I figured that they would both ship together. However the day after I ordered I got a message saying that the bag had shipped from Vancouver, so I can only assume that Dell Canada has a warehouse there and that they stock this bag regularly. It's to bad all Alienware computers are built in the U.S. and then shipped or I'd have my laptop 2-3 days after it shipped _(I'm in Alberta)_.

Anyhow, my first impressions on the packaging the bag came in were average. Standard cardboard shipping box with some packing paper preventing the bag from bouncing around inside. The bag itself was wrapped in plastic that was easily removed, there were some obligatory Silica Gel packets to prevent moisture damage in the actual Orion bag as well. Moving onto the bag itself, the majority of the bag is made out of ballistic nylon except for the flat bit on the front-side, which appears to be leather. The chrome alien-head logo came with a piece of plastic covering it to prevent scratches or blemishes, it's exceptionally reflective. All of the exterior zippers are the same large and robust size, the pull-tabs are primarily plastic but feature metal alien-head logos on each side. There is ample exterior padding on the back-side and shoulder straps of the backpack, and there appears to be some padding on the bottom. Speaking of which, there are some decent sized hard-plastic stabilization feet on the bottom to help keep the bag upright.

Moving onto the backpacks compartments and storage capacity, we'll start with the outer-most pocket and work are way towards the backside. Just behind the flat panel there is a small zippered compartment, see the previous photo and note the zipper tab to the left of the chrome alien-head.Next there is an accessories compartment with 10 individual optical disk slots, 3 X pen/pencil holder, zippered pouch, Velcro-flap pouch, an open-topped pouch, and a zippered mesh pouch lining the bottom of the compartment. The next compartment is what you'd call the "main compartment", it's all open with the exception of a zippered mesh pouch near the bottom and a nylon separator to divide the lower portion of the compartment in two. Then there's the actual "laptop compartment" near the back of the backpack, it's all open except for a see-through "CHECKPOINT FRIENDLY" pouch that has a thin 2" elastic-y Velcro strap to secure your laptop. The laptop compartment is the largest, and the zippers unzip all the past the bottom corners of the backpack so you can open the backpack in two "halves" for huge unrestricted access.

To put the storage capacity in perspective, I was able to fit the following in the bag with NO problems:
• 12" HP Tablet Laptop _(broken, M15x is replacing it)_ - laptop compartment.
• 3 X large hardcover novels - laptop compartment.
• 2 X large "Fivestar" zippered binders - main compartment.
• Nothing - accessories compartment.

I could have fit a variety of everyday-use things into the accessories compartment, and some other fairly thin objects into the small compartment behind the alien-head logo. Once I get my M15x later this month I'll put all of the "tech" stuff I think I'll use on a regular basis in it and take some photos so you can better appreciate the storage capacity.


----------



## shnur

Pretty good review thank you!

Just wondering how big it is; could I put my m11x horizontally into the laptop compartment...

I'm uploading pics as I type this


----------



## shnur

Here is my baby


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shnur* 
Pretty good review thank you!

Just wondering how big it is; could I put my m11x horizontally into the laptop compartment...

I'm uploading pics as I type this









How wide is the M11x? The pocket is about 13.5" wide and it fit my 12" HP tablet horizontally. This might help you out as well:









Quote:


Originally Posted by *shnur* 
Here is my baby









_<snip>_

Eye candy, mmmmm!


----------



## shnur

Dimensions: (W)11.2" (D)9.2" (H)1.3"

Would fit







interesting... I'll keep that as an idea, I really want an OEM bag for this laptop...


----------



## Isopropyl

While as a fellow M11x owner I must say HEY HEY!









Though Dell did screw up my nameplate (they cannot do Ã¸ but rather a chinese character)

I would be typing on it however I am putting in my new OCZ 128 gb SSD!


----------



## shnur

I think I'll need a bigger SSD than 128GB








I barely fill in with my current 160gb drive...


----------



## Uncivilised

hey guys is it true that the m17x will host the 5870m crossfire? If so i am keen 2 get one!


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Isopropyl*


While as a fellow M11x owner I must say HEY HEY!









Though Dell did screw up my nameplate (they cannot do Ã¸ but rather a chinese character)

I would be typing on it however I am putting in my new OCZ 128 gb SSD!


Post a pic and I'll verify you on the list!

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


I think I'll need a bigger SSD than 128GB








I barely fill in with my current 160gb drive...


I know right? I got the 500GB drive in my M15x because I find that once all my programs and stuff are installed I've used up 200GB's. I've got 3TB of space on my main PC, so I get sloppy on my laptops and always forget to delete stuff when I don't need it anymore.

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Uncivilised*


hey guys is it true that the m17x will host the 5870m crossfire? If so i am keen 2 get one!


They currently only offer the following in the U.S. and Canada:
1GB ATI Radeon™ Mobility HD 5870
Dual 1GB ATI Radeon™ Mobility HD 4870 in CrossfireX™

There have been reports of a 5870 Crossfire option showing up on a few other countries configuration options list, but if you're not in that country you can't get it.


----------



## Rolandooo

Add me to the list









Proud M11x owner here.


----------



## Freelancer852

Added, thanks for the nice eye candy! I can never get enough of how awesome Alienware laptops look.

The speakers on the M11x aren't in the lighted front "grills" are they? I heard they're located under the PC or something?


----------



## Xaero252

In, I have an m11x, unable to post pictures until later in the week however.
So far I have overclocked the GPU (don't remember exact clocks) and CPU (via bios), I plan on pinmodding the PLL when I get back from the desert and overclocking the cpu further, trying to figure out what I would have to do to get a proper voltmod for the cpu. Without a voltmod 1.9ghz is possible with an average chip, so even still I will see good things







. Other than that I'm just waiting for 500gb SSDs to go down in price, I like having this 500gb HDD in here, and its over half full, if I went down in capacity it would be crippling to my experience.


----------



## Infinitepyro

So, I ordered an M11x on 5/3/2010. I have been constantly refreshing Dell's order status patiently waiting for this laptop to come in. I have an estimated delivery date of 5/19/2010.


----------



## shnur

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Xaero252* 
In, I have an m11x, unable to post pictures until later in the week however.
So far I have overclocked the GPU (don't remember exact clocks) and CPU (via bios), I plan on pinmodding the PLL when I get back from the desert and overclocking the cpu further, trying to figure out what I would have to do to get a proper voltmod for the cpu. Without a voltmod 1.9ghz is possible with an average chip, so even still I will see good things







. Other than that I'm just waiting for 500gb SSDs to go down in price, I like having this 500gb HDD in here, and its over half full, if I went down in capacity it would be crippling to my experience.

Voltmods possible? I probably won't do it before it actually is out of my warranty, just 1 year haha.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Infinitepyro* 
So, I ordered an M11x on 5/3/2010. I have been constantly refreshing Dell's order status patiently waiting for this laptop to come in. I have an estimated delivery date of 5/19/2010.

Hey yours is quick, mine was ordered the day it came out and I got it like a month and something after...


----------



## Xaero252

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shnur* 
Voltmods possible? I probably won't do it before it actually is out of my warranty, just 1 year haha.

Yes, although since its a BGA chip it could get a little precarious, hence why I'm trying to find an alternative, possibly altering the voltage regulation circuit slightly to up the voltage, but its still a risky operation, the pinmod for the PLL simply disables TME, which can be done with software if someone rights a TME hack for this specific clock generator, other than that its a simple hardware mod just requiring you to lift one leg of a resistor off of a single pin on the PLL. Some guys with a Sager notebook that had the same PLL with a faster processor figured out how to do it theres a thread over at notebook reviews:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alie...rs387bklf.html


----------



## shnur

Yeah, I think I'll leave it as is, going to 1.9Ghz instead of 1.73 is not a big deal to me...


----------



## Freelancer852

I've added everyone to the list so far, if you know other people with Alienware laptops _(even the older models)_ try and spread the word!

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Infinitepyro*


So, I ordered an M11x on 5/3/2010. I have been constantly refreshing Dell's order status patiently waiting for this laptop to come in. I have an estimated delivery date of 5/19/2010.


Hope you enjoy it when you get it, that shipping date is a lot faster than mine is going to be! I placed my M15x order on 5/6/2010 and the estimated delivery date is 5/24/2010, order status is still "In Production" unfortunately...


----------



## jubbing

M15x owner, sign me up!


----------



## huntman21014

m11x owner as well, as for the 5870's on the m17x, yes they can be added in CFX, if you order the lappy with a single 5870 it will have a CFX connector on it and you just need to buy another 5870 and the CFX cable.


----------



## jubbing

Quote:



Originally Posted by *huntman21014*


m11x owner as well, as for the 5870's on the m17x, yes they can be added in CFX, if you order the lappy with a single 5870 it will have a CFX connector on it and you just need to buy another 5870 and the CFX cable.


Theoritically yes, but it is much more expensive that way.


----------



## jubbing

I've posted some overclocking scores in the pictures below.

Check them out


----------



## Freelancer852

Good stuff, once mine arrives I'll run Vantage on it ASAP!


----------



## huntman21014

Quote:



Originally Posted by *jubbing*


Theoritically yes, but it is much more expensive that way.


At least on the Dell USA website, you cannot order 5870's in CFX, its either 4870 CFX or one 5870. This is the reason people want to get one 5870 and install another one later.


----------



## Freelancer852

Woot! My M15x has shipped, estimated delivery date is the 20th!


----------



## jubbing

Quote:


Originally Posted by *huntman21014* 
At least on the Dell USA website, you cannot order 5870's in CFX, its either 4870 CFX or one 5870. This is the reason people want to get one 5870 and install another one later.

Yea I know.. because I'm looking at getting a M17x with CF5870 once they're out.

Basically it should be the same price as the 4870CF if not slightly less.
It still works out to be more to manually upgrade the m17x to dual CF5870's.

I don't know anyone who has done it yet to be honest.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
Good stuff, once mine arrives I'll run Vantage on it ASAP!

Mine has a custom upgraded HD5870, so don't know how your computer will compare in vantage scores to mine, but I would like to see them!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
Woot! My M15x has shipped, estimated delivery date is the 20th!

Only 3-4 days to go then! Hope that delivery time is correct


----------



## shnur

Mine came in a week early, (after 2 months hold...) so I hope yours comes in fastteerR!!!


----------



## lordvader

Why AWm17x has just 1 5870
is there issues with dual 5870s cards in laptop ?

will it be out this yr or next ?


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *lordvader*


Why AWm17x has just 1 5870
is there issues with dual 5870s cards in laptop ?

will it be out this yr or next ?


I haven't seen any official statement from Alienware regarding this. I have read stories about people ordering the Alienware with a single 5870 and then buying another one with the appropriate Crossfire cable. This works apparently but I believe it's a lot more expensive than it would be if you could just buy it from Alienware like this.

On a good note, Purolator says my M15x should be delivered tomorrow!!!


----------



## Freelancer852

Wewt woot!
































































The keyboard is setup in an animated rainbow dealio, I'll have a video up soon!

*Edit -* Here's the video:







YouTube- Alienware M15x AlienFX - Rainbow


----------



## shnur

Whoa! That looks sick bro! I really like those colors!!! 
Looks like a really cool laptop









Congrats on receiving it!


----------



## Freelancer852

I've got the video of the keyboard lighting uploading to YouTube now, should be up for tomorrow _(possibly tonight if I'm still awake)_. I'm having one problem with the alien head on the opposite side of the screen changing to pink after I set it to red, it starts off red and then changes at some point for whatever reason...

*Edit -* Here's the video I promised:







YouTube- Alienware M15x AlienFX - Rainbow


----------



## lordvader

Wish AW start making there Laptops with
Wide screen & USB 3.0


----------



## tiger187126

alright fellas sorry to interrupt this whole alienware lovefest, but i wanna get in on some of this.

i'm dumping my macbook (which i am scoring $500 for a 3 year old model, sweet) and looking into the m11x.

obviously i need battery life, but this mac just has limitations when it comes to gaming. and by limitations i mean if it came out within the last 2 years i can't play it. i stumbled across the m11x and it looks like just what the doctor ordered. i have a desktop so i don't need a desktop replacement with a half hour battery life, but i want to be able to play some newish games.

anyway, i'm basically sold on this thing. my question is, did anyone get it from best buy or did everyone order it direct from alienware?

the best buy deal just looks too good. i mean i want the nameplate on the bottom, but i just don't think it's worth $100 extra.

they carry them in a store close to where i live, so when i get back from japan i'm going to look at one to see if i can handle the 11" screen, but i want to make sure there isn't something big i'm missing from not ordering it direct.


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *lordvader*


Wish AW start making there Laptops with
Wide screen & USB 3.0










They are wide screen, mine is a 1920x1080 display. I agree with you on the subject of USB 3.0, but they would need to rebuild their motherboards and BIOS to support it. I would be surprised if the next generation of Alienwares don't have USB 3.0!

Quote:



Originally Posted by *tiger187126*


alright fellas sorry to interrupt this whole alienware lovefest, but i wanna get in on some of this.

i'm dumping my macbook (which i am scoring $500 for a 3 year old model, sweet) and looking into the m11x.

obviously i need battery life, but this mac just has limitations when it comes to gaming. and by limitations i mean if it came out within the last 2 years i can't play it. i stumbled across the m11x and it looks like just what the doctor ordered. i have a desktop so i don't need a desktop replacement with a half hour battery life, but i want to be able to play some newish games.

anyway, i'm basically sold on this thing. my question is, did anyone get it from best buy or did everyone order it direct from alienware?

the best buy deal just looks too good. i mean i want the nameplate on the bottom, but i just don't think it's worth $100 extra.

they carry them in a store close to where i live, so when i get back from japan i'm going to look at one to see if i can handle the 11" screen, but i want to make sure there isn't something big i'm missing from not ordering it direct.


Could you list the specs of the one being offered at Best Buy?

For gaming and HD video playback I would recommend getting the upgraded CPU _(SU4100 - SU7300)_, the clocks speeds are both 1.3GHz but the SU7300 has an extra 1MB cache. I would also upgrade the memory from 2GB to 4GB and up the hard drive from 160GB to 250GB. You also need to take into account the fact that the M11x does *NOT* come with a BD/DVD/CD optical drive.

This is the configuration I would get directly from Dell/Alienware:









If the 160GB hard drive is large enough for you you can save a few bucks, but I personally find that I need around 100GB just for my OS and commonly used programs.


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *tiger187126*


alright fellas sorry to interrupt this whole alienware lovefest, but i wanna get in on some of this.

i'm dumping my macbook (which i am scoring $500 for a 3 year old model, sweet) and looking into the m11x.

obviously i need battery life, but this mac just has limitations when it comes to gaming. and by limitations i mean if it came out within the last 2 years i can't play it. i stumbled across the m11x and it looks like just what the doctor ordered. i have a desktop so i don't need a desktop replacement with a half hour battery life, but i want to be able to play some newish games.

anyway, i'm basically sold on this thing. my question is, did anyone get it from best buy or did everyone order it direct from alienware?

the best buy deal just looks too good. i mean i want the nameplate on the bottom, but i just don't think it's worth $100 extra.

they carry them in a store close to where i live, so when i get back from japan i'm going to look at one to see if i can handle the 11" screen, but i want to make sure there isn't something big i'm missing from not ordering it direct.


I bought mine off Alienware site, got all stock except the CPU, upgraded to the SU7300.
For the RAM, in Canada it's a 100$ for 4gb upgrade, I can get 4gb for less than that as separate... and still keep the 2gb. Mentionning also that I don't need 4gb that much.
I left the stock Hard drive, planned to get an SSD and now that I'm done with school I'll be buying one (120gb minimum) so upgrading to a higher end model would be wasting money.
Also it's 11.6 inches, which is almost 12, so it's big enough








Battery life is real (as advertised) and my girlfriend is coming from a mid 2007 13.3 macbook and she loves my alienware (she even broke her mac so she could use mine more often...







)


----------



## tiger187126

@freelancer, that is the exact setup that best buy is selling for $899. so it saves you $100 but you don't get the plate. i mean the price difference is because best buy ordered a ton of that specific setup so alienware doesn't have to custom build it, therefore it's cheaper. but $100 off i don't think i can beat.

@shnur, your gf has the same comp i have right now, so that sounds good, thanks for the info.


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *tiger187126*


@freelancer, that is the exact setup that best buy is selling for $899. so it saves you $100 but you don't get the plate. i mean the price difference is because best buy ordered a ton of that specific setup so alienware doesn't have to custom build it, therefore it's cheaper. but $100 off i don't think i can beat.

@shnur, your gf has the same comp i have right now, so that sounds good, thanks for the info.


For the 900$, go for it! Like I said, US prices are good, Canada sucks for laptops...









And those mac's are just trouble as far as I worked with it... first the plastic around the screen is falling off, the plastic border around the keyboard fell off last year, the hard drive failed (sounds like a ticking ****** iBomb...) and the Intel GMA 950 graphics is the biggest POS I've ever encountered in my life, the fans are funny because they like being at 1k rpm and when the CPU hits 80C it goes to 6k RPM and it's like a takeoff jet... gets stuck like that and you will probably have a second level burn on your laps.
The latest issue is that since I changed the hard drive the system wouldn't boot anymore, took out the ram, somehow there was some thermal paste on the connector








Removed that, the mac booted! Yay!
Now it crashes from time to time, doesn't go to sleep mode and is just sitting in the corner... enough!

/rant


----------



## Freelancer852

If it's the same setup you should definitely go for it! Like shnur I'm in Canada so I got some really ****ty pricing on my laptop, I could of built a better M15x for $2,500 USD and it would of still been cheaper than the $2,700 CAD I payed for mine by the time I got it across the border. That said, I can always upgrade the CPU myself whenever I want.


----------



## lordvader

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
They are wide screen, mine is a 1920x1080 display. I agree with you on the subject of USB 3.0, but they would need to rebuild their motherboards and BIOS to support it. I would be surprised if the next generation of Alienwares don't have USB 3.0!


next generation of Alienwares
that means nothing this year


----------



## Freelancer852

It's not like there is an abundance of USB 3.0 peripherals avilable anyways, show me one product that actually shows any kind of benefit using USB 3.0 besides storage devices _(so no thumb/flash drives or external hard drives)_.

Exactly


----------



## huntman21014

I am going to post up some pics of mine soon, to anyone getting the M11x I recommend getting the tablet case, it was designed for the M11x and has a mesh vent in the bottom so you can use the laptop while it is in the case.


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


Originally Posted by *huntman21014* 
I am going to post up some pics of mine soon, to anyone getting the M11x I recommend getting the tablet case, it was designed for the M11x and has a mesh vent in the bottom so you can use the laptop while it is in the case.

I assume the tablet case folds with the laptop as opposed to having one of those tablets that the screen flips around and then folds back down? I gotta see these pics hehe!


----------



## huntman21014

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


I assume the tablet case folds with the laptop as opposed to having one of those tablets that the screen flips around and then folds back down? I gotta see these pics hehe!


Haha, it folds with the laptop, if anyone turns an M11x into a convertible tablet I would have to see pics too.

It is a nice case though, it has room for a bunch of ID cards or Credit Cards as well as pockets for DVD's and then a Legal Letter size pocket for documents and stuff.

Then the mesh pocket on the bottom is cool because without it you couldn't use the laptop while it was in the case because it would overheat.


----------



## Freelancer852

I assume the mesh you're referring to is positioned at the "back" of the laptop where the hot air is exhausted? Do you have ventilation available to the bottom of the laptop so it can also intake cool air? Not that big of an issue if you're using it while you're mobile, but it's something to consider.


----------



## huntman21014

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
I assume the mesh you're referring to is positioned at the "back" of the laptop where the hot air is exhausted? Do you have ventilation available to the bottom of the laptop so it can also intake cool air? Not that big of an issue if you're using it while you're mobile, but it's something to consider.

No, the mesh is where the "intake" portion of the vents are, when the case is open there is nothing touching the back "exhaust" portion.

Basically the mesh is directly under the laptop's intake vent, so the laptop can continue bringing fresh air in.


----------



## Freelancer852

Ah okay, sounds good.

Post pictures haha!


----------



## brandon3434

I'll be adding to the list here soon, just ordered an M15x yesterday! Can't wait!


----------



## tiger187126

took the leap and got the m11x tonight, still tinkering around and trying to install all my stuff. i'll post pictures later.

this thing does make my macbook look like a giant, but it'll work just fine. can't wait to try a game on it.


----------



## tiger187126

Quote:


Originally Posted by *huntman21014* 
I am going to post up some pics of mine soon, to anyone getting the M11x I recommend getting the tablet case, it was designed for the M11x and has a mesh vent in the bottom so you can use the laptop while it is in the case.

i think i'm going to go with the neoprene sleeve that they have for the same price.

i don't really want to run this thing inside of a case i want it out there for the people to envy.


----------



## Freelancer852

There is just so much awesome going on in the following picture:









Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 includes a GPU accelerated rendering feature called "Mercury Playback Engine". They say it's only supported on the GeForce GTX 285, Quadro CX, Quadro FX 3800, Quadro FX 4800, and Quadro FX 5800 but someone found a pretty simple way to make it work on all Nvidia GTX 200 series cards and higher.

You just use the included "GPUSniffer.exe" in the Premiere Pro CS5 directory to get your GPU name, add it to the "cuda_supported_cards.txt" file, and then change the Multi-display/Mixed-GPU acceleration section of the NVIDIA Control Panel 3D settings for Premiere Pro CS5 to Compatibility Performance Mode!

Now I should be able to do that video editing I hope to use this thing for no problem!

@tiger187126: I added you to the M11x section and I'll link your name to your post containing pictures when you have some time to post it!


----------



## shnur

Mobile Edge Alienware 11X Neoprene Sleeve









I personally find this laptop sleeve more attractive than the one mentioned up there. It's simpler and looks good









*bought*


----------



## Freelancer852

Here's a video my my M15x running Burnout Paradise and Modern Warfare 2 at 1920x1080, 2x Anti-Aliasing, all settings maxed _(SSAO disabled for Burnout Paradise)_.







YouTube- Alienware M15x - Burnout Paradise & Modern Warfare 2
_(Make sure you watch in HD!)_

Ran a 5 minute Fraps benchmark on MW2 using my M15x:
*Frames*.....*Time (ms)*.....*Min*.....*Max*.....*Avg*
22602........300000..........38.......102......75.34

And here's a few screenshots of the settings and in-game:




































It's _awesome!_


----------



## tiger187126

sorry free but you can take me off the list. i returned and got the asus g60. i just could not deal with the screen, although the batter life will surely be missed. i used it for 2 days without charging it, and my new one won't last more than 3 hours.


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tiger187126* 
sorry free but you can take me off the list. i returned and got the asus g60. i just could not deal with the screen, although the batter life will surely be missed. i used it for 2 days without charging it, and my new one won't last more than 3 hours.

Ah that sucks, good luck with the G60!


----------



## shnur

I just had a cool box in the mail today!


----------



## Villosa

Nice! Hey add me to the list. No more M11x (sold it) but got me a M15x!

Proof is in my Sig.


----------



## Freelancer852

Hey Villosa, I saw your post about that on NotebookReview.com forums haha! Added!


----------



## Villosa

Lol yeah, I needed some rep to sell a few desktop things here so I might as well...Thanks for the add.


----------



## Danny_B

Woot! Add meh to the list! Just got my m15x


----------



## Danny_B

Woot! Add meh to the list! Just got my m15x


----------



## shnur

Those M15x look like real beasts compared to my little m11x


----------



## Freelancer852

Very nice Danny_B! What specs did you get?


----------



## Danny_B

Thanks! Sorry for the double post, not sure how that happened. Oh well.

I went with the i7-620m, GTX 260m, 4 gigs of ram, but stuck with the 1600x900 resolution. I absolutely love it so far. This thing as been on for a long time now downloading all my things and there is almost no heat compared to other laptops! Simply amazing


----------



## Villosa

Nice choice on the 620M. For gaming, that chip is insane.


----------



## Rolandooo

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Danny_B* 
Woot! Add meh to the list! Just got my m15x










Okay, I may be ******ed but on my m11x I cant mix the keyboard colors like this. I can only get one color or pulsing colors.


----------



## Villosa

That feature is not supported by the M11x.


----------



## Uncivilised

hey guys as this is an alienware thread u guys probably know best. My mate decided 2 gimme the m17x r1 for free as he got the clevo d900f which he spent a ridiculous amount on. Anywayz i was googling about the m17x r1 and found that nearly everyone had the DPC latency problem. Has this been fixed? I heard that the latest graphics drivers will fix but im not sure. The specs of the m17x im getting r Q9000, 4gb 1066mhz ddr3, gtx 260m SLI and 500gb hdd. Thanks


----------



## Villosa

I think those who have the DPC problem had to switch to ATI GPUs. Sorry for the bad news. You can probably find more info on http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Danny_B* 
Thanks! Sorry for the double post, not sure how that happened. Oh well.

I went with the i7-620m, GTX 260m, 4 gigs of ram, but stuck with the 1600x900 resolution. I absolutely love it so far. This thing as been on for a long time now downloading all my things and there is almost no heat compared to other laptops! Simply amazing

Very nice specs, I really wanted the i7-620M but for some reason it's not available on the Canadian website! The options I had were the i5-540M that I purchased, or skip the 620M and go into a quad core i7-720QM... I wanted to keep it dial with faster cores because I'll mainly be using it for gaming and general usage.

Plus, I was able to get Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 to use my GTX 260M in the Mercury Playback Engine... So no need for the quad cores for video rendering! That said, I will upgrade the CPU to an i7-620M myself when I have some extra cash to blow!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Rolandooo* 
Okay, I may be ******ed but on my m11x I cant mix the keyboard colors like this. I can only get one color or pulsing colors.

If I recall correctly the M11x only has 1 zone for the entire keyboard in AlienFX, correct? The M15x and M17x have 4 different zones so we can swap up the colors. Checkout my







YouTube- Alienware M15x AlienFX - Rainbow if you haven't already haha!


----------



## shnur

Yup, the M11x can only have one color at a time.

Those M15x look massive and become more and more attractive, for the past years all I've heard about Alienware is that they are overpriced and huge and expensive bla bla bla.

Happy to finally find some awesome people


----------



## Danny_B

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shnur* 
Yup, the M11x can only have one color at a time.

Those M15x look massive and become more and more attractive, for the past years all I've heard about Alienware is that they are overpriced and huge and expensive bla bla bla.

Happy to finally find some awesome people









That's exactly how I feel







They're just mad


----------



## Freelancer852

I'd personally never buy an Alienware desktop... It's just to easy to learn how to build a computer and buy all the parts yourself for half the price of an Alienware desktop. For laptops however, I think they have the creme de la creme build quality, performance, and looks... You just can't beat it, and I'm willing to pay extra for a laptop that doesn't feel like it's made out of cheap plastic.


----------



## huntman21014

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
I'd personally never buy an Alienware desktop... It's just to easy to learn how to build a computer and buy all the parts yourself for half the price of an Alienware desktop. For laptops however, I think they have the creme de la creme build quality, performance, and looks... You just can't beat it, and *I'm willing to pay extra for a laptop that doesn't feel like it's made out of cheap plastic.*

That is the main reason Alienware can charge more and still have people buying them. That and the fact that you can even upgrade Alienware laptops without a whole lot of hassle.


----------



## shnur

Yeah, whenever anybody asks me about my laptop, I always proudly make them feel the weight/metal enclosure of it, then flip it and knock (like you'd do on a door) on the bottom plate and make them realize it's great quality build









<3 my Alienware ^^


----------



## Uncivilised

does anyone know if the 5850 the m15x offers is the ddr3 or ddr5 version? thanks


----------



## Villosa

It's DDR5.


----------



## Uncivilised

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Villosa* 
It's DDR5.

R u sure? Cause im thinkin about ordering it if it was ddr3 version i would b really pissed


----------



## Villosa

Confirmed DDR5. Order ahead!


----------



## shnur

I trust Villosa's info regarding Alienware notebooks


----------



## Freelancer852

The Dell/Alienware representative I talked to specifically told me that it was GDDR3... He might of just been talking out his bum however.


----------



## huntman21014

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
The Dell/Alienware representative I talked to specifically told me that it was GDDR3... He might of just been talking out his bum however.

I heard it was GDDR3 as well over on another alienware forum.


----------



## Villosa

No for sure it's DDR5. Members on NBR have gotten theirs and taken screenshots etc.


----------



## Uncivilised

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Villosa*


No for sure it's DDR5. Members on NBR have gotten theirs and taken screenshots etc.


Villosa could you provide links? Thanks mate


----------



## Villosa

Of course I can, give me a bit.


----------



## Uncivilised

thanks man


----------



## Villosa

Wow that took a while. Post #422 ought to do it. http://forum.notebookreview.com/alie...5850-a-43.html


----------



## Uncivilised

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Villosa*


Wow that took a while. Post #422 ought to do it. http://forum.notebookreview.com/alie...5850-a-43.html


Thank you Villosa


----------



## Villosa

Np!


----------



## francesthemutes

Is the m15x at stock config worth it? It's pretty pricey. Do you guys think they'll upgrade the specs this year? The 240m is getting a bit long in the tooth, no?


----------



## Villosa

Might want to go with a 260m or 5850 for performance. 240m, while good, can't play a lot of newer games coming out. You should check out my M15x for sale. It's priced pretty reasonably (can lower it a bit) and I can make exceptions for Canada lol.

Spec wise, Dell's only doing newer CPUs (albeit costing an arm and leg) and that's it. GPU wise, I think they've already hit the top in terms of thermal management.


----------



## Danny_B

So, bought a logitech wireless mouse for my m15x the other day with one of those nano receivers.

I decided to take out the receiver today and use the touch pad instead and while I was taking out the receiver, it all comes out except the metal part... so now I basically have no usb port.

Logitech... you WILL be paying for a laptop


----------



## Villosa

You didn't happen to put it into the esata-usb combo port did you. That crap port is tight...lol.


----------



## Freelancer852

Yea, that port is a really tight fit... You can just use some pliers/tweezers to get the metal part out.


----------



## anon-nick

im either going to buy the M11x, or the m9700.

the m9700 has two 7900GS's in sli and its 1920x1200 17".


----------



## Villosa

I would advise you not buy tech that is so old. 1. it'll struggle and 2. you have a total lack of support.


----------



## anon-nick

but the money! its only $600! 17"!!!!!!!!!

YOU ARE RIGHT.

BUUUUTTTT i cant afford 1k! im crying. whatev ill wait for the mx11


----------



## Villosa

Wait a little bit, save up some cash, the M11x refresh with i5, i7 is coming out very soon. Hold out and save! You'll thank me later.


----------



## Freelancer852

I would assume the M11x would also get the i3 no?


----------



## Villosa

Correct you are, but the ulv i3's I heard, were crap compared to the ulv i5 and i7.


----------



## anon-nick

car or mx11?


----------



## Danny_B

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


Yea, that port is a really tight fit... You can just use some pliers/tweezers to get the metal part out.


No just the regular USB port. I tried pliers and pulled as hard as I could. I don't know what to do


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Danny_B*


No just the regular USB port. I tried pliers and pulled as hard as I could. I don't know what to do










Make sure you're grabbing the right metal and that you're not trying to rip out your entire USB port!


----------



## Danny_B

Is there a way to see if it is still working? Obviously I can't plug anything into it, but some type of hardware check through the computer or something?

Just want to see if me fiddling around with it has broken it or anything.


----------



## shnur

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Danny_B* 
Is there a way to see if it is still working? Obviously I can't plug anything into it, but some type of hardware check through the computer or something?

Just want to see if me fiddling around with it has broken it or anything.

Sad... I just received my MX Anywhere mouse today... with that Nano receiver, did not try to take it out yet, looking at your story, I won't.
You can just put in the Synaptics control panel to not disable the touch pad when a mouse is present.


----------



## Danny_B

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


Sad... I just received my MX Anywhere mouse today... with that Nano receiver, did not try to take it out yet, looking at your story, I won't.
You can just put in the Synaptics control panel to not disable the touch pad when a mouse is present.


Hm, well be careful! If it seems that it's not coming out easily, I would wait to be safe. Just seems that the receivers are not being held together very well.

Oh and my touch pad works because it's not receiving any type of signal from the usb port. The receivers chip is out, it's just the metal outside. I just want to see if there is a way for the computer to scan the hardware to see if it still works.


----------



## shnur

Well... man that must really not be great to see/know... brand-new pc and already messed up.


----------



## Danny_B

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


Well... man that must really not be great to see/know... brand-new pc and already messed up.


Yeah pretty depressing







I've been talking to one of their reps to see what I can do. I'll be sure to post results in the case that anyone else has an issue like this


----------



## Freelancer852

I suggest you contact Logitech as well, explain the situation to them calmly and you'll probably be able to get a free mouse out of them.

I had issues with an MX Revolution, the cursor "jittered" around the screen due to bad reception between the mouse and receiver. I sent them an email and they told me to "self-diagnose" the problem by connecting it to different computers and moving the receiver closer to the mouse. I found out that the mouse worked fine on other computers in my house, so there was interference in my room, obviously I didn't tell them that however... A day later I got an email saying that my mouse had been determined faulty and that they were sending me a brand new MX Revolution _(worth about $120 at the time)_ for no charge, no shipping cost.

I must have got a newer revision of the mouse, because the new one did work fine in my room... I've since moved onto a Logitech G9x however, can't beat wired.


----------



## shnur

Just got a little thing

















Replacing the old 160gb, 5400rpm Hitachi drive.









Speed is blazing fast!!! Man I didn't know that much simplicity could bring so much power... on top of that, I've only paid 140$ for it; really great price.


----------



## Freelancer852

Wow that looks like a very interesting little drive there shnur, and for only $140? That's a pretty good deal!


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


Wow that looks like a very interesting little drive there shnur, and for only $140? That's a pretty good deal!


Yeah, well now my computers shuts down in less than 10 seconds (used to be about a minute...) and it now resumes from sleep pretty quickly. Boot time was halved from what I had with my 5,4k.

I love the money I've spent on it, feels almost like an SSD but for so much less... (looking at my sig rig)
I'd say it's the #1 choice for a drive that you want to put into your laptop since you get the best of both worlds, a bit less though, but still pretty good









Of course, you can follow Villosa's steps and mod the heck out of the DVD drive, that's also an option...


----------



## lordvader

Can we use AWm17x Screen
to play PS3 on it ?


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *lordvader*


Can we use AWm17x Screen
to play PS3 on it ?


Where would you plug it in? the screen takes the video from the laptop itself... you can't plug anything in the laptop so it displays on the screen.


----------



## Freelancer852

Display Port works in both directions, it's an input and an output, however I'm not sure if the Nvidia drivers support input.


----------



## Vargess

I just ordered an m17x this morning and then found this thread.

Summary of laptop:
Nebula Red case finish








Intel i7 720 Quad
4gig 1066 ram (I can upgrade this to better than Dell offers for less)
2x 500GB HDD in Raid 0 (will upgrade to SSD when I get it)
Crossfire 5870's
upgraded LED screen
BlueRay player

Along with all the standard stuff. I read a number of reviews and articles on this machine and most say it is a top ranked machine among those in it's category. If the 5.1 sound is at least as good as my Studio XPS, I'll be thrilled. I have heard it was awesome. It's way more of a laptop than I would ever really need, but my xps doesn't play the games as well as my desktop so why not.. I can splurge







..and the red aluminum just looks awesome. i'll throw some eyecandy pics up when I get it. So far it says 6/24, but it's usually quicker than they state.
Cheers


----------



## shnur

It's one heck of a beast that you'll get there! Make sure to post pictures when you get it!
Welcome to the club!


----------



## Clinic

Guess I'll be that guy and get my name in the 17x field.

M17X

Q9000
6gb ddr3
500gb raid0
sli 280m

Thing weighs 10 pounds. Its definitely a desktop replacement. But it powers through every game I've thrown at it at 1920x1200 (farcry 2, crysis warhead, aion, both FEARs off the top of my head). Do I really need this much laptop? Probably not. But I love the thing. I've got it hooked up to my 55" samsung ledtv in my living room and I couldn't be happier. I'd get a pic but I'm a lazy bastard.


----------



## Freelancer852

You guys should post up some pics of your M17x's in this thread, there's not enough 17" in this thread!


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


You guys should post up some pics of your M17x's in this thread, there's not enough 17" in this thread!


You mean none







?


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


You mean none







?


Exactly my point!


----------



## huntman21014

The new M11x is cool but I doubt people will see much more than a 3-5 FPS increase and it costs around $220 more than a similarly equipped C2D model.

On the plus side, they now made the SU7300 standard on the C2D model which is a $100 savings.

Because the i series processors are 18W CPU's I bet the power savings with Optimus will balance out to be within 30 minutes of the C2D model.

Overall I am happy with adopting early as to spend $1200-$1300 on an 11" netbook is a little crazy especially since the GPU is the same on both models.

I did get the accidental warranty coverage though so it would be unfortunate if in 11 months when they don't sell the C2D model anymore my M11x should have an accident.


----------



## lordvader

Quote:


Originally Posted by *huntman21014* 
The new M11x is cool but I doubt people will see much more than a 3-5 FPS increase and it costs around $220 more than a similarly equipped C2D model.

On the plus side, they now made the SU7300 standard on the C2D model which is a $100 savings.

Because the i series processors are 18W CPU's I bet the power savings with Optimus will balance out to be within 30 minutes of the C2D model.

Overall I am happy with adopting early as to spend $1200-$1300 on an 11" netbook is a little crazy especially since the GPU is the same on both models.

I did get the accidental warranty coverage though so it would be unfortunate if in 11 months when they don't sell the C2D model anymore my M11x should have an accident.


is it inconvenient to play games on the m11x ?
cos it doesnt have a CD drive & would have carry around the external drive all the time

Thanks


----------



## bulmung

Quote:



Originally Posted by *lordvader*


is it inconvenient to play games on the m11x ?
cos it doesnt have a CD drive & would have carry around the external drive all the time

Thanks


It isn't inconvenient if you buy your games from steam or other digital distribution systems. If the game requires the disc it could be a little problematic.


----------



## Freelancer852

If the game requires a disk, just get a No-CD/DVD patch or use an image of the game stored on your hard disk. No-CD/DVD patches are completely legal so long as you own the game in question. The biggest inconvenience I would find on the M11x would be the screen size, even though you have pixel density everything is a lot smaller and harder to see.


----------



## shnur

I love high pixel density... that was one of my buying factors.


----------



## Clinic

Heh, sure, I'll take a picture of my M17X. Its comical.





Its currently hooked up to my Samsung 55" LEDTV via hdmi. I've got a wireless mouse and keyboard and wireless LAN setup in my living room. Is nice watching youtube and playing games at 55". I like. However...with this application, an M15X would have worked just fine. Although not sure if the 15's have sli 280s?


----------



## Freelancer852

The 15's don't have the ability to have any kind of dual-GPU solution, not enough room. Did you crack the lid just for the pics? If not why is it open?


----------



## iSubaru

hey all =]
Just thought id drop past say hi to all and ask a few questions as im looking at getting/deffinately getting, an m11x and was just hoping the crowd in here could point me i the right direction with a few things.
-First off I see someone had already raised the question/answered about the new i5/i7 over the C2D but i just sort of needed a clearer answer as to whether its really worth the extra money for either the i5/i7(most likely the i5).
-Also the selection between getting the 160 HDD or the 500 for an extra $150. Would it be worth just getting the 160 then buying a 500 seperatly? For hopefully a bit cheaper?
-and one last thing WWAN antenna, it says is used for mobile broadband, so does that mean, as i have a a pre-paid 3 wireless broadband account(which is just a simcard in a usb wireless dongle), am i able to use that if i get the upgrade? 
Anyways sorry if its alot to answer but i need to know these things as i like to know as much information as possible before i purchase things =P 
Thanks all =]


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *iSubaru*


-First off I see someone had already raised the question/answered about the new i5/i7 over the C2D but i just sort of needed a clearer answer as to whether its really worth the extra money for either the i5/i7(most likely the i5).


The i5 is most likely on par or slightly better than the C2D version, though I would wait awhile for some reviews to pop up on the internet. After all the i5/i7 models JUST came out, and won't start shipping until July from what I've heard.

Quote:



Originally Posted by *iSubaru*


-Also the selection between getting the 160 HDD or the 500 for an extra $150. Would it be worth just getting the 160 then buying a 500 seperatly? For hopefully a bit cheaper?


Get the cheapest hard drive you can, and then buy a Seagate Momentus XT hybrid SSD/HDD. It provides better "general" performance than a normal 7,200rpm laptop hard drive and they're listed at $129.99 on Newegg.com _(Out of Stock however)_.

Quote:



Originally Posted by *iSubaru*


-and one last thing WWAN antenna, it says is used for mobile broadband, so does that mean, as i have a a pre-paid 3 wireless broadband account(which is just a simcard in a usb wireless dongle), am i able to use that if i get the upgrade?


it sounds like your 3 wireless dongle can be used on any PC? If that's the case you won't need the WWAN card unless you want to get one of the ISP offers Alienware is selling you. The WWAN card is for people wanting wireless internet supplied by a mobile network ISP, and by the sounds of it you already have a solution for that with your dongle.


----------



## Clinic

I have it cracked so that it wont go to sleep when I close the lid. I could probably fix it so that it wont do that...but quite frankly I haven't bothered. Its fine where it is, hidden away, not causing anyone any problems. =)


----------



## Vargess

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
You guys should post up some pics of your M17x's in this thread, there's not enough 17" in this thread!


It's shipped out today!!! It says expected delivery on the 19th, but that's a Saturday.. Fedex doesn't do weekends.. It's usually real quick so I am hoping Friday


----------



## lordvader

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Vargess* 
It's shipped out today!!! It says expected delivery on the 19th, but that's a Saturday.. Fedex doesn't do weekends.. It's usually real quick so I am hoping Friday









Some Videos on Youtube also please
& benchmarks








Thanks


----------



## dasparx

nvm


----------



## shnur

Quote:


Originally Posted by *iSubaru* 
hey all =]
Just thought id drop past say hi to all and ask a few questions as im looking at getting/deffinately getting, an m11x and was just hoping the crowd in here could point me i the right direction with a few things.
-First off I see someone had already raised the question/answered about the new i5/i7 over the C2D but i just sort of needed a clearer answer as to whether its really worth the extra money for either the i5/i7(most likely the i5).
-Also the selection between getting the 160 HDD or the 500 for an extra $150. Would it be worth just getting the 160 then buying a 500 seperatly? For hopefully a bit cheaper?
-and one last thing WWAN antenna, it says is used for mobile broadband, so does that mean, as i have a a pre-paid 3 wireless broadband account(which is just a simcard in a usb wireless dongle), am i able to use that if i get the upgrade?
Anyways sorry if its alot to answer but i need to know these things as i like to know as much information as possible before i purchase things =P
Thanks all =]

I'd go with the i5 just cuz I can







and it's probably better than the C2D...
As for the hard drive, I picked up a Momentus XT, 500gb with 4gb SSD hybrid for 135$... and I get to keep the 160gb one as backup.
WWAN is cool since you don't have any dongles; really neat for all around people. I'd love to have some in Canada, I'd buy one for sure.


----------



## Vargess

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lordvader* 
Some Videos on Youtube also please
& benchmarks








Thanks


You betcha. Got it in yesterday afternoon but haven't had a chance to do a lot with it. My windows index is pretty nice tho. all 7+ but my Raid 500gb drives at 5.9









Any suggested game benches I can run for you guys? Will run Vantage on it pretty soon.

On the pics, I need to setup a brightly lit place.. my camera wasn't having a good day on my desk









Added a preview shot as my picture proof








http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...s/P6180242.jpg


----------



## Clinic

Too bad the M17x came in like 10x more box than necessary. =) Its big, yeah, but its not that big!


----------



## Artemis

I ordered a m11x a few days ago, still waiting for it to ship, currently in production. I'll post verification once it comes!


----------



## lordvader

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Vargess* 
You betcha. Got it in yesterday afternoon but haven't had a chance to do a lot with it. My windows index is pretty nice tho. all 7+ but my Raid 500gb drives at 5.9









Any suggested game benches I can run for you guys? Will run Vantage on it pretty soon.

On the pics, I need to setup a brightly lit place.. my camera wasn't having a good day on my desk









Added a preview shot as my picture proof








http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...s/P6180242.jpg

Congrats
you lucky lucky guy


----------



## Freelancer852

First post has been updated. Hope to see more Nebula Red pictures Vargess!


----------



## silentstorm

I can't say I'm a proud owner of Alienware laptop. It gets so hot and shuts down every time I try to watch a video or big content is loading. See below for specs.


----------



## Vargess

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Clinic* 
Too bad the M17x came in like 10x more box than necessary. =) Its big, yeah, but its not that big!

Haha.. It's not that bad. I'd rather have a huge box protecting it from those fedex guys that throw your boxes around than have it damaged and me being ticked off because of it









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
First post has been updated. Hope to see more Nebula Red pictures Vargess!

As soon as I get a good clean opportunity I will








Kids + wife = always getting distracted









Quote:


Originally Posted by *silentstorm* 
I can't say I'm a proud owner of Alienware
laptop. It gets so hot and shuts down every time I try to watch a video or big content is loading. See below for specs.

Kinda sounds like either it needs to be taken apart and dusted/cleaned, or you have a fan or something going bad.


----------



## iSubaru

hey all =] anyone know anyone who has played flight sim X on the m11x? ive looked on youtube but obviously no vid's there so has anyone played it/seen someone play it one?


----------



## silentstorm

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Vargess* 
Kinda sounds like either it needs to be taken apart and dusted/cleaned, or you have a fan or something going bad.

Today I added AS5 (thermal compound) and dusted off all the heatsinks but this thing shut down when I started playing Battlefield 2. So now I have the back open and fan blowing on it so that I can play in peace







I will never get another AMD processor computer.


----------



## Vargess

Pictures!







(no one mentioned you couldn't see the album without a password..sorry guys







)
I linked them here so they don't clog the page up for any slow loaders








http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6180241.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220249.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220250.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220251.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220253.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220254.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220257.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220252.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220255.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220256.jpg

Edit: BTW, here is the link to the Vantage score this machine got with no tweeks, changes or mods. Straight stock from Dell.
http://service.futuremark.com/home.a...&resultType=19

Quote:


Originally Posted by *silentstorm* 
Today I added AS5 (thermal compound) and dusted off all the heatsinks but this thing shut down when I started playing Battlefield 2. So now I have the back open and fan blowing on it so that I can play in peace







I will never get another AMD processor computer.

Well, that's good









Was going to mention the AMD thing as I've had that issue with the last couple AMD cpu's I've had.. Intel always now


----------



## Vargess

I fixed the linking issue after noticing no one could reach them.
All better now


----------



## shizdan

My sexual M15x just got here!


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Vargess* 
Pictures!







(no one mentioned you couldn't see the album without a password..sorry guys







)
I linked them here so they don't clog the page up for any slow loaders








http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6180241.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220249.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220250.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220251.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220253.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220254.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220257.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220252.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220255.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e/P6220256.jpg

Very awesome! I could never bring myself to pay extra for a color option but that Nebula Red does look _extremely_ sharp!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shizdan* 
My sexual M15x just got here!

Post some pics!


----------



## Vargess

It does look sharp. It's really better looking than in the pics.. cameras almost never do the job your own eyes can do








It's kind of like a crimson red, it's so awesome








(and it's not fingerprint prone like my studio xps!!! )

Plays games awesome. With the LED screen it looks better than my desktop and 295 heh. Would be a very interesting comparison to get an LED monitor/tv for my desktop.. but right now I'm lovin on the LED laptop









Almost considered installing Crysis hehe..


----------



## Clinic

When I was purchasing and building my M17X last august (geez...I've already had it for almost a year?) I decided to go with the standard black/gunmetal/black/whateveritis because I was thinking of how it would look like at an airport. Just couldn't bring myself to get the red or aluminum, figured it would look ridiculous out in the wild.

Of course this was before I realized exactly how big a 17 inch laptop really is. And before I realized that it was going to be a desktop replacement and not going anywhere except maybe from the kitchen table to the desk to the tv stand. =P

10 pounds isn't much when its weights, but my god 10 pounds feels like 50 when its a laptop.


----------



## Finny

My M11x is set to arrive tomorrow!

Its a R2 with the i5 processor. If anyone wants any performance tests run feel free to ask and I'll do my best to get you information since not a lot is out there about the R2...


----------



## Darkice

Add me too the list for a M9700


----------



## Virulis

M11x owner and first time Alienware owner










http://img3.imageshack.us/i/mv80079.jpg/
http://img121.imageshack.us/i/mv80080.jpg/


----------



## shnur

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Finny* 
My M11x is set to arrive tomorrow!

Its a R2 with the i5 processor. If anyone wants any performance tests run feel free to ask and I'll do my best to get you information since not a lot is out there about the R2...

Please do bench with what you have... I can bench afterwards with my SU7300...
Since it's half-broken (display) I might return it and get the newer version so I want to have your take on that!
Thanks!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Virulis* 
M11x owner and first time Alienware owner











Looks good! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do enjoy mine!!!


----------



## Artemis

My M11x R2 got here on friday, I got the i5 config for longer battery, 250gb HDD, 4gb ram, bluetooth, and 1yr accidental warranty. Heres some pics:


----------



## Vargess

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Artemis* 
My M11x R2 got here on friday, I got the i5 config for longer battery, 250gb HDD, 4gb ram, bluetooth, and 1yr accidental warranty.

How is the battery life? still 5 hours or so comparing to the first m11x?

Also, do you plan to get an SSD? (or anyone with an m11x for that matter)
I'd be interested to know the difference on battery from a mechanical spin drive to an SSD.

Shnur.. What do you mean by "half-broken"?


----------



## theblah

Add me to the list please







I just got my M11xR2 and am installing my X25-m into it right now.
I have the i5 version.


----------



## Artemis

I get about 7-8hrs on Powersaving mode, while word processing / internet. and 3-4hrs while gaming.


----------



## tylerand

The XPS gaming laptops should totally count, since they're the same thing now... essentially.


----------



## shnur

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Vargess* 
How is the battery life? still 5 hours or so comparing to the first m11x?

Also, do you plan to get an SSD? (or anyone with an m11x for that matter)
I'd be interested to know the difference on battery from a mechanical spin drive to an SSD.

Shnur.. What do you mean by "half-broken"?









I have an Hybrid SSD in mine. Battery life got impacted since it's a 7.2k rpm, I can't tell by how much, but I'm getting around 5-6hrs instead of 6-7hrs with the 5,4k drive that came in with the laptop, speed is amazing though.

As half-broken, check my other thread: http://www.overclock.net/laptops-not...-problems.html

Still haven't got the time to call Alienware to get this rectified (also waiting on reviews of the m11x R2 to see if it's worth the hassle to request the i5 version instead)


----------



## Finny

I'll try to do some benches later, a tech is coming in about 20-30 minutes to replace the flickering screen that came with mine...

I'll try to do some Vantage and 06 benchies on an external monitor because they don't support this resolution.

Also I will do some cinebench runs, super pi, Call of Pripyat benchmark, Crysis Benchmarks, and Dirt 2 Benchmark... I can't promise them all tonight but I'll try a few!

Shall post back later...


----------



## Finny

Ok, I just ran a few tests, and my Crysis download is almost complete so I will do some of that now.

If anyone has any requests I will try to do them, either if I have the stuff or it is available for freeware.

Super Pi = 25.5 seconds for 1M

Stalker CoP (Enhanced Full Dynamic Lighting DX9) Medium = Day-40, Night-44.5, Rain-50, Sun Shafts-25.5

Vantage Entry GPU score of 13898

Heaven Benchmarck DX9, Medium, no AA, 16x AF = 20.6 FPS
10% overclock (495 core 870 memory) = 21.8 (about 6% increase)

Max temps during benchmarcking were 74C & 78C on cores and 78C on the GPU.

Edit: Ok, for Crysis, at stock and at medium settings I get about 19.5 FPS. However I couldn't get it to run in fullscreen and not windowed mode so that might have some effect.


----------



## lordvader

The real test will be when Crysis 2 is out


----------



## shnur

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Finny* 
Ok, I just ran a few tests, and my Crysis download is almost complete so I will do some of that now.

If anyone has any requests I will try to do them, either if I have the stuff or it is available for freeware.

Super Pi = 25.5 seconds for 1M

Stalker CoP (Enhanced Full Dynamic Lighting DX9) Medium = Day-40, Night-44.5, Rain-50, Sun Shafts-25.5

Vantage Entry GPU score of 13898

Heaven Benchmarck DX9, Medium, no AA, 16x AF = 20.6 FPS
10% overclock (495 core 870 memory) = 21.8 (about 6% increase)

Max temps during benchmarcking were 74C & 78C on cores and 78C on the GPU.

Edit: Ok, for Crysis, at stock and at medium settings I get about 19.5 FPS. However I couldn't get it to run in fullscreen and not windowed mode so that might have some effect.

Ok, let me check with mine tonight and I'll report back with the C2D version.


----------



## Finny

Yeah, I'll be gone all weekend, but I can do more testing Monday.


----------



## lordvader

Does the AW m17x have - *Always On USB*
cos thats a great & useful function


----------



## Freelancer852

I believe that I've added everyone to the list now, if I messed you let me know!


----------



## Vargess

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lordvader* 
Does the AW m17x have - *Always On USB*
cos thats a great & useful function


The m17x does have it yes


----------



## 3dfxvoodoo

I gust got a m15x 2 days ago. I'll post sum pic's of it on Friday. (the proof of having it)
I leavening for a trip tomorrow. so no pic's till Friday.


----------



## sbao26975

* IntelÂ® Core(tm) i7 720QM Processor
* 4GB RAM
* 320GB Hard Drive
* 8x CD/DVD Burner Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive
* 8-in-1 Media Card Reader
* NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® GTX 260M
* 10/100/1000 Network
* 802.11a/g/n Wireless with MIMO
* 15.6" Widescreen High Definition Display
* Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
* Cosmic Black

M15x, brand new in box for $1049+tax.
Good deal?


----------



## Finny

Freaking awesome deal I thinks...


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sbao26975* 
* IntelÂ® Core(tm) i7 720QM Processor
* 4GB RAM
* 320GB Hard Drive
* 8x CD/DVD Burner Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive
* 8-in-1 Media Card Reader
* NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® GTX 260M
* 10/100/1000 Network
* 802.11a/g/n Wireless with MIMO
* 15.6" Widescreen High Definition Display
* Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
* Cosmic Black

M15x, brand new in box for $1049+tax.
Good deal?

Good deal.

If you can get the i7-620M instead of the 720QM I would probably get it, unless of course you want the extra cores for video editing, multi-threaded applications , etc... If you don't need that stuff the 620M is a superior processor.


----------



## shizdan

Check my sig! M15x


----------



## Vargess

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shizdan* 
Check my sig! M15x


Gratz m8. Should be able to do some decent gaming on that









On another note.. been meaning to post this just haven't gotten to it..

Being a first time Alienware owner, does the brand offer anymore freedom to overclock, mod drivers, or whatnot as compared to the rest of Dell's laptops?
I own several Dell laptops and none of them can have 3rd party programs like Rivatuner or a number of other things work. I haven't gotten them to work on here either, but I began to think back and if I recall, back before Dell bought Alienware, there was a few things that could be done to these machines. I couldn't find any of that old stuff like old websites and the sort, probably because Dell had them taken down or whathaveyou.

Are there any programs or apps that I can use to clock my 5870's or my i7 or something useful that is missing?


----------



## Freelancer852

You can use the NVIDIA Control Panel in conjunction with the NVIDIA System Tools to overclock your GPU.

Overclocking laptops is almost always more trouble than it's worth, temps go up, battery life and component life goes down rapidly.


----------



## Darkice

And Proof at last of my Baby Pre-dell Alienware laptop with in my opinion their sickest case design.


















Epic mouse pad they game me this thing is amazing dual sided high res mouse pad with rubber feet, best mouse pad I have ever used.








since people are talking about it,
will be buying a new alienware laptop when this one dies that or a voodoo.


----------



## shnur

I remember those designs! They were one of a kind!


----------



## Freelancer852

Voodoo has been bought out by HP and their products have taken a pretty big hit, their laptops aren't really worth it anymore. If I were to buy from HP I'd probably get an Envy series _(not the Voodoo Envy 133)_. I actually live in Calgary and I used to know a system builder that worked for Voodoo when they did completely custom gaming systems, during the tour I saw them working on a gold plated system... Really nice work, the entire case had been gold plated _(weighed a ton)_ and a lot of the cables had been sleeved with black/gold-fleck sleeve, looked very shiny.

I do like the old Skullcap design, I wish they still offered it since it looks a bit more unique than the new design. Unfortunately it wouldn't go very will with the rest of the laptop design anymore. What model is that laptop? I'll add you to the list once you let me know!


----------



## Darkice

oh sad to hear voodoo fell their laptops used too look sick have looked in years honestly, you already have me on your list just needed to be verified


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Darkice*


you already have me on your list just needed to be verified


















...

Shows how great my memory is!


----------



## Darkice

Hey its cool, don't sweat it.


----------



## elecwolf1138

I have an Area-51M 5700.
Will post a picture as soon as I get home and take it.









Really looking at getting back inside of it and at least updating the thermal paste. Kind of afraid to though since the first backpack it was in had no padding and there are several cracks in the base.


----------



## shnur

Wow, that is quite old! It still runs perfectly though?
I'm impressed to see so many old Alienware's still working, I think that's why I went for this company, reliability.


----------



## KoukiFC3S

What's everyone been playing on their Alienware?

Just got Alien Swarm and Lead and Gold. Both run great on my M11x R1


----------



## shnur

I've been playing Alien swarm, TF2, MW2 and WoW
All runs suberb!


----------



## Freelancer852

Modern Warfare 2, Bad Company 2, Lord of the Rings Online, Alien Swarm, Team Fortress 2, etc... Pretty much whatever I play on my desktop, when I'm not at my desktop


----------



## iSubaru

hi all








Just a quick question, anyone in from aus, and if so did you buy your laptop from the dell website. I'm from aus and have been lookin at either a m11x or m15x(just waiting for tax to come through) but while looking at all my options i realised that i couldnt get the custom nameplate that come on the bottom of the laptop. 
Im not sure if im missing the option or if because of being in australia i just dont get that option, plus a few others that other countries and such get?

Thanks


----------



## bus_dr1v3r

Hello everyone, just thought I might share my my M11x to get into the club







. I like to keep everything orange(as far as the lighting goes), and I have my website pulled up for proof that it is me!


----------



## shnur

Quote:


Originally Posted by *iSubaru* 
hi all








Just a quick question, anyone in from aus, and if so did you buy your laptop from the dell website. I'm from aus and have been lookin at either a m11x or m15x(just waiting for tax to come through) but while looking at all my options i realised that i couldnt get the custom nameplate that come on the bottom of the laptop.
Im not sure if im missing the option or if because of being in australia i just dont get that option, plus a few others that other countries and such get?

Thanks









I didn't get the option either, I am in Canada.
You'd need to speak with a rep and have it added because it's part of the deal.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bus_dr1v3r* 
Hello everyone, just thought I might share my my M11x to get into the club







. I like to keep everything orange(as far as the lighting goes), and I have my website pulled up for proof that it is me!



Sweet! Welcome to the club!
Do you have the R1 or R2?


----------



## bus_dr1v3r

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shnur* 
Sweet! Welcome to the club!
Do you have the R1 or R2?

I'm not sure I guess. Does R1/R2 just refer to the processor, or were there other revisions?


----------



## shnur

It's revisions, the R1 had C2D CPUs, the R2 had i3, i5 and i7's.


----------



## bus_dr1v3r

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shnur* 
It's revisions, the R1 had C2D CPUs, the R2 had i3, i5 and i7's.

Okay then, R1 for me, and I love it.


----------



## Jbar1011

you are a bunch of wieners! i paid 1200$ for a setup that took me probably 5 hours total to build and gives me twice the performance as all urs! not hooked up yet, waiting for hard drive from newegg


----------



## MOCAMBO

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jbar1011* 
you are a bunch of wieners! i paid 1200$ for a setup that took me probably 5 hours total to build and gives me twice the performance as all urs! not hooked up yet, waiting for hard drive from newegg


----------



## shnur

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MOCAMBO* 









I approve of your post.


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jbar1011* 
you are a bunch of wieners! i paid 1200$ for a setup that took me probably 5 hours total to build and gives me twice the performance as all urs! not hooked up yet, waiting for hard drive from newegg

Lets have some more details on this statement please, are you talking about a desktop or a laptop? If you're talking about a desktop... Why are you even in this thread? You can't compare laptops to desktops, sure they have similarly named hardware, but mobile hardware is VERY different than its desktop equivalent. I know that I personally would never buy a desktop from any kind of retail store or online store, building desktops yourself is always the better option and I'm sure most of the members in this club agree with me!

If you're talking about a laptop that you customized yourself from some other manufacturer then you need to rephrase your question, because that's not "building it yourself". If you did happen to build a laptop yourself using some kind of customizable chassis then your going to have extremely low build quality compared to our laptops.

With that said, most of the club members here have done their research. We own Alienware laptops because of the entire experience, not just because of the brand and reputation. Alienware laptops are probably some of the best built out there, they are extremely sturdy and don't feel like little plastic toys. Add to that the amazing warranty and repair services provided by Dell and you've got a laptop that won't be down for maintenance very long. Then there's the "cool" features that shouldn't even need mentioning like the AlienFX customizable lighting and the chassis design.

Overall I'd have to say Alienware offers the overall best consumer laptops available for purchase.


----------



## elecwolf1138

Anyone looked into replacing their plastics or am I the only one who is old school enough to need to?









Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


Wow, that is quite old! It still runs perfectly though?
I'm impressed to see so many old Alienware's still working, I think that's why I went for this company, reliability.


Aside from the CD/DVD drive that has been flackey since I got it, and that I think the motherboard may finally be telling me it's time, it has been running like a champ since day one.

Quote:



Originally Posted by *KoukiFC3S*


What's everyone been playing on their Alienware?

Just got Alien Swarm and Lead and Gold. Both run great on my M11x R1


Mostly older games, really. StarCraft, Diablo II, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Half Life 2, Spelljammer, Morraff's World, Lego Star Wars. I also got Alien Swarm.







Getting some kind of weird delay every once in a while on everything so I may reimage again.

And I didn't get added to the list at the top.








Slacker.


----------



## KoukiFC3S

Anyone getting Starcraft 2? I wonder if it runs good on the M11x.


----------



## MOCAMBO

Hey guys does the M11x have a full sized keyboard?


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *MOCAMBO*


Hey guys does the M11x have a full sized keyboard?


I don't think so, but it's something really close to it, like 98% maybe? Keys are a bit slimmer, but height wise they're the same.


----------



## Virulis

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


Lets have some more details on this statement please, are you talking about a desktop or a laptop? If you're talking about a desktop... Why are you even in this thread? You can't compare laptops to desktops, sure they have similarly named hardware, but mobile hardware is VERY different than its desktop equivalent. I know that I personally would never buy a desktop from any kind of retail store or online store, building desktops yourself is always the better option and I'm sure most of the members in this club agree with me!

If you're talking about a laptop that you customized yourself from some other manufacturer then you need to rephrase your question, because that's not "building it yourself". If you did happen to build a laptop yourself using some kind of customizable chassis then your going to have extremely low build quality compared to our laptops.

With that said, most of the club members here have done their research. We own Alienware laptops because of the entire experience, not just because of the brand and reputation. Alienware laptops are probably some of the best built out there, they are extremely sturdy and don't feel like little plastic toys. Add to that the amazing warranty and repair services provided by Dell and you've got a laptop that won't be down for maintenance very long. Then there's the "cool" features that shouldn't even need mentioning like the AlienFX customizable lighting and the chassis design.

Overall I'd have to say Alienware offers the overall best consumer laptops available for purchase.


Couldn't have put it better myself.


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *elecwolf1138*


And I didn't get added to the list at the top.








Slacker.










Ah missed you at the very bottom of that page, my bad! Added you now!

Quote:



Originally Posted by *KoukiFC3S*


Anyone getting Starcraft 2? I wonder if it runs good on the M11x.


I picked it up at the midnight launch, I'll install it on my M15x I guess but it won't really give you any accurate results to compare to an M11x. The beta ran fine on my M15x when it was still active.


----------



## Vargess

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jbar1011* 
you are a bunch of wieners! i paid 1200$ for a setup that took me probably 5 hours total to build and gives me twice the performance as all urs! not hooked up yet, waiting for hard drive from newegg

I seriously doubt that.
Your desktop rig has no comparison, doesn't belong in this thread, and the things you stated in your sig rig tell me enough about you to know that your statement here has no meaning.
Besides, the "coolness" factor of my laptop alone not including any specs would blow your rig right out of the water.. with my Annodized Nebula Red Aluminum 17" LED blueray playing Crossfired laptop









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
Lets have some more details on this statement please, are you talking about a desktop or a laptop? If you're talking about a desktop... Why are you even in this thread? You can't compare laptops to desktops, sure they have similarly named hardware, but mobile hardware is VERY different than its desktop equivalent. I know that I personally would never buy a desktop from any kind of retail store or online store, building desktops yourself is always the better option and I'm sure most of the members in this club agree with me!

If you're talking about a laptop that you customized yourself from some other manufacturer then you need to rephrase your question, because that's not "building it yourself". If you did happen to build a laptop yourself using some kind of customizable chassis then your going to have extremely low build quality compared to our laptops.

With that said, most of the club members here *have done their research.* We own Alienware laptops because of the entire experience, not just because of the brand and reputation. Alienware laptops are probably some of the best built out there, they are *extremely sturdy* and don't feel like little plastic toys. Add to that the *amazing warranty* and *repair services* provided by Dell and you've got a laptop that won't be down for maintenance very long. Then there's the "cool" features that shouldn't even need mentioning like the *AlienFX* customizable lighting and the *chassis design.*

Overall I'd have to say Alienware offers the overall best consumer laptops available for purchase.

Totally agreed there. I spent more than 6 months looking at gaming grade laptops, comparing and reading reviews, tech articles, buyer reviews and comments/experiences, and my focus always came back to Alienware. I wanted top notch and the m17x was my final choice for good reason. My only regret is that I haven't ordered an SSD for it yet








Alienware has a name for itself for a reason, or a few ^.


----------



## MOCAMBO

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


I don't think so, but it's something really close to it, like 98% maybe? Keys are a bit slimmer, but height wise they're the same.


Ah well that should be good enough.

Also, what would you guys recommend as a nice mouse to go along with the M11x as well?


----------



## KoukiFC3S

Razer Orichi


----------



## Freelancer852

I've updated the list.

Also, StarCraft II runs better on my M15x than it does on my desktop _(sig rig)_! I'm not sure why, but the GPU drivers on my desktop cause artifacting, tearing, and lag during the cinematic sequences of the game... Everything else is fine.

Quote:



Originally Posted by *MOCAMBO*


Also, what would you guys recommend as a nice mouse to go along with the M11x as well?


I use a Logitech VX Revolution, great little mobile mouse.


----------



## MOCAMBO

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


I've updated the list.

Also, StarCraft II runs better on my M15x than it does on my desktop _(sig rig)_! I'm not sure why, but the GPU drivers on my desktop cause artifacting, tearing, and lag during the cinematic sequences of the game... Everything else is fine.

I use a Logitech VX Revolution, great little mobile mouse.


Sounds good good.

One other question for the M11x, over at the CAD dell site, its about $100 for an upgrade from 2gb to 4gm RAM, now do you guys think I'd be better off going at 2gb now and upgrading myself? Also does anyone know what brand memory they use?

Thanks


----------



## shnur

Just called Alienware this morning, spent about one hour with them, they are sending me a replacement for my m11x; my screen was acting weird for a while. They refuse to send me the i5 version because it is two diferrent boards. At least I'll have the name tag at the bottom!

Quote:



Originally Posted by *MOCAMBO*


Sounds good good.

One other question for the M11x, over at the CAD dell site, its about $100 for an upgrade from 2gb to 4gm RAM, now do you guys think I'd be better off going at 2gb now and upgrading myself? Also does anyone know what brand memory they use?

Thanks


I use the LogitechÂ® Anywhere Mouse MX. I find it pretty awesome and it tracks on glass... why? Because I can.

I was pondering the same when I was placing my order. I ended up leave 2gb because I found that buying 4GB of RAM was about 90$ CAD and buying the "upgrade" was 100$... Also funny enough, 2GB is plenty enough for all my games/programs... I'd recommend in investing into an SSD or a Hybrid SSD drive to boost stuff up.

I'll check at home about the brand and get back to you


----------



## Vargess

Anyone been able to get new ATI drivers installed on their machines? For whatever reason, no matter what I try my m17x won't accept anything but the crap driver from Dell. I tried installing 10.7 but my rig doesn't seem to even recognize it as a driver.. I've used ccleaner, etc.. Am I missing something?

Edit: This setup has a hybrid video setup that can use an oboard video, and the driver page says it won't work.. so am I screwed or..?


----------



## elecwolf1138

Not sure about 'Post Dell' but my 'Pre Dell' one seems to have all kinds of proprietary drivers and firmware. It won't take a new video driver, I can't flash my CD drive and the only BIOS I ever used was the one they posted on my internal support page.

You may be stuck.


----------



## iSubaru

hey guys well finally got my m11x, got the C2D version as it was cheap as and wasnt worth spending the extra 600 for an i5 version







anyways i must say it is quite a piece of work, just so nice to use and lol the looks you get on the train....priceless =P 
I do have one problem though, are all the usb ports usb 1.1? or is it just my stupid external hdd?


----------



## Freelancer852

They should be 2.0 USB ports.


----------



## MOCAMBO

Quote:


Originally Posted by *iSubaru* 
hey guys well finally got my m11x, got the C2D version as it was cheap as and wasnt worth spending the extra 600 for an i5 version







anyways i must say it is quite a piece of work, just so nice to use and lol the looks you get on the train....priceless =P
I do have one problem though, are all the usb ports usb 1.1? or is it just my stupid external hdd?









Its not 600 more for an upgrade from C2D to i5, more like $150.


----------



## iSubaru

hmmm i thought they were sposed to be usb 2.0 im no9t sure why on earth they would be, just i get the message "this divice can perform fast if it was plugged into a usb 20.0 port" when i plug my external in....hm perhaps its just my external being silly, as usual lol.

Quote:



Originally Posted by *MOCAMBO*


Its not 600 more for an upgrade from C2D to i5, more like $150.


And MOCAMBO, where im from i could get, and did get, my C2D m11x for $1100(From officeworks). On the Dell website buying a C2D m11x is like $1300 or $1400 for me in australia...i cant remember, anyway the i5 version is $1700 with no upgrades, so just bare minimmal. Therefore if my maths is correct that is a $600 difference between them.


----------



## Pheatton

So looking forward to tomorrow. My M11x should be getting here on the 5th. Its been delayed twice now, once for a bad barcode label and then some sort of transit error. Thats all the FedEx site said.

Its already two days late!!


----------



## MOCAMBO

So guys what do you think would be the best linux distro to put on the M11x? Ubuntu or Suse?


----------



## shnur

Ubuntu is more familiar for most people and it works well with netbooks.

I just realized that the glue under my left little pad starts to go off (the one that stops the screen from being all scratched) anyone else having that issue?


----------



## Pheatton

Nope no issue yet with that. I do keep the little cloth that was included in it once I close the screen.

Anyone find a good cooler for the M11x?


----------



## Freelancer852

Shouldn't be hard to fine a good cooler for the M11x since it's so small, I'm having a hard time finding one large enough for my M15X but not so oversize that it looks bad. The problem with the M15X is that the chassis is so large that it almost requires a cooler designed for 17" laptops.


----------



## Pheatton

Yeah I picked up one at a local BB until the one Im going to order is here.


----------



## Maxhamer

Hey, just found this thread. Please add me to the M11x group! If you need proof I can provide it.


----------



## Freelancer852

I added you, it's up to you if you want to provide proof or not. People that have linked names in the OP are "validated" because they provided some photos. If you don't want to validate your ownership that's fine as well!


----------



## Vargess

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
Shouldn't be hard to fine a good cooler for the M11x since it's so small, I'm having a hard time finding one large enough for my M15X but not so oversize that it looks bad. The problem with the M15X is that the chassis is so large that it almost requires a cooler designed for 17" laptops.


You think you are having a hard time.. try finding one for an m17x lol..
Due to it's unique design I think I will have to build my own!
If only I could find some aluminum in the same red color....


----------



## Freelancer852

Well, if I had an M17X it wouldn't be sitting on my lap or anywhere else that would need a cooler! It would be stationary on a desk somewhere lol.


----------



## elecwolf1138

Anyone have any theories on getting an updated drive to take on my video card?

NVIDIA GO 6800 256MB MXM3

Something about how Alienware tweaked their hardware makes it to where it will only take their driver. Their driver happens to be NVIDIA Graphics Driver 78.10. Which I think is somewhat out of date. Anything else I have thrown at it from NVidia says I don't have a video card. Win7 only found it has a VGA card till I ran the Alienware driver and then it told me it wasn't a good choice but at least it worked.


----------



## Freelancer852

You need mobile specific drivers, and Nvidia doesn't offer any for the 6000 series so you're stuck with the Dell/Alienware ones.


----------



## elecwolf1138

Bummer... Thank you.


----------



## Vargess

FYI to m15x and m17x owners.. Dell has posted updated (beta) drivers on their downloads list, as of 09-03-10. I am running them now and all seems fine so far tho I have not run tests to see if they are any better than the .6 drivers.. I just did a fresh OS install on mine so we'll see soon









I don't know about m11x guys sorry.


----------



## Pheatton

I'm running that latest WHQL drivers from NVIDIA on my m11x. You need a modified inf to run them though.


----------



## xILukasIx

Hey guys!

I'm also a proud Alienware owner, M17x FTW!
Attachment 170989


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *xILukasIx*


Hey guys!

I'm also a proud Alienware owner, M17x FTW!
Attachment 170989


Nice setup man, added you to the list!

Note to anyone running an M15x, are you sick of the bad polling rate on the touchpad? Install the A08 BIOS and it fixes the polling issue and also decreases throttling on non-extreme i7 CPU's and the GTX 260M!


----------



## Vargess

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


Nice setup man, added you to the list!

Note to anyone running an M15x, are you sick of the bad polling rate on the touchpad? Install the A08 BIOS and it fixes the polling issue and also decreases throttling on non-extreme i7 CPU's and the GTX 260M!



Same issue with the m17x too. Thanks for the input on it. I thought about this, but I'll go ahead and update now









Update: updated the bios, reboot, and on the screen - "Missing Operating System_"
















Not liking Dell right now...


----------



## Vargess

Quote:



Originally Posted by *xILukasIx*


Hey guys!

I'm also a proud Alienware owner, M17x FTW!
Attachment 170989



Sweet, another Crimson owner








Out of curiosity, what specs did you get?


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Vargess*


Update: updated the bios, reboot, and on the screen - "Missing Operating System_"
















Not liking Dell right now...


Have you got it working yet? Did you let the BIOS update run until it automatically shut your lappy all the way off? It reboots itself a couple times, if you rebooted it manually at all you may have interrupted it.


----------



## Vargess

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


Have you got it working yet? Did you let the BIOS update run until it automatically shut your lappy all the way off? It reboots itself a couple times, if you rebooted it manually at all you may have interrupted it.


All worked out fine. I went back into bios after updating and checked and changed my settings but for some reason my raid did not initialize. Wouldn't accept it? It ended up trying to tell me that my drives were "incompatible" lol








It didn't fix itself until I went into the Intel storage dealy and then back to bios and re-reset my settings. Not sure what took place, but all is well now.


----------



## Freelancer852

Have you also updated from Intel Storage Matrix to Intel Rapid Storage? There's been a slew of unannounced updates on the Dell Drivers & Downloads site recently. I wish there was a way to sign up for notification of new drivers.


----------



## psi_guy

you can add my to the m17x owners list as well. i'll post some pics of my m11x next to my m17x when it arrives.


----------



## Vargess

How do you do a bios reset on these alienware laptops?
Now I am getting bluescreens and black screens and I don't know ***.
Put in the windows disk and repair didn't find any problems. No memory issues. Everything in the bios looks fine, but I've had nothing but issues since the update..
Detects my drives and raid settings. Tried re-seating the drives, pulled the bios battery, changing boot order.

Really ticked off atm..


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Vargess*


How do you do a bios reset on these alienware laptops?
Now I am getting bluescreens and black screens and I don't know ***.
Put in the windows disk and repair didn't find any problems. No memory issues. Everything in the bios looks fine, but I've had nothing but issues since the update..
Detects my drives and raid settings. Tried re-seating the drives, pulled the bios battery, changing boot order.

Really ticked off atm..


Take out the battery, remove the back-panel and remove your BIOS battery _(check your service manual if you need to)_, hold down your laptop power button for 10-15s. Replace everything in reverse order.

If you want to roll-back to A07 you should do the following, and at first bootup afterward boot the A07 update image. That will re-flash your BIOS back to A07.


----------



## Vargess

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
Take out the battery, remove the back-panel and remove your BIOS battery _(check your service manual if you need to)_, hold down your laptop power button for 10-15s. Replace everything in reverse order.

If you want to roll-back to A07 you should do the following, and at first bootup afterward boot the A07 update image. That will re-flash your BIOS back to A07.

I believe it had A05 lol.. After going through all I did to fix it I got another bluescreen







. Is the Bios it was shipped with on the recovery partition?
They don't have the older versions listed on their site (I haven't tried to search for it yet either).
This all started after updating the bios to A08, and I wanted to move the laptop to my bed to watch a movie with the wife. So I unplugged it, moved it over and plugged it back in. Then the machine locked up. Next boot it bluescreens, or freezes with a black screen after the "starting windows" bit.. Tried to use System Restore, in which case it destroyed my only point







So reloading 7.. again.
Alteast I have my Studio laptop to use for things cause this is frustrating. Could have bought 6 laptops for this thing.. not supposed to be having this crap


----------



## Freelancer852

Not sure where you can get the older M17x BIOS's... Ask around on notebookforums, I was able to get all of the M15x BIOS's from people there.


----------



## Vargess

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Freelancer852* 
Not sure where you can get the older M17x BIOS's... Ask around on notebookforums, I was able to get all of the M15x BIOS's from people there.

I was able to find all of them. It's funny how Dell keeps seemingly all their files online, just hides all but the newest. You just have to know what the file is called or how to locate it.. Stupid Dell









On A07 now, but it doesn't seem to matter what revision I use, I keep getting bsod or freezes. When I have it up and running on battery and I plug in my power, it freezes and I have to crash it and reboot








I'm calling Dell today about it because I think something hardware wise is borked, and A08 caused it most likely. I had zero issues until A08. I can't even totally power down as it just hangs up and I have to hold the power button down to shut it off


----------



## Vargess

Well.. this sucks. Anything different than the way it came from the factory and my laptop breaks. I flashed back to A05 and installed the original video drivers. Any bios beyond A05 messes with things. The newer video drivers posted screws things up.. Which claim to fix 
Didn't get a chance to call Dell yet, as I found a few threads @ www.notebookreview.com which has sections specifically for our laptops. I followed what they did, but I did/am not having the success they have found









Has anyone else tried the newer beta drivers with any success? R279612


----------



## shnur

I am still with a half-working lappy







I wish I could use it, but the screen is all messed up, I think it was not handled properly when shipped... Called Dell on the 06-10-10; they said they would send something out but I have yet to receive anything








It should have taken a month or so, but now it's far over that! Will need to speak with some managers I guess... I want that matte back







with OPTIMUS technology...


----------



## genji

As of yesterday I am the proud owner of an Alienware m9700i-R1 laptop! Installing Windows 7 64-bit on it as we speak!


----------



## Vargess

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


I am still with a half-working lappy







I wish I could use it, but the screen is all messed up, I think it was not handled properly when shipped... Called Dell on the 06-10-10; they said they would send something out but I have yet to receive anything








It should have taken a month or so, but now it's far over that! Will need to speak with some managers I guess... I want that matte back







with OPTIMUS technology...










Ouch







I'd call Dell everyday until it was taken care of, or demand/threaten for a complete refund. I was on the phone with Alienware support for almost 2 hours yesterday while they remotely messed up my laptop







and determined I have a bad motherboard. My AlienFX controller stopped working on top of it all so I have no lights either








Have to use a flashlight to see my shortcut buttons







They told me 24-48 hours so it better be or I'm calling and harrassing them


----------



## OrphaGn

I've had my m11x for about 3 weeks now and I LOVE it! It's perfect for what I need, portable gaming. I upgraded the stock 160GB HDD to a 500GB Momentus XT over an SSD since i'd rather more storage than speed.
This thing is exactly what i've been trying to find. The backlighting is just like a cherry on top too!


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Vargess*


Ouch







I'd call Dell everyday until it was taken care of, or demand/threaten for a complete refund. I was on the phone with Alienware support for almost 2 hours yesterday while they remotely messed up my laptop







and determined I have a bad motherboard. My AlienFX controller stopped working on top of it all so I have no lights either








Have to use a flashlight to see my shortcut buttons







They told me 24-48 hours so it better be or I'm calling and harrassing them











Yeah I was just waiting to have some time to call them... last time I spent 20 minutes just being transfered from one place to another >.<

Quote:



Originally Posted by *OrphaGn*


I've had my m11x for about 3 weeks now and I LOVE it! It's perfect for what I need, portable gaming. I upgraded the stock 160GB HDD to a 500GB Momentus XT over an SSD since i'd rather more storage than speed.
This thing is exactly what i've been trying to find. The backlighting is just like a cherry on top too!


Momentus XT is almost as quick as my desktop SSD at 99% of the tasks, so it's a GREAT bargain!


----------



## Vargess

Yeah I spent an hour 45 minutes on the phone with support so they can tell me what I already knew








The guy came and out replaced my board. He did ok but he kept having to look back at his instructions to take it apart and such. I'll have to fix the palm rest tho.. he didn't do it right. He tried to force it in place so he better not have broken something.. it is plastic afterall









But everything works as it should now







. So hopfully they will get yours done quickly and accurately as well.

I just got my new Logitech G700 mouse for this laptop in














Gotta go check it out and maybe write a review for it.


----------



## OrphaGn

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shnur* 
Momentus XT is almost as quick as my desktop SSD at 99% of the tasks, so it's a GREAT bargain!

It's so awesome, my m11x boots up faster than my gaming rig now, which makes me want to get another XT, but I don't wanna go through the hassle of cloning drives and getting misaligned partitions haha


----------



## genji

I need your guys' help/advice. I bought a used alienware m9700i-R1 which is pretty much a m9750. I bought a charger for it and it is made for the m9750 and it is 19v and 7.83 amps. The m9700i-R1 on the bottom of the battery says 19v and 9.5amps. Will using this OEM charger for a 9750 damage my computer or the power brick in any way? Also, will it supply it with enough power to run games. I still have the option to return it, but I would have to pay shipping on it plus there might possibly be a 30% restocking fee. Thanks


----------



## Freelancer852

If the charger you have works to charge the laptop it should work while it's gaming as well. I'm no expect on chargers but I'd try and get something that's at least 8.5amps if the original was 9.5.


----------



## shnur

It will work, it will take longer to recharge and eventually it'll ruin your battery since you'll never be able to charge at 100% designated capacity.


----------



## genji

Oh, the charger did more to the laptop then charge it, it melted a capacitor... I am pretty sure it is the charger, I think it is defective and outputting too high a voltage. I am bringing it into work later today to actually test it with a voltmeter to find out. I know lower or higher amperage's won't hurt the laptop itself, I know lower would just affect the ac adapter over time. I took off the panel on the bottom of the laptop and took off the heatsink and under the piping there is a burnt/melted capacitor. It had a little battery life (and I mean like 1% and it POST's and boots into windows (which is good news) but I know that capacitor does something and isn't sitting there to be pretty...and if it was it's been in a fire with serious 3rd degree burns and isn't doing it's job anymore.

I'm just waiting to get into work and pray it's the adapter so I don't have to actually have to worry about the repairs and soldering a new capacitor on the motherboard. Also, the adapter had a 30 day warranty and if it is defective then the company who sold it to me will be doing the repairs. I am still very sad that I have a brand new laptop (brand new to me) sitting in a drawer going to waste







Wish me luck and pray for my poor alien!


----------



## Freelancer852

Good luck, I've never been able to get a motherboard working again after self-soldering something. Someone told me it had to do with the multiple layers that most motherboards have.


----------



## PatBadAzz

my second big love is:










:-D


----------



## Freelancer852

Your second big love is me?! I see me in that picture!

Welcome to the club, haha


----------



## Mohd Rome

Hiiii...







You better count me in as soon as i upload my M11X-R2 in..
comes with razer kabuto & rapoo (7500dpi) mouse...
i hope too learn more from u guys..


----------



## Mohd Rome

just a simple snap


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Mohd Rome*


just a simple snap










Nice color arrangements! I usually have everything off, except the keyboard.

Seems like you have a desk dedicated to it; that's very nice


----------



## mardon

Max out your i5's and i7's with this new software. Improve your Prime times by upto 14 seconds!

THREAD HERE


----------



## Mohd Rome

It's been a days...


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Mohd Rome*


It's been a days...still doesnt add mine on list..tired of waitin', wastin' my time..
& I started to wonder if this so call Alienware laptop club is nothin' than just a joke...










Patience my young Padawan learner... Patience... Some of us have jobs and such that take up some of our time, me personally included. I also volunteer a lot of my free time to online communities and such, as well as develop video game mods and such.

Anyhow, you've been added to the list! Nice looking lappy you've got there, and the desk really compliments it!


----------



## Mohd Rome

owh...OK thanks!!
btw.. sorry for those reply....


----------



## un1b4ll

Alright, It's finally here. May I join?


----------



## Freelancer852

I assume you mean the M17x in your sig rig?

You're in! Post some pics for us hehe.


----------



## kemsoff

I just got a brand new m15x - woot!

I actually bought a Macbook pro last week for 999$ , was surfing craigslist and someone was wanting to trade a brand new m15x for a mac book pro. So I took the trade since the config on Alienware's website was 1800$ So far Im loving this laptop.


----------



## mjl4878

Please add me, I've had my su7300 m11x for a couple of months now


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *kemsoff*


I just got a brand new m15x - woot!

I actually bought a Macbook pro last week for 999$ , was surfing craigslist and someone was wanting to trade a brand new m15x for a mac book pro. So I took the trade since the config on Alienware's website was 1800$ So far Im loving this laptop.



Quote:



Originally Posted by *mjl4878*


Please add me, I've had my su7300 m11x for a couple of months now


You two have both been added! Sorry it took me so long to add you but I've been away for the past 3 days without any kind of Internet access. Congratulations on your new laptops guys, and enjoy!

As a note to new potential club members, I will be away for most of November because it's hunting season up here right now _(and I hunt)_. For example, I was out Friday evening - Sunday evening this last weekend and I'll be out Tuesday evening - Sunday this week... Gotta get me an Elk! Anyway, please keep posting your club applications and I'll get them added as soon as I have some time at the computer!


----------



## shnur




----------



## Freelancer852

Check to make sure everything connected to your HDD is okay?


----------



## shnur

Checked; when I unplug my hard drive, it goes directly to that error message.

I called tech support yesterday and after 30 minutes of plugging/unplugging, he basically said that I should "reinstall Windows on my system". That got me very frustrated as I can't get into boot menu with a hard drive inside...


----------



## Freelancer852

I assume you've disconnected any external drives that it might be trying to access instead of the boot drive? If all the connections are good it's probably a hardware or BIOS issue.


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


I assume you've disconnected any external drives that it might be trying to access instead of the boot drive? If all the connections are good it's probably a hardware or BIOS issue.


Yeah, I don't use external drives








I think that too, but they just want me to reinstall Windows lol


----------



## Freelancer852

Try booting from a bootable disk of some type, maybe a bootable Linux distro and see if you can access the drive at all. Try GParted.


----------



## shnur

Yeah, I'm going to be doing that when I finish off my essays and exams... kind of not the time for it to break


----------



## Nikhil Pali

Add me to the Club!!
Alienware M9750 with 8800m x2 SLI! Little old but still rocking!!!


----------



## Freelancer852

Added, very nice setup!


----------



## hermitmaster

Just ordered:
Alienware M11x, Soft Touch Stealth Black
Overclockable Intel Core i5 520UM (3M Cache, 1.866 GHz Max Turbo Frequency)
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 800MHz
Alienware M11x 90W A/C Adapter
11.6-inch WideHD 1366x768 (720p) WLED, no WWAN Antenna
1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M
320GB SATAII 7,200RPM
AlienFX Color, Mars Red
Alienware Command Center Software, M11x
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Integrated 10/100 Network Interface Card
Integrated High-Definition Surround Sound Audio (5.1)
Alienware M11x a/b/g/n 2x2 MIMO Wireless
1.3 Megapixel Webcam
No Internal WWAN Antenna Installed
A2G Anti-Glare Screen Protector for Alienware M11x Netbook Computer

$995 Shipped


----------



## shnur

And I got my m11x back working








I'm quite happy since it was just a bad hard drive that did all that, proceeded with an RMA and everything is running perfect now, wondering if I should upgrade to an SSD because they got so affordable now...


----------



## GAZ_MAN_432

Add me to the M11X Owners









UPDATE:







(Just found cable for moving files to computer from camcorder. Enlarge the image & you can see my ocn name for proof)

View attachment 195767


(avatar is another form of







)


----------



## TheBigC

Add me to the M17x owners... AND the Alienware M9750 owners...


LOL lookit the Murloc above it ^_^



Crossfire 4870s!


----------



## aislepathlight

Hey all,

I returned my Asus 1201n Eee PC to Amazon after a long and horrendous experience, and now am looking for some sort of portable computer to get. I'm pondering either an old HP Envy 13 with its super beautiful high res screen or getting an M11x. I'm basically after a super high build quality 11-13 inch laptop.

Thoughts? Is the M11x perfect? Should I wait for CES? Dell has referb M11x's with the i5 for $799, which seems like an fantastic deal...


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *aislepathlight;11868131*
> Hey all,
> 
> I returned my Asus 1201n Eee PC to Amazon after a long and horrendous experience, and now am looking for some sort of portable computer to get. I'm pondering either an old HP Envy 13 with its super beautiful high res screen or getting an M11x. I'm basically after a super high build quality 11-13 inch laptop.
> 
> Thoughts? Is the M11x perfect? Should I wait for CES? Dell has referb M11x's with the i5 for $799, which seems like an fantastic deal...


What are you looking for?
To me the M11x was a great choice because it offered switchable graphics which allowed me to get about 7 hours of typing class notes or be able to play games as well for 2-3 hours.
Do you need a laptop now or you can wait? You're always better on waiting so the day you need something, just get it, for 800$ and an i5, it is an amazing deal indeed!


----------



## aislepathlight

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


What are you looking for? 
To me the M11x was a great choice because it offered switchable graphics which allowed me to get about 7 hours of typing class notes or be able to play games as well for 2-3 hours. 
Do you need a laptop now or you can wait? You're always better on waiting so the day you need something, just get it, for 800$ and an i5, it is an amazing deal indeed!


Yeah, that whole switchable graphics deal is great. I was pretty sure that I was going to spring for a nice Lenovo T410s, but then came to the conclusion that it cost way more money and the even though it had a discrete card, the NVS3100 is a piece of crap.

And I currently don't have a laptop, and school starts in 1 week... Thinking i need it sooner rather than later. And how big of an issue are the weak hinges? I have gone through a couple RMA hells with my previous two laptop/netbooks at terrible times, and don't want to go through more suffering.

Do you think there are big updates in store for CES?


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *aislepathlight;11873585*
> Yeah, that whole switchable graphics deal is great. I was pretty sure that I was going to spring for a nice Lenovo T410s, but then came to the conclusion that it cost way more money and the even though it had a discrete card, the NVS3100 is a piece of crap.
> 
> And I currently don't have a laptop, and school starts in 1 week... Thinking i need it sooner rather than later. And how big of an issue are the weak hinges? I have gone through a couple RMA hells with my previous two laptop/netbooks at terrible times, and don't want to go through more suffering.
> 
> Do you think there are big updates in store for CES?


If you're looking for a laptop for school, I find this form factor very good.

The hinges had issues at the beginning, but my second m11x is just fine.

Except maybe an update to Sandy Bridge, I don't know what else there'd be.

If you live in the US Alienware ships in like 48hrs on default configs/Refurbs (AFAIK) so worse case if there's nothing you'll have it pretty quickly.

I'd have no idea if there's something on CES, but I'd personally wait for a week.


----------



## aislepathlight

I keep finding this awesome HP Envy 13 deals/configs, and I'm so tempted. My local microcenter has a Envy 13 that is the base config, but with all the accessories (Slice battery that adds like 5 hours of battery life, external CD drive, and a couple other things?) for like $538, but it sadly has the less wonderful base screen. I saw an Envy 13 thats basically maxed out for $1100 or so on the internet, and it has the beautiful screen and a 160 gig SSD, 5 gigs of RAM. It seems so tempting.

I'm not sure. The M11x seems a bit much in terms of style (the Alien heads aren't the most professional/mature), and its really frustrating that the LCD isn't great...

(sorry for getting this thread so off track, I really was planning on getting an Alienware, but I'm not sure at the moment)


----------



## shnur

Well it's up to you for which laptop will fit you best, if it's an Envy 13, go for it


----------



## Freelancer852

Added everyone!

Quote:



Originally Posted by *aislepathlight*


The M11x seems a bit much in terms of style (the Alien heads aren't the most professional/mature)


That's really contextual depending on the business you're in and such. I've seen a few companies around here that run Alienware products but they're usually computer/tech related engineering companies or some such. In that case it's perfectly professional/mature.

The M11x R1 felt sturdier in my hands than the Envy 13 I was playing around with. The M11x R2 is even sturdier with improved hinges and such...


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


The M11x R1 felt sturdier in my hands than the Envy 13 I was playing around with. The M11x R2 is even sturdier with improved hinges and such...


My second M11x R1 (came in September) has the hinges fixed, the original one from March didn't.


----------



## aislepathlight

Sorry for the thread jack earlier, I've got my own thread now!


----------



## losttsol

Just saw this club here. I don't own an Alienware laptop, but I'm a Dell tech and take apart your laptops daily. If you have any questions about them, let me know, I'd be glad to help you out.


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *losttsol*


Just saw this club here. I don't own an Alienware laptop, but I'm a Dell tech and take apart your laptops daily. If you have any questions about them, let me know, I'd be glad to help you out.


Good to know, hope you aren't one of those Dell home service techs I keep reading about on NBR. The ones that show up and go "Oh awesome, an Alienware! I've never worked on one of these before, this should be fun!"...


----------



## losttsol

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Freelancer852;11902988*
> Good to know, hope you aren't one of those Dell home service techs I keep reading about on NBR. The ones that show up and go "Oh awesome, an Alienware! I've never worked on one of these before, this should be fun!"...


I service about 80% business/government and 20% home users. Alienwares are different in the fact that they usually take more steps to disassemble and might have discrete GPUS, but they are still laptops (and desktops). They also have their own "Alienware" OS skins and some specific OEM software. I actually like working on the little M11x because Dell sends me the motherboard with the processor, fan, and heatsink already put together. They also send the entire LCD assembly as one unit, so I don't have to put it together like I usually do with other laptops. The only thing that slows you down with them is that you have to remove the palmrest first in order to remove the LCD assembly which normally you don't have to do on Dell laptops. The bigger Alienwares have separate fan grills and an extra "magnesium" cover you have to remove, they are also heavy as hell as you probably know. Just from a tech's point of view, they really are built more heavy duty than other laptops. Whether or not that translates into a better computing experience, I can't say for sure. Having different color backlights and Alienware logos is pretty sweet though.


----------



## un1b4ll

Just a random pic of my lappy in the habitat it spends about 75% of it's powered-up time in. ah, love it.


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *un1b4ll;11930103*
> Just a random pic of my lappy in the habitat it spends about 75% of it's powered-up time in. ah, love it.


Its funny how everybody uses that same plantronics headset add-on...


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *un1b4ll;11930103*
> Just a random pic of my lappy in the habitat it spends about 75% of it's powered-up time in. ah, love it.


All that white makes me shudder.

Not a fan of Apple in general, though the iPhone does have its uses.


----------



## MOCAMBO

Do any of you M11x owners have problems playing Bad Company 2 online? Its pissing the hell outta me.

I keep getting this double Direct 3d error bs.


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *MOCAMBO*


Do any of you M11x owners have problems playing Bad Company 2 online? Its pissing the hell outta me.

I keep getting this double Direct 3d error bs.


I didn't even try, by the looks it runs on my desktop, I fear how it'll be on my laptop... although I do intend to test it out when I get the 260.99 drivers work properly...


----------



## Freelancer852

I wouldn't bother with 260.99, had issues with BC2 on my desktop with them.


----------



## MOCAMBO

So what drivers did you have success with playing BC2 on the M11x?


----------



## shemer77

got my m11x yesterday, this thing is baddass, will post a pic up later to join a club !


----------



## Tunapiano

i own an m17x, i have for almost 2 years now, i got it in april of 2009, it has the Intel Core2 Extreme 3.06ghz with 4gb of 1333mhz ram, 500gb 7200 rpm HD, ATi 3870 512mb graphics card..


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tunapiano;12114356*
> i own an m17x, i have for almost 2 years now, i got it in april of 2009, it has the Intel Core2 Extreme 3.06ghz with 4gb of 1333mhz ram, 500gb 7200 rpm HD, ATi 3870 512mb graphics card..


How does it fare today? I'm interested in longterm life of Alienware's.


----------



## Tunapiano

it fares well, i do have some lag issues in Final Fantasy XIV but it is the most graphical game ever made for the PC so for a laptop 2 yrs old i think that's to be expected. But for games like Mass Effect 2, Team Fortress 2, Dead Space, Lord of the rings Online it does just fine on high settings.

It's about to be replaced as my main gaming machine though as i am getting a new SB pc very soon. But i'll still use it to game when i go to work which does sound odd but my work does allow me to game at work.

On a side note i have never had any problem at all out of the laptop other than when i initially got it the sound driver needed reinstalled. since then it's been flawless.


----------



## memyself2014

I have an Alienware M17x r-2 or something like that i think, its been a while since ive been in the bios. its uhh.. i7 m620 2.66 ghz. 8 gbs of ram.. well.. all thats underneath on the system stuff haha. heres the pic

sorry for the quality its on a phone :-/


----------



## memyself2014

another question i guess its sort of off topic but this is the only thread ive found relative. Does anyone know where i can download themes for my keyboard and stuff. i want a new look but i just dont have time to make it myself


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Tunapiano*


it fares well, i do have some lag issues in Final Fantasy XIV but it is the most graphical game ever made for the PC so for a laptop 2 yrs old i think that's to be expected. But for games like Mass Effect 2, Team Fortress 2, Dead Space, Lord of the rings Online it does just fine on high settings.

It's about to be replaced as my main gaming machine though as i am getting a new SB pc very soon. But i'll still use it to game when i go to work which does sound odd but my work does allow me to game at work.

On a side note i have never had any problem at all out of the laptop other than when i initially got it the sound driver needed reinstalled. since then it's been flawless.


Thanks for sharing!

And for the work part, it's the main reason I got an Alienware, it helps those lonely evenings go by faster.









Quote:



Originally Posted by *memyself2014*


another question i guess its sort of off topic but this is the only thread ive found relative. Does anyone know where i can download themes for my keyboard and stuff. i want a new look but i just dont have time to make it myself


Well, the Alienware Command Center takes care of that; you mean by changing the color?

I think it's faster to select a new color than trying to find a theme online. (if that's what you meant)


----------



## memyself2014

im having the same problem as one of the earlier posts about the BIOS update.. i dont understand how to fix it.. this sucks.


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *memyself2014*


im having the same problem as one of the earlier posts about the BIOS update.. i dont understand how to fix it.. this sucks.


Which post? Which problem?


----------



## memyself2014

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Vargess*


Well.. this sucks. Anything different than the way it came from the factory and my laptop breaks. I flashed back to A05 and installed the original video drivers. Any bios beyond A05 messes with things. The newer video drivers posted screws things up.. Which claim to fix 
Didn't get a chance to call Dell yet, as I found a few threads @ www.notebookreview.com which has sections specifically for our laptops. I followed what they did, but I did/am not having the success they have found









Has anyone else tried the newer beta drivers with any success? R279612


this.. idk.. it just keeps telling me theres no operating system.. took out the hard drive tried it in another system said the same thing.. someho wi got windows on the other hard drive..


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *memyself2014;12132476*
> this.. idk.. it just keeps telling me theres no operating system.. took out the hard drive tried it in another system said the same thing.. someho wi got windows on the other hard drive..


I had the issue one week after I moved from A04 to A05 on my m11x, the OS got corrupted, reinstalled, everything is fine since then.

If you have another hard drive, you can try that as well; could be that your drive is dead (happened to me a few months ago).


----------



## memyself2014

ewll i tried reinstalling on my normal hard drive with 7 already on it but it gave me some partition error?


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *memyself2014;12137648*
> ewll i tried reinstalling on my normal hard drive with 7 already on it but it gave me some partition error?


You've deleted all partitions during installation? Since there might some corruption and conflicts if you keep some partitions.


----------



## memyself2014

no its not that, its something like there isnt one. i would say exactly but im at school now


----------



## Freelancer852

Added the last three owners to the OP! Enjoy!


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *memyself2014*


no its not that, its something like there isnt one. i would say exactly but im at school now


Is that the error you're getting?










Take a picture and we'll look into it


----------



## memyself2014

Thats the same error i get, sorry i was trying to post that yesterday but my internet at school cut out >_< ive been running the alienware diagnostic all night and im hoping itll show something.


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *memyself2014;12149214*
> Thats the same error i get, sorry i was trying to post that yesterday but my internet at school cut out >_< ive been running the alienware diagnostic all night and im hoping itll show something.


Yeah, well that error is due to a bad drive. If you can swap the drive for another one and try installing windows.
Otherwise, just unplug the hard drive and try booting from USB into like Ubuntu. It should all go through easily, then call Alienware tech support and explain what the problem is and ALL THE STEPS you've taken already.
That way they'll just send you a new drive/send a tech with a drive







instead of replacing the whole system which can take longer.


----------



## memyself2014

0_0... so.. bye bye files?


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *memyself2014*


0_0... so.. bye bye files?


Well, if you have another system, check with it. 
But if your hard drive is dead and you don't want to pay ~1000$ for file recovery... well yeah









Is there any weird sounds? Like, do you feel it spinning?


----------



## memyself2014

no,its all good. i called customer support, files are gone but it feels good to be on a brand new system again







plus i found the GUISE on dells support page and i LOOVVEE ITTTT


----------



## memyself2014

oh trust me i researched everything. plus no matter what i did i wouldnt get the support or quality of alienware. not to mention the wow factor. just look at them theyre effing beautiful


----------



## memyself2014

no not a new system haha. i just wiped and reinstalled windows. the hard drives and system was okay. btw, the BIOS update did fix the mouse rate. at the expense of my lifes work.


----------



## hermitmaster

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Qosmio*


LOLZ

You guys wasted all your moneys on laptops that are overpriced.







The stock specs for the basic M15x and the M17x are crap and aren't worth the prices. I don't mean to troll but really... alienware instead of researching? That's like going to the geek squad instead of asking for help on OCN.


Not everybody wants a 10 pound, 18" boat anchor like your Toshiba. I'll stick with my m11x thank you.


----------



## memyself2014

.. m17s are like 14 pounds.. muahah. anyways the GUISE is like.. a remap of windows haha. it changes the way that windows ooks swo that it is more.. alieney


----------



## Qosmio

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Freelancer852;12173459*
> I'd like to refer you to a post I made earlier in this thread. It may clear up some of the stereotypical and unfounded reasons you have for posting that... Anyways, here is the paragraph I'd like you to read. You can click the "View Post" arrow to read the whole post but it's mostly irrelevant when taken out of context:


You know, you're right. If I had the money to invest in a really nice laptop, over $1800 (that's the next tier for gaming laptops for me FYI), I'd go for Alienware just because I know how nice the jobs are. Very high quality components, I get that. But I had about $1200 tops and the Qosmio matches the performance of an Alienware that costs a good $450 more than mine. This was also before the Sandy Bridge mobile processors came out back in mid-November of last year.

The odds were more in favor of this massive monstrosity. And to be entirely honest, my laptop is on par with the weight of the M17x machines out there. Had I been more patient I would have saved more money up and bought a much more powerful machine. I found the X505-Q892 model for $200 off retail at newegg and couldn't pass up that deal. Not to mention it had been JUST installed with the GTX 460m which was the final icebreaker for me.

My apologies for the previous post. Alienware is beyond reputable for their warranties and service. I was looking at the M15x machines and I couldn't find one that fit the price range for me, as stated above, so it didn't end well in those regards. Again, my apologies.


----------



## Tunapiano

This is my laptop to show i do have an Alienware M17x.


----------



## Freelancer852

Just so you know, that's the older "m17x" with a lowercase "m". The uppercase "M" is reserved for the new "All Powerful" series laptops. Do you know what the full model number is and if it's an Aurora or Area-51?


----------



## Tunapiano

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


Just so you know, that's the older "m17x" with a lowercase "m". The uppercase "M" is reserved for the new "All Powerful" series laptops. Do you know what the full model number is and if it's an Aurora or Area-51?


If you're asking me it's it's an Alienware m17x-R1, it's not an Aurora or Area-51 since it's a laptop.


----------



## Villosa

Actually, from your specs and pictures, it's neither an Alienware Area-51 m17x, Dell Alienware M17x-R1 or Dell Alienware M17x-R2. I own a maxed out M17x-R2 and is a member of the Alienware forum at NBR so I know my stuff. Your ATI HD3870 belongs to the Alienware M17, a rebrand of a OCZ/Flextronics model (the "whitebook"), http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4824, also the fingerprint reader on the right is a dead giveaway.

Sorry, not trying to be confrontational but I hate the spread of misinformation.


----------



## Tunapiano

Well here is what i have...





I blocked out my account number and Windows OS information.


----------



## Villosa

Yes that is the Alienware M17, not the m17x or the Dell Alienware M17x.

Your model is the upgraded version of the Alienware 9750.


----------



## Freelancer852

This guy:
http://www.alienware.com/microsite/M17/m17.aspx

Back from before Dell bought Alienware I think, one of the last Alienware-only models released.

There are huge differences in the chassis design in the M17 vs M17x as well.


----------



## Freelancer852

_Lag induced double-post... Please delete!_


----------



## Twilex

I want in! M11xR2


----------



## Freelancer852

And you're in!









Enjoy, and feel free to ask any questions you've got here. I know a lot of us also frequent the NotebookReview Alienware forums and have plenty of knowledge to spread around!


----------



## hermitmaster

Pics!


----------



## Freelancer852

Updated, enjoy


----------



## GAZ_MAN_432

Quote:



Originally Posted by *GAZ_MAN_432*


Add me to the M11X Owners









UPDATE:







(Just found cable for moving files to computer from camcorder. Enlarge the image & you can see my ocn name for proof)

Attachment 195767

(avatar is another form of







)


I got







now.
Click on attachment in quote.


----------



## Idra

Does anyone know any bags/cases that fit the m11x perfectly? The mobile edge orion portfolio is $40 and I'm not sure if its worth it.


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *GAZ_MAN_432*


I got







now.
Click on attachment in quote.


Added









Quote:



Originally Posted by *Idra*


Does anyone know any bags/cases that fit the m11x perfectly? The mobile edge orion portfolio is $40 and I'm not sure if its worth it.


I remember seeing some discussion on this, either here or on NoteBookReview. Take a look around the thread (or M11x owners thread on here) as well as NBR.


----------



## shnur

I'm using this one:
http://www.mobileedge.com/alienware-...ok-sleeve.html
I bought it directly from Dell for 30$. Very sturdy and you have a small pouch on it too...


----------



## Idra

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *shnur;12412645*
> I'm using this one:
> http://www.mobileedge.com/alienware-m11x-netbook-sleeve.html
> I bought it directly from Dell for 30$. Very sturdy and you have a small pouch on it too...


I need a strap though. I need something like a messenger bag.

The Mobile Edge Portfolio seems overpriced as its $40 (after shipping). It won't hold much more than my laptop, anyway.


----------



## Hackcremo

m15x user reporting in...be a proud owner of alineware since last year..alineware is a beast







...


----------



## Johnny Guitar

got a new m11x, but my camera is bricked atm.







will wrap the lid in carbon fibre soon


----------



## reflex99

AMD Turion ML-42
1GB DDR (2X512mb)
Dual GeForce Go 7900GS in SLI
Samsung MP4 250GB 7200 RPM
17" screen 1920x1200


----------



## Freelancer852

All three of you added! Sorry for the 3 week update


----------



## JadedRedDragon

I have the new M14X. Here is a link to my thread.


----------



## Johnny Guitar

ordering a m18x!


----------



## Rolandooo

Well my screen came completely off on my M11x :\ the hinges were getting weaker and weaker and I was getting dust on the inside of my screen. Well today I went to open up my laptop and it broke







my warranty was over last month.

Anyone know if alienware is treating the hinge issue differently or do I have a overpriced paperweight now? Screen still works though.


----------



## Johnny Guitar

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Rolandooo;13372614*
> Well my screen came completely off on my M11x :\ the hinges were getting weaker and weaker and I was getting dust on the inside of my screen. Well today I went to open up my laptop and it broke
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> my warranty was over last month.
> 
> Anyone know if alienware is treating the hinge issue differently or do I have a overpriced paperweight now? Screen still works though.


sounds like a 23" ghettobook project to me


----------



## X3NIA

Haven't joined yet

Two m17x r3, both identical.

I can't post pics until tomorrow because everything is saved on my camera at home









(EDIT) Heres some gameplay videos I made to show FPS when I first got it I guess..

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67n5oTQAIx4[/ame]

(EDIT2)

Found some pics from my posts on notebookreview.com




Ignore the rear hinge of the bottom m17x, I forgot to snap the frame surrounding the keyboard back together when I took it apart. (which pokes out the back and snaps to the bottom half of the hinge cover) One press with the fingers 5 minutes after uploading my pictures (and facepalming to myself) and its back to looking normal


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Rolandooo;13372614*
> Well my screen came completely off on my M11x :\ the hinges were getting weaker and weaker and I was getting dust on the inside of my screen. Well today I went to open up my laptop and it broke
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> my warranty was over last month.
> 
> Anyone know if alienware is treating the hinge issue differently or do I have a overpriced paperweight now? Screen still works though.


Did you ever reported the issue? There's an official statement somewhere from Dell that they will work with people with hinges issues.
Since mine broke in summer I got a new one around September.
Give them a call, don't say anything about your warranty. They owe you a working product.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *X3NIA;13374401*
> Haven't joined yet
> 
> Two m17x r3, both identical.
> 
> I can't post pics until tomorrow because everything is saved on my camera at home
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (EDIT) Heres some gameplay videos I made to show FPS when I first got it I guess..
> 
> (EDIT2)
> 
> Found some pics from my posts on notebookreview.com
> 
> Ignore the rear hinge of the bottom m17x, I forgot to snap the frame surrounding the keyboard back together when I took it apart. (which pokes out the back and snaps to the bottom half of the hinge cover) One press with the fingers 5 minutes after uploading my pictures (and facepalming to myself) and its back to looking normal


They look very nice









Why two may I ask? You have a roommate or something or you're one of those hardcore One-Guy-Team-Of-Four-People?


----------



## kovboi

m11x owner here. I actually picked mine up over Black Friday, but saved a pic of the first boot for posterity's sake.


----------



## Eliphion

Awaiting my M18X!!!







Post pictures in.. oh.. a month? lol


----------



## Johnny Guitar

ordered a m17x r1!


----------



## hermitmaster

I am so tempted to upgrade to an m14x...


----------



## shnur

Me too! But I know it's not going to be so much better than my m11x for what I do and I have my main rig to take care of...


----------



## Axon14

Hello all,

I'm looking into buying a new laptop and I am targetting the m11x R3. Ironically, where I used to buy laptops in college for "work" but actually used it for gaming, I am now buying a laptop for "gaming" but will likely use it mostly for work.

Anyway, I'm on the road a fair bit and the mx11's form factor appeals to me. I do not need a huge screen as long as the resolution looks crisp. Also, the mx11 R3 features the sandy bridge processor line and runs about $1000-1100, both of which are certainly appealing. I would think my budget would be around $1500 or so, but given that this will be a secondary machine, I don't want to go spend crazy on something that will only get used while on the road.

Thoughts or opinions? Is there a comparable PC that is superior? Is ASUS launching a series of laptops with SB processors close enough that it's worth waiting? Thanks in advance.


----------



## Gheris

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Axon14*


Hello all,

I'm looking into buying a new laptop and I am targetting the m11x R3. Ironically, where I used to buy laptops in college for "work" but actually used it for gaming, I am now buying a laptop for "gaming" but will likely use it mostly for work.

Anyway, I'm on the road a fair bit and the mx11's form factor appeals to me. I do not need a huge screen as long as the resolution looks crisp. Also, the mx11 R3 features the sandy bridge processor line and runs about $1000-1100, both of which are certainly appealing. I would think my budget would be around $1500 or so, but given that this will be a secondary machine, I don't want to go spend crazy on something that will only get used while on the road.

Thoughts or opinions? Is there a comparable PC that is superior? Is ASUS launching a series of laptops with SB processors close enough that it's worth waiting? Thanks in advance.


I am not sure I have seen anything out there that offers the performance of the M11x r3 at the same size. I am looking at the M11x r3 myself due to the size/power factor.


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Axon14*


Hello all,

I'm looking into buying a new laptop and I am targetting the m11x R3. Ironically, where I used to buy laptops in college for "work" but actually used it for gaming, I am now buying a laptop for "gaming" but will likely use it mostly for work.

Anyway, I'm on the road a fair bit and the mx11's form factor appeals to me. I do not need a huge screen as long as the resolution looks crisp. Also, the mx11 R3 features the sandy bridge processor line and runs about $1000-1100, both of which are certainly appealing. I would think my budget would be around $1500 or so, but given that this will be a secondary machine, I don't want to go spend crazy on something that will only get used while on the road.

Thoughts or opinions? Is there a comparable PC that is superior? Is ASUS launching a series of laptops with SB processors close enough that it's worth waiting? Thanks in advance.


Well I did the same thing, I bought the r1 though, and I'm using it for work/school > gaming. I'd say keep it at minimum configs since there's barely any difference in gaming, let alone office work, maybe you want to buy an aftermarket SSD afterwards, that would be a great idea!


----------



## bootscamp

Add me in as an M14x Owner.


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *bootscamp*


Add me in as an M14x Owner.











Which GPU option did you get? The 3gb one or 1.5? 
How does it feel overall? Heavy?


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:



Originally Posted by *bootscamp*


Add me in as an M14x Owner.











Added!


----------



## Skrillex

I'd like to be pre-added please as my sig rig will be delivered to me within 2-3 weeks when i order it!

EDIT: remove gone for a macbook


----------



## Biohazard14

hi all..new owner for M14x...3 weeks ago..
sorry a bit blurr...


----------



## xAtLx

Mine is in production right now and will soon to be a ALIENWARE owner


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Biohazard14;13609595*
> hi all..new owner for M14x...3 weeks ago..
> sorry a bit blurr...


Added


----------



## Shea2152

I own an M11X R2, i7 oc'd with Throttlestop to 2.2Ghz on Turbo, 8gb, 500GB HD.
<3

EDIT: Proof will be up in about 10 minutes.


----------



## bootscamp

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *shnur;13535945*
> Which GPU option did you get? The 3gb one or 1.5?
> How does it feel overall? Heavy?


I got the 3gb version.

Overall the feeling of the laptop is great, I've owned it for 3 weeks now, and I love the hell out of it. Its not that heavy as you think.

I'm going to update my screenshots and whatnot because I recently overclocked it.

Take a look a the HWmonitor temps


----------



## TheRollzRoyce

Hey guys I'm trying to decide between the M14x and the M17x models. Battery and Screen size is a none issue for me. Cash wise I have 1500 dollars give or take a hundred. Would the M14x with a few upgrades perform better than the M17x at the same price? Looking forward to joining the club


----------



## Uncivilised

Add me as another m11x owner


----------



## un1b4ll

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheRollzRoyce;13764140*
> Hey guys I'm trying to decide between the M14x and the M17x models. Battery and Screen size is a none issue for me. Cash wise I have 1500 dollars give or take a hundred. Would the M14x with a few upgrades perform better than the M17x at the same price? Looking forward to joining the club


I would stretch a bit for the M17x, it'll outperform the M14x on all counts.

At first glance, the GT555 should be close the the GT460, right? Maybe a bit faster?

Actually the GT460 will handily beat the GT555 in every single gaming test out there, the only benefit to the GT555 would be battery life, but like you said... that doesn't matter.

I vote M17x, I can't think of a single reason in your scenario to go with the M14x.

edit: Make sure you get the M17x with the 460m, it's a $75 option so that should be in your budget.

I would call and haggle with them or search for a coupon code though, because if you can wrangle that 6970m, hooooly crap. It's almost as powerful as two 460m's.


----------



## TheRollzRoyce

Thanks Un1ball. Good news. My birthday is mid August and my family just said this will be their birthday present to me







. So with the M17x how would you guys customize it to play games comfortably for the next 2-3 years with 2000$? I won't be getting a desktop because I'm a traveling musician and spend ALOT of time on the road.


----------



## un1b4ll

All you want to add is the 6970m and the non-3D 1080P screen. You'll be a bit under your $2000 budget, but spend $70 or $80 on 8GB of ram and get two 500 or 750GB hard drives for Raid 0... Install both of those yourself since they're easy and can be done much much cheaper than ordering with the computer, plus you can wait as long as you need to get those upgrades.

If you're concerned about the upgrades... Don't be, they're insanely easy to do. Installing a hard drive and ram each took me about 5 minutes start to finish. IMO it's better to put your $ towards items that you can't really upgrade like the screen and graphics card.


----------



## TheRollzRoyce

So I saw someone post something earlier about slick deals and checked their site out. Apparently there's a AAFES 20% Military discount on Alienware/XPS systems... guess who's a military dependant







With the 6970m and 1080p screen as the only additions the M17x r3 costs 1600$.

Instead of getting two 500gb Raid 0 would getting a 128GB Crucial RealSSD C300 and keeping the 320GB hard drive it comes with work better?

This slickdeals place is great. I wish I'd heard about it along time ago.

P.S. also saw this if anyone's interested.

$150 off Dell Outlet Home Laptops & Desktops $799 and up!
use coupon code: 11JP9D$MZWKZMW
offer ends 6/8

http://www.dell.com/outlet


----------



## un1b4ll

Quote:



Originally Posted by *TheRollzRoyce*


So I saw someone post something earlier about slick deals and checked their site out. Apparently there's a AAFES 20% Military discount on Alienware/XPS systems... guess who's a military dependant







With the 6970m and 1080p screen as the only additions the M17x r3 costs 1600$.

Instead of getting two 500gb Raid 0 would getting a 128GB Crucial RealSSD C300 and keeping the 320GB hard drive it comes with work better?

This slickdeals place is great. I wish I'd heard about it along time ago.

P.S. also saw this if anyone's interested.

$150 off Dell Outlet Home Laptops & Desktops $799 and up!
use coupon code: 11JP9D$MZWKZMW
offer ends 6/8

http://www.dell.com/outlet


Oh for sure an SSD + mechanical is a great setup, in fact that's what I run







methinks you'll want more than 320GB though, but hard drives are cheap and you're saving a buttload of money already. You're absolutely going to love this thing.


----------



## shnur

I agree with everything un1b4ll said.

As long as you're getting your hard drives yourself and not from Dell, it has my approval









Also 17" will be easier on you on the long run since you'll have a lower DPI which will strain your eyes less.


----------



## Eliphion

I received my m18x!!! Pictures to come soooooon. This thing is a beast and I love it!!


----------



## Hacktank

Just ordered my m17x today, EDD is 6/29/2011. Hopefully this is very far off, cant wait to get it!


----------



## martinroshak

Have been an m11x r1 user for nearly a year, getting it replaced with a m11x r3 on accounts of technical stuff ups. Should have it within the month.

Absolutely love Alienware!


----------



## un1b4ll

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Hacktank;13862566*
> Just ordered my m17x today, EDD is 6/29/2011. Hopefully this is very far off, cant wait to get it!


Welcome







be sure to post up some pics asap!


----------



## Rayleyne

Bout to get my m18x pity the australian ones only come with a choice of dual gtx 460 :<, oh well they will have to do, hitting the order button in a week anyway


----------



## Freelancer852

That's the only thing I dislike about Alienware laptops, the restrictions on components depending on the destination country. I mean, they're all built in the same place so why limit who gets what?

When your laptops arrive post some pics or let me know and I'll ad you then!


----------



## top41

hey, i'm gonna buy a m18x.
wanna ask whether i7 Extreme worth it? or just keep with i7, the performance increase shouldn't be extreme, according to my knowledge.

second, do u think there's gonna be GPU update soon? i really wanna wait to the next generation. how often does alienware upgrade their lineups?

let me know, pm me!


----------



## shnur

Which country are you in? That's very important to start with









Extreme edition is meh in my opinion, it's very expensive for the return it gives you. As for the GPU's, they just got the 6970M and that's the best one as of today


----------



## Mediadisaster

M14X Owner:

i7 2820QM / 8gb / Gt555 3gb / 256ssd + 750gb / 1600 x 900


----------



## svaalbard

Man, Im considering buying an Alienware 14x

How fast wast the shipping phases for everyone? Like 3-5 bdays for proccessing, then 5-7 for shipping?


----------



## shnur

Depends what config you change. If you take a pre-configured one it should be quick.
About 1-2 weeks sounds about right


----------



## top41

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *shnur;13976077*
> Which country are you in? That's very important to start with
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Extreme edition is meh in my opinion, it's very expensive for the return it gives you. As for the GPU's, they just got the 6970M and that's the best one as of today


heyy, i'm gonna move in to USA in about 2 months. There might be an update by then








I'm going to college over there =D very excited


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *top41*


heyy, i'm gonna move in to USA in about 2 months. There might be an update by then








I'm going to college over there =D very excited










What country are you in now?
You'll be able to save substantially when you move in the States, just check prices/configs that are changing


----------



## top41

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *shnur;13990379*
> What country are you in now?
> You'll be able to save substantially when you move in the States, just check prices/configs that are changing


I'm in Thailand!
I dont think they sell alienwares here,
plus, its gonna take a hassle to take M18x there anyway, so imma buy it there.


----------



## shnur

Hummm yeah you'll definitely want to get to America first before ordering then


----------



## Captain Razer

how's the HD6870m, is it close to GTX560M? I'm planning on the M17x as I'm saving for it now!


----------



## reflex99

the 6970 is like a downclocked 6850

the 560/460 is about a downclocked gts 450.


----------



## Captain Razer

^^^^^^^^^

dude I mean the base model







they have Radeon HD6870m not 6970!


----------



## shnur

Well the HD6870M is a rebadged HD5870M


----------



## top41

Hey guys,
how does overclocking happen on alienware?
can i overclock the damn CPU myself (on m18x)

so can i just overclock the i7 myself on M18x? or must i get the factory overclok;


----------



## shnur

There's an option in the BIOS to set it to overclock, but there's also third party programs that can help you out doing it. 
The factory overclock means that you'll be getting that option in the BIOS set to Enable, something you can do yourself


----------



## top41

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *shnur;14011266*
> There's an option in the BIOS to set it to overclock, but there's also third party programs that can help you out doing it.
> The factory overclock means that you'll be getting that option in the BIOS set to Enable, something you can do yourself


Which configuration (as in CPU, ram and GPU) should i get? (assuming i'm in USA)


----------



## shnur

The CPU's are all the same architecture, just clock difference. Not worth the money invested in my opinion.
For the RAM you can get some 1600MHz off Newegg.com or off somebody here, it'll be cheaper than buying off Alienware.
GPU; get the best you can, in this case it's the Dual 6970M's.
For hard drive keep that 320GB and buy an SSD for boot.

My general rule of thumb for pre-built computers is to get maxed upgrades for stuff you can't modify later on (although I think you can swap GPU's in the M18x).
For all the other things you'll be able to get better prices by doing it yourself.


----------



## Freelancer852

You _should_ be able to swap GPU's in all the current lineup except for the M11x IIRC.


----------



## Eliphion

I would max out the GPU, go for the 2720QM for the best price/performance cpu. Heck if ALL you are doing is gaming the 2630M is more than enough. You can certainly upgrade your GPUs later on as long as they release a BIOS that supports it or someone modifies the existing one to support it. The caveat is, buying the cheapest gpu now in order to upgrade later will cost you a lot more in the long run. Mobile GPUs are very expensive. Much more than their desktop counterparts.


----------



## rafix73

Hi there,

I didn't get it if I had to PM this pic to the section admin for proof, or just post it here. Either ways, here's my M18x.

Ciao.


----------



## shnur

Whoa thats the first one I see... How'd you like it?


----------



## un1b4ll

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rafix73;14150306*
> Hi there,
> 
> I didn't get it if I had to PM this pic to the section admin for proof, or just post it here. Either ways, here's my M18x.
> 
> Ciao.


Very cool! I think I'm going to upgrade to one of these in the next couple of months, it's going to be big for me because it'll enable me to basically have a portable mac (mini) using the M18x's display.


----------



## rafix73

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *shnur;14155051*
> Whoa thats the first one I see... How'd you like it?


Well, I'd say that I'm very satisfied; it's an amazing computer. It's very powerful, as it can play most games at highest settings. Not to mention that although it's heavier than most notebooks, it's still more portable than a desktop


----------



## rafix73

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *un1b4ll;14158717*
> Very cool! I think I'm going to upgrade to one of these in the next couple of months, it's going to be big for me because it'll enable me to basically have a portable mac (mini) using the M18x's display.


Very nice. Besides, by then the GTX580m SLI, which you can already get, and HD6990 CF would be both available. That means a gain of 20/25% or more in the graphic department. My advice for you is to order the model with the dual 6990, the SSD and minimum memory - 4gb 1333mhz. You can buy the upgrade to 16gb 1600mhz elsewhere. In so doing, you'll have both an incredibly powerful and performing notebook and saved lots of money.


----------



## shnur

lol it's lighter than a desktop. I need two people to move mine...

I always recommend minimal configs with maxed out graphics and if there's an architectural difference between CPU's get the best one.
The rest you can upgrade yourself at half cost


----------



## un1b4ll

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *rafix73;14179889*
> Very nice. Besides, by then the GTX580m SLI, which you can already get, and HD6990 CF would be both available. That means a gain of 20/25% or more in the graphic department. My advice for you is to order the model with the dual 6990, the SSD and minimum memory - 4gb 1333mhz. You can buy the upgrade to 16gb 1600mhz elsewhere. In so doing, you'll have both an incredibly powerful and performing notebook and saved lots of money.


I agree, that's exactly how I purchased this M17x R2.

We'll see how customization goes this time around, I was promised a replacement if the issue I'm currently having is hardware, and I just found that it is so they're going to replace it. Since I have crossfire the only suitable replacement is an M18x... I'll put back my oem 4gb and keep my 8gb for the M18x and hopefully get the 6990s, not sure if asking for 580s would be particularly fair, though, to be fair, I DID buy the best of the best available at the time with my 5870s. We'll see what they propose, i'm also keeping my SSD but I'm debating with going RAID0 with hybrids or a mechanical/Sata 6GB/s SSD on the new one... Ahh, decisions decisions.


----------



## rafix73

Quote:



Originally Posted by *un1b4ll*


I agree, that's exactly how I purchased this M17x R2.

We'll see how customization goes this time around, I was promised a replacement if the issue I'm currently having is hardware, and I just found that it is so they're going to replace it. Since I have crossfire the only suitable replacement is an M18x... I'll put back my oem 4gb and keep my 8gb for the M18x and hopefully get the 6990s, not sure if asking for 580s would be particularly fair, though, to be fair, I DID buy the best of the best available at the time with my 5870s. We'll see what they propose, i'm also keeping my SSD but I'm debating with going RAID0 with hybrids or a mechanical/Sata 6GB/s SSD on the new one... Ahh, decisions decisions.


Yes, there are many options. Concerning the video cards, I agree that being AW enthusiasts we like to get the max configurations available







However, the gtx580m sli would promise only a slight increase in performance over the 6990s, while costing 1200$, which I think is pure madness. The 6990 will be amazing cards, while being way cheaper than the nvidia, considering how well already perform the 6970s. 
Instead of going for a hybrid, which I heard is not so performing in terms of speed, I would definitely suggest the SSD as a main disk - raid 0 even better if you can - and add one big hdd - 500 or 750 7200rpm as secondary, as I did. So, you'll enjoy both speed and storage space.


----------



## rafix73

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*









lol it's lighter than a desktop. I need two people to move mine...


lol never said it was light, just lighter than a desktop. After all, you do need a couple of people, or a few trips back and forth, to move an average desktop anyways considering all the peripherals and equipment. The M18x's shows the weight of the quality 

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


:I always recommend minimal configs with maxed out graphics and if there's an architectural difference between CPU's get the best one.
The rest you can upgrade yourself at half cost


ri-lol, that's exactly what I was trying to say in my former post, but couldn't find a better and more concise way to say it. I guess you can tell that English is not my native language


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *rafix73*


Yes, there are many options. Concerning the video cards, I agree that being AW enthusiasts we like to get the max configurations available







However, the gtx580m sli would promise only a slight increase in performance over the 6990s, while costing 1200$, which I think is pure madness. The 6990 will be amazing cards, while being way cheaper than the nvidia, considering how well already perform the 6970s. 
Instead of going for a hybrid, which I heard is not so performing in terms of speed, I would definitely suggest the SSD as a main disk - raid 0 even better if you can - and add one big hdd - 500 or 750 7200rpm as secondary, as I did. So, you'll enjoy both speed and storage space.


I second that.
I had 4 hard drives in my m11x, a 5400rpm, a 7200rpm, a 7200rpm hybrid and now I'm with an SSD. It's a world of difference!

Quote:



Originally Posted by *rafix73*


lol never said it was light, just lighter than a desktop. After all, you do need a couple of people, or a few trips back and forth, to move an average desktop anyways considering all the peripherals and equipment. The M18x's shows the weight of the quality 

ri-lol, that's exactly what I was trying to say in my former post, but couldn't find a better and more concise way to say it. I guess you can tell that English is not my native language










I mean two people to lift the tower only









It's alright for language; English is my third. That said, tutti impariamo.


----------



## UltraHoboLord

add me to M15x


----------



## Winrahr

Can I be added to the M14x list? Here's proof


----------



## shnur

Sweet! I'm totally going to go check your review + your sig rig; I'm revamping my HAF X in a few days and I'm looking for some final ideas


----------



## gooface

M11x R1 user here!

love this little machine, and with it overclocked up to 1.9ghz its a beast for the price that I paid for it.

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1860900


----------



## trulsrohk

I guess I should join here

M17x r2
Nebula Red
1920x1200 RGB LED
Crossfire 5870m
Corsair 120gig ssd
640g hdd
and tossed a 920xm in it for good measure


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gooface;14244149*
> M11x R1 user here!
> 
> love this little machine, and with it overclocked up to 1.9ghz its a beast for the price that I paid for it.
> 
> http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1860900


How did you overclock past 1.73?


----------



## hermitmaster

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *shnur;14248883*
> How did you overclock past 1.73?


Pinmod?


----------



## THE_WITCHER(TM)

I Placed my order for an M18X with i7 2720QM and dual AMD HD6990M soon to be Alienware laptop owner


----------



## un1b4ll

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *THE_WITCHER™;14258240*
> I Placed my order for an M18X with i7 2720QM and dual AMD HD6990M soon to be Alienware laptop owner












Welcome!


----------



## Freelancer852

Welcome to all!


----------



## gooface

Quote:



Originally Posted by *hermitmaster*


Pinmod?


correct, I just cut the one pin and bam it was unlocked and I overclocked it till it started getting unstable. Its perfectly stable at 1.9ghz.


----------



## shnur

I'm slightly scared of doing that to a laptop... my desktop is already getting fried


----------



## sev9780

Ordered my M18x about a week ago, can't wait for it to come!

Specs: M18x (black)
Core i7 2720QM 2.2GHz
16GB DDR3 1600MHz
Dual 1.5GB GTX 460M SLI
750GB 7200RPM
240GB OCZ SSD
DVD Combo Drive
Windows 7 x64 Ultimate
Razer Orochi
Orion M18x Backpack


----------



## gooface

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


I'm slightly scared of doing that to a laptop... my desktop is already getting fried










well its a challenge, but believe me its worth it, made my windows CPU score 5.4 points, thats coming from 4.6 points that you get from the stock 1.6ghz overclock. made games like call of duty black ops playable, and bad company 2 is a lot more playable.


----------



## shnur

I'm still little worried about lifespan. I can't afford replacing it and I don't use it much for gaming... Also heat would be an issue too I assume...?


----------



## gooface

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


I'm still little worried about lifespan. I can't afford replacing it and I don't use it much for gaming... Also heat would be an issue too I assume...?


nope no heat increase at all, I did not volt mod it or increase the volts in any way either, just overclocked on stock volts, and didnt notice a heat change at all.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alie...dmod-only.html

I learned all that I know about the pinmod from that thread, I have performed the mod twice, but to even see if you can do it, you have to know if you have the right PLL chip on your laptop.

I dont know about it effecting lifespan, since no heat increase, but I dont know.

If you still dont feel comfortable doing it, dont do it. day to day use wont be really effected, other than CPU intensive applications, you wont really notice it.


----------



## shnur

Well if no additional heat is generated; usually there's no lifespan issues.

Since the only thing I'm playing is SC2 I'd appreciate every single FPS I get out of my CPU... I really need it to roll


----------



## gooface

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


Well if no additional heat is generated; usually there's no lifespan issues.

Since the only thing I'm playing is SC2 I'd appreciate every single FPS I get out of my CPU... I really need it to roll










check out which PLL chip you have, all the instructions are in that thread, when you figure that out, then you just have to decide how you want to do it. if you have the ICS 9LPRS387 its a piece of cake, if you have the SLG 8SP556V, its a little harder, but you still can do it, just wont be as easy. get setfsb to see which PLL chip you got.


----------



## Ovlazek

Heya!
I got a M14x a few months back but I haven't used it all to much. Way heavier than my usual surfer. Anyways, I want to take the optical drive out and put an SSD in. Has anyone here done this? Sorry if it has been brought up before. I did a quick search and didn't find anything.


----------



## shnur

Quote:



Originally Posted by *gooface*


check out which PLL chip you have, all the instructions are in that thread, when you figure that out, then you just have to decide how you want to do it. if you have the ICS 9LPRS387 its a piece of cake, if you have the SLG 8SP556V, its a little harder, but you still can do it, just wont be as easy. get setfsb to see which PLL chip you got.


I'll read on it. Thanks for the info









Quote:



Originally Posted by *Ovlazek*


Heya!
I got a M14x a few months back but I haven't used it all to much. Way heavier than my usual surfer. Anyways, I want to take the optical drive out and put an SSD in. Has anyone here done this? Sorry if it has been brought up before. I did a quick search and didn't find anything.


Welcome welcome









If you do figure it out; post it over I'm sure others wouldn't mind knowing


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Ovlazek*


Heya!
I got a M14x a few months back but I haven't used it all to much. Way heavier than my usual surfer. Anyways, I want to take the optical drive out and put an SSD in. Has anyone here done this? Sorry if it has been brought up before. I did a quick search and didn't find anything.


I personally haven't taken mine apart, but there is a nice guide over at the notebookreview forums


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Winrahr;14331070*
> I personally haven't taken mine apart, but there is a nice guide over at the notebookreview forums


I can vouch for this, there's a great guide on what you need and how to convert your optical bay into an additional HDD or SSD bay.

Welcome to the new-comers, I've added you all to the OP!


----------



## BOISAJTH

Add me - M18x...

Pics to follow, once the replacement arrives. Graphics card went pop after 9 days!

Quite a few issues with customer services, but after a lot of teeth pulling I'm getting a new M18x with free upgrade to the CPU and a blueray player for free... So shouldnt moan?

Anyone else had problems with Alienware customer services or problems with their brand-new laptop?

Nice to meet you all!


----------



## shnur

Yup; they gave me free upgrades too.


----------



## BOISAJTH

What did you get free upgrades for? Which upgrades did you get? Think I squeezed them for enough extra as at the end they did say this was the last offer or they would have no other choice but to refund my Â£Â£Â£...


----------



## shnur

Well I have an m11x, so slightly less upgrades available. 
They bumped my RAM & hard drive to max (non-ssd) options.


----------



## YannieBoy

So, the finanacing options are more affordable for me currently instead of dumping the money into a full rig. My thoughts are at the 60-70mth range. Would it be better for a lappy or a desktop?


----------



## Ovlazek

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Freelancer852;14357380*
> I can vouch for this, there's a great guide on what you need and how to convert your optical bay into an additional HDD or SSD bay.
> 
> Welcome to the new-comers, I've added you all to the OP!


I have already taken it apart once just to check things out. The optical drive is a zero insertion force ribbon cable, not sata. I need to find a ribbon to sata conversion cable someplace, and I am thinking ebay might be the only option.


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *YannieBoy;14429672*
> So, the finanacing options are more affordable for me currently instead of dumping the money into a full rig. My thoughts are at the 60-70mth range. Would it be better for a lappy or a desktop?


I'm always very eery about financing, they charge ~29%/yearly (here in Canada at least) and you end up paying a lot more than it's worth.

I wouldn't buy a desktop from them, you can make your own for cheaper. Also if you're low on cash, you can always get used parts (that's what 80% of my sig rig contains).

If you want to go for a laptop; then what size you're looking for? There are quite a few of them


----------



## YannieBoy

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


I'm always very eery about financing, they charge ~29%/yearly (here in Canada at least) and you end up paying a lot more than it's worth.

I wouldn't buy a desktop from them, you can make your own for cheaper. Also if you're low on cash, you can always get used parts (that's what 80% of my sig rig contains).

If you want to go for a laptop; then what size you're looking for? There are quite a few of them










I know the financing will kill me in the long run but it will only be temporary till I get the remainder of the balance and just pay it off immediately before I can get raped with the percentage. Just looking for something now but not to kill my wallet so quickly. I want to stay away from the desktops completely but it's also an option. I recently sold my sig rig to my brother and just on a netbook till my next rig. I'm looking at the 17x. Just trying to get the best bang for buck while trying to keep the month payments in the 60-75 range. Any upgrades I can do my own so the SSD will be my hard drive intially and go from there.

The 18x is tempting but I can live without. The 11x is just too small for me, it would defeat the purpose of me to get it and use an external. The 14x is ok, but the 17x looks like a better choice but open to the option and any opinions.

I want to bite the bullet soon, but still looking at the save and build option though as it'll be much easier in the long run.


----------



## shnur

What's the budget you're working on?

I wouldn't recommend an m11x for primary computer (I have one, as a portable gaming machine, it's awesome)
m14x sounds great IMHO since it's a good balance between a gaming laptop & a full time machine.
If you'll barely move it & want something more; then m17x/m18x will fit the bill better.


----------



## YannieBoy

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


What's the budget you're working on?

I wouldn't recommend an m11x for primary computer (I have one, as a portable gaming machine, it's awesome)
m14x sounds great IMHO since it's a good balance between a gaming laptop & a full time machine. 
If you'll barely move it & want something more; then m17x/m18x will fit the bill better.


Budget Via Alienware 60-70 a month though financing.
If I build, it'll be piece by piece wanting to go Sandy, 2500K and Lightning GTX 580









The lappy will spend most of it's time stationary if I end up going that route.


----------



## shnur

What is that equal in $$? You can afford 30$/mo or 100$/mo for it? =D


----------



## YannieBoy

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


What is that equal in $$? You can afford 30$/mo or 100$/mo for it? =D


If building piece by piece I'll just save till I have enough for a particular item, most likely case first then just going down with the list of the most expensive to the least till it's all done. And will end up needing a monitor and keyboard. Which is why a laptop all-in-one option is an easy fix to everything at one shot.


----------



## reflex99

idk if it has been posted already, but this thread can save you alot of monies on AW gear

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alie...-how-save.html


----------



## Ovlazek

Hey guys,
Here is a couple quick snaps of my M14x underneath my daily driver and next to my desktop.


----------



## shnur

Looks just like my m11x... probably different scale though


----------



## Winrahr

Wow Ovlazek, your screen is clean









I have a trackpad mark on my screen because AW didn't bother to add a bit more space between the keyboard and the screen, and make the screen thinner meanwhile


----------



## shnur

I kept my cloth that it came with to keep mine clean =D


----------



## Ovlazek

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


Looks just like my m11x... probably different scale though










I dunno if it helps scale at all because my monitor isn't really in frame, but it is a 27".

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Winrahr*


Wow Ovlazek, your screen is clean









I have a trackpad mark on my screen because AW didn't bother to add a bit more space between the keyboard and the screen, and make the screen thinner meanwhile










I know exactly the mark you are talking about. I have a notebook mousepad that I put in between the screen and keyboard when I have it closed up for that exact reason.

I gotta say one thing that I absolutely hate about this notebook though... why is the ac adapter input in the smack dab middle of the back of the notebook? Also, WHY ISN'T IT A RIGHT ANGLE AT LEAST?


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Ovlazek*


I dunno if it helps scale at all because my monitor isn't really in frame, but it is a 27".

I know exactly the mark you are talking about. I have a notebook mousepad that I put in between the screen and keyboard when I have it closed up for that exact reason.

I gotta say one thing that I absolutely hate about this notebook though... why is the ac adapter input in the smack dab middle of the back of the notebook? Also, WHY ISN'T IT A RIGHT ANGLE AT LEAST?
























Speaking of the screen, was there a screen protector on when you got your m14x? I want to put something between the screen and keyboard but don't know where to put it when I'm using the laptop, especially at school. I'll probably lose it









Yeah that ac spot is seriously annoying


----------



## Ovlazek

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Winrahr*


Speaking of the screen, was there a screen protector on when you got your m14x? I want to put something between the screen and keyboard but don't know where to put it when I'm using the laptop, especially at school. I'll probably lose it









Yeah that ac spot is seriously annoying


Do you mean like a clear plastic sheet? I can't recall to tell you the truth. I don't believe there was.

Like I say I use a very thin mouse pad in between. It works pretty well, plus if you carry around a mobile mouse, you have a pad to use.


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ovlazek;14455860*
> Do you mean like a clear plastic sheet? I can't recall to tell you the truth. I don't believe there was.
> 
> Like I say I use a very thin mouse pad in between. It works pretty well, plus if you carry around a mobile mouse, you have a pad to use.


Yeah the only scratch protection I got was a film on the power button


----------



## shnur

You can order a screen protector with anti-glare on eBay for like 12$. The only issue with my screen, is that I find it's already kind of dim so I don't want to make it worse


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *shnur;14456246*
> You can order a screen protector with anti-glare on eBay for like 12$. The only issue with my screen, is that I find it's already kind of dim so I don't want to make it worse


Not a fan of screen protectors, I'll just keep my cloth in handy


----------



## iSubaru

hey all,
just a quick question, i reformatted my m11x last night, got all the drivers/windows updates(running w7) but all the alienware stuff eg. taskbar, startup screen, finder windows, are all just normal win7. So does anyone know how to get these things back? I've tried the resource disk but it doesnt appear to be on there.

Thanks


----------



## reflex99

like this?

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/549358-how-restore-alienware-look-feel-after-clean-install-windows-7-a.html


----------



## iSubaru

hahaha YES!!
Thanks heaps for that =D


----------



## TheRollzRoyce

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *reflex99;14454416*
> idk if it has been posted already, but this thread can save you alot of monies on AW gear
> 
> http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/456885-aw-dell-ordering-advice-how-save.html


^ You have saved me alot of money









Wow I'm over my budget by 200$ but I think I can squeeze it out of my family since it's my birthday soon.

From the base model I was only looking to add the Radeon HD 6990M and the 1920 x 1080 60Hz screen. With that I was looking at 1789$ through AAFES and 1949$ regular priced.

I tried contacting a few people through the chat last night but they weren't very interested in working with me to reduce the price. It was around 11pm though. After browsing through the thread I came across Wesfry92 saying ******* gave him a great deal so I emailed him. This guy responded within 10 minutes. I told him the two upgrades I was looking for and he said he'd see what he could do.

Next morning and my eyes about popped out of my head. He'd added:
Radeon HD 6990M
1920 x 1080 60Hz screen
8GB Dual Channel DDR3
Killer™ Wireless-N 1103
3 Year Limited Warranty
Accidental Damage Service, 3 Years
Next Business day shipping
All for 1,900$ w/ tax.

I configured this laptop through the AAFES and it cost 2,235$
W/out any discount it was 2,567$

This was all through email. I made some half-hearted attempts w/ some sales reps through the phone but none could even come close to this. If you want his sales rep info PM me but his gmail account is just his [email protected] He says he's only going to be working there for another month so hurry if you want to work with him.

Ordering tomorrow.


----------



## reflex99

I love haggling









is that an m17 or 18?


----------



## TheRollzRoyce

M17xR3

Can't believe I forgot to put that lol.


----------



## reflex99

Is it just me or does the r3 feel slightly less impressive than the r2?

the r2 could have dual 4870s or 5870s, and everyone knows that dual GPUs = infinitely larger e-peen.

the R3 is nice, i just think they could have fit a second slot.


----------



## memyself2014

Hey you guys, old member haha. Does anyone else have problems with the softkeys at the top of the keyboard, like the media keys. Sometimes mine dont do what theyre supposed to do or dont do anything at all


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:



Originally Posted by *reflex99*


Is it just me or does the r3 feel slightly less impressive than the r2?

the r2 could have dual 4870s or 5870s, and everyone knows that dual GPUs = infinitely larger e-peen.

the R3 is nice, i just think they could have fit a second slot.


But the R2 is the size of a M18x and the R3 is similar to the M15x in size

Big quality difference too, no more magnesium in R3

I think that R3 is like a M15x replacement (a bit wider, a bit thinner), and the M18x replaces the R2


----------



## reflex99

It just feels like, if you are going to have a 17" screen, you could probably fit 2 GPUs in there....


----------



## MoMurda

Add me to the m14x please. Had it for a long time.


----------



## NuclearSlurpee

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *reflex99;14471512*
> Is it just me or does the r3 feel slightly less impressive than the r2?
> 
> the r2 could have dual 4870s or 5870s, and everyone knows that dual GPUs = infinitely larger e-peen.
> 
> the R3 is nice, i just think they could have fit a second slot.


I think the focus for the M17x R3 is 3D. Its the only model you can get 3D on, weird, I thought the M18x would have it.


----------



## TheRollzRoyce

So I just got my Laptop







but when I try to run the command center it crashes after 2-3 seconds







I was trying to see how hot it's running while idle b/c when I put my hand underneath it felt like it was burning up. I looked at Undervolting thread on Notebookreview and will buy a laptop cooling pad. If anyone else has suggestions for cooling or fixing the command center I'd appreciate it.

It's the M17xR3


----------



## Penryn

Just ordered an m14x! Last laptop I owned was an Asus G51. Anything about this Alienware I should know?


Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!



QuantityItem NumberDescription
1

225-0789

Alienware M14X - Nebula Red with Soft Touch Finish
1

317-6678

Intel Core i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.9GHz Turbo Mode, 6M cache)
1

317-6669

4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
1

331-2069

Alienware M14X 150W A/C Adapter
1

320-2228

14.0 High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
1

318-0647

1.5GB DDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M using NVIDIA Optimus technology
1

342-2567

500GB 7200RPM SATA 3GB/s
1

330-6106

Personalized Nameplate Trigger
1

331-2070

Custom Nameplate
1

313-8791

AlienFX Color, Mars Red
1

421-4816

Alienware Command Center Software, M14X
1

420-9691

DataSafe Local BackUp
1

420-9956

PC Restore
1

421-5789

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
1

318-0640

Hinge Up WLAN - RED
1

410-0548

Adobe Acrobat Reader
1

421-1305

Roxio Creator Starter
1

318-1166

Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner, DVD+-RW, CD-RW
1

421-4817

Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled
1

430-4098

Intel Wireless-N WiFi Link 1000 a/g/n 1x2
1

421-6497

Alienware M14X WIDI Software
1

951-9680

Dell Hardware Warranty Plus On-Site Service, Initial Year
1

951-9700

Third Party At Home Service, 24x7 Technical Support, Initial Year
1

950-3337

1 Year Limited Warranty
1

950-9797

No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
1

421-1721

Soft Contracts Service Hardware Agreement for Alienware
1

994-3730

Warranty Support, Initial Year
1

469-0500

No Wireless HD Selected
1

421-1360

Steam and Portal Factory Installed
1

421-1359

World of Warcraft Preinstall Edition
1

330-5090

Thank You for Purchasing AlienWare
1

462-3235

Thank you for choosing Dell
1

600-0001

State Environmental Fee for display less than 15 inches


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheRollzRoyce;14572856*
> So I just got my Laptop
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> but when I try to run the command center it crashes after 2-3 seconds
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was trying to see how hot it's running while idle b/c when I put my hand underneath it felt like it was burning up. I looked at Undervolting thread on Notebookreview and will buy a laptop cooling pad. If anyone else has suggestions for cooling or fixing the command center I'd appreciate it.
> 
> It's the M17xR3


Use a software like HWMonitor, you'll be able to see what's going on.
Don't forget that your laptop take air from the bottom and exhausts through the back, you'd need to make sure you don't get air pulled toward the table with the cooler while your laptop tries to pull air towards the top.

As for the command center, I'd say re-install it first and see how it goes. Run a software like CCleaner (check for Registry errors & fix) in between so it erases all the things related to the command center.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Penryn;14577208*
> Just ordered an m14x! Last laptop I owned was an Asus G51. Anything about this Alienware I should know?
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!
> 
> 
> 
> QuantityItem NumberDescription
> 1
> 
> 225-0789
> 
> Alienware M14X - Nebula Red with Soft Touch Finish
> 1
> 
> 317-6678
> 
> Intel Core i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.9GHz Turbo Mode, 6M cache)
> 1
> 
> 317-6669
> 
> 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
> 1
> 
> 331-2069
> 
> Alienware M14X 150W A/C Adapter
> 1
> 
> 320-2228
> 
> 14.0 High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
> 1
> 
> 318-0647
> 
> 1.5GB DDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M using NVIDIA Optimus technology
> 1
> 
> 342-2567
> 
> 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3GB/s
> 1
> 
> 330-6106
> 
> Personalized Nameplate Trigger
> 1
> 
> 331-2070
> 
> Custom Nameplate
> 1
> 
> 313-8791
> 
> AlienFX Color, Mars Red
> 1
> 
> 421-4816
> 
> Alienware Command Center Software, M14X
> 1
> 
> 420-9691
> 
> DataSafe Local BackUp
> 1
> 
> 420-9956
> 
> PC Restore
> 1
> 
> 421-5789
> 
> Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
> 1
> 
> 318-0640
> 
> Hinge Up WLAN - RED
> 1
> 
> 410-0548
> 
> Adobe Acrobat Reader
> 1
> 
> 421-1305
> 
> Roxio Creator Starter
> 1
> 
> 318-1166
> 
> Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner, DVD+-RW, CD-RW
> 1
> 
> 421-4817
> 
> Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled
> 1
> 
> 430-4098
> 
> Intel Wireless-N WiFi Link 1000 a/g/n 1x2
> 1
> 
> 421-6497
> 
> Alienware M14X WIDI Software
> 1
> 
> 951-9680
> 
> Dell Hardware Warranty Plus On-Site Service, Initial Year
> 1
> 
> 951-9700
> 
> Third Party At Home Service, 24x7 Technical Support, Initial Year
> 1
> 
> 950-3337
> 
> 1 Year Limited Warranty
> 1
> 
> 950-9797
> 
> No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
> 1
> 
> 421-1721
> 
> Soft Contracts Service Hardware Agreement for Alienware
> 1
> 
> 994-3730
> 
> Warranty Support, Initial Year
> 1
> 
> 469-0500
> 
> No Wireless HD Selected
> 1
> 
> 421-1360
> 
> Steam and Portal Factory Installed
> 1
> 
> 421-1359
> 
> World of Warcraft Preinstall Edition
> 1
> 
> 330-5090
> 
> Thank You for Purchasing AlienWare
> 1
> 
> 462-3235
> 
> Thank you for choosing Dell
> 1
> 
> 600-0001
> 
> State Environmental Fee for display less than 15 inches


Hum, it's awesome? Nothing specific to them, they're super sturdy/efficient, hence why I'm using one for my school instead of gaming


----------



## Penryn

Got my m14x today!~

Ready to join:


----------



## shnur

Oh it's one of those all red ones


----------



## Winrahr

I was going to get a red one, but then I didn't want it to be overly flashy (but then it's not like the black one isn't flashy) and I was worried about how it would look with blue lighting. So I went with black for best lighting compatibility


----------



## Penryn

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


Oh it's one of those all red ones










Yea, I left the default colors on the command center when i customized. I changed em up when I got into it though.

Other question... how do I update the NVidia drivers with optimus because it says my graphics adapter is not supported. I am assuming because it's disabled while Intel is in place.

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Winrahr*


I was going to get a red one, but then I didn't want it to be overly flashy (but then it's not like the black one isn't flashy) and I was worried about how it would look with blue lighting. So I went with black for best lighting compatibility










It's not as bright red as it looks online. It's more of a dark burnt sienna. I like it.


----------



## reflex99

nvidia does not support systems with switchable graphics.

laptopvideo2go has modded drivers and ini files that should work though


----------



## Penryn

Quote:



Originally Posted by *reflex99*


nvidia does not support systems with switchable graphics.

laptopvideo2go has modded drivers and ini files that should work though


Ah, thanks for the tip.


----------



## shnur

Really? I though only m11x r1 didn't support optimus...


----------



## Penryn

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


Really? I though only m11x r1 didn't support optimus...


I got the 555m and when I went to install the NVidia drivers it said not supported 8P.


----------



## reflex99

Quote:



Originally Posted by *shnur*


Really? I though only m11x r1 didn't support optimus...


that's not what i meant.

these laptops support optimus, however driver support is up to alienware. nVidia does not directly support optimus based systems.


----------



## Rayleyne

M17x got it yesterday, its in my sig for specs, And i wrote a review with a pic for proof here.

http://www.overclock.net/laptops-netbooks/1094418-alienware-m17x-r3-review.html

Edit i also find it odd that nvidia does not directly support optimus yet its blatantly written on their website that nvidia optimus is 'pure pwnage'


----------



## reflex99

They just don't want to write drivers that work with intel drivers/hardware. Since there are quite a few ways to implement multiple GPUs (mux, muxless, manual, software, etc), they would have to do extensive testing, and they don't have the resources or time for that.


----------



## Penryn

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *reflex99;14625031*
> They just don't want to write drivers that work with intel drivers/hardware. Since there are quite a few ways to implement multiple GPUs (mux, muxless, manual, software, etc), they would have to do extensive testing, and they don't have the resources or time for that.


I found that NVidias Verde drivers [current beta 280.19] do work with the m14x I have and according to my reading, some of the m17x models also. Installing them now.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook-win7-winvista-64bit-280.26-whql-driver.html

These work for optimus powered notebooks. Updated to NVidias latest~


----------



## Freelancer852

Been busy for awhile, just updated the OP with all the new members! Welcome aboard the space ship everyone!


----------



## Growler2010

I have been trying to find drivers for this thing....nothing should be this friggen hard! I am looking for the latest Bios, command center for now. Anyone have any ideas? thanks so much in advance!


----------



## Freelancer852

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs


----------



## Growler2010

Been there done that...I have searched the farthest reaches of the interweb...I can find NOTHING...this is Pre Dell laptop. I would gladly pay someone who knows about this laptop and can help me. Thanks


----------



## Growler2010

If my email would be quicker for an answer it's [email protected] thank you


----------



## martinroshak

Count me in with my little beast m11x r3.

Originally had a m11x r1 but after some technical stuff ups on Dell's part, got given a brand new i5 r3 as a replacement!

Pic attached to prove it


----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Growler2010;14978552*
> Been there done that...I have searched the farthest reaches of the interweb...I can find NOTHING...this is Pre Dell laptop. I would gladly pay someone who knows about this laptop and can help me. Thanks


I think you're looking for this site then:
http://support.alienware.com/Support_Pages/Support_Area.aspx


----------



## Twister773

It was a terrible experience trying to get it ordered, but after 2 days, I have a new m14x on its way. Will be my first Alienware Computer and I have had a macbook the last 4 years...hoping this lives up to my expectations and i don't end up wishing i would have spent the extra money and gotten another macbook.


----------



## shnur

I had macbooks and I currently have an Alienware, they are different depending on the purpose. But overall I feel like the Alienware was not a bad decision


----------



## Twister773

I used to only use pc laptops and once i got my first macbook(current macbook) 4 years ago I couldnt believe I didn't try it earlier. None of my pc laptops ever lasted this long and worked this well the whole time. A few months ago i was in the market for a desktop and ended up buying a 27'' Imac, had it for a week and took it back and went back to my roots and built my own PC. The Imac was too slow and the specs were too low for what it cost me. I built my PC for the same cost with much much better specs. I was skeptical for the first week but I am happy I went the route i did. So recently when i decided its time for a new laptop I looked at the Macs...to get a decently equipped macbook with a quad core it was gonna cost me over 2k...So I started looking at PC laptops and love the look of the alienware. Specs were pretty good and the price wasnt bad either. Now i just need to stop clicking refresh on my order status page and wait







Im hoping to have it by the end of the month.


----------



## sev9780

I just had to RMA my m18x D: Drive died and the case was loose.


----------



## Kurtis

Hey guys can I get an add? Did not realize there was a an AW community over here.
I have the M15x 940XM, 460M, 8GB DDR3 Intel 300GB 320 SSD for a work rig.


----------



## Freelancer852

Added! Welcome to the club!


----------



## Pibbz

Is the battery life on Alienwares still abysmal?


----------



## shnur

Which ones? My M11x does ~2-3hrs of gaming and ~7hrs of office work (with wifi)


----------



## Penryn

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Pibbz;15138049*
> Is the battery life on Alienwares still abysmal?


My m14x does about 5 hours surfing 2 gaming on battery.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk


----------



## Freelancer852

I get about 6 hours of passive use, 2 and a half hours of Furmark on my M15x with the extended battery.


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Freelancer852;15188197*
> I get about 6 hours of passive use, *2 and a half hours of Furmark* on my M15x with the extended battery.


wait what? GPU was downclocked right?


----------



## Freelancer852

No, running full out.


----------



## MoMurda

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Penryn;15146281*
> My m14x does about 5 hours surfing 2 gaming on battery.
> 
> Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk


How do you get 5 hours?! I can just get under 4 hours with power saving on and brightness all the way down.


----------



## Rayleyne

I get six hours of Itnernet use, aka just browsing on battery on my m17x, But about an hour and a half of gaming use, 2 if im not using the wireless.


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Freelancer852*


No, running full out.


That is seriously impressive. How big is the extended battery?

Quote:



Originally Posted by *MoMurda*


How do you get 5 hours?! I can just get under 4 hours with power saving on and brightness all the way down.










Mine gets about 4 and a half hours with minimum brightness (basically just taking notes at school)


----------



## Penryn

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MoMurda;15190402*
> How do you get 5 hours?! I can just get under 4 hours with power saving on and brightness all the way down.


I also downclock the CPU when on power saving mode by changing the max CPU%. Helps quite a bit.


----------



## golfergolfer

Well its a pretty bad picture but i dont really feel like taking a photo shoot of my laptop yet... Have had my M14x for about a month now and i am loving it so much!!!! add me


















EDIT: Hope you don't mind but already added sig... you should make it more fun looking


----------



## Tranquil

Just ordered an M17x R3









2670QM processor/6990 GPU/1080 (60hz) Screen/Blu-Ray

Pretty excited! How long did it take you guys to get yours?


----------



## Phil~




----------



## Freelancer852

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Winrahr;15193215*
> That is seriously impressive. How big is the extended battery?


It's the 12 cell battery IIRC. As for physical size, it's not that much larger. It acts as a stand so the laptop is tilted towards me all the time.

Added all the new-comers!


----------



## Tranquil

Thanks!

I almost ordered on Tuesday, but decided to wait for some reason. Glad I did! The 2670's came out yesterday. Free processor upgrade, woo!

Usually it's the other way around.


----------



## NateN34

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Twister773;15018290*
> It was a terrible experience trying to get it ordered, but after 2 days, I have a new m14x on its way. Will be my first Alienware Computer and I have had a macbook the last 4 years...hoping this lives up to my expectations and i don't end up wishing i would have spent the extra money and gotten another macbook.


Hahaha. Quality wise, Apple will destroy Alienware laptops. These days, they are just cheap made with all that plastic instead of aluminum, high hardware failure rate and so many defects.

And yes I know, I returned the pile of poo M17x R3.


----------



## Penryn

Quote:



Originally Posted by *NateN34*


Hahaha. Quality wise, Apple will destroy Alienware laptops. These days, they are just cheap made with all that plastic instead of aluminum, high hardware failure rate and so many defects.

And yes I know, I returned the pile of poo M17x R3.


Qaulity of my m14x is fine. Have fun paying out the ass for less performance though.


----------



## CpHaAiOnS

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Penryn*


Qaulity of my m14x is fine. Have fun paying out the ass for less performance though.


Quality of yours might be fine...

Problem 1 - If you google keyboard m14x problem. You'll find the m14x keyboards squeak (Particularly the space bar). That's a big deal when you pay over 1k for a laptop. (Dell will replace the keyboard, but some customers have said the squeaking just comes back)

Problem 2 - The cooling for the m14x. They should have spent a little more time and money developing a more silent / cooler system. (Focusing more on the silent part.. My system is fairly cool)

Problem 3 - The whole front panel is glossy. I don't mind the screen being glossy... But the whole front display?

Problem 4 - Nvidia graphics driver can only be updated through dell. (There are ways around this... But if I pay over 1k for a laptop... I better not have to do much tweaking)

This was my first alienware purchase, and I was extremely excited to finally get an alienware... Personally, I'm selling mine. I only paid $580, so it won't be very hard to sell.. It'll come with a one year warranty too.

Don't get me wrong!.. I get amazing framerates, and the klispch speakers are HANDS DOWN the best laptop speakers I've ever heard! But... I expected perfection from alienware. (Of course.. Dell owns them now... So I shouldn't expect too much, lol)

I'm not saying alienware's other products aren't worth buying! I'm just disappointed with the M14x.

Personally... I'm gonna go back to ASUS... They may not have all the bells and whistles of alienware... But I'll trade small-size/lighting/klispch, for a more powerful, better cooling system ASUS G series laptop.


----------



## CpHaAiOnS

The deal breakers for me were the nvidia drivers only from dell, and the squeaky keyboard.


----------



## CSHawkeye

I have an M11X R3 and love it!


----------



## Tranquil

Quote:



Originally Posted by *CpHaAiOnS*


The deal breakers for me were the nvidia drivers only from dell, and the squeaky keyboard.



I've heard horrible things about refurbished Alienwares. I've also heard good things. I think it's hit or miss.

Then again, I wouldn't buy a m14x anyways. Too small for my taste.


----------



## CpHaAiOnS

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Tranquil*


I've heard horrible things about refurbished Alienwares. I've also heard good things. I think it's hit or miss.

Then again, I wouldn't buy a m14x anyways. Too small for my taste.










Recertified doesn't matter. The keys didn't squeak right away. And Dell will replace it because it's under the 1 year warranty. The nvidia driver only updated through dell is with all m14x's.

It's not a "hit or miss" with Alienware refurb. It's a hit or miss with their scratch and dents.. Not their refurbs.

The "problems" I'm experiencing are just the normal problems of the m14x. It has nothing to do with it being a refurb.


----------



## Tranquil

No, it's a hit and miss with their refurbs as well. Read around on notebookreview heh. But if you buy a refurb and it's crap, if you complain enough you'll get something much better.. or so I've read from others experiences.

Aren't the Asus G7x 17" machines? Or do the come in varying sizes?

I looked into them. Nice laptops, but for the specs I wanted was the same price as the m17x after alienware's discounts.. the new processor was an added bonus so I went ahead and ordered.


----------



## chewdude

Here is my M17x R3 I have had it for about 5 months now and love it. Its pics and specs are as follows.
2820 QM
256G samsung SSD
750G seagate
GTX 460m


----------



## Penryn

Um the driver thing was NVidias fault but with the last 3 versions you can use the direct driver from them, including the BF3 beta driver. My keyboard doesn't squeak and I like the glossy look. I wouldn't call that a defect but more a personal preference.

As far as cooling goes, I do agree it could use some work.


----------



## un1b4ll

This sucker's in production at the moment:

Alienware M18x Space Black Anodized Aluminum

Airborne Documentation, System Exchanges,Factory Install

AlienFX Color, Mars Red

8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)

Intel Core i7 2860QM 2.5GHz (3.6GHz w/Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache)

Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio

Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader, BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW

18.4-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 WLED

Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6990M AMD CrossFireX

Alienware M18x 330W A/C Adapter

750GB 7,200RPM SATA 3Gb/s

Adobe Acrobat Reader

McAfee Security Center, 30 Day, CNB

DataSafe Local BackUp

PC Restore

DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG

Roxio Creator Starter

Steam and Portal Factory Installed

Alien Red Glyphs

Alien Red Glyphs

Soft Contracts Dell In-Home Hardware Agreement for Alienware

Alienware Command Center, M18X

Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media

Killer Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO for Gaming and Video

Bluetooth 3.0


----------



## Tranquil

Very nice!!


----------



## Penryn

Hmmm is the 6990M one GPU or two? Would that make the m18x a laptop with 4 way crossfire?

Edit: Nevermind, it's one core based on the 6870 desktop gpu. Interesting.


----------



## un1b4ll

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Penryn;15280126*
> Hmmm is the 6990M one GPU or two? Would that make the m18x a laptop with 4 way crossfire?
> 
> Edit: Nevermind, it's one core based on the 6870 desktop gpu. Interesting.


Yup just a single GPU, but there's two of them!









I just about fell out of my chair with glee when I got this order as a replacement for my current M17x R2. Very well played, Alienware.


----------



## mistax

is that the dell warranty everyones talking about


----------



## un1b4ll

Quote:



Originally Posted by *mistax*


is that the dell warranty everyones talking about


It is indeed. They made good in my situation that's for sure.


----------



## Penryn

Quote:



Originally Posted by *un1b4ll*


It is indeed. They made good in my situation that's for sure.


So I should have bought the warranty for my m14x then over the standard warranty I take it?


----------



## mistax

So you can pour water on it amd get it replaced?
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk


----------



## un1b4ll

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Penryn*


So I should have bought the warranty for my m14x then over the standard warranty I take it?


Oh sorry I must have misunderstood. This is the standard warranty that comes with every Alienware, it covered parts and labor for on site and when they couldn't fix it.... This happened


----------



## Imglidinhere

*points to sig*

So would I be the foreign exchange student here? XD

So jealous of you guys.

Also found out that maxing out the NP72XX series laptop from Sager is *MORE EXPENSIVE* than the M18x maxed out.

So if that doesn't show off Alienware a bit, I don't know what will.


----------



## Tranquil

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Imglidinhere;15283966*
> Also found out that maxing out the NP72XX series laptop from Sager is *MORE EXPENSIVE* than the M18x maxed out.
> 
> So if that doesn't show off Alienware a bit, I don't know what will.


That's how it was the other day when we were pming back and forth. I obviously ended up going with the Alienware. It's still in production though =(

Once in a while, AW has some ridiculous discounts. I got 20% off and they still let me use a 50$ off coupon and upgraded me to free next business day shipping lol.

Their online prices are not set in stone... And that's why you always order AW systems on the phone!


----------



## Penryn

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *un1b4ll;15281779*
> Oh sorry I must have misunderstood. This is the standard warranty that comes with every Alienware, it covered parts and labor for on site and when they couldn't fix it.... This happened


Does it really? I need to look it over. It only is for a year though right?


----------



## Freelancer852

Just goes to show that these really are the best gaming laptops out there, and they're probably the best priced as well if you order over the phone. No one knows how to bargain anymore...


----------



## Tranquil

Got mine in. I'm in love. =)


----------



## MaxFTW

Oh noes

Dont know if to get a M14x or M11x now

At the moment im looking at battery life for when im surfing the web, But also performance

These are the only 2 laptops that have the best battery/performance ratio (or at least i think so)

With the M11x it will be great for browsing and RTS games i would think, But movies and audio and playability of even more games is where the M14x comes in









As i get aprox 2 hours battery (lowest brightness and wlan on) on my asus g51 i do wonder if 4 hours would be enough.

Decisions decisions, Oh the m14x can play minecraft too


----------



## shnur

I think its a question between weight and power.
Which is more important?


----------



## MaxFTW

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *shnur;15310490*
> I think its a question between weight and power.
> Which is more important?


Battery and performance, Weight is not a problem with these 2 laptops.


----------



## shnur

Then I'd go with the m14x, it'll give you similar battery life, but more performance when you need it.


----------



## Penryn

Yea I get like 5 hours with my power saving options on my m14x. Sometimes I go a few days without plugging it in.


----------



## un1b4ll

Sweet Mother.

I spent all weekend playing around with the new M18x.

The only word I can use to describe this system is "Gratuitous". It is completely rediculously awesome in every way that they could engineer into an 18.4 inch laptop.

There is *one* big exception, and that's only when compared to the specific M17x R2 that I had. The RGB LED screen of that system is irreplaceable, period. Unfortunately the panel is no longer being made nor is anything of it's quality in this size, so... There's not much that can be done about it. It's just a bummer losing out on the best picture Ive ever seen. Aside from that, this system is an upgrade in every way. It's quieter, looks much better, the media button strip is actually usable now as it's gone from touch sensitive to tactile... IO is awesome with dual USB 3, mdp, esata... HDMI in+out is massive... I can't actually find a thing that I don't like about this computer.

As for the crossfire 6990s... They're every bit as good as they should be. Let me know if you guys want to see specific benches. I don't have everything installed because in a couple of weeks I'm adding a crucial m4, but I'll see what I can do.


----------



## reflex99

BF3 when it comes out tuesday


----------



## shnur

I sometimes feel like my m11x's screen is a complete after-though. It's so horrible...


----------



## Penryn

I like the screen on my m14x for the most part. It took a bit off tweaking to get the color right since off the bat it was a bit strong in the green spectrum.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk


----------



## shnur

Hints how to do it would be appreciated!


----------



## Silent8Strike

I got my M14x a week or so ago for some mobile gaming, and I am very happy with it. The screen did require some tweaking for sure, but the sound is just amazing for a laptop! Everyone is impressed when they hear it.

Also pic for verification:


----------



## MegaTherion

I have an M17x R3 coming my way from the factory here in about 2 weeks. Ugh the wait! I have a MSI GT660 that I need to sell off (screen res was just too small for the application I use it for), and a G53SW that I wasn't impressed with the performance on. I opted for the 2860QM processor for the higher quad thread clock speed and 8MB cache. The video games that I play are HEAVILY cpu dependant. I also got the 6990M GPU since it was a nice step up from the GTX 560M for the price difference.

Very excited for its arrival!

Build -
i7 2860QM
4GB DDR3-1600
500GB 7200 HDD
6990M 2GB
1920x1080 panel
Centrino 1000-N Wi Fi

If all goes well and this thing has the type of power to match or come close to my desktop, I'll be selling that off too~

One other thing, what is it with all the AW bashing? They are one of the few system builders that actually cater to the high end laptop market with solid configuration options. Are people sour about Dell purchasing them, or is there another legitimate reason? I've read mostly raving reviews about the AW products. I priced a similarly spec'd Sager that was only about 150$ cheaper with identical components.


----------



## axipher

You can add me to the legacy list: m5550-r3

C2D T7400 @ 2.16 GHz
2 GB 667 MHz RAM
ATI X1400 512 MB VRAM
15.4" screen
1280x800

This thing is quite a few years old, it's currently sitting in my desk drawer waiting for a new motherboard if I ever decide to revive it.


----------



## un1b4ll

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MegaTherion;15476470*
> I have an M17x R3 coming my way from the factory here in about 2 weeks. Ugh the wait! I have a MSI GT660 that I need to sell off (screen res was just too small for the application I use it for), and a G53SW that I wasn't impressed with the performance on. I opted for the 2860QM processor for the higher quad thread clock speed and 8MB cache. The video games that I play are HEAVILY cpu dependant. I also got the 6990M GPU since it was a nice step up from the GTX 560M for the price difference.
> 
> Very excited for its arrival!
> 
> Build -
> i7 2860QM
> 4GB DDR3-1600
> 500GB 7200 HDD
> 6990M 2GB
> 1920x1080 panel
> Centrino 1000-N Wi Fi
> 
> If all goes well and this thing has the type of power to match or come close to my desktop, I'll be selling that off too~
> 
> One other thing, what is it with all the AW bashing? They are one of the few system builders that actually cater to the high end laptop market with solid configuration options. Are people sour about Dell purchasing them, or is there another legitimate reason? I've read mostly raving reviews about the AW products. I priced a similarly spec'd Sager that was only about 150$ cheaper with identical components.


You're going to be really happy with it! The 2860qm I'm finding is an amazing processor. In most applications it is neck and neck with a 2500/2600 i7, those chips really only have a benefit of a higher thermal ceiling for long periods of time, otherwise this sucker's every bit as fast.


----------



## MegaTherion

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *un1b4ll;15488658*
> You're going to be really happy with it! The 2860qm I'm finding is an amazing processor. In most applications it is neck and neck with a 2500/2600 i7, those chips really only have a benefit of a higher thermal ceiling for long periods of time, otherwise this sucker's every bit as fast.


Hoping so. Everything that I've read about the hardware and the opinions that I've received over on another forum indicate that this should be a very solid desktop replacement to my sig rig, but about 1/8th the weight!


----------



## XtremeBawls

Throw me on the M17x list. I've got an M17x R3 in Stealth Black with a 2720QM, 8GB of Kingston HyperX DDR3 -1600, a 1080p 60Hz display, a 6970M, and the Intel 6300 Nic.

I don't do much gaming on it though, its mainly a mobile desktop replacement for when I can't lug the main rig with me and does most of the 'dirty' work when sitting at home. Many a day it ends up being a really overkill web browser/instant messaging machine lol.


----------



## coachmark2

M15x all the way! Add me in!

And yes, I DID overclock my i7-840QM to 3.1GHZ


----------



## un1b4ll

Ohhh man this M18x is awesome! Just scored P7210 3DMarks in '11. Cards didn't get above 61c, so I've got some headroom. That's at 840/1050... I should be able to pull stock 6870 clocks at this rate


----------



## shnur

Whoaaaa these OC's look amazing!!!


----------



## UltraHoboLord

Quote:



Originally Posted by *coachmark2*


M15x all the way! Add me in!

And yes, I DID overclock my i7-840QM to 3.1GHZ











How did you overclock it i have about the same specs


----------



## skaterat

Add me to the m11x list. I got an R1 two weeks before R2s came out. I'm stuck with a core 2 duo. meh.


----------



## shnur

I still feel like the c2d is still good enough in most cases. I like mine even after having it almost two years


----------



## skaterat

But what alienware did was underclock it a bit so it is super low wattage, however, its the bottleneck in my system. But, it is a nice little beast


----------



## shnur

Are you running it at 1.3 or 1.7?


----------



## skaterat




----------



## shnur

Oh, it was 1.6, sorry I mixed up









Is that your main system or is it a portable gaming machine?


----------



## skaterat

right now its my main, but im going to build a desktop this Christmas. I'm going to make a forum for it.


----------



## Tokkan

Oh god, finally a place to answer my eager questions








Im interested in buying an alienware M11X R3(after deciding that a GPU upgrade was not necessary and that a CPU upgrade was also not necessary on the desktop) mostly because my 4 year old laptop is getting way too heavy since Im now using it more to work compared to anything else.
I also wanted a power house cause Im going to college next year and gonna work study programming, compiling in various languages, etc.
I usually spend my weekends away from my desktop and going on a train for 3h's and walking etc with a 10kg backpack filled with a 6kg laptop and the rest are cloth's, etc. It is rly tiring.
I wanted an Acer that had the AMD C50... It had Full HD playback and could game kinda decent, now I've seen the M11X R3 in a newsletter from Alienware... Well it was a new crush.
But the thing is I live in Portugal and this laptop aint sold here, Im counting on my aunt who lives in the UK to help me out...
I also been checking the Dell Outlet for good deals and they have an M11X R3 with 4Gb of Ram/500Gb 7200RPM HDD/i5 for 450 pounds.
Thats rly cheap but its a "Certified Refurbished", can any1 explain to me what does that actually mean?
Is the M11X R3 worth it?
Should I risk the Certified Refurbished?
I plan on using it alot for a considerable period of time.


----------



## Tokkan

This is going crazy Lol


----------



## un1b4ll

Hm, that's a tough question. I got a 'certified refurbished' product as a replacement for my broken M17x R2. The keyboard wasn't securely in place and underneath of it the LVDS cable was quit litterally ripped out of the socket. (The end stayed connected, it had live wires hanging on the main board)

This is my only experience with a refurbished Alienware. I did buy a refurbished Dell laptop once and it was in 10/10 condition and worked perfectly. I don't want to discourage you from buying a refurb, but I think it's a situation where your mileage can vary pretty wildly. If you have to go through a lot of hassle to get it, I'd maybe first contact Alienware support and find out if you can have it serviced/replaced in Portugal if you need to, otherwise the savings might not be worth the risk.


----------



## Tokkan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *un1b4ll*
> 
> Hm, that's a tough question. I got a 'certified refurbished' product as a replacement for my broken M17x R2. The keyboard wasn't securely in place and underneath of it the LVDS cable was quit litterally ripped out of the socket. (The end stayed connected, it had live wires hanging on the main board)
> This is my only experience with a refurbished Alienware. I did buy a refurbished Dell laptop once and it was in 10/10 condition and worked perfectly. I don't want to discourage you from buying a refurb, but I think it's a situation where your mileage can vary pretty wildly. If you have to go through a lot of hassle to get it, I'd maybe first contact Alienware support and find out if you can have it serviced/replaced in Portugal if you need to, otherwise the savings might not be worth the risk.


I already researched on that with Dell, I can change the location of my warranty to wherever I wish to, just need to fill a form in their website.
After that its just like if I bought the computer here, in max since Alienware's do not exhist in Portugal the RMA may take longer to deliver the laptop back to me in case I need to.


----------



## KoukiFC3S

Picked up an M14x and installed the new Momentus XT 750GB in it.

This hybrid hard drive is fast! I timed it booting up in 18 seconds.


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *KoukiFC3S*
> 
> Picked up an M14x and installed the new Momentus XT 750GB in it.
> 
> This hybrid hard drive is fast! I timed it booting up in 18 seconds.


Damn that's fast. This is exactly what I'm planning to do after the HDD prices come down lol


----------



## skaterat

and here is proof I got an m11x. Add me please


----------



## AlienwareM17XR3

I just bought th m17xr3 any suggestions on overclocking?


----------



## reflex99

Unless you bought an extreme edition CPU, mobile Sandy Bridge processors are locked up tight.

The GPU however, can be overclocked like any other GPU. There are guides all around the internet, so i won't bother typing it out here.


----------



## Digitronical

Please add me to the m14x owners list. Love this lappy!


----------



## VegasGT

Add me to the Club i have a M11x Heres my proof


----------



## Sediss

Add me to the list! Here are some pics of my $5000 Alienware M17x R3 with 3D capability.






Next to the Big Brother =]



And finally, some(sort of) in-the-dark pics. Note that on camera, it looks orange(Grr iPhone camera), but is actually a nice dark red.



Oh... and some more proof, just in case. O_O




Hope you enjoyed!


----------



## ht_addict

Just picked up a M17x in a trade for, my desktop. Want to do a fresh install of Win 7. Any special procedures(sequence of installing) in doing so? I've tried an install, but get an IRQ not equal error on bootup at random times


----------



## Sediss

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ht_addict*
> 
> Just picked up a M17x in a trade for, my desktop. Want to do a fresh install of Win 7. Any special procedures(sequence of installing) in doing so? I've tried an install, but get an IRQ not equal error on bootup at random times


Not sure about the IRQ error, try googling it? When I reformatted and upgraded my OS on my Area 51 Desktop, I had to put in the driver disk and re-install my network driver so that I could gain access to the internet, in order to download the rest of the drivers online, as I use a router. I haven't had any problems so far, it's been about a month. Then again, that is on an Area 51 DESKTOP, not a laptop.


----------



## UltraHoboLord

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Sediss*
> 
> Add me to the list! Here are some pics of my $5000 Alienware M17x R3 with 3D capability.
> 
> 
> Spoiler: PICTURES
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Next to the Big Brother =]
> 
> 
> And finally, some(sort of) in-the-dark pics. Note that on camera, it looks orange(Grr iPhone camera), but is actually a nice dark red.
> 
> 
> Oh... and some more proof, just in case. O_O
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


And I thought $1300 for a laptop was a lot


----------



## reflex99

$5K and you didn't get the 2960XM (or whatever the EE chip is now adays)


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *reflex99*
> 
> $5K and you didn't get the 2960XM (or whatever the EE chip is now adays)


By the fact that he has an Area 51 and Bose Companion 2s, I don't think he's exactly that great at making decisions...


----------



## nifatech2120

I'm trying to decide between the M11X-R3 and M14X-R3.

Sure hte M14X is faster.. but it also costs more..

Which is is good REALLY worth it?

is the M11X a slouch?


----------



## shnur

Depends how much gaming you want to do; if a lot, M14x will be your choice, if just a bit, M11x would be better. I use mine for school purposes most of the time and light gaming.

Also weight/size is a factor. Although they are quite similar


----------



## nifatech2120

How is the M11X for playing crysis 2?


----------



## shnur

According to these guys: http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/606704-crysis-2-dx-11-m11x-r3.html

It should be able to play it maxed out; which is quite nice!


----------



## Sediss

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Winrahr*
> 
> By the fact that he has an Area 51 and Bose Companion 2s, I don't think he's exactly that great at making decisions...


Lol @ hating on my desktop and my speakers. I love my speakers, they are perfectly fine for what I wanted them for. Sure, in a lot of people's eyes, Alienware desktops are overpriced and a waste of money, but I love the look of my Area 51, and I honestly don't have the time to waste to build a computer that's better than it. Sure, I could have had another company build me a better computer, but I don't think any other rig looks as nice as mine, but that's just my preference.


----------



## Sediss

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *reflex99*
> 
> $5K and you didn't get the 2960XM (or whatever the EE chip is now adays)


The i7 2860QM is the best chip that Alienware offers for the m17x.


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Sediss*
> 
> Lol @ hating on my desktop and my speakers. *I love my speakers, they are perfectly fine for what I wanted them for.* Sure, in a lot of people's eyes, Alienware desktops are overpriced and a waste of money, but I love the look of my Area 51, and I honestly don't have the time to waste to build a computer that's better than it. Sure, I could have had another company build me a better computer, but I don't think any other rig looks as nice as mine, but that's just my preference.


That's not exactly the right mindset but okay :/


----------



## reflex99

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Sediss*
> 
> The i7 2860QM is the best chip that Alienware offers for the m17x.


indeed such is the case.....

now you just need to ebay yourself the XM!


----------



## shnur

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Winrahr*
> 
> That's not exactly the right mindset but okay :/


These speakers are actually amazing, if you can get them ~100$ cheaper. I wouldn't qualify them as bad.


----------



## celticguardian1

Hi,
You can add me to the M17x club

i7-2630QM
8gb 1333mhz Ram
820gb Hard Drives Upgrade to 64gb Crucial M4 Soon:thumb:
HD 6870m 1gb


----------



## solsamurai

I have a question for you guys.









A friend of mine recently got a M18x and is having problems connecting to his Samsung LED TV via the HDMI out. Is there something beyond the Nvidia control panel he should be using? I've read posts in other forums with the same issue. Thanks for the help!


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *shnur*
> 
> These speakers are actually amazing, if you can get them ~100$ cheaper. I wouldn't qualify them as bad.


They sell for $99...

But we can get should get back on track now.

In summary:
I don't like Sediss's purchase decisions.
He feels that they're justified although I do not agree.
Bose Companion 2s aren't amazing, but they're not too much worse than mediocre for it's price.

Continue on topic


----------



## UltraHoboLord

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Winrahr*
> 
> They sell for $99...
> But we can get should get back on track now.
> In summary:
> I don't like Sediss's purchase decisions.
> He feels that they're justified although I do not agree.
> Bose Companion 2s aren't amazing, but they're not too much worse than mediocre for it's price.
> Continue on topic


----------



## Winrahr

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *UltraHoboLord*


Meh, just search it up. Or even ask on Head-Fi if you really want to know. The hate towards Bose isn't like the one against Alienware. Their entire product line is overpriced with cheap components, there's an article from ~2002 that shows the poor quality of a Bose system and Bose still haven't done anything to change that image since then.

The counter-argument always seems to be "It's good enough for me and the price isn't bad." But why settle for the one that "isn't bad" instead of the best for your price?

For example (quick googling) $100 can get you a Lepai Tripath TA2020 amp and Polk Audio M10s which really will blow the Companion 2s out of the water. Or even M-Audio AV30 MkII's if you are lazy.

I won't go too much further because I'm not that good with audio.


----------



## slapshot30

Quick question, might be a dumb question. But how long after the Ivy Bridge componenets come out will Alienware integrate them into their laptops. Will they go into all the models? How much might you guess the prices will increase?


----------



## solsamurai

Bumping my post from yesterday page. Anyone run into this issue?


----------



## ht_addict

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *solsamurai*
> 
> I have a question for you guys.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A friend of mine recently got a M18x and is having problems connecting to his Samsung LED TV via the HDMI out. Is there something beyond the Nvidia control panel he should be using? I've read posts in other forums with the same issue. Thanks for the help!


On my M17x, I hit and hold FN then F6. You should get 4 options to chose from


----------



## solsamurai

Could you tell me what those options are? The main issue is his Samsung TV is not appearing as a selectable display.


----------



## un1b4ll

Is he running through a receiver?


----------



## solsamurai

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *un1b4ll*
> 
> Is he running through a receiver?


Nope. From HDMI out on the M18x to the TV.


----------



## un1b4ll

Has he maybe got it plugged into the HDMI in instead of the HDMI out?


----------



## solsamurai

Verified he is using the OUT. Does this issue have anything to do with Windows just being stubborn at detecting TVs vs other monitors? It's really odd to me that so many others have posted this issue in other forums with no one reason as to why it happens.


----------



## golfergolfer

CAN ANYONE HELP ME WITH THIS!!!!

http://www.overclock.net/t/1218462/help-broken-usb-port#post_16518199


----------



## bav182

Bit late but can I be added please..

Alienware M11x R1

Vailidation Here


----------



## Bonn93

Poor souls


----------



## hermitmaster

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Bonn93*
> 
> Poor souls


Are you insinuating that anyone who buys an Alienware laptop is a "poor soul" because they overpaid, got duped, etc? If so, I reply, "Poor trolls." If that isn't what you meant, please clarify.


----------



## Psychonaut

May I join the club?

Pictorial validation:



You can see my Alienware M15x over there in the background. Where it belongs...


----------



## Corsus

Took it with my Galaxy Note at work! My little M11XR3!


----------



## Imglidinhere

I overpaid soooo badly...







I paid $900 for an M17x R2 with these specs:

17.1" RGB WUXGA Screen @ 1920x1200
i7 920XM
8GB DDR3 1333
2GB 6970M
128GB SSD
500GB HDD
Blu-Ray Drive
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit










See attached image link plox.










Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!



http://www.mediafire.com/view/?64bnlb70eedwooz


----------



## Azza98132

Add me please..

Proof - http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=2495910


----------



## Methos07

Count me in, just got an M17x R4. Specs listed in sig.


----------



## ajones2

Please add me!

Alienware M18XR1
CPU - Intel Core i7-2820QM CPU @ 2.30GHz Quad-Core
GPU - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M
OS - Windows 7 Home Premium
RAM - 16GB
HDD - (2) 500GB HDD


----------



## FranBunnyFFXII

HOW DID I MISS THIS THREAD?!
Alienware m17X R4 here.
M11X R2 and M14X R2 as well.


----------



## Imglidinhere

This thread has long since been dead.









Shame really. It was before I got here and changed everyone's views of laptops. OCN was a bad place back then...


----------



## FranBunnyFFXII

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Imglidinhere*
> 
> This thread has long since been dead.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shame really. It was before I got here and changed everyone's views of laptops. OCN was a bad place back then...


If only we could get them to stop the alienware hate and see how good the prebuilt side can be,,, :<

Ohwell cant have everything.

I just finished my final run on OCing my m17X to get its final running 1ghz gaming overclock.

P7667 @AMD HD7970 1ghz.


----------



## ohms

It's sad that there are so many trolls and haters.

Fact of the matter is that if you are smart about it, you can get a great Alienware for a decent price as long as you do the majority of the upgrades yourself rather than paying for the overpriced cost of hardware from Dell.

I got my M18X R1 for $2200 with the minimal amount of hardware possible with an Alienware 18.4" accommodating backpack. I upgraded the RAM, installed my old Intel X-25M, picked up a Killer-1103 and did all the work myself and paid a little more then if would have picked up an Asus for around $2000 that would have only had 1 GPU and only 17.3" display.

I paid $50 for the Killer-1103 on Ebay , $70 for the 32GB of G.Skill from Newegg while they were on sale, and used my old X-25M SSD from my desktop.


----------



## FranBunnyFFXII

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ohms*
> 
> It's sad that there are so many trolls and haters.
> 
> Fact of the matter is that if you are smart about it, you can get a great Alienware for a decent price as long as you do the majority of the upgrades yourself rather than paying for the overpriced cost of hardware from Dell.
> 
> I got my M18X R1 for $2200 with the minimal amount of hardware possible with an Alienware 18.4" accommodating backpack. I upgraded the RAM, installed my old Intel X-25M, picked up a Killer-1103 and did all the work myself and paid a little more then if would have picked up an Asus for around $2000 that would have only had 1 GPU and only 17.3" display.
> 
> I paid $50 for the Killer-1103 on Ebay , $70 for the 32GB of G.Skill from Newegg while they were on sale, and used my old X-25M SSD from my desktop.


Check out my m17X build log, you might like watchu see :3


----------



## atibbo69

guys I just bought a friends m17x but I have no idea how to tell if it's an R1 or R2, how can I tell?

the model number is "P01E"

whatever that means. I'm just wondering what upgrades can be done to this model.


----------



## ajones2

Should be able to tell based on the Dell part number. Yours looks a bit short. Otherwise I believe you can run "msinfo32" from the run dialog box and it will tell you.


----------



## atibbo69

BIOS Version/Date: Alienware A02 21/08/2009

Does that tell you anything?


----------



## Indefatigable

That BIOS is for the m17x r1. Alienware released the r2 in 2010.


----------



## atibbo69

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Indefatigable*
> 
> That BIOS is for the m17x r1. Alienware released the r2 in 2010.


damn that sucks lol. oh well. thanks for your help!


----------



## bigredishott

I am an ex owner but it died.







I don't remember the model but I bought it in like 2003. It had a 3.2GHz P4 and a radeon 9600 in it 1Gb ram 60GB 7200 hard drive. I remember it cost almost 3k and took a long time to get. This was before they were owned by Dell.


----------



## afallickwang

ex-Alienware user here... switched to Asus ROG machines now. I used to own a M9700 in silver.


----------



## Shiftstealth

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bigredishott*
> 
> I am an ex owner but it died.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't remember the model but I bought it in like 2003. It had a 3.2GHz P4 and a radeon 9600 in it 1Gb ram 60GB 7200 hard drive. I remember it cost almost 3k and took a long time to get. This was before they were owned by Dell.


STAHP killing the aliens!


----------



## ozlay

I have a M9750 and i was wondering if anyone knows how to disable the fuction key controler panel which has the the music/DVD/Tv playback control buttons on it because when they are pressed i get a blue screen saying something about acpi control or something and I just want to disable it or fix it if possible?

http://valid.canardpc.com/b2yw1z


----------



## Jessichuu

add me up to the m17x List


----------



## Frostymugkiller

I have a M17x R4


----------



## Winrahr

I've moved on


----------



## Imglidinhere

Pfft, once the Aorus X7 is released, I'll move on too. :3


----------



## Jessichuu

Here is my Alienware M17x <3

(just as a side note, i do have a cooling pad under it! im not stupid enough to let it just sit on my bed)


----------



## Imglidinhere

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Jessichuu*
> 
> Here is my Alienware M17x <3
> 
> (just as a side note, i do have a cooling pad under it! im not stupid enough to let it just sit on my bed)


Pfft, it's fine if you're not doing anything and just idling there. It'll get pretty warm, but nothing bad will happen to it.

What model is it? Which revision?


----------



## Jessichuu

its the m17x R4


----------



## FIRINMYLAZERMAN

Recently got an Alienware M15x R2. Please add me to the list of M15x owners!


----------



## Stacey2911

My sig rig is my Alienware M17x R4, specs and photos for proof of ownership are uploaded with it.


----------



## zgranowitz

have a alienware 14 please add me to the list


----------



## christaras

Add me please just bought m17x mid 2013 model at low price i7-4700MQ,8GB (2x4GB) DDR3L 1600MHz,750gb 7200,gtx 765m,1080p monitor plus an 120gb ssd evo at the total price of 630 euros......can you tell me the code of my laptop? at the back says A17-6554 thanks in advance.


----------



## tatmMRKIV

thinking about getting the m18? anyone know where to pick up some gtx980M cards for a descent price?


----------



## That_guy3

A 14 owner here! http://valid.x86.fr/kpg327


----------



## AsusFan30

Deleted


----------



## AsusFan30

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *tatmMRKIV*
> 
> thinking about getting the m18? anyone know where to pick up some gtx980M cards for a descent price?


You can purchase it now with Dual Gtx-980m's?

Sent from my iPhone 6+ using Tapatalk.


----------



## Ryou-kun

Is there anyone own Alienware 13, the one with GTX 960m?
If so, how is the laptop?
I was thinking to buy it for a portable gaming laptop, so I can take it with me for both school and work.









I am just curious about the battery life with just using Microsoft Office/OneNote without the dGPU enable.


----------



## skunksmash

New AW15 R2 owner.....

smashing machine, EXCELLENT build quality, SUPER cooling capability.... the gap between desktop and laptop grows ever closer

i7 6820hk

16GB DDR4 2133

GTX980m (4GB)

FHD panel

512GB PCIE m2 (OS) / 1TB 7200 HDD

Win 8.1

this is the OC ive managed thus far...... on all 4 cores, though im finding with skylake OCing is more about 'boost' or 'turbo' capability rather than solid clocks 24/7 ...its a laptop at the end of the day its never been practical to even consider clocking these above stock...... im AMAZED at how well it cools!!!


----------



## skunksmash

far past...... TDP on this chip is only 45w



these machines are fantastic, the only thing thatll limit my OC on this laptop is heat .... i simply wont be able to pull it off the die quick enough eventually.

5 seconds after stressing it though its cool again, excellent design


----------



## Hambone07si

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *skunksmash*
> 
> New AW15 R2 owner.....
> 
> smashing machine, EXCELLENT build quality, SUPER cooling capability.... the gap between desktop and laptop grows ever closer
> 
> i7 6820hk
> 
> 16GB DDR4 2133
> 
> GTX980m (4GB)
> 
> FHD panel
> 
> 512GB PCIE m2 (OS) / 1TB 7200 HDD
> 
> Win 8.1
> 
> this is the OC ive managed thus far...... on all 4 cores, though im finding with skylake OCing is more about 'boost' or 'turbo' capability rather than solid clocks 24/7 ...its a laptop at the end of the day its never been practical to even consider clocking these above stock...... im AMAZED at how well it cools!!!


Those are a pretty nice laptop. I had the 15 R2 myself for a couple weeks but I had to return it. It kept losing the 2nd hard drive which had all my work files on it and my games installed to it. I wouldn't have any games or prints I needed at work and that was a no go for me. I tried to fix and it happened 4 times at work to me and wouldn't come back for a day or so. Other than that it was a nice laptop. Cooling wasn't too bad, Cpu was still hitting 85-90c while gaming for a while, unless I forced the fans at 100% and then it would be 75-80c.

The MSI GT72 is a beast on the cooling side. My cpu 6820K at 4ghz only hits 75c with auto fans, and with Cool Boost 3 (fans at 100%) the cpu only hits 50-60c max. Gpu 55-65c max.. This thing is amazing at cooling and isn't that loud at all. Auto fans you can't even hear it.

I liked the 15 R2 a little more than the Asus G752, but the MSI has the lighting effects as the Alienware and I love that part. I just like the mouse pad on the 15 R2 how it lights up completely, that's badass







. MSI just has a thin line around the edge of the mouse pad, it's cool tho.

Nice laptop and good choice with that cpu, they are beastly compared to desktop cpu's. Run Cinebench R15 and see how powerful that cpu is compared to a 4790K. My 4790K @ 4.8ghz gets 960 ish, the 6820K @ 4.0ghz gets 869 ish was my best score, that's 2nd in the world if I could figure out how to submit it lol. 6700HQ cpu only gets around 670 ish which is a lot lower and isn't as close to desktop performance really.


----------



## Spikeyjohnson

I'm here with my Alienware 15 r2



I have a few modifications done to it. As of right now the specs are

Alienware 15 r2
CPU: Intel Core i5 6300HQ
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 965m
Ram: 16 GB Crucial @2133 mhz
Storage: 2 x Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB in Raid 0, 1 TB HGST HDD
Screen: IPS LCD 1920 x 1080
OS: Windows 10 Enterprise

RGB Lighting: Cyan!


----------



## greg1184

Hey folks, joining the club. Got my first alienware laptop (or Dell for that matter).

Just got the Alienware 17 AW17R3-3758SLV. All I can say is that this is probably the best laptop I have bought. The biggest surprise when I turned on the laptop was that there is Little to no bloatware whatsoever. This contrasts greatly to the MSi I had before.

he 4k display is fantastic. I love the customization options of the lighting.

I run games at 2560x1600 smoothly. Seems like a great sweet spot resolution. 4k runs marginally with the 970M, but I expected that. All in all a fantastic gaming laptop to complement my gaming rig. I am considering getting the amplifier as well.

I had a brief wifi issue that seemed to be fixed by updating all of the drivers. Otherwise things are running smoothly.


----------



## skarrd

i got handed down a M17-r1 that i'm working on fixing up, just waiting for a new ccfl tube to fix the back light.

i'll try to post a picture when i get home from work tonight, if not i should have one up after the weekend (going to my cousin's wedding).

EDIT: added pictures!

13151673_10209244791059494_7271297981789592516_n.jpg 66k .jpg file


13164421_10209244793979567_2678154746506227484_n.jpg 42k .jpg file


----------



## AsusFan30

I have been part of the Alienware Owners Club since 1997! Right now I have the Alienware 17 R2, with the Graphics Amplifier. I am running a EVGA GTX 980 Ti FTW, and it is amazing!


----------



## alexandernigth

Hello I'm looking forward to buy an 17 r3...but many persons says the audio is bad... can be a problem?? Or just buy the sennheiser game one..? Also the g sync is a must or not for the 4k??


----------



## compugeek5150

I've got 2 250gb 850evo's in raid0; one mSATA under the KB and one "regular" sata in one of the HDD slots. Write and read speed across the board scale to almost exactly *double* single drive speeds in either port. I initially put em in there like that for the lulz, but the performance is making me keep it like that. I've got a 1tb spindle drive for "storage" and also a complete windows backup image for if/when the raid fails, but honestly the setup is beast.

"enterprise" performance isn't the same and doesn't belong in the context of this thread. First hand experience, raid SSD's is NOT a waste; they're cheap, setup is easy and for about 7 months now extremely reliable. 500gb single drive in this laptop will NOT outperform 2 in raid0 - matter of fact 3 of them scale as well, but diminishing returns on this chipset happen at 2 drives (meaning 2 drives give you almost 2x performance, but 3 drives will not give you 3x performance).


----------



## TK421

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *alexandernigth*
> 
> Hello I'm looking forward to buy an 17 r3...but many persons says the audio is bad... can be a problem?? Or just buy the sennheiser game one..? Also the g sync is a must or not for the 4k??


Gsync is not available on internal panel because it's hardwired to the intel GPU, the 970M and 980M is only used for 3D calculations that the intel GPU displays.


----------



## superkyle1721

You also may want to look into Clevo laptops. Their offering IMO are much better than anything else on the market for a gaming laptop.

Always destroying exergy


----------



## SteezyTN

What in the world... I didn't even know there was an Alienware owners club. I bought an M14X R2 back in July of 2012. Best laptop I've owned up until a year later. I could barely play games on low settings at 900p lol.


----------



## TK421

Discord server for NBR / OCN ALIENWARE users

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/alienware-community-discord-server-join-inside.792950/


----------



## bigtonyman1138

Didn't realize we had an Alienware club over here either. I've got a Alienware M17x r3 and an Alienware 15 r3. Both are great machines, but I miss the older style. Miles ahead of the stuff they are producing now.


----------



## Imglidinhere

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bigtonyman1138*
> 
> Didn't realize we had an Alienware club over here either. I've got a Alienware M17x r3 and an Alienware 15 r3. Both are great machines, but I miss the older style. Miles ahead of the stuff they are producing now.


Agreed. The issue with the newer models is that the lip is on a slight edge so it ends up being a tad uncomfortable for your wrists. I have an old M17x R3 still laying around... barely works. :/ I loved it while it worked, but eh...


----------



## bigtonyman1138

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Imglidinhere*
> 
> Agreed. The issue with the newer models is that the lip is on a slight edge so it ends up being a tad uncomfortable for your wrists. I have an old M17x R3 still laying around... barely works. :/ I loved it while it worked, but eh...


I loved the keyboard on that machine. The one on my 15 just feels weird. Mine still works fine, its just getting long in the tooth for gaming. I usually use my desktop for gaming anyway. Only got the 15 cause I got a pretty good deal on it from dell.


----------



## mgriffen

Hey all, I just got the 17 R4 (Late 2016) with the 1080P 1920 x 1080 IPS TOBII Panel

Was wondering if anyone has experienced light bleed and returned for replacement because of it?


----------



## AsusFan30

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mgriffen*
> 
> Hey all, I just got the 17 R4 (Late 2016) with the 1080P 1920 x 1080 IPS TOBII Panel
> 
> Was wondering if anyone has experienced light bleed and returned for replacement because of it?


This is exactly whey I went away from Alienware. The quality has just went down and down..I would return it. I sold my Alienware 17 R2, and bought an MSI GS73 VR..Huge Change, Lighter, thinner, and better specs.


----------



## Jayce1971

I must have lucked out. No light bleed on my IPS. CPU temps have been fairly good, while the gpu has been running a bit on the warm side. I've had my 15 r3 for a few weeks now, still getting to know the ins and outs of owning a laptop, once again. The unit I ordered has the unlocked skylake 6820hk, and gtx 1070. I migrated the os from the factory
SanDisk 128GB drive onto a Samsung Evo 960 256GB. Went ahead and ditched the hdd in favor of a 512GB SSD SATA drive I had laying around. This weekend, my Conductonaut arrived, so began the teardown process. The gpu had been running warm, because the factory thermal paste was applied lousy. After the liquid metal TIM application, my gpu temps dropped apprx 30c, and the cpu around 6-9c. Worth the effort, and now battery, as well as component life should be extended quite a bit. I've got a decent overclock on the cpu and gpu as I travel with my ac adapter for full wattage. Couldn't be happier with my 15r3. With a bit of time and patience, it's become quite a bit more than the sum of the parts.


----------



## Rayzy

Hey guys.
Using Alienware 17 R3 (for 2 years almost).
6820HK @ 4.0 \ 16GB DDR4 \ 850 EVO SSD.

Thared seems to be outdated, but it's nice to have one tho.


----------

