im buying a full specced m14x today....

any suggestions?

how should i configure...not considering $$$

 

Trick question?

Not to be condescending, but you claim you're "buying a full-specced m14x" and "not to consider $$$" so really what's the question? Just max all the options.

2820QM, 8+ GB of RAM (although more is a real waste, IMO), 16x9 screen, SSD, Advanced N, WiDi, etc. And upgrade the warranty.

 

well i dont want a larger processor to kill my battery life...

im a bit concerned about hard drive choices aswell.

also,
i was wondering if i can replace the optical disk reader with 1 or 2 extra solid state drives

 

basically i want the BEST ($$$ not included)

if thats full-specs, then that makes my job easier

 

Just max everything out. Did alienware say if you choose the 2820qm your battery will suck? lol

 

If you want the best then at least get the m17-r3 with 6970

 

Price gets up to M17X land quick.

 

well im buying a area-51 ALX later in the summer, so the M17 doesnt help me much...

 

M14x is a joke. M17x is a much better option.

 

a joke for carrying?
im getting the area 51 aswell...
getting a 17inch notebook is not what i need to do...

 

Stick with the 2630QM, don't pay the ridiculous $200 for 8GB, don't spend $100 on the 3GB 555M (there's no benefit).

That's all I have.

 

everyone has their own opinions on what they need...M14x is a powerful 14" laptop

 

Are there any downsides to these upgrades other than the 300$ cost?
b/c that's really Not a ton of savings...

 

It is when the overall cost of the laptop is less than $2k.

I'd do some research before you buy this. If you're one of the people that thinks bigger number (money or specs, take your pick) must be better, you're going to be disappointed.

What do you need this laptop for? Do you really need it at all if you're buying a desktop in a couple of months?

 

Serephucus, so did you purchase an Alienware M14x already? If so could you post your specs and why you chose them? I'm having a hard time trying to decide if its worth to spend money on parts that wont necessarily make the machine a whole lot better. Essentially can you help me get the best bang for buck on the M14x?

 

Stick with the 2630QM to make battery life better and your laptop cooler, since you already are getting an Area 51(which I advise against because it doesn't have the new SB CPUs. IMO go with Origin or Digital Storm if you want a high end desktop because the AW desktops haven't been updated yet...) But I digress, since you're already getting a high end desktop, you won't need all the POWER you want in a laptop, you'll just need a portable - semi powerful one. Again, make the CPU a 2630QM, 8GB 1600mhz ram, get the 256GB SSD, the 3GB 555GT, the 900P screen, SB sound card, basically max it out everything except for CPU.

 

If you can swing it $1843 + Tax and comes with 3yr accidental. Aftermarket upgrades get a SSD if you wish and some Ram off Newegg

PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English edit
MEMORY 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
VIDEO CARD 1.5GB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M using NVIDIA Optimus™ technology
HARD DRIVE 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
LCD PANEL 14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
WIRELESS CARDS Intel® Wireless-N WiFi Link 1000 a/g/n 1x2
WIRELESSHD None
SOUND OPTIONS Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
BLUETOOTH Internal Bluetooth 3.0
My Software & Accessories
SYSTEM COLOR Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish
ALIENFX COLOR Mars Red
PRE-INSTALLED GAMES Steam and Portal™ Factory Installed
AUTOMATIC UPDATES Automatic Updates: Critical Updates Only
My Accessories
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 3 Year Advanced Service Plan plus $25 Dell Promo Gift Card

 

Other than the fact that they may offer no gaming improvements?

Granted, we need more details on the 3GB 555M's specs. If the amount of memory is the only difference, it's not worth it.

 

while in MOST cases i would say, yes i'd assume bigger=better.

However, i understand that the bigger you go there are often diminishing returns, additionally "when you assume you make an out of U and ME".

look, I have plenty of money guys. I appreciate the financial advice etc. but IMO these forums often overvalue the "do it yourself" attitude. In my experience most of the guys on here are overzealous about saving money, choosing crappy companies who charge the lowest premiums (ie; sager/clevo), and criticizing companies like AW and Asus for charging too much for upgrades etc.

the whole "buy your own RAM" REALLY ticks me off.

just say thats an option...another option is to use the professionals at AW to build it in for you.
1. its convenient
2. its better wired than i'd ever do (and most local shops would)
3. they add value to it by integrating it into the machine in other ways (like software)

but apparently thats a SCAM!!!

its only a scam if you don't know what you're getting. I'm well aware of my options on newegg.com haha, i simply dont value $$ as much since i have enough of it. I usually only use 2 or 3 computers, so they need to be top of the line, the better they are the happier i am...whether i paid more or less for it disappears after the transaction as far as im concerned.


i understand i wont be rendering on this bad boy (thats what the area-51 is for), however i think i can do some decent modeling and obviously gaming on this.

for me the 14 inch=
my mobile laptop that i will carry with me,
watch TV on
play games on
use for day to day tasks
do some 3-d modeling
travel with (when im traveling this will be my main PC, and will need to be able to game fairly well)

my area-51 ALX
is probably going to run closer to 8k
will be the "big rig" and will do all of my tasks from gaming to rendering to EVERYTHING...this is home base.


also, i wish alienware would release a tablet, b/c im between a tablet and a new netbook...and i like asus netbooks, so i may stick with that.




The bottom line for the mx 14:
i want this to be as useful of a laptop as it can be.
whether that means bigger processor or smaller processor
SSD or HDD
etc. etc.

simply saying, dont worry about price boys...this ones on me

thanks for the opinions and input though, i dont mean to be rude or ungrateful, i just want to make sure we're on the same page.

 

The stock M14x setup is pretty much ideal, drop some coin on the processor upgrade if you wish.

 

how much of a trade off would you expect between CPUs in battery life?

they say 6hours of battery on the website, how many hours of battery life would the bigger CPU bring me to? 4? 5?

 

If it gets close to 5 i will be happy with mine. But for the battery size around 4 is probably more realistic

 

If you don't want the opinions, don't ask.

Look, your simple mind already has all the answers it needs. Max out what Dell offers and that's pretty much the best you can do. Quit clogging the board with useless posts that are obviously just your attempt to show off that you have disposable income...

 

2 Issues w/ the M14x from a review. Uncomfortable palm wrist area becuse of too much heat and a super loud fant that comes on even when idle.

 

If you're based enough to spend $8k on an AW desktop, why are you even here seeking logical advice? Just for brags?

 

would heat be an issue in the bigger processor when im NOT gaming?

b/c i dont mind heat when im gaming...thats inevitable

however, heat during video/day to day tasks is not something i want to have

 

its not about the price,
its about battery life, heat, hard-drive options, and overall performance.

thats ALL i care about.

(often ive found if you go with stock options they tend to be better tested/integrated into the computer, b/c the company sells the most of them)

 

As you say, if money is no object, then just max it out. I'm not an expert, but I know the 3GB 555M will have negligible performance bonuses over the 1.5GB version - i.e. close to none.

 

it was described to me as breaking up the job, so the GPU doesnt have to do as much work.

would this mean the 3GB would run cooler than the 1.5GB?! or vice versa?

also, do you think these are all of the options available? or will dell roll out new GPUs in the next 2 weeks (before shipping date).

either way, time is definitely a factor for me...so i probably just cannot wait for new GPUs unless they still ship the same day (or close to the same day)

 

This alone shows you have a lot to learn. "the professionals at Alienware"? Seriously? If you're talking about the assembly line workers, they're idiots getting paid the bare minimum. If you're talking about their support staff, they're (mostly) idiots, getting paid the bare minimum. Their designers are about the only people who know what they're doing. Well, and their marketing department.

The DIY route is not primarily a money saving route. It is in fact a quality route. Most OEMs - Alienware included - use bargain bin components to enable them to spend the bare minimum for a given spec, thereby having the largest profit margins possible. Build your own machine and you can select much higher quality components, that will perform better, for longer, backed by a more robust warranty, for less. If you had even considered building your own system, you would know this.

Most of what I've said there applies to desktops. There aren't really any DIY laptops out there. Having said that, the above also applies to RAM, HDD, processor, GPU, etc. replacements. That's where all the "buy your own RAM" suggestions are coming from. They make sense, and are the better option.

You buy an Alienware laptop with an Alienware warranty, your RAM is covered for, say, one year. You buy your own RAM, it's probably covered for at least three.

Self-build computers are not the cobbled together mess that I think you're imagining. They are in fact far, far above any OEM machine. Anyone who knows what their stuff will tell you the very same.

Bottom line for what you want:
Laptop - M14x (assuming you don't want another model)
i7 2630M (the 2820M doesn't do much except kill your battery)
8GB RAM
Whatever size HDD. If you won't use over 500GB, get the SSD
3GB GPU
1600x900 display

Desktop - Self built
In case this wasn't already made clear: for the love of god build your own!
It's cheaper - for the spec you're probably looking for we're talking around $2,000 savings, if not more.

If you want help with a desktop, feel free to PM me and I can help you create a truely monstrous machine.

 

Just make sure you get the SHIFT key upgrade.

I find that those who are truly financially secure prefer others not to know. When your self esteem is tied to your bank account you are likely to loose both.

 

I'm not entirely sure, but I would say the contrary - the 3GB model would run marginally hotter than the 1.5GB model due to the extra memory that needs cooling etc.

There has been some speculation that they could release the GTX460M for it in the future, as it is in a comparison window on the M14x's product page.
But, I don't know.

 

ive been convinced by this community twice that building my own

or

buying my own parts and having a local store assemble it would work...let me assure you, not all of the money you spend when you buy a laptop is wasted.

sure they have to make a profit (and maybe at times make too much)

but custom computers fail because they are just that...CUSTOM!

buying mainline has its benefits. these companies have the scale and resources necessary to thoroughly test these machines, there is litterally safety in numbers.


you think i dont value being able to google any issue, and seeing that the question has already been asked by someone with my exact laptop? (and answered more often than not)

also, getting extra attention from AW b/c the m14x is a "popular" laptop, so it deserves the companies attention

 

ummm, usually the one who builds his own custom desktop knows what he is doing, and thats why you dont "need" support or anything of the sort since you built it. now if you dont know how to build one, then dont, and your right, then get a companies lappy that they are selling.

 

Wow this thread took a turn for the worst very fast. I see a thread closure in the near future.

 

This is absolute nonsense. The Alienware desktops are a complete and utter ripoff. You can build a system that performs considerably better for a fraction of the cost. They ARE nice machines but they simply don't justify the ridiculous pricetag that comes attached.

 

I think this guy is trolling us..

 

Agreed. With OEM laptops you don't have to worry when something breaks, you just call up the OEM and assuming it's not a software problem, they'll take care of it for you.

How does a custom computer fail? What is your reasoning behind this?

But you can also do this with a custom computer. Google for your specs and many people will have very similar machines. (close enough that the differences don't matter.)

The plain and simple fact is that they don't care. You call up customer support and they're not going to give you any more attention than the M18x owner they had before you, or the Aurora caller befor that. You'll be talking to a student who's thinking about what to buy his girlfriend for their anniversary, or a mother who's concerned about how her kids are doing in school. These aren't "trained professionals" whose only skill-set is Alienware products.

If you aren't confident enough in your ability to diagnose a problem when it occurres, or to build your own system in the first place, then yes, Alienware would be a great choice. If however, you're willing to put in a big of time with Google, Youtube, and various forums, then save yourself the money and build your own computer that'll trounce any Alienware.

 

very well, building your own computer is the best...alienware brings nothing to the table as a company that i cannot simply learn and do my self.

the industry is a complete conspiracy!

how could i be so blind! lets all buy from the asian companys, so you can enjoy their awful customer support...which happens to be 2weeks worth of shipping away from my house.

they will nickle and dime the HELL out of you, release machines onto the market which simply are too new. they are unstable and not ready for a user friendly experience.

in short: you pay for what you get...most everything balances out, and those costs are allocated somewhere else (like the alienware brand and awesome chassis, customer support, warranty, build quality, large owners community, heating vents, etc.)

haha look now ive ended up trolling. thats a shame, because ive tried to be reasonable, and yet i get trolled so i will defend my beliefs.

I got a pretty hostile reception for no reason, and i usually find these boards more helpful than hostile, so thats a disappointment


I came here asking what configuration of the M14x would be "best" for me, explicitly stating i didnt care about money.

well, you could have guessed it money is the #1 and #2 most talked about thing in this thread!

ive got to say im frustrated that very little of this thread has helped me (except a few people shed some light about CPUs and GPUs) no one has brought up SSD vs HDD and how heat will be effected ...

also, im looking into a custom paint job, and im wondering whether or not any sites do good jobs on AWs...

side question: would replacing the optical drive with a fan be possible?

 

M14x seems to be a joke

get a M15x instead, its about the same size and weight but much better components.

 

thank you...this is the exact debate thats in this thread, im just sayin
"different strokes for different folks"


now on to the "trounce" youre referring too...
how much different is the Area 51 vs something custom built? if you cap yourself at 8k, which i think is what im shooting for, how much of a difference will you see vs. a custom built machine (not in cost...thats a constant).

i'd rather have the warranty/support for a machine like that, as opposed to some youtube videos (not to be pejorative about youtube... i would use youtube videos as my #1 source of info if i actually made it custom)

 

And because of this, I think it will suit him well.

 

i have an 18inch laptop right now...I hope you know what you're getting

 

Proof that you don't really know what you're talking about. Most hardware companies are either American or European, with their hardware being fabricated in the Asian region, and this inlcudes Alienware!

Brand name and chassis I will give you.
Customer support... to an extent, yes, you could say that.
Build quality: laptops yes, desktops not so much.
Large owners community, hell no. The custom market dwarfs Alienware.
Heating vents?

If I've been one of the hostile I apologise.

You have two options here. Either you pick the best spec of everything, or you listen to where you can save money with things you don't need. People here told you where you can save money with things you don't need, and you got angry.

You never asked. You simply ranted on about how no-one was helping you.

HDDs loose out to SSDs everywhere. They are slower, use more power, are heavier, hotter, and noiser. SSDs however are very expensive. As I said in my first post - which you chose not to read, clearly - if you think you're going to use over 500GB, get the HDD, if you will use less than that the SSD would be a much better option.

You're looking for a... Sweet Jesus.

You definitely could. It wouldn't do anything though. The Optical drive is in an isolated compartment, you'd just be making noise blowing air into an empty room, effectively.

 

im talking about sager/clevo specifically

they suck.

well i just mean more M14x owners (and attention from dell) than any 1 specific type of custom PC. (i can youtube M14x issues, and find quick fixes/programs all around...or i will be able to, once its out)

thanks

i think i'll spend, but thanks for clarifying.




what would you recommend i replace the optical disk drive with btw?

 

8k cap for a desktop.....? uhh if you have that much money to throw around please throw some my way.

 

Why?

More M14x owners, of course, these forums would be great for that. Attention from Dell... no. All they will really do is replace a broken part. If it isn't a broken part however they won't give you the time of day.

If you're just not going to use it, a second HDD maybe. I might be doing that with mine if the battery life hit isn't too severe. you can get adapters that are basically a metal case in the shape of an optical drive, but with a space for a hard drive. I'm not sure exactly what one would be compatible with the M14x yet though.

Oh god... for that much money you'd better not touch Alienware! A custom desktop with that sort of cap would run the highest spec Alienware into the ground. I don't think I'd even be able to spend all of that money on a single machine.

We're talking:
Dual i7 980X processors
4x GTX 580 Graphics cards
OCZ RevoDrive2 512GB SSD
4x2TB HDD

No Alienware would come close to touching that.

 

OMG, you have so much money. You must be like, the coolest guy ever! I bet you have so many friends. We're all very, very jealous and you've made us all feel inadequate as human beings.

Ok I'm pretty sure that's all he wanted to hear. Job done. Close the thread please.

Oh and on a more serious note. If you're dumb and ignorant enough to spend $8000 on an Alienware desktop... Please do. I'd hate to think somebody like you was sitting behind a rig like the one Serephucus has just described. It would be just another of lifes great injustices.

 

aaaaaaaand thats the hostile reception i was referring to.

im not even going to respond further, b/c it will make me look like an a$$hole

 

when do you think they will upgrade the area-51 ALX?