Planning on buying the M17xr3. Need your opinions

Here is the system i have configured. It comes to about US$2150 before taxes.
Could someone give me an idea how much will it cost after taxes. I am guessing around 2300$. Correct me if i am wrong.
System Color Alienware M17x, Soft Touch Stealth Black
Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Processor Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
Memory 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
Display Panel 17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
Video Card 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6970M
Hard Drive 750GB 7,200RPM HDD
Here is how i plan on upgrading the system- I want to add a 120gb ssd for the OS and keep the 750gb one for other stuff. I will also Upgrade the ram to 8gb(at least). Here are my questions-
1) When i add the SSD, how do install the OS on it, i mean will i get my Win 7 installation disk along or just a recovery disk. If I order only one HDD will i be able to install the other one int the 2d bay without any additional stuff. Also i know that the computer comes loaded with some software and themes exclusive to alienware(alienwarefx), i wanted to confirm that if i would get those along in the utilities DVD. I saw a thread here on how to restore alienware look and feel should i follow that, will it help me get to exactly how it was.
2) Another question about the ssd, should i get an ssd or go for two hdds in raid0, it would really save me money but how much will be the performance difference.
3) About upgrading the ram- i want to upgrade to 8gb, should i just remove the existing 4gb ram and replace it with the 8gb(2x4gb) one or should i add the new ram ind addition to the existing ram, but i read somewhere on this forum that i should not mix and match ram and it would be advisable to replace existing ram with the identical ones. What does that mean?
4) I know that AMD does not have automatic switching but according to the LaptopMag review the R3 has some kind of automatic switching-. Can anyone with the 6870M clarify that. This is what they say-" While it lacks Nvidia's Optimus technology (which automatically switches between a discrete and integrated GPU based on the app being used) the M17x does automatically switch between its AMD GPU and a power-saving integrated Intel HD GPU when it's unplugged. "
5) Should i upgrade the processor will there going to be a performance difference even though i will be getting an ssd and the better GPU. If i do upgrade the CPU i will have to loose the blu ray drive coz this thing is really exceeding my budget. Do you think it is a good upgrade.
6)If i do upgrade the CPU, should i also get 1666mhz ram instead of 1333, hw much of a difference will it make.
7) I am deciding to go with OCZ Vertex 2 or Agility 2 SSD, what are the differences between the two. Also should i consider getting an Intel SSD or is OCZ better.
8) I will go with Corsair ram if i get 1333mz and Kingston hyperX if 1666mhz. Do you have any other suggestions.
9)What is the difference between thw wireless cards-
1501 1x1 AG MIMO
Intel® 3x3AGN MIMO
Intel® 2x2AGN MIMO / WiMax combo card
Should i upgrade from the base one.
10) Just one last thing is it worth going for 3d and sacrificing the better GPU and battery life.
Thanks in advance. My main problem is that i started with a budget of 2000$ and now it has exceeded to 2600$(with the ram and the SSD). I am sorry for so many n00b questions but I am really nervous coz i never really have bought such an expensive Laptop.

 

i configured and orderd the exact system that you lead off your post with....i called in my order and got them to include next day shipping and got the price down to 1999.00 usd pre-tax. but i had previously returned a R3 and i used those discounts as a reference to get that price. You may not have the same leverage. as far as the upgrades go, i know there are how-tos on how to install win7 on a SSD if you search for them. As far as 3d goes, i had it on my orginal system and didnt really use it...its WAY cool but not really practacal for real gaming imo. Also the 6970 is a way beter card. Like 33% better according to benchmarks.

 

Its only going to be manual switching. Reviews can be wrong. The notebookcheck one mentioned Optimus I believe with the 460.

 

Can the 6870/6970 be manually switched via hardware/bios or only windows software?

 

I'd like to know about the Intel SSD's, too. If they are better than the OCZ's which one would you people recommend?

 

The intel SSD actually have slower read and write speeds than the OCZ vertex 2 but still are expensive, can anyone tell me why, i read on overcolckers forum that intel gives better battery life is that true. So should i get Intel X25 or OCZ Vertex 2

 

lets make it short
OCZ: performance. speed. 25nm which is cheap and unreliable.
Intel: stable. reliability. 34nm.

You have to decide for yourself. I personally go with the Intel.

 

Does it really matter? It's a desktop replacement (17"+) do you plan on lugging it around in environments without a power supply? I'd go with what's faster.

 

If you want to save $50 you can use the following dell coupon code for your Alienware system.

I know it's not much but they also offer free shipping lately so that's basically $100 in your pocket you can use to buy the 8GB Hyper X RAM.

 

This is a good one, if it really works. Mods should consider sticking it to the order status or owner's lounge, or wherever it's appropriate.

Say, what happened to our FAQ thread?