What should I get in the m17x ?

Hey guys I'm possibly interested in purchasing the m17x r3. I was wondering if someone could give me some advice on stuff that im debating to add to my config.

Video Card
6870m vs 6970m - I plan on playing battlefield 3, diablo 3 and swtor when they release. Will the 6870m be able to play these games on high settings @ 1080p ? Or should I spend the extra $300 to get the 6970m in order to future-proof myself? I assume the 460m is not going to do it as its old and theres the 485m out.

Wireless Card
Wireless 802.11 g/n vs Intel® Advanced N + WiMAX 6250 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology ---- Not really sure what advantages I will get from the Advanced N as I have never heard of WiMaX or MIMO technology. Does it have bluetooth while the stock doesn't?

Some other questions:
Does the r3 have any heat issues? I'm not a fan of having to re-paste the video card in order to improve temps.
Also if I only purchase the default warranty will I be able to add on another year before it ends?

 

Please I need some help here!
I know to look at notebookcheck for fps on the video cards but I'm not sure if those benchmarks are at 1080p, yea know?

there could be some rep in it for you

 

I would spend extra 300$ on the 6970m for sure, it will future proof your system for a few years.

5870m is better than 6870m, so the 6970m is a good investment.

As for the wireless card, go for the type that works with your home network. The first one is g/n, that means it will only work on G and N routers. The 2nd one is a/g/n, so it will work with A routers aswell. I went with the intel 6300 ultimate on my r2, as it will work on almost every network.

 

1-IF you want to play battlefield maxed/1080p then 6970m is the only option (it's as powerful as 2x 6870m) you wont get overheating issues the cooling in m17x R3 is pretty good, people who repaste etc are people who want to overclock their system and benchmark pushing it to the limit so every Extra C* counts to them

2-Any wireless cardd will be Fine, Get the N wireless if your router support N signals which is faster speed, but unless you have a N router supported and VERY fast internet connection you wont get any benefits as far as i know, Bluetooth is built in with every option and unrelated to the wireless card with the m17xR3

 

HD6970m is the way to go....worth the premium

 

Thanks for the help +rep.

So if I don't plan on Ocing I don't need to repaste?
And any ideas on being able to add more years of warranty before the year ends?

 

I wouldn't worry about repasting. You can add more warranty before the end of the standard one year, however it will cost more than if you had purchased that warranty upfront.

 

How much more is it? Because not sure I can afford it now, where later on I will be able too.

Also can anyone comment on the hinge mechanism? It looks like it could become fairly wobbly after opening and closing a lot with it being connected in the middle instead of on the outside? Any comments? I'm just trying to ease all my worries before purchase.

Thanks again

 

Many people have spoken about the hinge mechanism problem, but my experience with those systems tells me that you have to be a bit careful with them. I own several alienware systems and never had such a problem. I travel with my m17x R2 from the last 6 months all over the world and so far no issues (my friend has a sony laptop from the last 2 years and it looks like he bought it 10 years back. I have a similar sony from about 3 years back and it looks almost the same. It all depends how you handle it and if you really take care...).

As per the warranty, yes you can extend it later, probably you should try after 6 months and you will be able to get an excelent discount as well, I am 100% sure. I got for my m17x R2, after 5 months extended the warranty until 2015 end at a half the price. I wish you best of luck in your purchase and enjoy it!

 

6970m is $250 more than the 6870m and $175 more than the gtx460, but outperforms both by a considerable margin.

 

6970m is a no brainer. No need to repaste, even if you DO overclock it. I have mine HEAVILY overcloked and it stays under 70 degrees.

The hinge on this machine feels incredibly solid. I have been very impressed with the build quality.

Default wireless card is fine. 6300 would offer better signal strength and possibly speeds. I upgraded mine myself for $31.