Thinking of getting M14x, few questions.

Ok so I'm very interested in getting the M14x and I have some questions about it. I'm about to start college in the fall and I want a portable laptop to take to class to take notes, etc. but also one that can game, the Alienware M14x seems like the perfect mix of it. I decided to go right onto their site and customize the lowest model of it.

For gaming, is it worth upgrading the i5 to an i7 or is that only if I would be running high processing programs like photography and engineering programs?

It comes stock with 6GB ram but costs $75.00 to upgrade it to 8GB. Is it worth the upgrade? Can I just buy another 4GB stick separate for cheaper and replace it myself?

Is it worth the money to upgrade the graphics card from 1GB to 2GB? My current computer still has an Intel HD graphics 3000 haha so I'm not too sure how big a difference something like that makes.

And lastly, I know Alienware has an excellent reputation and make quality hardware but how much are you really paying for the name? Could I get a much better laptop for under $1300?

Quick responses would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

Yes it would be wise to upgrade to the first i7 processor. The i5 is only a Dual core, while the i7 is a quad core. So the i7 would run everything a lot smoother than the i5.

The $75 upgrade for ram is not worth it, you can find better ram for under 50 for that same size. You can buy another 4gb stick and use it with the stock 4gb stick, but i would rather have matching sticks (just my personal preference)

I Wouldn't upgrade to the 2GB card, unless you plan on running multiple monitors most of the time. If you don't plan on running multiple monitors it would be a waste of money. other than that there is no real difference between the 1GB and 2GB card in terms of video performance. The one thing i would upgrade would be the screen to 900p option.

Yes and no for your last question. Alienware has awesome build quality and so far it has some of the best warranty services i have ever used. received a faulty mother board on my new m14xR2 and within a week I had a brand new computer sitting in front of me.

this is my first Alienware and I am extremely happy with it. As for the price I am well aware i pay a premium just for the branding and such, but they are cheaper than Apple with the same specs by a lot. . I do believe Alienwares are fairly priced machines if you don't upgrade "user up-gradable parts" through dell.

 

I will second just about everything Scharfschutzen said. Where I will differ is the last question.

Alienware systems are great but you do pay a premium for the name and looks of the machine. If you're looking at a 14" laptop, you won't find much better with this kind of power. If you're willing to go to a 11", there is a Sager that can be upgraded and just rock for a lot less money. If you go with a 15" you are looking at something along the MSI GE60 series where you can choose between a GT650 and GTX660. You can also take a look at the Sager 6165 or 9130.

 

I'm using my M14r2 for the same things you are describing. I play games on it and I use it for work / documents.

The machine is great. Portability is fantastic, and the battery life is superb (especially if you shutdown the backlit keyboard).

As far as horsepower goes, the difference between an i5 and an i7 is not going to really help IMO. Processors have gotten to be so fast that unless you are planning on running virtual machines or hardcore applications, I doubt you would notice a major difference in gaming.

As for RAM - The computer only has two RAM slots, so upgrading to 8 or 16 isn't that expensive, but you'll be throwing away some RAM. On the 6GB config, you'll have a 4gb and a 2gb stick. Throw the 2gb out and pick up a matching 4gb to get 8gb overall. IMO, 16gb is overkill, unless running high end applications or virtual machines.

Don't worry about upgrading to the 2GB card. You $100 is better spent on a screen upgrade to 900p, which is a must for documents, and a very nice for gaming.

As for a better laptop... I dunno. I use a Dell XPS at work, and I've had HP's. I can say that this is the best laptop I've ever used, and even if it's a little more expensive, I couldn't be happier with it.

 

Thanks for the response! So basically starting with the lowest model off of the Alienware site the only upgrade I'd need would be the upgrade to the 900p screen which I was already going to do no matter what. I could also get the 32gb mSata SSD with it and still keep it under $1,300 since I won't need to upgrade to i7, the ram, or the graphics card.

 

is something wrong here.....hmmmmmm...noobs in the threads.

I would spend the extra and get the i7 bump which is quad core. Do you realize many newer games will be utilizing quad core for processing such as Battlefield 3. That games is quad core intensive and you can see a big bump is fps with i5 versus i7. I would stick with i7 3610, 900p screen and 1gb video card. Get the student $200 gift card along with loyalty 5% and next business day shipping. Call 5 reps minimum and have them give you a custom price with discounts and by the time you hit the 5th rep you will end up getting an awesome deal. The video card and cpu is soldered on and if you decide to be CHEAP right now you will regret it dearly. I would skip the msata ssd as that is a crap scam and save your pennies for a 256gb ssd like this samsung for $190.

Samsung 256GB 830 Series SSD with Internal Laptop MZ-7PC256N/AM

 

Thanks for the tips. 1. How do I go about getting the student gift card and how do I contact these reps? Also, thanks for letting me know the SSD isn't worth it so I can skip that and instead get the i7 for relatively the same price.

 

i7 definitely helps over other upgrades. I've actually experienced both and it's honestly pretty amazing. Better than I thought.

As a couple others said... In order of importance: 900p, i7, possibly Blu-ray if you need it for traveling or media purposes.

You can buy RAM and a great SSD online for some pretty smokin prices now. I only have all of my stuff maxed out because Dell hooked me up with the replacement for my defective R1. You can even buy the upgraded networking cards online, though Dell's prices aren't too terrible if you don't want the hassle.

 

Um, why is an mSATA SSD a "crap scam"? Dell pricing may be bad, but mSATA itself is cool. They are now releasing mSATA SSDs that are equivalent to the 2.5" versions. Put a SATAIII SSD in the slot and you have freed the primary bay completely. Leave it empty if you want to :] But my decision was to put a mechanical 750GB 7200RPM drive in the bay. In the future, i will move to a similarly-sized SSD for the bay. Very powerful combo for such a small notebook!

 

I think mSATA isn't terrible but when you factor in power consumption and battery life I think if you can afford it, it's best to drop in a single high performance SSD. Unless of course you need more capacity than what your wallet allows. Most mSATAs I see draw as much as 3 watts at load. Many SSDs like Samsung and Plextor draw less than .3 watts at load. It may not sound like much but if you're on the go, every little bit helps.

 

To clarify my previous post - The i7 is a great upgrade, without a doubt. But as I took it, the OP was looking for a mix of gaming and work/school related tasks. This is why I thought for budget purposes the i5 would work for their needs.

One of the best upgrades I did to mine was the SSD, hands down. I got the base HDD, removed it and replaced with a 256GB SSD. Amazing boot times and load times. I would highly recommend it.

The mSATA drives, while cool, seem to be very expensive for the amount of space you get. IMO, you could sell the original HDD, or remove the CD drive and use both the HDD and SSD if you needed the storage space.

End of the day, comes down to how much money you have available. And also, don't be afraid to 'haggle' a bit.... Before you talk with your sales rep (please call them, don't order online!), go in knowing what you want and what the online price is.... Don't let them know this however. When they quote you the price, say "Well, I was looking to spend around $xxxx" and then see how far they come down. I saved almost 20% using this method, and got a gift card from them too.

 

I bought a basic 64GB SATA II SSD by Kingston for $85. I think it's just the small version of their old reliable 2.5" model. Operates around 250MB/s, so 2-3x as fast as a 7200RPM drive? And way less heat. I only needed 64GB because I planned ahead and did research. I have 750GB in the primary bay for other apps and storage. In a year or two, I will move to SATA III SSDs in both the mSATA and primary bay. Potential to grow... :]

 

I'd say get:
-900p screen
-First i7

Beyond that you might want to get the GPU. I didn't and I'm not too worried about it. I don't think it's worth $100. If it was a better card and not just one with more memory, I would have looked into it more.

Everything else you can upgrade for cheaper later. The RAM and hard drive upgrades are way overpriced if you go through Alienware/Dell to get them. Just buy and install them yourself later.