Advice on buying a used M17x R2

Hi everyone,

I currently own a gateway p-7811fx and was looking to upgrade to a newer laptop. I was initially thinking about purchasing a sager np8170 with a 6990M card or MSI GT780dx with the GTX 570M however an opportunity came up to possibly purchase an M17x R2 for ~1350.

Importantly the M17x R2 has a 920xm, 6Gb RAM, WUXGA (not an RGB as I initially thought) and XF 5870 cards which I assume will perform on par with the sager np8170 and MSI GT780 if I overclock them.

My question is this: Would I be better off purchasing a used m17x R2 now or invest in something more recent keeping in mind it has to last >2 years. If I decide to go for the m17x, would I be paying too much at this point in time and what main drawbacks are there other than not being able to upgrade to the 2nd gen i7 CPU. I would eventually upgrade the m17x to 6970 or 6990Ms but not immediately.

Thanks for any help and suggestions

Update: Turns out it doesn't have an RGB LED as I previously thought. Ill have to find out if the seller will lower the price.
Update2: Bought one on eBay for 1200 w/ shipping included. Specs in signature and post below.

 

that seems like an OK price but be aware that it could have pre existing issues.
the same issues which got me mine for 250

what Im saying is make sure your prepared for whatever it have problems with...
hope its some one you know your buying from.

 

If you want to spend under $3000 with upgrades and have a decent laptop, R2 would be fine. If you want to spend more for upgrades, you might as well go for the m18x.

 

Thanks for the input so far.

Ideally I would like to spend as little as possible. I don't really need the newest hardware but would like to have something that runs BF3 or Skyrim smoothly with the potential to run on high/ultra settings pending the GPU upgrade.

As for the issues with buying a used laptop, is it be possible to purchase additional warranty from dell?

I guess I could replace/upgrade most of the components if there is a problem but then I am left with spending more $$.

 

Dell is like 2 sides of a coin. One will let you buy warranty, while the other won't. It's hit or miss with their support/sales.

If the one that your trying to buy comes with warranty, i'd take it. If it doesn't, I would make sure you can get warranty before you take it. That way, if it ever breaks down and Dell can't replace every part of it, they'll be forced to replace your system w/ an m18x for free. Or upgrade to a R3 w/ a 6990/580m in it.

On the other hand, you can always scour the outlet for an r3 w/ a 580/6990 w/ the 1920x1080 rez screen, and it should be fine. Crossfire is nice to have, but you always need to wait for a Cap profile or special driver on many games. Single cards are much better in cases like those.

 

I love the R2, if you get an RGB LED you won't regret it, I promise, lol.

 

IMO the m17x r2 are better value than the r3. I think that alienware removed sli from the r3 because it would hurt sales for the m18x. It would be better if it had the RGB LED though.

 

IMO it would be better if all current Aliens, at least m18 (m17) had RGB LED option

 

Thanks for all the help so far

I think I'm set on getting a used m17x R2 but probably not the one I was looking at initially.

I would ideally want it to have an RGB LED, at least one 5870, and several months of warranty. I would upgrade everything else as needed (6970/6990M) . Hopefully I can get one for a reasonable price on the marketplace or ebay within a couple weeks so I get on BF3 and Skyrim.

 

Just an update.

I purchased an m17x r2 on ebay last night.

It has the rgb led, dual 5870s, 820qm, 8gb ram and 9 months warranty. Ill see how it performs before upgrading anything but it should be much faster than my p-7811fx.

Thank you everyone for your input.

 

Congrats!

I too recently acquired an M17x R2 after thinking about it and looking around for a while. Mine is very similar to yours and so far so good!

Chris

 

Sounds alot like the R2 I just purchased from eBay. Believe me, you'll love it!

 

Thanks guys,

I'm looking forward to playing BF3 and Skyrim!

Any recommendations as to what I should check for once it arrives? Any tests like furmark and wprime to make sure everything is in working order? I will check the vents and fans for dust. Not sure about reapplying themal paste to the CPU or GPU though.

 

My vents were really dusty. Definitely clean them out and it should make a pretty substantial difference.

 

I noticed you mentioned that in your post on the owners lounge. Glad to hear your temps went down.

I really want to get an 920xm like you but I'm not sure I can afford it right now. I wonder if investing in a single 6990M down the road is better performance wise.

 

Hi there guys, I have an M17x-r2 with the the LCD W display, I am hearing very good things about this RGBLED display, Does anyone know where I can purchase this upgrade since I am very interested in doing so.

P.S a www site or Link would be great as I have searched high and low for this RGBLED screen to no avail


ty in advance guys!!

 

I'll let you know how the 920XM performs when it arrives... hopefully tomorrow

I'd say the 6990M would be the better upgrade and yeild a larger improvement in games but for other tasks, the upgraded CPU would be a better investment. My crossfire 5870s feel insanely powerful and more than enough for me at the moment. That is in comparison to my little M11x though...