There's no question that
Alienware's
M17x with dual-GPU system is one the most powerful -- if not
the most powerful -- laptop out there right now, but at 15.4 pounds and a sub-two hour battery life, the definition of "laptop" is being stretched a bit here. A handful of reviews have hit the interwebs, and the none too startling consensus is you'll be paying for the best here, especially with configuration options that can slot up to $5,000 --
CNET Australia suggests looking at the ASUS
W90 if you want a better bang for your buck. The capacitive buttons above the keyboard aren't too responsive, there's no multitouch, and
Hot Hardware noticed some flex in the center of the keyboard, but on the flip side, you'll be running full HD video and the most taxing games with little to no strain -- and if you like your keyboard to look like a light show, there's eight different sections to customize with different-colored LEDs. Guide your mouse to the links below for more in-depth discussion.
Read - Hot Hardware
Read - CNET Australia
Read - Co-Optimus
Read - PCPro
posted Aug 3rd 2009 8:16PM
Got to play one of these out at E3 this year... Left 4 Dead was what they were demoing... Great laptop and i love the keyboard
Fun game, not the greatest display of power though.
Imagine the heat in that case.
Considering the multiple fans it is fitted with, I doubt there is very much. It's actually quite well organized.
Imagine the heat from burning all that money away.
It's got enough LEDs to light a small Taiwan shanty-town for a while.
stealth bomber computer..
I love the interwebs!
BTW. Props for firebombing the Gizmodo servers, Engadget.
gawker servers have been having problems all day dude.
They were down yesterday too. The lack of Gawker/Gizmodo snarkyness actually has me feeling pretty upbeat today.
Sperm bomber computer.
Put that on your thighs and watch the whole lord of the ring series! And if your even more daring throw in star wars, and harry potter. If your not burnt by then, then you truly are wearing "Alien Wear"
I see you what you did there... -1
I was rather looking forward to a joke about infertility and nerd trilogies :(
Don't know where ppl are getting sub-2 hour battery life from.
If you'll join us in the AW section @ NBR you'll see that when you switch to intgrated we are hitting near 3 hours. That is absolutely amazing for a 17" gaming laptop.
15.4 pounds? Nope. 11.5 pounds.
Nope, you dont get it. When they say that they are including the weight of the powerbrick. When you look at the content of what was said it makes sense because a battery with only 2 hours of life will force you to carry around the powerbrick also.
a power brick is 4 pounds? unless you have to carry something like a desktop power supply around, i doubt that.
Is it me or are alienware becomming more and more ugly by the year. That piece of plastic is like a children's toy!
So you're claiming that this "anodized aluminum" that they keep speaking of in the reviews is some new form of plastic?
Does Dell still own Alienware?
Yes.
1) 15.4 = after install battery and carry around that power brick... wait, that would be 20 lbs :D
2) Dell still own Alienware.....
eat my shorts!
The heat that must be generated and how crap laptops are at dispersing it kinda scares me...
This thing looks horrible!
What is this? The 90's?!
Usually, a alienware gives a lousy 10-20% in performance in comparison with the competitor (in fact, a benchmark put a pathetic 5% boost) but costing over +$1000-$3000
But it's got an alien on it. That for sure adds a few awesomeness points to the price.
its okay, Dell tried to charge $3000 for pentium III's.
I don't think L4D is the best for demoing "intense gameing" cause I got it working full settings 1920x1200 at 60 FPS with an NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800M GTS w/ 1 GB
Oh and that's 1 GB vram, the system has 4 GB DDR3 ram
So can I assume then that you're using the Gateway FX notebook?
Yes, it is quite a lovely notebook I must add too, especially for $1100
I'm using the M17x right now! With 1920x1200 resolution, it still eats all the games i've thrown at it alive, and I'm only running the dual 260's! There's an options for dual 280's! I notice NO flex in the middle of the keyboard, the screen is the best I've ever seen on a laptop or desktop replacement. It's the best color and brightness, not washed out when it's black, and razor sharp. About half of the bottom is open ventilation, and I haven't noticed it getting too hot at all. I'm using a lap desk though, but still, the case and keyboard don't feel too hot. The bluray upgrade was only 50 bucks and it actually makes Vista look downright fast! I love it!
LOL my XPS M1710 has been at 1920x1200 for the last three years.
Thats what you have by the way. look at the names and figure it out. A 3+ year old DRS, with a new body and the keyboard from the M1730... without the Logitech LCD.
Looks supercool though. (cough)
@Agent .25i - err 1920x1200 on what game and fps? pls don't say that the resolution of your XPS is for the use of viewing that beautiful scenery wallpaper @ your desktop on idle.
It is probably a huge powerhouse, but god DAMN is it hideous.
Thanks for linking to CNET's Australian review of the M17x.
Australian sites don't get much coverage on Engadget.
HOLY CRAP, 15 pounds (or anything over 10 pounds actually) is a bit much for a laptop....and yea, $5K for a laptop TOO much...this is gonna be like the MacBook Air, insanely expensive right away and drop price in less than 8 months...by half
Had mine for a few days but over those few days the chassis began to separate from the plastic case. There were other issues with Vista Ultimate and the command center, but all in all my unit was a strong performer even with issues. 3D mark 06 was just over 13k. My system had the Q9000, sli 280s, and 4gb of 1333 ram.
Alienware/Dell support worked with me on setting up my return, and in the end I decided to order a new unit. If anyone out there is considering this beast of a laptop just know these quick facts from an owner;
Pros
-Stealth mode activated and no lights on the battery lasts for a bit over 3 hours
-System is easy to overclock and the cooling system works Magnificently
-The Power brick is a bit larger than that of a DVD case and easy to pack
-Large Laptop but very manageable, my girlfriend nicknamed it the beast but began to fall in love with it (forgive for what I am about to start, but she is a MAC fanatic but admitted if the new M15x or M16x is built with the same standards she may switch to PC. Sorry, not trying to start a war)
Cons
-Mirror of a screen but semi viewable outdoors
-System Glitches between Vista and Alien Command Center
-Will not fit in the majority of 17" notebook bags
If you are going to order any of the base units with just the 260gtx, go Asus or Sager and save your money. These machines are great, and mine was a bit of a lemon, but I am sticking with them. If you looking for the bang for the buck most know where to find it, but f you are willing to spend those extra bucks (or grand) go AW and you will be happy.
5000 dollar for contract star
MSI GT725 anyone ? Lets say it all together shall we. Maybe then people will remember what value for money is.
@Agent .25i
I've got the XPS M1730 and I couldn't agree more. Not to mention the fact that you could heat a small village with this thing. Yes, it will get hot, and good luck finding a laptop cooler that will allow a 17" to comfortably rest on it. The XPS 1730 is a great laptop, as I'm sure this one is as well, but nevertheless, it will get hot.
Thanks for the link to Co-Optimus, Engadget!
It's a laptop on steroids and protein diet lol.
Given the size and the weight of that thing as well as the high electricity consumption, it would have much better as a desktop unit. Then again, anyone who bought this thing would have a much improved biceps and legs after carrying this around every day.
can you use it without battery? many laptops now, like mine im using it without battery and you dont have to bother about watching, gaming etc. all you have to do it take off the battery and plug and play. im using a small trolley with a small holes on it. meaning it can easily breathe your laptop and can carry and drag it anywhere you want to watch and play