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

It's great, plus will give you outstanding performance for what you will use it. The 2gb card will help render higher resolutions which will do great with your external monitor.

 

Hi all,

I need some suggestion regarding the choice of the laptop-m14xr2 or m17xr4. Definitely m17xr4 is more powerful and has 3-d screen which is awesm for playing games...but i want smthng which is more mobile...so im kinda confused...whether m14x will be able to play games like metro2033 and should'nt become obsolete soon...

Please give your suggestions.

 

Hi, I'll try to help you here, though I think that you already answered your question by yourself. It's true, the m17x is more powerful than the m14x, but your preference on portability makes it clear to me that you should purchase an m14x. I use mine for university everyday, sure, it's heavier than an ultrabook, but I needed some horse-powers since I'm a passionate gamer too. My r2 (specs below) handles most recent games on max. resolution and props, so I believe handling metro 2033 shouldn't be a problem Becoming obsolete is relative I think, there will always and fast be a newer technology than the one you purchase today, but I believe my m14x will suffice for my needs for at least 2-4 years.

Hope I could help.

 

Thanks alot mate. I'll also be using in a same manner since I'm a uni student too . So, the choices with me were to buy a M17xr4 and a small lighter and a cheaper one or m14x with an external monitor.
Will I be able to upgrade the GPU in m14x later??

 

Well, assuming you got enough cash on your side, why not go for an ultra powerful m17x and get some kind of cheap (though I hesitate there are some) ultrabook
with battery runtimes around 8 hours, which would be great for university...

So, it's up to you

Upgrading the GPU in your m14x is quite a thing, because I think you'll be experiencing heat issues with a more powerful card if you're able to find a fitting one, but you never know what nVidia is up to in the future...

 

Even I was thinking the same...but i have enough cash for M17x so probably an ultrabook has to wait...coz the cheapest i could get will be around 350£...

 

hi all my first post. is this config good for $1304, thanks

Alienware M14X R2 Alienware M14X R2
Operating System Windows 8, 64-bit, English
Processor 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.4GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
Memory 8GB (2 X 4GB) Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
Keyboard English Keyboard
Display Panels 14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
Video Card 2 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M with Optimus™
Hard Drive 500GB 7,200 RPM SATA + 32GB mSATA Caching SSD
Hinge Up Nebula Red with Soft Touch Finish
Optical Driver Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Sound Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX TruStudio Pro Software
Wireless Networking Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 2230 With Bluetooth 4.0

 

Why would you get Windows 8?

 

Hi. I'm an italian user, and I speak a very simple english.

Tomorrow i'll order an alienware m14x (i think is R2 model, but i can't find this specification on italian site of Dell).Anyway, it should be R2 model.
I want use an SSD for operating systems and some games. I want a second hard drive for storage of films,music,downloads,etc.
I read that this notebook has the possibility to have 2 hard drive, but one of this must ba an mSATA SSD, right? (I know there's the possibilty to replace the DVD player with an SSD/HDD, but for now i prefer have the player).
On Dell site, when i select an alienware, some prices are very high, so i prefer buy hard drives and ram memory by myself.
I have some questions:

1) is mSATA like a SSD "normal" hard drive(windows see it like a single drive, i can make some partition,etc)? So if i want, can i use ONLY a mSATA with a notebook? So can i use mSATA for operating system and some games? Is this Crucial model good? CT128M4SSD3 - 128GB, mSATA Solid State Drive , from Crucial.com
On m14x, did this Crucial model works at 6gb/s?

2) m14x model has 2 space, one for mSATA, and one for a 2,5" SSD/HDD. Is it right? So, if I order the notebook with only default hard disk (500gb S-ATA 7200rpm), I'll found a free space for an optional mSATA?

3) If i order the notebook with default hard drive (500gb sata), and i want to buy myself an mSATA (or an SSD and replace it with the original 500gb), i'll have to install windows from the beginning...I recive the alienware DVD of windows, or only a windows partition on default hard drive?So have i to write a dvd installation form this partition? How can i do it?

4) I want to have 2 boot partition, one for linux, and one for windows. Have I to install windows first, and than linux right? (for having the linux boot manager on MBR)

5) I want replace ram memory by myself. Are these kits good?
16 gb (2x8) 1600mhz:
Vengeance®

8 gb (2x4) 1866 mhz:
Vengeance®

Can i have trouble with 1866 mhz? 8gb 1866 are better than 16gb 1600mhz?

 

You have some good questions - I will help best I can

1) msata SSD work just like any other ssd or hdd. My m14x R2 has a 256gb Samsung mSSD. the Crucial will work fine if you add it later on.

2) You are correct, open space for msata later on!

3) My m14x R2 came with a recovery partition to use with AlienRespawn as well as a Windows 7 installation DVD. I ended up wiping the entire drive and doing a clean install myself. I am sure yours will too.

4) yes, i think that is right

5) the 16gb vengeance laptop kit will be great and run well. I don't know about the 8gb 1866mhz kit however, it may not run at that speed. But, I think some owners have gotten it to work, so hopefully they can help with that

 

I've just read on another forum that mSATA is NOT like a "normal" disk, but mSATA works like a cache. They say that you cannot install windows on msata. In this forum i read that m14x R2 has 2 space for "normal" 2,5" hard drives. And they says that m14x comes with windows CD, not only a partition.

 

Any solid state drive will work as a caching drive if you have the appropriate software for it. As I said, I have a Samsung PM830 256GB mSata SSD as my one and only drive in my m14x R2 and it works just fine

It's like comparing apples to apples - under real world conditions such as game playing, web browsing, or doing whatever you want, you probably won't see any difference in performance between mSata and standard SSD.

 

Does mSATA work at 6gb/s (sata III), or does it work at 3gb/s ? I know that a "normal" hard drive ( 2,5") can work at 6gb/s becouse m14x R2 has a sata III interface for 2,5", but i don't understand if m14x has a sata III interface for mSATA
thanks

 

Is it possible to configure the $999 M14x?
Thnx

 

The mSATA port supports SATA III speeds (6gb/s), and as Dienz says you can use it as a storage drive if you'd like.

 

No, you can only order the $999 M14x as it appears:

PROCESSOR 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-3210M (3MB Cache, up to 3.1GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
MEMORY 6GB (1 X 2GB, 1 X 4GB) Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
HARD DRIVE 500GB 7,200 RPM SATA + 32GB mSATA Caching SSD
VIDEO CARD 1 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M with Optimus™
LCD PANEL 14.0" High Def (720p/1366x768) with WLED backlight
SOUND OPTIONS Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX TruStudio Pro Software
WIRELESS CARDS Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 2230 With Bluetooth 4.0
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE Slot Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW)
WIRELESS HD None
COLOR Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish

 

Ok thanks!

 

I'm considering buying my first Alienware and the only one in my price range was the M14x R2. Is it worth it to get the i7-3630qm instead of the i5-3210m for an extra $100. I have the money....barely. How much better performance would I get with the i7 vs the i5? Thanks!

 

Hello everyone, i'm getting close to ordering my first alienware m14x laptop and thought i would see what everyone thinks of it and what/ where they would upgrade or downgrade.
basically i havent had a laptop or computer in a couple years and am hoping to have something to game on, as well as use as a daily computer.

Im also in a discussion on the hardware board with tilleroftheearth about which harddrive is potentially best for me but i would love more input from the alienware m14x community.

thanks everyone

 

I would spend this 100$ for this upgrade, the performance of the i7 is better than the i5, although it wouldn't be that bad if you coulnd't afford it.

Your system configuration seems pretty solid to me, I would only recommend three little changes/ propositions. The first one, as you already considered, is to upgrade your harddisk.
Once you go SSD, you never go back. Maybe choose a 128gb or 256gb msata boot drive and something big and slow for storing movies, pictures and music, or go for a normal SSD and a msata, it really is worth upgrading and makes a big difference for the performance of your system (buy it yourself afterwards, Dell charges quite a lot...). The second one is the wireless card, you can always upgrade later, but I would choose the killer card from dell, because the upgrade there is really cheap and I didn't experience any trouble with mine since day one, with a good performance. The last thing is to overthink your choice of ram, 16gb is quite a lot (I got the same config myself, I know ) and I myself never maxed it out to this point. A possible option would be to go for a poor system config and go with higher clocked aftermarket ram, like kingston hyperx 8gb 1866mhz clock or even 2133mhz.

Last thing to say: You did a good choice with the m14x, good luck and much fun with your system

 

thank you very much for your response, ive decided based on your advice, and the advice of tilleroftheearth that id change my system just a bit.
I have decided to downgrade my memory to the 12 GB, saving me money so i could upgrade to a 256GB SSD SATA 6Gb/s, as well as the wireless card you recommended, Killer Wireless-N 1202 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO for Gaming & Video and Bluetooth 4.0.
overall its costing about $100 more (canadian) and thats something i can swallow for the extra performance ill recieve.

so in the end it became:

 

Glad I could help, you will enjoy your system

 

Hi,

I am a previous M18x owner (returned for a replacement) and I'm looking for an everyday, mobile, quality laptop - nothing expensive or fancy, just something to work on and do light gaming. Being without a computer for extended periods of time is frustrating, so I'm looking for an affordable solution. I have some questions about the M14x:

1. I've heard the fan goes nuts even while viewing websites, is that true?
2. What kind of battery life am I going to see? Work and play.
3. Can you have this pc on your lap for extended periods without heat issues?
4. Does the keyboard flex, and is the system built well enough to carry around and use at school? (Build quality?)

Thanks.

P.S. I'm about to go to the store and buy some crap laptop to just use for school. Just checking out the M14x before doing so. I don't mind paying a little more for better stuff.

 

I will answer your questions based on my experience with my machine so far...
1. Mine doesn't, it's dead silent, maybe if you go for flash-games it might kick in from time to time, but else, no. The fan literally "goes nuts" while using hardware demanding software, with high cpu and gpu-load, but I think you won't find any other laptop that doesn't do that
2. On power saver, with medium brightness and alienfx turned off, I get around 6 hours, while gaming it reduces it to 2-3h (high performance setting).
3. I didn't test that yet, but since you probably cover the intake with your leg, I don't think this idea is a good one. If you use some kind of surface or laptop table you can use in your bed for example, you should be fine.
4. The keyboard doesn't flex, unless you put it under pressure like an elephant stomping on it I carry this laptop pretty much everyday to university, sure, it's heavier than a netbook, but I chose it as the perfect combination between performance and portability. As mentioned, it's quiet in class, unless you decide to do a round of gaming and attract everyones attention with your fan kicking in

Hope I could clear some things up here.

 

That's good, thanks.

 

Hello guys, I am thinking of getting a Alienware M14X R2 after selling off my M11X. Where and which website is the best and cheapest to buy? I am currently looking at xoticpc.com and ebay (for refurbished unit). Dell website pricing is quite high and the tax is killing me too

Specs i am looking for:

i7 3610qm
1gb nvidia gt650m
8gb ram
500gb hdd
1600 x 900 resolution

Looking for around $1200 and below, do you think I can hit that price point with the specs I just mentioned?

Thanks for advice!

 

Hi,

1. I am planning on picking up a M14x. I have my eyes set on the i7-3630QM instead of the base i5-3230M. Is this upgrade worth the $100?
2. I also plan on picking up the upgraded screen, is this worth it? I love a crisp display.
3. Instead of the 1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M, I'd upgrade to the 2GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M.

What do you guys think of my upgrades? Are they worth the money?
Thanks!

 

Hi there, to answer your questions one by one:

1. In my opinion it totally is, the i7 has got a lot more power, if you want to compare the two, check out this site here.
2. The upgraded screen is, in my opinion, a must-have!! You will regret it if you don't upgrade now.
3. This depends on your preferences, I personally like more video RAM for handling multiple displays at a time, there was HUUUUGE discussion on this topic, if you wan't to read it,
check this (1gb vs. 2gb) thread.

Hope I could help

 

A sales rep might be able to help you fit the components you need into your budget, I've just configured one with those specs and it was barely over your budget (under the budget if you leave the 6gb stock ram and upgrade later).

In my opinion the simpler the better, and in this case if you can get what you want straight from the manufacturer for a reasonable price slightly over your budget I'd say it's worth it. It'll at least save you some time if you need to deal with tech support.

 

Hey guys,
Hope I'm getting a good deal here. Would love your opinions. Here is the setup I will be getting for $1942.01 after taxes. The TactX phones and sleeve are a part of the deal I entered along with a $100 off coupon.

Alienware M14X R2 Alienware M14X R2
Operating System Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Processor 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3740QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
Memory 16GB (2 X 8GB) Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
Keyboard English Keyboard
Display Panels 14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
Video Card 2 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M with Optimus™
Hard Drive 750GB 7,200 RPM Storage + 128GB mSATA Boot Drive
Nameplate Personalized Plate (Brandon XXXXXXXXXX)
AlienFX Plasma Purple
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 Intel® Advanced-N WiFi Link 6250 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology with WiMax and Bluetooth 4.0
Adapter Alienware M14X 150W A/C Adapter
Documentation Alienware Documentation
Office Productivity Software Microsoft® Office trial
Shipping Material Shipping Material
Security Software NO VIRUS PROTECTION REQUESTED
Additional Software Additional Software
Primary Battery 63WHr 8-Cell Primary Battery
Hardware Support Services 1 Year Essential Support
Factory Installed Software Steam Factory Installed and Steam Extra Content
WirelessHD & Mobile Broadband None
Standard Nameplate Trigger

ACCESSORIES
Alienware TactX Headset Qty 1
Dell Part# 313-7972 Unit Price $59.99
Estimated Delivery Date 4/5/2013
Manufacturer Part# T255P
Dell Part# 313-7972
Alienware Orion M14x Neoprene Sleeve Qty 1
Dell Part# A4869115 Unit Price $23.43
Estimated Delivery Date 4/8/2013
Manufacturer Part# AWNS14
Dell Part# A4869115
Additional 150 Watt 3 Prong AC Adapter with 6 ft Power Cord Qty 1
Dell Part# 330-5830 Unit Price $99.99
Estimated Delivery Date 4/5/2013
Manufacturer Part# R940P
Dell Part# 330-5830
25% off batteries and adapters
Limited Time Offer!
- $25.00
TOTAL: $1,793.99

 

Never owned a laptop before, need one for hardcore gaming on the go, this will be my first and as I am strapped for cash and a computer neophyte I was thinking of just upgrading the necessitys and doing the rest myself later on so let me know if Im missing anything.

Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.4GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
6GB (1 X 2GB, 1 X 4GB) DDR3 at 1600MHz
500GB 7,200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s
1 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M with Optimus™
14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
Killer Wireless-N 1202 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO for Gaming & Video and Bluetooth 4.0
Slot Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW)


Will I be able to install a Wireless HD transmitter myself? or is that going to be a required factory install? XD

 

I am sorry I can't read all 34 pages of questions on my iPad since browsing is way too slow.

Why dell offer 6, 12 memory option at all? When its dual channel, shouldn't both have equal size?
Unless dual channel is disabled and made m14 act like single channel notebook, which actually hurt performance with extra ram added.

Is this the case?

 

I don't think it runs on single channel, have you heard of Intel Flex Memory Technology?

Two modules with different capacities will always be run in asymmetric mode. As soon as the capacity in both memory channels is the same, the chipset will run in symmetrical dual channel mode. As you would expect, the performance suffers, but it is still much better than running single channel.

Plus, it gives the customer more options (6gb will save you some money and you can always get good aftermarket RAM once you get the laptop).

 

what brand and model is raid 0 512gb using ? dual 256gb of what model

 

They're probably Samsung drives, most likely PM 830's.

 

Hi,
Using this Dell code: N00W4M05 plus the 7% voucher off I can get a M14x R2 for £770.97 (including shipping)

i7-3630QM
2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GT 650M
8192MB (2x4GB) 1600MHz DDR3
1600x900 screen
Blu-Ray
Killer Wireless-N
750GB 7,200rpm

That seems like a great price to me & good specs. I realise the price is so good as the new R3 will be out within a few months. This R2 will be great for work as I do travel to a lot of sites. Also I want to be able to game in the evenings when I'm moving about for work. I love FPS games and would like to know what sort of gaming performance you get on games like Bioshock Infinite, Crysis and similar FPS games.
I currently have a 3 year old M17x R2 (that I will keep as still love it).

I've read a few online reviews but always nice to hear from actual users of the laptop!

Many thanks!!
Russ

 

Unless you need a PC, now, I'd still wait for the R3. It will address the heat issues and have the GT 750M which is up to 75% faster in most games than the 650M. Also, the new design is going to be pretty sweet.

 

Thanks!! Thats a big jump in performance!!!

 

Here's the new design, if you were wondering:



Kind of difficult to see, but it looks pretty cool.

 

Looks good from the photo!! I'll think I'll hang on and wait! Might even be able to get some decent(ish) frame rates on crysis 3!!

 

Huh? Source please. From what I've heard the 750M only perform 10-15% faster. Russchilds, if money is a factor go for the r2 as base r3 models are likely going to begin at £1199.

 

wondered that too, I found that nVidia stated this on it's website (here), based on crysis 2 performance...

 

So has the 750M been confirmed for the R3 or is it purely speculation? To be honest I expect something a bit more more in the lines of at least a 765M and optional 770M to fuel my fantasies.

 

NVIDIA said this themselves. It's on their website... And yes, the 750M is to be in the R3.

 

That's sort of dissapointing to tell you the truth, while I'm sure it'll be a good performer I expected a bit more from AW, MSI's 14" GE40 will have GTX760M, Hell CLEVO is getting a 13" laptop (W230ST)with a GTX765M. Yeah maybe the MSI and CLEVO's laptops don't have all the bell's and whistles AW laptops do but they will be better for gaming.
I hope the GTX750 is the base and you have an option for better GPU's.
Still will be keeping an eye on this and see how it unfolds.

 

Now that they have redesigned the M14x to address heat issues, it is possible that there will be more than one option for the M14x. Perhaps the 750M is the default and they will offer another GPU.

But as you said, we will have to wait and see. Not much longer, though. A couple weeks left until E3.

 

It better be GTX 760m at the minimum or a GTX 765m or it is a fail. The Razer 14" has a GTX 765m and the MSI GE40 has GTX 760m so I'm sure Alienware will not put a mediocre GT 750m in there like J.Dre is claiming.

The heat and throttling issues on the R1 and R2 of m14x was not the only problems, one annoying little issue was that single loud fan which was over 50decibels noisy that sounded like a jet engine or hairdryer whenever gaming or benchmarking and the fan that comes on and off like it has a mind of its own.

 

So, before I heard of the announcement for the M14x R3, I was going to purchase a R2 with a 256 gb SSD (with it being the lone main hard drive, not a boot or anything)
For the new R3, it seems the best option (without paying $2k+) is getting the 256Gb mSATA boot drive with the 750Gb SATA. I get a bit confused with the hard drives, is this setup just as good? Is the mSATA just as fast as the 6Gb/s SSD? Thanks.

 

hi what hardrive options can you install on the new alienware 14 ?

can you also access CPU , GPU , RAM easily ?

 

The Alienware Social Media team is answering all kinds of questions about the new models in the *Official* Alienware Launch Discussion Thread.

We also have this new *Official* Alienware 14 Owner's Lounge Thread

As the current M14x is being phased out with limited remaining stock on hand, it is time to retire this trusty old thread. It has been fun...

For those of you in the enviable position of having placed an order for the new Alienware 14, we are looking forward to seeing your mini-reviews, photos and discussion on the product in the new Owner's Lounge.