I'm buying and Alienware laptop, and I have questions about the M14x

I have looked over the pros and cons of this unit, but I still have a few concerns.

1. How bad is the overheating problem on it?
-how is it fixed?

2. Would the laptop still work well as far as taking it to college?
-(mobility, battery life, average life span?) Haha.

 

Since when has their been overheating problems with the M14x O_O

I have both my GPU and CPU overclocked, don't use a laptop cooler, just have the butt lifted and have not noticed the processor or videocard go above 80 degrees Celsius even under heavy load.

 

Overheating problem? There isnt one, never once overheated on me, but IT does get over 100 degrees on the bottom when gaming. It seems to handle the high temps well, but i dont know why alienware allowed it to get so hot without rethinking. Don't touch the bottom when gaming, it will hurt, i.e when closing and putting your m14x away after gaming, let it cool for a few minutes so you wouldn't drop it because it just charred your fingers

I take this laptop to college, it is somewhat portable, not too bulky, battery life is 3-4 hours, maybe less depending on usage. I read that the battery cycle is only 300 recharges. So try not to use it on battery every day. you're probably better off with a cheaper netbook for college along with the m14x. Won't have to worry about damaging your m14x, using up its recharge cycles, and carrying a heavier load. And then using your m14x for gaming and other home use, or those days you wanna just take it to school. I usually try and switch it up by taking my old hp dv3 that gets +7 hours battery life, but i love taking the m14x to school.

Even when in power saver mode, it still gets warmer than it should get, with just web browsing. I recommend this laptop, but there are still other laptops to consider to see what's best for you.

 

How do you edit this? the total control for power consumption...cuz all i saw was brightness, sleep time etc.

 

Good questions, I'm thinking and thinking about the M14x but have to wait a few weeks to pull the trigger (sigh). I keep telling myself to look at other brands...I do...and then go back to the Dellienware site.

 

I feel your pain. I have to wait until mid-end of July to order it. I looked at Sager/Clevo, Origin/Clevo, Digital Storm/Clevo (lol), HP, and etc. However, I've always wanted an Alienware and gosh darnit I'ma get one! Those LEDs are just so mesmerizing. Whenever I'm on the Dellianware site, the voices keep saying "buy, buy, buy."

 

haven't had an issue with it overheating, never overheated yet. as for college, i dont see why not 6lbs isn't that heavy

 

I love Digital Storm, they build great systems. My current desktop is a DSO and I love it. My previous two were DSO & I had an Alienware before that I got in 2001. Good systems. I keep saying I should get a DSO simply because the warranty is really good. But I'm in your boat, I want the Alien!

 

1. I'm in the same dilemma as you. However, the laptop isn't exactly over-heating, it can gets uncomfortably hot; too hot in my opinion. I guess you can say it's fixed by getting a laptop cooler, but it only heats up when you game anyways. I hear the laptop fan also gets very loud when gaming, which might be another issue for me.

2. I'm sure it will be fine for college. I have an m11x and frankly it's a little TOO portable. Having a small laptop that is super light and has an near overkill battery life is great for note taking in class, but otherwise gaming on an 11" screen with ULV processors isn't too ideal. After a year with the m11x, I'm thinking the m14x should be a good upgrade. I mean, it still gets a respectable battery life and and is only about 2 pounds heavier (and weight is a big factor for me as I will be living more than a mile away from my classes next quarter).

 

the overheating isnt that bad. i was gaming on crysis last night for half hour. temps i had was 54'c.
im gonna purchase a cooler for it anyway just to help. the fan will kick in and does a good job but it is loud. but when you think what is inside the laptop its neccassary.
battery life should be fine for 5hrs without heavy workloads. just set it to power saver dim the brightness etc.

overall im well pleased with the laptop. love it to bits

 

If you get the m14x, its a great laptop, just dont splurge on the upgrades. Dell upgrades are expensive, and you can DIY ram and hdd if you wanted for much cheaper. But imo, it's not worth paying over 1400-1500 dollars. Once you step into that range, consider other laptops.

 

You can consider other laptops, but anything that has more powerful specs for the higher price is going to be bigger

Yeah, for the price you can get a more powerful laptop, but he may want the size for a reason. Just adding that in. Another option is to wait to see what else comes out in the size range he wants

EDIT: And I totally agree with aftermarket upgrades. Dells terrible at overpriced parts