Question for M17x owners

I am going to college and will be getting a new computer then. I was looking into the M17x over the M14x just for better specs. Main question is how would this laptop be portability wise, I know its more a desktop replacement but I just wanted to see if using this laptop in different areas and taking it more than one place is possible?

 

Hi there. I see many people here that do carry them around, done it myself a couple of times. Apart from the obvious weight increase over a smaller laptop, and the need for a larger bag, the laptop is quite portable. The power brick is well,.. a slimline brick! Don't go for a 120hz display as you don't get the built-in GPU (Intel) and battery life is compromised. Gaming is not really possible at all on battery, the GPU goes into a power saving mode that is so slow as to be useless in a game .

The intel GPU is capable of running most games (not too fast though) and older ones seem pretty good from what I see, but plan on having access to a power outlet if gaming on the go is wanted.

HTH and good luck with your decision

 

M17xR4 is fine to take anywhere, only issue is people stare at it wherever I go, not that I mind that

As mentioned above, no charger means no gaming but otherwise it's ok to take anywhere. My main mobile laptop was Lenovo r61 before I got m17xR2 and i didn't feel any difference when I upgraded, just the bag (which was nicer) and stares.

 

And there is one other thing about going mobile with one, you suddenly have a lot of interest - recently had 3 DR's ask me about it...

 

I carry around m17x every day, it's fine. Unless you are a petite girl there is no reason to go for an m14x purely because of weight and size. If you walk over long distances, then obviously a backpack will be easier than a shoulder bag.

 

I carry mine around weekdays and its fine, just make sure you get a decent backpack and it will be fine. Taking it around will be fine tbh, just a decent bag, even battery life is good at around 4-6 hours depending on what you do.

Just please dno't get a backpack which screams MUG me! a discrete non laptop style one would be better.

 

My experience has been that while the M17x is technically portable... it's too bulky and heavy to carry around campus unless you've got a bag or a backpack.

The M17x's fans (which also go off occasionally even when I'm not gaming) are noisy and distracting too...especially if you're in a small classroom.

If you don't mind drawing attention to yourself and lugging around an almost 10 pound laptop... then the M17x is perfect for what you want. I would definitely get a carrying case or a bag, at least then if you dropped it you wouldn't be stuck with a 2000 dollar paperweight.

 

It is portable as long as you have somewhere to plug it in (that m17x is always thirsty!) and a good bag to carry it around.

 

I've never had any portability issues as far as carrying goes. I recently acquired an M17X R3 but my previous laptops have been largely 17" Asus and Sager laptops so the weight and size issues are very comparable. I currently have a Vizio ultrabook as well and one thing I definitely will say is that with the 17" alienware or whatever standard laptop I'm never really comfortable just throwing it around because despite and partially because of their bulk they are relatively fragile machines so I've always felt the need to be overly cautious about larger laptops and what gets set on them or how they're packed etc. My Vizio ultrabook on the other hand has zero things I'm concerned about on it it's more like a good phone where you can just toss it in your car seat or throw it in a bag without having to worry about what else is in the bag. I would have no issues with the Vizio ultrabook getting knocked off a desk by a passerby etc whereas the Alienware that would greatly concern me. The main concern on the alienware for me is the amount of flex the LCD rear panel has it's not present when it's attached but if you detach it they are extremely flexible which means most of the support for the LCD is coming from the LCD and it's frame not the panel so any moderate impact is going to break it. The panel on the vizio ultrabook is 1 solid piece of metal with no flex at all so until it hits the stress point of actually fracturing the metal nothing is going to happen to it.

 

I have mine for 6-7 months now and the size hasnt been a problem for me. I bought the Targus XL backpack which not only fits it snugly but allows me to take all my books or even clothes with me. I wouldnt trade it for the m14x.

 

When I entered as a freshman, I bought an M17x R2 for my room, and a Dell Adamo for taking to class. The current generation M17xs are much more feasibly portable, since they weight less (no anonized aluminum frames) and also have batteries that last for more than an hour (switchable graphics).

You might want to ask yourself how much you'll be utilizing the power of the laptop while you're on the go. If you're only going to do basic word processing and web browsing in class, you might be better suited with a gaming desktop and ultrabook (better price to performance ratio and portability). If you're planning on gaming and/or doing CPU/GPU-intensive work outside of your room, it becomes an obvious choice.

Depending on what you play, the M14x might not be a good fit as a sole computer (if you try to play Crysis 3 with the 650M attached to a 1080p screen at high settings, you probably won't have a good time).

 

Ok I had a thought: I have an ASUS 21" Monitor that I use with my PS3. If I really want to would I could get the M14x for portability and footprint (smaller dimensions than M17x) and still be able to play some games, and pick up the X51 or another smaller form factor desktop if I want to play more PC games. I'm only considering this because of the cost of the M17x and thinking if I want to take something around with me that'll take up a lot of space (desk space).

 

The cost of the m17x isnt too badm $1700 for a 680m i7 1080p (from Costco US). But then if you take the m14x and x51, you need to maintain two computers, and the performance of the m17x will be comparable to the x51 anyways.

The m17x doesnt take up much more space than a normal laptop would. I wouldn't be worried about it tbh, unless your lecture rooms are tiny.

The reason I got the m17x is because its portable, and I don't like looking after multiple computers. Its good portable machine working for 4-6 hours on batteyr and when I get near a plug I can play a few games too. The 17 screen is a nice plus too, I get a decent amount of screen real estate so I can have 2 windows open at once, something which is kinda hard to do on the m14x screen.

 

Ok here's the main debate: this will be my laptop for throughout college and I really want the M17x. the R5 model is rumored to release before I go to school and I have a feeling this deal for the R4 with the 680m won't last too long. The reasons I would want to push to get the R4 are mainly value per $ and shortened availability. If I wait for the R5 I'm not sure how the prices will look for similar specs.

 

Well if it was anything like I've heard, even when the new models come out with haswell and new GPUs then your looking at a month waiting time anyways. Plus technology constantly keeps moving on, so you just buy the best you can now, and simply stop continuosly waiting. You could wait for the new model, and prices will still be high I think, the costco offer is a good one though!

The value is still better than a mac (which I had before) and tbh, you don't pay much of a premium over a similar clevo/sager laptop (maybe $100-200 for the alienware lights, branding and support). The 680m / hd7970m are still top of the line cards so far, they might even keep them for the next generation in some sort of iteration (the 670m is a rebadged 580m I think). So don't think your going to completely fall off a cliff in terms of your configuration.

If you don't need a laptop now, then of course just wait. But those offers might go, especially the costco one, who knows how long its going to be. Plus costco have a decent returns service in the UK, and I assume the US one will be the same or better!

 

I agree with DDDenniZZZ: There's no point in getting an M14x and an X51. If I were you, I'd either get an M14x/Ultrabook and an Aurora/high-end custom desktop |or| an M17x/M18x. You don't want to end up with two mid-range gaming PCs when you could have one ultra-portable and one high-end or one relatively portable high-end one.

 

Good post, but just a small correction- the 675m is a rebadged 580m. I flashed my 580m to a 675m

 

Ditto that, the M17x R4 would be a good choice.

As Cameron mentioned before, new generation M17x's are quite powerful, light-weight compared to previous generations as well as much more power saving because of the switchable graphics. It makes a good desktop replacement for gaming with external monitors but it's also fairly portable.

All and all I think you'd just need to get used to the M17x's size, but once you do you won't regret it.

 

I carry around a 15" laptop around 6 lbs along with some books. How would the transition from that to a 10 lb 17" laptop be like? Mainly because I want my computer customized I want to really know what I want before I get it and am stuck with it. I just get anxious thinking about using my laptop in multiple places (school, library, in-lap, buses, trips, etc). I just really want to retain mobility but still have powerful components to use throughout college.

 

With a decent way of carrying it that distributes the weight correctly, it probably wouldn't be too much of a transition. From what you're saying, it sounds like the M17x is the right choice for you, since it maintains portability you need without sacrificing the power you want. Honestly, it'll be more powerful than a majority of gaming desktops if configured to high specs. The caveat is that you're paying for it: For example, a 7970M by itself is around $500; a desktop 7870 (which is spec-for-spec essentially identical to the 7970M) is $250. If you would've bought two computers otherwise (i.e. gaming desktop and ultrabook), it's much more easily justifiable.

 

Ok IF I get the M17x, I want decent battery life (5-6 hrs web browsing etc.) but I want the best graphics card affordable. So essentially should I go 7970m or 680m?

 

AMD. I actually really like NVIDIA and think that they make better products with more stable (and frequently-updated) drivers, but if you have any sort of a budget, the 7970M is the most logical choice: You get ±5% of the 680M's performance (as in sometimes actually superior), but for $350 [USD] less.

I'm not totally savvy on the whole switchable graphics situation (my R2 preceded it), but as far as I've read, Alienware has gotten around the lot of issues most laptops have with Enduro without sacrificing battery life. You might want to check with a current R3/R4 owner on the specifics of that, as well as what sort of real-world battery life you could expect with your anticipated configuration.

 

I would have totally went for a 7970m if I didn't need CUDA for video editing. If AMD had something that could rival CUDA in their future generation I would be tempted to switch

 

The "best" is the 680m without a doubt. It has better frame latency, energy efficiency, and drivers. If you overclock much, the 680m is the obvious choice. Otherwise, it is a hard sell over the 7970m (in Alienwares, that is).

 

The 680M might be the "best" (and I'm not disputing that), but it's rarely going to be worth $350 more than the 7970M.