M14x Pre-Order Configuration Questions... Ask HERE (Part 2)

i7 3720 vs i7 3820 . Which one is good guys?

I mean ,is the upgrade worthy enough for $ 250?

 

Definitely 3820

 

I think that's entirely subjective. For some, they'll take a 1% performance increase even if it's a 50% price increase.

I don't think it's worth $250 to upgrade, by any means.

 

Ordered it

Wound up getting everything stock except i7 3610m and 900p screen the only real must haves. Had to drop the 750gb hdd due the NZD to USD exchange rate plus a 2.5% currency conversion charge.

Cost me 1379 including tax (which being a NZer also forgot about )

Got a bonus $200 voucher to spend with Dell because I am a student
Just have to decide whether to buy an xBox 360 or Monitor with it

Now i'm just counting down the days till August 18th

 

August 18th? That's ridiculous!! I only ordered mine two days before you from Dell Australia and I'm getting mine on the 26th of this month. It wouldn't really take that long would it?

 

August 18th is the day I arrive at my Aunts house in the US so it will sit in her garage for a month and a half before I get my hands on it

 

Hi.
Now that the new Macbook Pro is out I’d like to know your opinion on it and how it compares to the M14.
Which one do you think is better or under what circumstances would one excel over the other?

 

Well first of all the macbook pro works on OS X so you will have to install Windows on it if you want to play games.
Compared to the m14x on the paper it is the same but from what I read the macbook heats up quite a lot when gaming for a long time.
The display of the macbook is clearly far better but when you compare the prices really I think you get more bang for your buck by going with the m14x.

If you wanna game stick with a windows machines.

 

Fair enough champ, sorry to hear you have to wait so long for your baby .

 

I know it kinda sucks but buying it on the US site did save me several hundred bucks.

I'll be buying the HTC one x soon so at least I'll have one gadget to play around with until then.

 

Hi,

I new to the forums and thinking of getting a M14X R2.

Currently thinking of the specs and was wondering if it much more worth it to upgrade the CPU or the RAM from the base model..

 

CPU = Yes. The base model is a dual-core i5. The next level up is a quad-core i7. It's worth upgrading to the cheapest i7 you can. Further upgrades aren't really worth the cost.

RAM = Not from Dell. 6GB is adequate to start with, and you can pretty easily add more RAM later yourself cheaper than what Dell will sell it to you for. (And it won't void the warranty.)

 

Hi welcome!

Many people recommend upgrading the RAM yourself as Dell RAM tends to be a bit expensive.

There are plenty of threads comparing the CPU. Here for instance: http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...t-upgrades/670671-3610qm-vs-3720qm-again.html

You can read around a bit and see if the CPU upgrade is worth it for you.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the advice!

So it seems better to save the money and upgrade the screen then

 

The screen upgrade is the single best investment you can make. Definitely go for that.

 

Ya the screen upgrade is a must...what about the wireless card..does the upgrade to killer card worth it?

 

Just got a message that my alienware m14x is shipped today. I hope I get it fast . Super excited . Got i7 3720QM , 2 GB Nvidia 650m.

 

so i cancelled my 1st order and now i have found a way to buy it from the us store. with these specs,

Alienware M14X R2 Alienware M14X R2
Operating System Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Processor 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.3GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
Memory 16GB Dual Channel DDR3 1600MHz
Keyboard English Keyboard
Display Panels 14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
Video Card 2 GB DDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M with Optimus™
Hard Drive 750GB 7,200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s
Nameplate Personalized Plate
AlienFX Mars Red
Hinge Up Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish
Adobe Reader Acrobat SW Adobe Acrobat X Reader
Optical Driver Slot Load Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
Sound Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX TruStudio Pro Software
Wireless Networking Killer Wireless-N 1202 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO for Gaming & Video and Bluetooth 4.0
Adapter Alienware M14X 150W A/C Adapter
Documentation Alienware Documentation
Shipping Material Shipping Material
Security Software No Anti-Virus Software Selected
Additional Software Additional Software
Primary Battery 63WHr 8-Cell Primary Battery
Hardware Support Services 1 Year Basic Plan
Factory Installed Software Steam and Portal™ Factory Installed
Alien Wallpaper Alienhead Chrome Blue
WirelessHD & Mobile Broadband None
Standard Nameplate Trigger
Thank you for Purchasing Alienware
AW:Faissal


is it worth it to upgrade the OS to ultimate? i also already have a steam account with portal so i let them install it or just unselect it?

should i upgrade some specs.

i got this all for 1714 dollar.

i am also looking for a backpack like the orion alienware only without the alienware logo. does anyone know if there's something like that.

 

My recommendation?

Drop the ram to 8gb and get the higher CPU. Cheaper to upgrade ram on your own.
And you don't have to get Blu-Ray, then don't.. Save a few dollars if you want and take it off. I have 2 blu ray players and barley use them. Its cheaper to just stream/download movies instead of purchasing Blu-Ray discs.

Other than that nice rig. Mine is very similar! Waiting to get mine soon!

 

thank you your recomnedation vkw619.

it isn't difficult to upgrade the ram myself? do i need to open the whole system up. i'm kind of scared of opening such a well built system. do the higher cpu offer much more performance increase. i find the i7-3720QM doable as it is 150 dollar more expensive but the i7-3820QM is just too much, 350 dollar more expensive.

 

Although I do not have my MX14 yet, I do know it is very very simple to replace/expand RAM. Its just opening one slot and it won't void your warranty! Dell even has instructions to do it online from them!.

I think the 3720 would be a much better investment than the mass amount of ram.

 

This is what I'd do.
- Drop the ram to 6gb if it's possible, and buy yourself corsair or kingston 8 (4x2)gb ram sticks for about 45-50 bucks for 8gb of total ram, or even 8gb sticks for about 50-60 bucks each for a total of 16 (8x2)gb of ram for about 110 or so. It's worth it because they are better than stock ram provided by dell.
- Don't update to ultimate, as you can get copies of it anywhere on the internet, and even if you have it, you, or most people don't use any of its functionalities. Home premium is good enough for literally 95% of people, ultimate is mostly for IT guys with networks to manage.
- Get the 1gb graphics card unless you are going to be dual-monitoring. The 2gb card does you no additional good; it does not increase non-dual screen power, even on games with lots of elements to load. (tl;dr, the 2gb is just a marketing ploy by dell, there is no performance increase by getting the 2gb card)
- Get the blu-ray player only if you have blu-ray disks you play often. Other than that, it is a waste of a lot of money. It is cheaper to buy an external blu-ray drive if you only very seldom use blu-ray disks.
- Do whatever you want with steam/portal. It doesn't matter at all.

That should lower the price to around a good 1400 or so.
I *think* you can tear off the alienware logo on the bag but I am not sure about that at all.

 

Thank you zealot. so ram i would buy somewhere else is better than the stock ram. dropping it to 6-8 as we speak.
I am going to start an IT education in september. but if i can get it from the internet, i would do that. i'm fine with home premium.
i don't think i'd actually use blu ray players at all. just thought it was a neat little thing to have. but for 200 dollars you are right its way too expensive. I can't drop the 2gb video card to 1. it is part of the discount and i can only go as low as 8GB there's no 6GB option. i removed the blu ray player and downgraded to 8Gb and it is now at 1360 dollars.

 

Sounds good

Just go to newegg and get ram. It's amazing compared to the ty stock ram that dell has, and saves you like 100 bucks or so

 

thanks zealot and i aslo ordered a glossy screen protector, are they hard to install? should i let a profesional do it? does it even matter if i install it?

 

Personally, I've never installed it, but there are videos on youtube outlining exactly how to install it, provided by the manufacturer.

Screen Protectors for Alienware Laptops: an Installation Tutorial from Green Onions Supply - YouTube

Watch it and see if you can do it

 

Hi All,

I got quoted for below config for USD 1424. Free gifts includes 5% gift card, next day shipping. Is this a good deal or I can do better?

3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3610QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.3GHz w/ Turbo
Boost 2.0)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
English Keyboard, M14X R2
14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
2 GB DDR5 NVIDIA GeForceGT 650M using NVIDIA Optimus technology
32G mSATA caching SSD
750GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
Alienware Command Center Software, M14X
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner, DVD+-RW
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Killer Wireless-N 1202 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO for Gaming and Video and Bluetooth 4.0
Alienware M14X 150W A/C Adapter
Placement, M14X R2
Alienware Documentation
Shipping Material, M14X R2
NO VIRUS PROTECTION REQUESTED
Resource DVD, M14X R2
Windows 7 OS Label, Alienware Notebooks
DataSafe Local BackUp
PC Restore
DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
Camera Software 2.X, Factory Install
Dell Support Center Software 3.0
Quickset, M14X R2
63WHr 8-Cell Primary Battery
Dell Hardware Warranty Plus On-Site Service, Initial Year
In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis, Parts and Labor On-Site Response, Initial Year
1 Year Limited Warranty
No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
Soft Contracts Dell In-Home Hardware Agreement for Alienware
Warranty Support, Initial Year
No Wireless HD Selected
Standard Nameplate, M14X

 

It's pretty good. You are saving about a good 150-200 bucks

 

Made the above changes and bought the price to USD1177 before tax..going to pull the trigger when my sales rep comes back to work on Tuesday

 

Hi Guys, this is the first time i am purchasing a laptop with the spec and calibre of an alienware laptop. First and foremost... will i regret buying the alienware M14x? after a lot of web reviews, i have found some mixed reviews. My main concern from the reviews would be that the fans are too loud? is this still the case nowadays?

The spec i was going for is:

Processor
Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.6GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)

Operating System English Windows® 7 Home Premium (64 BIT)

Display 14.1" WideHD+ (1600x900) WLED with TrueLife

Memory 8GB1 Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz

Hard Drive 750GB 7,200rpm SATA 6Gb/s HDD

Optical Drive DVD+/-RW (DVD, CD read and write)

Video Card 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M


Killer Wireless-N 1202 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO for Gaming & Video and Bluetooth 4.0 [Included in Price]


all for a price of £1315

it is important to note that i am NOT a gamer, just a guy who will be programming with c++ a fair bit, microsoft office, emails, facebook and perhaps FM manager once in a while- i really just want an alienware laptop because ive heard they are really good, and they look like absolute beasts!
so if im spending £1000 anyways, id rather spend an extra few hundred and get it kitted out properly so it will last me for the next 6-7 years

Any help would be greatly appreciated guys... also any tips on getting the price down with roughly same specs? was thinking maybe any promos anyone knows about or perhaps purchasing it from the US?

 

It seems like a decent setup. However, if you want to get better quality ram, or save maybe 10-20 bucks, or need ram for other stuff, I'd just get the 6gb option and get 8gb of ram for about 50 bucks online.

Also, I noticed you got the 2gb graphics card. Unless you are dual-monitoring, it gives no additional performance boost to games or most other programes (it's a gaming graphics card anyways).

Unless, of course, the 2gb card is part of a deal, in which case it's a pretty good price for it being from the UK...

If possible buying it outside of europe is ideal, but if that isn't possible, you got yourself a good deal.

Also, an alienware for NO gaming (not a hardcore gamer) may be too much performance and price. Maybe one of the XPS series of computers may interest you, although the alienware does have the best keyboards, trackpads, and some say best building material, not to mention instant appeal.

Also, note that the alienware has a 2.1 speaker system with the bass which is very, very cool for a laptop, if you like listening to music without headphones.

 

Firstly, thank you Zealot for getting back to me so quickly. It is much appreciated.
The RAM upgrade from 6gb to 8gb is £50 from dell, so i may aswel get it built in for mem as opposed to purchasing it online and installing it myself if it works out the same price.
Also you mentioned that the 2gb RAM is good when using two monitors etc.
Although i will not be using it for gaming purposes, I play alot of poker and i trade a lot, therefore i will be using two screens for watching the markets, following market news, playing online poker etc.

The MAIN concern i had, and even now i am debating is whether or not i should upgrade the i7 3610 to the i7 3720
Its a £200 upgrade.

Like i mentioned earlier- if i am going to spend £1000 on a laptop, id rather spend an extra £200 and make it last for an extra 2 years
Will the procesor upgrade allow my laptop to have a longer life?
I will ofcourse not be using full RAM specs and probably processing speeds as i will not be using the laptop for hardcore gaming- is it realistic to assume that i can make my alienware laptop last me for 6-7 years whilst still being a very good laptop (barring any accidents etc.)

Thanks again

 

Well, in theory, yes. It will, but see, I personally got the upgrade, because my parents were paying for it, and also because I'm an engineering student.

However, if you aren't going to be running any heavy rendering/calculation programmes, there shouldn't be much, if any notable difference in performance. Anyways, if you ARE doing heavy calculations, you're better off getting the i7-3800 series CPU because of extra cache and more features.

Personally, with the 200 quid you save from the CPU can buy maybe an SSD?

I see 256 gb samsung SSDs (the most reliable in the market) going for slightly under 200 quid

Samsung SSD 830 2.5inch SATA III 6GBps 256GB Notebook Accessory Kit with Free Norton Ghost 15: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

See, my line of thinking is, an SSD WILL definitely make things run at least twice as fast, whilst the CPU upgrade will maybe increase its speed maybe 10%? under heavy load.

What I'd do, (and actually did) was buy a support bay for the 750 hard drive and use it as a backup, as well as space for music and multimedia.

Also, that bit about buying ram was to get GOOD ram from decent brands, like Corsair or Kingston, instead of using the cruddy chinese brand ram. May just be me, but I'd say better quality ram may be worth the extra trouble, but that's up to you anyways.

You wrote about how you want to use it for a good 6-7 years. Getting ram like Corsair Vengeance with its own heat sinks to help with regulating temperature and whatnot *CAN* theoretically increase the life of your ram.

---
TL;DR
---

My advice is:
1. Drop the CPU upgrade and get a 256gb Samsung 830 SSD for just under 200 quid
2. IF you want, get better quality ram for the same price, although the stock ram should do you very similarly as well.

*EDIT*: The quality of CPU shouldn't matter in terms of its life. It's pretty much the same, unless you plan on overclocking your CPU (hardly useful, as not many games even need that much power) and the higher efficiency could make less heat.

But normally, whether its the i7-3600s or the i7-3700s, its life is going to be extremely similar, if not identical

**EDIT**: Also, if you are considering buying a support bay for your hard drive, consider one that supports USB 3.0 because it is about a good 10 times faster in terms of speed. It shouldn't cost you more than maybe 30 quid or so, unless you are getting a fancy one for like 50.

 

Hi, I am also a student- risk management and financial engineering
so most my computations will be on software like c++, minitab etc.
How easy would it be to install the RAM?
I am not a computer wiz, i know the basics and have even experiemted with computers, but i am nowhere near any sort of genius...
I am not even sure what an SSD is.. but for the option of an extra £30, i can install the

500GB 7,200 RPM + 32GB mSATA Caching SSD

instead of the 750gb previously.
Would this make the computer run much faster and hence allow me to buy this at the expense of the i7 3720.

I'm sorry to keep this going, its just my first alienware laptop and the first time im spending more then a £1000 on one. I just want to be sure that what im doing is right, worth it and will last me.

All your opinions are helping massively!!

 

I'm thinking of buying the m14x r2, but it seems like the 650m is a weak card. Is there any possibility in the future for the gtx 680m to be introduced? I was comparing the performance of the 650 vs 680, bit of a difference.

Specs:
Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.6GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
Operating System English Windows® 7 Home Premium (64 BIT)
Display 14.1" WideHD+ (1600x900) WLED with TrueLife
Memory 8GB1 Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
Hard Drive 750GB 7,200rpm SATA 6Gb/s HDD
Optical Drive DVD+/-RW (DVD, CD read and write)
Video Card 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M

Im also leaning towards the MSI GT60 since that should have the 680m

 

HI guys,

after looking at the alienware canada website, i found that for the same £1300
i can 16gb ram
i7 3820
blu ray drive
some wimax wireless (better then previous one)
and 750 gn SSD
which worked out to be £1850 in the UK

I am ofcourse considering buying it from the USA

I just wanted to know if anything that comes standard with the laptop will be different then the UK
e.g. the language will be US english not UK english (can be changed- i think?)
the adaptor plug for charger will be US not UK (can be changed)
the time will be US not UK (can be changed)
is there anything or any reason why i should not buy the laptop from US and ship it to uk?
the warranty isnt really an issue if im saving £500 and gettint the best m14x there is. I will just insure it when it gets to the UK

Also can i change the US adaptor charger to the UK charger or will it use a different battery/voltage

 

Accidental Complete care warranty is worldwide from Dell but I would double check if that is still the case. The Adapter is 100-240v and you will just need a simple adapter to fit the outlet. Be aware of VAT or any sort of customs, taxes and fees that will be added. Get the 900p and basic i7 processor along with 2gb video card (purely for resale value in UK versus need), choose the basic ram and basic hard drive. Pick up ssd after market like samsung 830 (previous yesterday slickdeal was $88 for 128 or $185 for $256gb) or crucial m4 and get 16gb of ram from Amazon for $90.



128GB Samsung 830 Series 2.5" SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive SSD (MZ-7PC128B/WW) $88.5 YMMV - Slickdeals.net

 

Hi faiz
thanks for your response...
can you tell me what you mean by resale value? wouldn't my laptop sell for more if it had a better spec.
Furthermore i am purchasing the alienware laptop with the purpose of not selling it on. I want to keep this.

How easy is it to install the RAM and the HD myself?
it seems complicated for someone who doesnt know much about computers.

What is your reasoning behind me getting a simple laptop- i.e
basic i7, basic ram, basic hd

 

Well, an SSD is a solid state drive, which means no moving parts, which increases potencial life due to a lower chance of destruction upon impact or during normal operation, and it has better speeds. Look up SSD vs HDD speed tests on youtube.

The 32 gb caching drive is like a support system, say like a accelerator for, say a car in a race? Whilst a full SSD is like a track with only accelerators.

In simple terms, if you've ever played mario kart, a normal HDD is just a race track, a caching drive is like a track with those <<< things that you go on to go faster, that appear sometimes, whilst an SSD is like a track made purely of the <<< accelerator things.

The 32gb+500gb option is good, if you Really, really want the CPU upgrade, however, it's not the same speed as an SSD. Look up "Hybrid" drives, made usually by seagate to get more info on HDDs with caching SSDs. this current option here may be slightly slower than your typical hybrid drive, as the SSD is in mSata format, which is undoubtably slower than a full SATA II or SATA III connection.

Don't worry too much about your CPU. Heck, most engineering programmes are still run by 5-10 year old computers at some places. Any CPU that alienware sells will be literally only months old, and should work no problem.

About the RAM. It is incredibly easy to change ram. It's like changing batteries. 1. You open up the bottom panel 2. You unscrew the ram panel 3. You click on the ram to jolt it in upright position. 4. Pull out and replace ram 5. Close everything back up

My personal recommendation still stands as stated above, but if you feel like you need a second opinion, I can't object. It's your system after all.

Who knows, maybe someone else may have a better idea!

 

The MSI computers are not as good because they have slightly dysfunctional parts that may be slightly annoying at times.

For example, the track pad and keyboards are the best in the industry (maybe aside from macbooks) for alienware. Also, the 650m is NOT a weak card by any means, not to mention, MSIs have a reputation for being powerhouses but with a lower battery capacity.

Not to mention, the prices are very similar

 

how difficult would it be to change the HDD to SDD?
if sata 3 better the msata then no point in paying for msata

 

Do note that you can only order to addresses from that certain region. For example, if you actually LIVE in the UK, Dell US won't ship it to anyone not living in the US. So, the only way to buy it from the US would be to have it sent to a friend or something and they send you it, or go to the US for a while and buy it in a retailer, or go to a customizing service like hidrevolution.com, and it 'may' be cheaper because the UK prices are so outrageous.

You said you were going to keep it for a good 7 years. At best, it will sell for a tiny amount, but most likely, who would want to buy a machine that's 7 years old?

And the RAM and HD are easy as hell to install.

Here's a youtube vid for installing ram:
Alienware M14X Ram upgrade in 5 minutes - YouTube

Here's a youtube vid for changing HD:
Alienware m14x SSD Install Guide - YouTube

Here's a video comparing boot times for SSD vs HDD:
HDD M14x vs SSD M14x boot up speed - YouTube

The reasoning behind more basic models with exchangable parts is to get the lowest price computer possible and pimp it out with parts you buy online or wherever.

See, the 16 gb upgrade, as seen above is maybe 100 bucks, whilst the DELL official upgrade cost for the 16gb is 200 bucks, not to mention you get to keep the original 6gb of ram.

 

ahh ok i got you- yes the ram looks quite simple.
One thing i wasnt sure about with the HD is.
if i bought a separate SDD- windows would not be preinstalled on it?
does this mean on top of the purchase cost of the SDD, i would have to purchase windows?

 

ps. i so badly want an SDD after watching that video

 

No, but it's not biggie, cuz the alienware comes with a windows installation disk as well as a disk for support programmes like alienwarefx and whatnot that optimize your computer

It should be a fast install, because you would be using an ssd , as you saw in that video

 

so your saying that all the software that comes with the alienware laptop is provided on a CD that you can install on any HD???
including windows and the alienware fx????

 

yes. Look at a m14x r2 unboxing video. It comes with windows 7 (whatever you bought) and a disk with support programmes and drivers.

 

brilliant. Also i noticed in the hd changing video that the SATA cable doesnt change?
is this sata 2 or sata 3 or what??

Also this may be a totally retarded question but it needs to be asked anyways...
if i buy my laptop from the US, can i buy RAM and HD from any uk website and it will fit and work exactly the same?

 

It's sata 3 but see you can put stuff that's sata 2 because it can use older types of connections. SO yea, it's sata 3

ALso, yea, RAM can be bought anywhere. Just note that the 2 sticks you buy (don't get 4 sticks of 4gb ram, because there are only 2 slots) are identical. Usually 1600Mhz timing and ram I recommend is corsair vengeance:
16gb
Corsair CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10 Vengenace 16GB 1600MHz CL10 DDR3 Memory Two Module Kit: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

or
8gb
Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 8GB 1600MHz CL9 DDR3 Vengeance Memory Two Module Kit: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

I picked black for you, but there are other colors too (red or blue also optional) if you want to further pimp it out (although you'll never really see it because it's inside XD)

 

OK guys, i think you have convinced me to do some DIY on my alienware laptop (i probably wont be getting it for another month including delivery time etc. - planning on purchasing it in a few days)
Any chance of getting your emails for help when i start optimising my laptop through BIOS settings etc. @zealot @faiz.
Also, thanks for the RAM recommendation, any chance of a super quick SDD that supports SATA 3? would help if it was 500gb+

Final thing that i am battling over...
IS THE 3820 WORTH IT OR SHOULD I JUST STICK WITH THE 3720??
now that im saving so much on the other stuff, the higher processor speed looks much more appealing.. im a sucker at heart.
I can afford it if i push the boat out, but i dont want to if i wont be seeing much of an improvement