What was YOUR reason for buying an m14x?

Simply put, it's hard to explain to people why we might have boughten this machine when there are better price vs. performance ratios out there for computers. I don't really regret my decision, but I do admit these people make me question myself some time. What are your thoughts?

 

Decent screen resolution, nice styling, choice of CPUs.

 

Build quality of alienware is amazing. I would have to get an amazing deal in another brand to switch probably.

I had a m11x and wanted a bigger screen and a more powerful laptop but still maintain a little portability.

 

Build quality, power, support. That says it all.

 

My main reason is to use it as a portable gaming system and to test the power of a gaming laptop because my original plan is to get a M15x, however since the M15x seem to be discontinue so I've no choice but to get the M14x instead, though I gotta admit, even an inch less size screen this laptop's performance, I can say "overpowered" to most laptop out there - The most powerful 14" laptop in the world I guess.

 

Build quality, even though it's technically as thick and some 15 inch computers it still feels smaller then my older 15.6 HP. It fits all my needs perfectly, but in three years from now when I go to purchase a new laptop. I probably won't be getting an Alienware as Il be done school and won't need a gaming laptop, I will just get a desktop for that.

 

Fit & Finish/ Build quality. Between work and play I spend a lot of time on my laptop, so I wanted something that would be enjoyable to use but still have enough muscle to get things done (and give me a good framerate on BF3). The m14x fit the bill.

 

I had an M11x, but I needed something with a bigger screen. I stayed with alienware for performance, solid build and lighted keyboard. I probably wouldn't pay full price for a new one, but since the Dell outlet sells refurbs with a 1 year onsite warranty, I got an outlet M14x when the outlet had 25% off.

 

The size is perfect for me. 17” is too big and 11” is too small. I didn’t want a desktop replacement, but I needed a new computer powerful enough to run Skyrim, SWTOR and Diablo 3 on medium-high settings, and that I could move around in the house with (kitchen to couch to bedroom).
I also wanted a machine that would be relevant in the next 2-3 years with its basic configuration (I ended up adding RAM and Bluetooth).

I was torn between the M14x and the ROG G73, but since battery life was better with the Alienware, I’ve always wanted one of their machines since the 90s, and the G73 was pricier here (about 300-400$ more!), I went with the M14x.

 

I have had many laptops, most around 700-900, and straight up, they were really boring to use, dull, and cheap build quality. Xoticpc's website, you can get a 15 inch laptop with a gtx 570m for around 950 or so, and you can custom any component in it. But that laptop was so ugly and boring. I went with alienware because every time I open it, it feels like its the first time I'm looking at it. Value isn't too good, but what good is having great components in a laptop if it looks crappy? I went with the m14x cuz it was my first true gaming laptop, and It seemed mid ranged. I still love it, but If i can go back in time I would have gotten an m17x for 1600, only 150 more.

 

I wanted a laptop, but I didnt remove move around alot to justify having both a laptop AND a desktop, so I got an all-in-one. I originally had the G72GX Best Buy model for 1.5 years but it overheated so bad, and I tried everything but it would throttle after 20 minutes of gaming anymore. In choosing, I decided I wanted something much more portable, with my requirements being a 13-15.6 inch screen, backlit keyboard, and being able to play most modern games at max settings of course. Sagers I couldnt get because no advanced warranty (I cant imagine getting a 2000$ computer without accidental coverage), HP DV6TQE had no backlit keyboard, and I didnt like the quality. The DV6Z at best buy had some flexing issues and such. Other than that, there was no other choice at the time.

Currently, I love it. 6 hours of battery so I dont need to be bogged down and can actually browse the web on the couch like a real laptop, I can plug in and game just fine (Skyrim at 40fps WITH HD mods), while still maintaining to be pretty portable. One thing I love is that its also like a mobile desktop, as in if you were to go somewhere itsd like having a huge setup all in one (very high res display with lots of workspace, 2.1 speaker setup, ect). Setting up at my friends house, I dont make any comprimises (my friends complain they miss their monitors and speakers and such when they come over, as they usually have 15.6 inch 720p screens lol).

So yeah, thats my explanation. I got into a debate with some guys about the m14x in the review thread of course, and all they could reduce down to was saying the m14x is stupid because of typical Alienware biasing with LED lights. Pathetic; but OP, its your computer and no one else has to approve. I detailed why I got it because you honestly just like to hear and dont want it so you can mock/harass like most users, so thats why I took the time to do this.

EDIT: Btw, doesnt it suck that this thread even exists? Why the hell should anyone have to prove what you buy/own to anyone else? If people on this forum are stupid enough to really just bias people and mock them for something thats different than them, at the age most of them are, thats pathetic too. I say screw them, we dont need to prove anything to them.

 

Primary use is as a work laptop so it had to be powerful yet portable with a good build quality and good warranty/service.

secondary use is as my new gaming machine since my desktop died. I couldnt be bothered mucking around with another desktop so this has become the perfect middle ground.

Had the best features for the best price and is exactly what i needed. Couldnt be happier.

 

had an m11x, loved the build quality, wanted more power though

 

College student here, and I feel that my purchase was well worth it. I used to own an XPS 15, and while the B+RGLED was gorgeous, it was just too big for me to carry around comfortably. I looked around for sub-15" laptops with decent screen resolutions, and it came down to either this or the Sony VAIO S (also 1600x900). As a gamer, the 6630M on the VAIO S was a letdown, so I decided to go with the M14x.
If I may add from the "aftermarket" impressions, I'll say that the build quality is just great, and the non-chiclet keyboard has a very pleasant feel to it. On top of that, Skyrim runs perfectly at maxed settings (except for shadows, at medium); I don't know of any laptops that can match the performance/size ratio of the M14x

 

Portability, Gaming capabilities on the go, Didn't want to replace my console upright just yet, College. Seemed like the perfect laptop

 

gaming on the go.

 

I personally got the m14x as i wanted a mid-high range,easily portable laptop that would hopefully last 2-3 years even if it runs games on low setting by then, also means there is no arguments in the house over me playing games as my missus can still watch her rubbish while i game in the same room, made life a hell of a lot less stressful for me and i am pleased with the overall package,also i found it to be one of the best customisable laptops i could find with a finance package rather than one huge outlay

 

Got it cause it's the fastest sub-15" laptop in the universe.

 

i think the keyboard lights and performance got me to look into alienware...as for the "14" choice,

11 was too small and not as many upgrade options

17 is a little too large and i wouldnt buy it without upgrading to the 3d screen (way out of price range) and i know i didnt need it anyways.

the 14 is my "3 little bears-just right" package, even with everything upgraded except for harddrive and warranty stuff, i paid almost 1800 and that was with next day shipping, tactx headset (very cool, retractable mic) and the orion bag (airport friendly)

every time i open it, the lights and the screen quality still make me grin.

would i buy another? possibly, but it would have to be tried and true (unlike this one with the temperature/fan issues and graphics drivers/bios that dell denied even existed...untill 2 weeks later anyways) i should have done some more research on it...but i would have waited for the issue to be fixed and still bought one i think.

all around, its a great package and i love it.

 

I am in the middle of moving over 2 thousand miles away from my hometown, so I needed portability. REAL portability, nothing over 7lbs was acceptable for me. Also, I don't do num pads. Almost every large 'gaming' laptop on the market has one, and I have never owned a laptop with one. . . and never will. Usually with laptops large enough to have a num pad. . . the keyboard itself is also spaced out a bit. . . often far too large for me to be comfortable typing on it. I have EXTREMELY small hands. Typing on my eee pc 1005ha is by far THE most comfortable size for keyboard. The m14x was just small enough to be easily adjusted to in comparison.

As for why I chose the m14x, well. . . it was powerful for the price, and I got a new years sale on it that gave me the 256gig SSD for only 100 bucks more to the price I originally planned on paying, and without any downgrades to boot! I also have a friend who works with Dell as a tech. I didn't get any discounts from him, but I know that he has 2 alienware laptops and works on MANY more. So I can trust him to have my back with repairs if anything goes wrong. I needed the dual graphics cards too. Having the opportunity to run off intel for better battery life is a MUST. How else am I supposed to survive 9 to 11 hour flights? The m14x falls short of that number, but that's what the free movies are for. ^__^

Having a computer that could game while also be somewhat portable. . . was a must. Moving so far from all my friends means that I just have to find ways to hang out online, and playing games on the computer is a great way to pass time instead of sitting around going, "Man. . . I wish we could hang out."

I will admit that I am already getting side-glances over the keyboard being light up. (I am pretty much a complete sucker for customization, so naturally all my relatives questioned if I was buying a piece of outdated junk or overpriced garbage with shiny customizable keys) I just plan to show them some games running better than the many (VERY MANY, the family I am living with for now has roughly 3-6 PS3s in it at one time) consoles in the house. It isn't too surprising to see a desktop running games smoother and with higher detail than their console counterparts, but in a laptop its quite a bit more rare.

This is my first REAL gaming rig. I had a crappy 500 buck HP computer many years ago for PC gaming. Naturally, I didn't do much real gaming on it. It couldn't run Portal on low without dropping into the teens for FPS. Its a gift from all of my relatives. Love it 100%. WAAAAY better than a netbook for pretty well everything but the long flights. I should say that I had a battery on my netbook that made it last 9 to 14 hours depending on whether I was watching movies off an external drive (or playing games on zsnes with a ps3 controller) or just typing in Word. . . so pretty much anything ANY laptop on the market has in terms of battery. . . is never going to beat that netbook in MY battery tests! That netbook didn't even have an SSD. I would lug around something more than 7lbs if it had a 12cell battery option. >__<

To the OP. . . only you can back your own reasoning. It doesn't even have to be a very good reasoning. Plenty of people buy something over nothing except the price, a review, or the brand. I have a lot of reasons for why the m14x fit me best over other laptops. Only you can decide if the purchase is fitting your needs, and if other people get it, great! If not. . . well. . . theres bound to be a few things THEY own that you don't think is smart or money conserving or whatever reason you don't approve of it over.

 

This is pretty much exactly the same reason for me! lol

To add to the above my old laptop died and thought that if I'm going to upgrade then to do it in style. Also I wanted to be able to play battlefeld 3 with 64 players and also games like dawn of war, skyrim and all the modded games like GTAIV and Crysis on high specs... plus also the pc exclusive's coming out like Hawken, Mechwarrior etc.

I've allways loved emulation too so having a portable laptop that can play every arcade, wii, dreamcast games etc in HD with decent speeds is awesome!!!

I'm also a multmedia designer so having a machine that's this powerful is allways handy for big rendering big files.

Apart from the fan noise being so loud and the fact I'm on my second motherboard since November when I purchased the machine I'm a very, very happy man.

Good times!!!

 

I bought the m14x because the power plug lights up.



Needed a portable gaming beast and bought exactly what I needed. Build quality, performance, everything lights up, and I feel like a BOSS when I'm on it.

 

I got mine for gaming on the go and LAN games round friends houses. Needed something that was small enough that it was easy to carry about but also offered a nice experience when using it. Certainly beats carrying my gaming desktop with me. Very glad i bought it as i love just being able to have a go on BF3 where ever i want now, within reason.

 

I had gotten an M11x previously with the sole intent to play Starcraft 2. Turns out the M11x isn't great at playing Starcraft 2 in large multiplayer games because of the weak processor. Still, I really really liked the build, look and feel of my M11x (still do!).

I wasn't actively looking for another computer, but I've always personally loved 14" screen laptops - they feel a bit less bulky and more portable to me than 15" machines. But I had a lot of trouble finding any 14" computers that could game effectively; all the gaming machines seemed to be 15" or 17". Maybe I just sucked at searching; I'm not sure. But when the M14x was released I saw it as perfect for me - another Alienware with a similar look and build to the M11x; 14" screen; much stronger processor for Starcraft 2. I grabbed it and never looked back!

 

The mixture of power/portability/build quality/good looks was perfect for my needs. An on-the-go gaming machine that I can play games on from the comfort of my couch without having to go hide out in my "computer room" to play games on the desktop.

 

everyone is saying nearly the same thing... medium-sized laptop that is portable and powerful... (in my opinion refurbs have been like-newish and MUCH cheaper, especially with coupons!!!). GL!

 

I bought mine because it was the smallest laptop I could find with a quad core CPU and good graphics abilities. Secondary reason was build quality - I really dislike laptops that flex like they're going to break, and I *HATE* laptops that have questionable hinges, so I was looking primarily at business-class laptops, but the Alienware caught my attention.

After 2 montherboard replacements and finding out that even a 14" laptop can be too heavy to really be portable, I'm kind of wishing I'd gone with the M17x.

 

Lifetime gamer (since the C64, saving and loading games from tape drives), ever since I could afford it I have had a gaming desktop and gaming capable laptop. This 14x marks my 5th laptop, first Alienware, third dell. First Dell lappy was an 18" beast i sent back because it was fricken hooge! Then I went with hp 15" laptops up until the last one which was a Studio XPS 16 with a beautiful screen and blu-ray, radeon 4670. Big tho, eventually wore holes in laptop compartment of 2 Oakley icon backpacks.

Christmas 2011, wife has dropped her Inspiron 1540 more times than can be counted from off the couch (+ toddlers) in 3 years of ownership, so I gave her my XPS16 for Xmas. New Years, my desktop motherboard went titsup and was RMA'd. The RMA was returned to the wrong address and I live 3000 miles west of Hawaii (on Guam) so I'm still waiting on that too. Borrowed the XPS 16 back (8Gb ram, 120GB crucial sata ii ssd), and found that it would not run SWTOR. Sad face. Justification for new lappy! Happy face! Wife is extremely happy with the bigger brighter screen, better performance, and working wireless. Never could get the 1540 to link up wirelessly unless I set it directly on top of the wifi router. Now that I think about it, maybe one of those drops knocked an antenna loose. Hah. Too late now, screen hinges are broke. Anyhow, I digress...

16 was too big for mobile gaming anyhow, as I tend to travel on business a bit and like to relax at the end of the day with some COD, SWTOR, or even just a google hangout. So portability and gaming were both major factors. Storage and horsepower remain the role of the my desktop, once I get it back up and running. If I could have gotten a 15x with a current gen processor and screen I probably would have, but I expect the 14x to suit my needs when it gets here in two weeks (USPS mail is real slow here, and Dell won't ship to me directly so I have to route through family).

 

I have a pretty powerful gaming desktop and a portable 13" Macbook Pro (non-gaming obviously). I find that I don't game nearly as often nowadays and usually just use my laptop in the living room so I can "spend time" with the wife (as some of you guys have mentioned being in similar situations). Not wanting to rule out PC gaming (I mainly game on consoles but some multiplayer games such as BF3 are just THAT much better on PC, 64players and all) altogether, as I still fire up BF3 once in awhile, I'm looking to sell my gaming desktop and 13" MBP and just consolidate to one laptop that can handle gaming.

Not wanting to sacrifice too much in power (requirement to have quad-core CPU + decent GPU) I looked at the following models:

- Asus ROG G53/G73: A bit too bulky and heavy at 7.5-8.5+ lbs! Nice specs for the price though, good value

- Dell XPS 15: My wife has one, Amazing B+RGLED 1080p screen + speakers, but the GPU @ nVidia 540m was a bit on the weaker side for games like BF3. Love this model though.

- HP Pavillion DV6tqe: Amazing value for the price especially with HP's frequent ~30% off coupons (better value IMHO than Alienwares). i7 Quad-core + ATI Radeon 6770m/7690m (about same performance as the nVidia 555m) in a 15.6" (can get 1080p screen too!) laptop with similar/less weight that the 14" M14x. I actually had one before but sold it. The build-quality being a "consumer-grade" value-ish model is ehhh and no backlit keyboard though.

- HP Envy 15: More "premium feel" in line with Alienwares and nice specs (i7 Quad + ATI 7690m which has same-ish performance as nVidia 555m) and backlit keyboard. Around same weight as M14x while having a bigger 15.6" screen + 1080p. Almost bought this one

- Sony SA-series 13": Just had to consider this model. 13" 1600x900 screen with decent ATI 6630m GPU (its no 6770m or nVidia 555m but very decent considering the size of the laptop) while being compact and <4lbs. Only thing was no quad-core CPU available and for some reason I don't want to forego a quad-core CPU in case I need the power for whatever. This will be my only PC after all.

In the end I bought a M14x since I got a pretty good deal on it, and I've always felt that 14" laptops are the "sweet-spot" for having portability (as compared to 15.6"-17" laptops IMHO) yet also when sitting down at a desk to get work done on it, you don't feel too cramped (as compared to 11.6" - 13.3" screens IMHO). We all know how thick the M14x is but the width, being that of the average 14" laptop make it seems more portable and fits in more laptop bags! The customizable lights definitely lured me in too!

I haven't gotten my M14x yet so hopefully the 6.5lb weight isn't too bad and the 1600x900 screen is of decent picture quality (only 2 things I'm really worried about).

 

The m11x R3 was too small.

 

I am going to travel to other places so I need a portable laptop that provides basic essential for school as well as gaming. Another reason being is that my old laptop which is built for traveling purposes is about to die and the graphic can't really support the game I am playing right now.