About to get M17xR2 -Advice Please

Hi all, im about to pull the trigger on M17xR2. i've been waiting for the x40 core i7 to come out in the UK. so here it is, the system specs that i will be getting.

Alienware M17x MLK Alienware M17x MLK Gaming Laptop - Space Black

Item DescriptionQuantityTotal Price


Alienware M17x MLK Gaming Laptop - Space Black1
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 940XM (2.13 Ghz, 8MB, 4C)1
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English1
3Yr Next Day Hardware Support1
No Accidental Damage Support1
CrossFire™ Dual 1GB ATI® Mobility Radeon™ HD 58701
4096MB 1333MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [2x2048]1
640GB (5400 RPM) HDD -1
43cm (17") Wide UXGA (1920x1200) - Beyond HD (1200p) RGBLED1
Blu-Ray ROM combo (Blu-ray read only, DVD, CD read & write) Slot Load Drive1
Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module - Europe1
Intel® Wireless LAN 6300 3x3 802.11a/b/g/n card (EUR)1
9-cell 85Whr Lithium Ion battery1
No Antivirus Software1
N07W7X051
Alienware M17X MLK Order - UK1
English Documentation1
Alienware Resource DVD1
240W AC Adaptor1
UK 2M 250V Power Cord1
Internal US Qwerty Keyboard1
1 year Next Business Day Hardware Support included with your PC1
Generic Name Plate Engraving1
Alienware Logo1
(GMT + 00.00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London1
Steam® Client and Portal™ Game - Factory Installed1


Subtotal:£2,940.42
Freight:£17.02
Total Net:£2,957.44
VAT (Rate %):£517.55
Total:£3,474.99

i tried to haggle with the sales rep and manage to get another 10% off which totals up to about £2,900 for the above configuration. what do you guys think? am i paying too much? is there anyway i can save more money?

i will be getting a vertex2 60GB SSD to compliment the system too. that's another £150. ouch.

Im also worried i might regret buying it, seeing that proper ati driver support is not available and the never ending discussion about issues with M17x CFX related problems so on and forth. hoping you guys (experienced users) can shed some light on my situation now. cheers.

 

you went almost full option, not much we can say about that.

 

Yeah, 10% OFF seems like the right price. Unless you dig for some Student/Employee stackable discounts - go for it.

 

i liked your IPS vs RGB LED comparison. made the RGB look bad though despite its good reputation.

 

well, CFX 5870 is not an option. it's a must. the rest are adjustable. however, i've been really crazy about 920XM ever since it was launced and now the matured version 940XM is out. cost me a fortune though just to include it. im not sure if it's worth the price tag (cost twice as much as 840QM). what do you guys think? should i just save the $ and go for 840?

 

If your not benchmarking its not worth the money IMO. It gives you bragging rights though

 

I would wait if I were you. Wait until they release drivers that fix problems.

 

Not true at all. The extreme processors are worth every penny thanks to having TDP + multipliers unlocked via throttlestop. They outrun the 820/840 by far when unlocked.

 

how much overclock can M17x handle in terms of percentage for typical use? im assuming the aging cooling ability of M17x is the limitation here. also does overclock gives u boost on both base speed (4 cores stressed) and turbo boost max speed (1 core)

joker, as a very experienced M17x user, honestly speaking, would u buy M17xR2 now if u were me or would u wait for the next big thing (which is rumoured to be end of this year)?

 

i would wait too, and have been waiting for a long time now. just that there is a good deal now and it's hard for me to sit it out. buying in uk is a lot more expensive than buying in us.

 

I wouldn't buy the M17x-R2 right now if I had the choice. Dell is dragging their feet with a driver release and until they commit to a solid release schedule, it's not worth putting up with. I'd wait to see if Dell incorporates nVidia SLi for the M17x-R2 and if not, then go with a Clevo X7200 though even that system seems to be delayed due to bugs. Right now there's really nothing on the market that's worth getting.

 

thanks for the reassurance. will take your advice seriously into consideration. luckily dell dont work on saturday. yesterday they were like really pushing me to get it, offering me deals i can hardly resist...

 

i wouldn't wait to get anything, that seems to be the crux of everyone on the forum "should i wait for this? or get his?" just get a laptop when your ready to get one, your config will destroy any game they will make for the next 2-3 years easily. no sense in waiting for "the nest version", and they(all laptops) will always have issues, but they will always get worked out too.

 

What is the "aging cooling ability" of the M17x? I just ordered one, and it seems from what I've read here that as long as I get the 10.7 drivers and deal with the unplugging / sleep glitch, I'll be fine until Dell releases the new drivers.

 

they could have put an all copper heatsink or beef up the overall HSF to accomodate newer gpu and cpu. their current "workaround" is to rev up the fan just to cope with the added heat, does the job no doubt but at the expense of added noise. to be fair, M17x was designed almost 2 years ago..

 

I disagree, Waiting for what the perfect setup? Drivers, laptop, sorry to say people, there is no such thing.

Buy now and enjoy your laptop now. upgrade later if you must.

I have been buying and building computers since the 8086- 8088 possessor's in the late 70's, I have never had a system that didn't have some sort of issues with drivers, Bios, hardware or software.
The best time to buy is now. You are waiting for what? and then it may have problems, it never ends.........

 

Looks like Joker is getting rid of his M17X.

 

Took the plunge and burnt a big hole in my wallet. specs are in my sig. now im a proud soon to be owner of alienware M17x! dreamt of this day for several years now!