Which one? M17x R2 or R3?

Hi

I need help deciding on which m17x to get.
Planning to use it for role playing games, Photoshop, and a little bit of video editing.
Which M17x will last longer?
Is it true about the build, R2 is metal and R3 is plastic?
Can both M17x be upgraded with future video cards?


Both PC costs about $1600 ~

Specs

Alienware M17x R2

Processor Intel Core i7 740QM, 1.73GHz (2.93GHz Turbo Mode, 6M Cache)
17 inch UltraSharp WXGA+ (1440x900) LCD Display
6 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHZ
500 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
Crossfire 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility HD 5870


Alienware M17x R3

Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
17.3-inch WideHD+ 1600 x 900 60Hz WLED
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
320GB 7,200RPM HDD
1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6870M


Thanks in advance,
newbie

 

The r2 is great, but be aware of that you may end up with a screen like mine, which is also the 1440x900p screen. if you have my kind of luck that is....
View attachment 64363
I would still go with the r2 though. Future graphic cards may or may not be supported depending on who is willing to do a custom bios.
r2 is aluminium, and r3 is plastic.

r2|r3 with the specs above
Aluminium > plastic all the way!!!
2x 5870m > 6870m
i7 740qm < i7 2630m
500gb>320gb
6gb>4gb
900p ccfl < 900p led !!!!

 

??? There are no NEW r2's available? are there???

 

There are brand new r2's in europe Alienware Gaming Systems | Dell UK .

 

Supposedly the R3 is made from mostly magnesium covered in a rubber material. I go with this, rather than the plastic notion. Some parts may be plastic however.

If you don't mind a max of 2 hours of battery life as opposed to 5 the R2 may be for you, however it is not worth purchasing a new one. Look for a used one. If you can't find a used one, a new R3 will do just fine. The 6970 is a much better card than a 5870 and in cases where XFire doesn't cut it, the 6970 will do the job better.

 

The 6970 upgrade is out of my price range.

 

Also on notebookcheck.net, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
is rank very high, so does is means it will handle any games?

 

I have the 5870 in my R2 and it's really good. Is it perfect? No. I run an RC flight sim and it works very well. Maybe once or twice in a flight will I get a slight video stutter. Otherwise, its butter smooth.

 

you can save up and get mine!

 

Please help asap. I need to buy one this week...

Which is better?

Specs:

Alienware M17x R2

Processor Intel Core i7 740QM, 1.73GHz (2.93GHz Turbo Mode, 6M Cache)
17 inch UltraSharp WXGA+ (1440x900) LCD Display
6 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHZ
500 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
Crossfire 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility HD 5870


Alienware M17x R3

Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
17.3-inch WideHD+ 1600 x 900 60Hz WLED
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
320GB 7,200RPM HDD
1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6870M


Thanks,
newbie

 

QFT. OP you must decide for yourself. Do you want faster CPU paired with better screen or do you want better GPU, greater build quality and little more storage

 

Don't take me as coming across rudely, but the upgrade is out of your pricerange on an already $1,500 computer?

Dude, save up the extra couple hundred bucks and get yourself the 6970. Between the 6870 and 6970, there's just no comparison. For the amount you're already spending it's silly not to get the best card.

And if you're not getting the RGB LED on the R2, it's a waste.

Go for the R3, but with the 6970.

 

With those configurations, it would boil down to what you will be doing and what is important to you. The dual 5870's will crush the 6870 in terms of graphical performance, but the 2630 is a more powerful CPU.

The R2 has the better build quality, but the R3 would have around 5 hours battery life.

It just depends on what you want to place value on.

 

If you look at numerous threads on this forum, for the most part it seems the R3 owners that are happy are those that never owned an R2. It looks like many R2 owners that purchased an R3 are disappointed with the drop in quality overall. So, if you've never owned a machine as solid as the R2, you'll probably be pleased with the R3 because you won't know the difference. The R3 is still better than most other high performance laptops, and the price is pretty decent. It just doesn't hold a candle to the R2.

If you're more into battery life and lighter weight than pure awesomeness, then go with the R3. If you only want the best and most powerful, either purchase a refurbished R2 from Dell or a really nice used one from someone like 3Demons, or simply wait a couple more weeks for the M18x to be released. The M18x is the true successor to the R2... a real beast, like the R2... alloy chassis, dual GPU, dual HDD, beyond HD video, etc.

 

But the million dollar question: will it have an RGB or comparable screen?

 

Unlikely. The leaked release in other countries only listed one screen option. I wouldn't put it past dell to add an option in later though.

Anyways back to the OP, a 6970 would almost match 5870CF, and would probably be preferrable due to CF bugginess. Yes, more r2 owners defending the build quality, it is long established that plastic < aluminum. Also, HDD space is pointless, since you can spend 80$ and get a 500gb Seagate Momentus XT, or a 750gb Hard drive. Also, Ram isn't worth it to upgrade either, considering dell's prices.

Have you tried calling in to get a discount on the r3? If you go to the order status or advice forum, I'm sure you can find a decent deal.

I remember a guy not so long ago getting a 1080p, 2630qm, 6970, 3 year warranty, intel 6300wireless, stock ram/hdd, and dvd burner for around 1650. So if you work your way down on a rep, you can get in your price range.

Also, list your needs. Do you need this for gaming, for photo editing, movie editing, or just for the heck of it? We can't advise without knowing...

An r2 is a beast, no doubt, but its EOL. M18x is the successor, but it is way out of your price range, since it will be starting at 2k (1999).

 

Thank you all for your help

Going with the R3 and 6970 upgrade.