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    Upgrading your M14X -

    Discussion in 'Alienware 14 and M14x' started by libertine, Apr 28, 2011.

  1. libertine

    libertine Notebook Guru

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    I alreay order the M14X it will arrive in 2 weeks from today :D
    Planning on making 3 upgrades:

    > changing the RAM from 4gb to 8gb(1600) but which one? any recommendations...

    > SSD - but which one??

    > and bluray - i already have this! :D

    are u making any upgrades to ur M14X????
     
    libertine, Apr 28, 2011
    #1
  2. Killer Juice

    Killer Juice Notebook Consultant

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    I'm going to get an SSD sooner or later. I'm just keeping my eye out for the deals.

    What bluray drive did you buy? Link please :)
     
    Killer Juice, Apr 28, 2011
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  3. libertine

    libertine Notebook Guru

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    libertine, Apr 28, 2011
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  4. Jetbo

    Jetbo Notebook Consultant

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    8gb kingston hyper-x
    Mx-4 TIM
    Blu-Ray
    Vertex 2 160gb ssd
    Obviously overclocking both cpu and gpu (even if cpu is only 40mhz more)
     
    Jetbo, Apr 28, 2011
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  5. libertine

    libertine Notebook Guru

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    what about the ram?? i was going to choose the 8 gb configuration but it was too expensive so i prefer the i7 2720QM... and then upgrade to a better ram( 8gb - 1600mhz)

    i order just 4gb... for now! ;)
     
    libertine, Apr 28, 2011
    #5
  6. THX1138-2

    THX1138-2 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I went with the CA10N through Ascendtech.us. I would link it but their site doesn't seem to be displaying their inventory correctly atm. This is the same drive that is used in many of the Dell systems. I should have it in my hands early next week.
     
    THX1138-2, Apr 28, 2011
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  7. Jetbo

    Jetbo Notebook Consultant

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    Jetbo, Apr 28, 2011
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  8. libertine

    libertine Notebook Guru

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    is there any SSD with sata3???
     
    libertine, Apr 28, 2011
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  9. flybass

    flybass Notebook Consultant

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    yes.........
     
    flybass, Apr 28, 2011
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  10. MikeeDinh

    MikeeDinh Notebook Evangelist

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    damn thought you were going to use an internal bluray
     
    MikeeDinh, Apr 28, 2011
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  11. Jetbo

    Jetbo Notebook Consultant

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    I am going to
     
    Jetbo, Apr 28, 2011
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  12. MikeeDinh

    MikeeDinh Notebook Evangelist

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    which brand/ one are you gonna use? im thinking for swaping the cd drive for a bluray
     
    MikeeDinh, Apr 28, 2011
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  13. Jetbo

    Jetbo Notebook Consultant

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    Jetbo, Apr 28, 2011
    #13
  14. MikeeDinh

    MikeeDinh Notebook Evangelist

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    MikeeDinh, Apr 28, 2011
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  15. Jetbo

    Jetbo Notebook Consultant

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    According to someone else in the thread it should work so I will find out monday.
     
    Jetbo, Apr 28, 2011
    #15
  16. tehd00d111

    tehd00d111 Notebook Enthusiast

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    How do you know it fits?
     
    tehd00d111, Apr 28, 2011
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  17. Voodooi

    Voodooi AFK for a while...

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    Let us know. That's a great price :)
     
    Voodooi, Apr 29, 2011
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  18. Jetbo

    Jetbo Notebook Consultant

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    I dont for sure I am taking a guess based on already known information We will know monday for sure
     
    Jetbo, Apr 29, 2011
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  19. humjaba

    humjaba Notebook Consultant

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    I'm thinking about an external battery of some kind if I can't get more than 4 hours on a charge.
     
    humjaba, Apr 29, 2011
    #19
  20. shnarf

    shnarf Notebook Consultant

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    my m14x should arrive today. my order 2820,4GB, 3GB 555,1600x900, intel 2x2 wireless, wirelessHD. I immediately went to newegg.com and picked up an 8GB kit of Kingston HyperX as it has lower cas latency of 9 compared to all others i found in 1600Mhz having a cas latency of 11. I also ordered a OCZ vertex3 240GB SSD that according to spec should do 550read and 525write with 60,000 IOPS. far superior to the SATAII Samsung SSD option for half as much, as was getting it with 8GB when i could get a kit for 1/2 the price of the 8GB option elsewhere. ill soon be sitting on an above top spec machine and for a few hundred cheaper than going with all the top config options. Still deciding if im gonna swap the DVD for a BD burner or hdd caddy to throw a large capacity spinning HDD. I rarely use optical and have a USB DVD burner from my m11x so i think im gonna just get a hdd bay adapter like i did on my macbook pro.
    i doubt it will, but if i can use a caddy and find some HW raid options in the bios and the connection for the optical is also SATAIII ill be going th at route and getting a second Vertex 3 to go RAID0.
     
    shnarf, Apr 29, 2011
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  21. libertine

    libertine Notebook Guru

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    Nice!! There is post for pictures!! it would be great to see al your things before making the upgrade... and also see the m14x naked!! XD :D
     
    libertine, Apr 29, 2011
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  22. Nand@

    Nand@ Notebook Consultant

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    yes yes naked :D come on guys some pics! :cool:
     
    Nand@, Apr 29, 2011
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  23. Paddon

    Paddon Notebook Evangelist

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    if anyone is opening up there M14x can they see if they can find the Wireless HD slot ?

    This is it in the M17x should Imagen it will be there also

    [​IMG]
     
    Paddon, Apr 29, 2011
    #23
  24. coyut

    coyut Newbie

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    I doubt the mentioned blu-ray drive will fit because of the loading system.
    But i might be wrong.
     
    coyut, Apr 30, 2011
    #24
  25. Gamestar

    Gamestar Notebook Enthusiast

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    I plan on getting it with the 4GB stock ram and upgrading it as well. It's not worth the price they have it for. Was thinking of getting the stock CPU as well but I prefer it a step up. As for the BD drive, I'll wait for your results and see if it fits well. Hoping it does.

    Also, hows the text with the 900p resolution. I'm thinking it's gonna b a little too small. I hate how texts look with my Asus G51 on 1080p.
     
    Gamestar, Apr 30, 2011
    #25
  26. Voodooi

    Voodooi AFK for a while...

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    There's dirt cheap ram on sale right now @ 4GB x2 for about 50$.

    Deal link is in the deal forum section.
     
    Voodooi, Apr 30, 2011
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  27. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    moral hazard, May 1, 2011
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  28. Spartan0610

    Spartan0610 Notebook Guru

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    Where are the UK guys getting there ram from, amazon always seems to be out of stock.
     
    Spartan0610, May 1, 2011
    #28
  29. c1ro

    c1ro Notebook Consultant

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    amazon marketplace, or crucial.com if you can live with 1333mhz sticks
     
    c1ro, May 1, 2011
    #29
  30. Spartan0610

    Spartan0610 Notebook Guru

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    Spartan0610, May 1, 2011
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  31. c1ro

    c1ro Notebook Consultant

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    c1ro, May 1, 2011
    #31
  32. Spartan0610

    Spartan0610 Notebook Guru

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    Spartan0610, May 1, 2011
    #32
  33. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    Thats where I got mine from.

    Anyone in the UK looking for the slot-load bluray type dell alienware uses, then I have one going cheap, send me a PM.
     
    Meaker@Sager, May 1, 2011
    #33
  34. Hengst2404

    Hengst2404 Notebook Geek

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    so as i wait for me slot loading sata blue ray drive, i was wondering if anhbody who had been discussing replacing their optical drive with a bdrom had done so yet and if so what were the results? i have about a week before i get back from vacation and receive my new drive.
     
    Hengst2404, May 2, 2011
    #34
  35. Paddon

    Paddon Notebook Evangelist

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    Do you think you could get some sort of tv tuner on the m14x ? maybe an express card slot ?
     
    Paddon, May 2, 2011
    #35
  36. manwdaplan

    manwdaplan Notebook Enthusiast

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    I would like to know this as well. If this is for the m14x then I might pull the trigger
     
    manwdaplan, May 2, 2011
    #36
  37. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    No MXM slot on the M14X, though that card is awesome :D
     
    Meaker@Sager, May 2, 2011
    #37
  38. THX1138-2

    THX1138-2 Notebook Enthusiast

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    In case you haven't read elsewhere, there are no available slot load blu ray drives available that will fit in this unit. We need a 9.5mm slot load drive in the m14x and no one manufactures them...
     
    THX1138-2, May 16, 2011
    #38
  39. takeabyte

    takeabyte Notebook Evangelist

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    FYI: The blue heatsink on the HyperX modules are not done justice in the pics. They are more of a metallic blue, not that cartoony blue. They look nice! :)
     
    takeabyte, May 16, 2011
    #39
  40. Gearsguy

    Gearsguy Notebook Deity

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    Not meaning to invade on your conversation, but I just needed a place to ask real quick and this seemed appropriate. Does the 2720QM support 1600mhz RAM? Because I'm going tno get the 2720 and upgrading the ram myself.
     
    Gearsguy, May 16, 2011
    #40
  41. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    The colour has changed comparing them to my old pics :)
     
    Meaker@Sager, May 16, 2011
    #41
  42. takeabyte

    takeabyte Notebook Evangelist

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    From what I've read, yes, that i7 supports 1600Mhz. When I checked in CPU-Z, though, the freq times two actually barely got me over 1333Mhz, but I'll double check when I get home :)
     
    takeabyte, May 16, 2011
    #42