Your view of the m17x R1/R2

Heya

Whats your view of the m17x? Do you use it as your primary PC and what sort of tasks do you cover with it?


I tend to just use mine for gaming mostly, but the portability is great for when I want to go to my dads to play games. Otherwise I just get bored. The design of the laptop is awesome and I am amazed to find this laptop completely crushed my desktop in all ways. It just goes to show how far technology has gone :]

What's your view?

 

Both my previous laptop and desktop were on their way out almost simultaneously so I bought this to replace them. Used for my main PC as well as gaming and bringing in to bed to watch stuff while falling asleep

While the gaming performance is not comparable to current desktop equivalents, its still better than my 2 yr old desktop which was still gaming decently.

 

Yea my desktop did well on most games but I never used it for the latest titles. When I got m17x R2 however I felt like I had to use it for the latest games and therefore ignore xbox. Don't regret it either

 

I use my laptop for pretty much everything, both work and recreation.

Image editing, video encoding, gaming, as a media center, emulating older software, and basic tasks like web-browsing and email.

 

I am in Afghan and needed something that performs. The m17x plays Medal of Honor without hiccup and every other game that I've thrown at it. It is a nice laptop and when I take it anywhere in public it draws quite a bit of attention.

 

No problems here at all, and I've done quite a bit of modification to the GPU heat sinks. That was because I can't leave well enough alone, not because it was necessary.

 

Is it my primary computer: yes.

Why: I'm always away from home.

Tasks: Latest Games, VM Machines, Internet/Word/Excel, professional audio, Paint Shop Pro, Skype to keep in touch with family, all simultaneously.

Issues: none so far.

 

My R2 replaced my old desk top. I really use it as a desk top replacement but I do take it away with me so I can still game. I use it for movies (great picture on blu-ray), games, Microsoft office stuff, Internet, logmein for working at home.
No problems at all so far

 

It's my main computer haha but unlike TurbodTalon I can leave my R2 alone until I need to do something to it

 

Desktop replacement not due to performance, but due to the fact that I needed a system with a superior display, capacity and design.

People always ask my, why not a mac etc. Simple answer, not only did I want a machine thats on par with my desktop. I wanted to be afraid for the floor instead of the system if one would sometimes drop it ;D

 

My M17x is my only computer. (This was an upgrade from an XPS M1710. I haven't had a desktop in 5 years.) I use it for video editing, desktop publishing, gaming and web/email. In addition, I use it for work (I'm a consultant) and carry it in my Orion backpack every day. It is quite a load to schlep around, but it does everything I need it to and is a good ice breaker at client sites.

 

My M17x is my travel computer so I can game on the road

 

I think it is an awesome machine in looks, design and function. Yes it is my primary machine. My desktop has become my permenant media machine connected to my big screen (and a backup game machine for when I have company).

 

Best case scenario: Burnt GPU, CPU etc...

Worse case scenario: Burnt house.

Worst case scenario: Burnt balls

Oh and regarding the topic: My M17x is my childhood dream came true.

 

You score a rep on all counts.

 

Well, when I'm doing something that's really not intensive, I switch to Power Savings mode (where most things are set to max battery, and ATI powerplay is on) and use the Stealth mode, using the Stealth mode switcher that someone on this forum posted.

It reduces the noise quite a bit and doesn't heat up that often. Even so, I would put it on the flat surface if I am using it.

 

I'd been without a computer at home for about 18 months before getting my M17x. I didn't want to get a desktop because I don't have a lot of space to put one, and it's a lot harder to move around. The M17x was the only laptop I found that looked good, gamed well, and would last for at least 3-4 years.

I'm totally happy with my machine. It's got more than enough power for coding and running VMs, and will eat just about any game I throw at it. I've had plenty of people comment on it too, notably about the fancy lighting on the keyboard.

 

One thing I don't like about my R1 is it's too small....I know I know, it's 17", but my old HP is 20". I miss those 3 inches. And although I love the keyboard, backlighting, the speakers aren't as nice as the HP's either. Overall I'm VERY happy with it, even though I had geakskwad fix it once already, they replaced my mobo.

 

My m17x R2 has been my best friend (other than my fiance) since I got it. I don't own another computer anymore. I use computers a lot at work but once I get home if I'm on my computer I'm playing games.

For so many years I had a cruddy pc that barely trudged through even middle-aged games (WoW and EQ even at times T_T). Once I got my Alienware, that all changed. I still play a fair amount of WoW because I've started to enjoy it again, at least for now. However, when I'm not playing WoW I'm toying around in all kinds of things.

I love being able to play Black Ops at max settings without a single hiccup, or Metro 2033. Even Crysis looks at my AW and can hardly come up with something to throw at it that even makes it blink. Fallout 3 and New Vegas have also been incredible (save for the bugs that both entail on all systems and consoles).

The build quality exceeds any laptop I've ever touched, although there aren't a lot out there that can compare. As far as build quality goes, usually only Clevo or Apple can come up with something as nice while Apple doesn't fill my needs and Clevo wasn't quite for me. It's a very solid laptop. I appreciate that while being a laptop I can actually take it apart and maintain it properly without being afraid of breaking some silly plastic parts in every nook and cranny. This is especially nice considering my long hair cat sheds like no other and those hairs are perfect for clogging fans and frying cards.

I could have gotten a desktop, being as my m17x rarely leaves my desk, but the few times I do move around with it I don't mind it at all because it's like carrying a small monster in my bag. The only problem I've ever had with it was it started to overheat on the second GPU in Metro a lot, so I decided to put some TX-4 on the GPUs and memory chips. Now it runs at around 60-70C max, which is around 20-30C lower than before. Maybe not so oddly, WoW is actually the game that makes my GPUs run hottest now, sometimes almost to 80C, but that's partly because WoW is poorly optimized.

This is my full desktop replacement. I thought about getting a netbook/iPad/another desktop to maybe do things other than game on, but I realized that I really don't need any of that when this AW does everything I need. Heck, my 360 has been incredibly lonely since as I've sold almost every XBox game I own away. Now all I have left is the Halo series.

Steam has definitely been my worst cohort in this, constantly tantalizing me with sales and irresistable deals on games that otherwise I might have passed over, giving me the chance to play all kinds of new games. The m17x is like my lifetime nerdy dream come true: an actual gaming laptop that chew up and spit out just about anything I throw at it, and ask for more punishment.

My fiance was even nice enough to help me fund this wonderful toy, although I think every now and then she regrets it because of the fans. It doesn't happen nearly as often now that I've redone all the thermal paste and whatnot, but it still has the occasional 'get cover because this thing is about to take off' aspect. Those fans get LOUD. Nothing like being engrossed in a game of Black Ops or Fallout and having something fly across the room and hit you in the forehead so your future wife can tell you she can't hear her TV LOL. In fact, I think she believes I love it more than I do her (completely false, of course).

The only things that could really be improved is the rate at which Dell updates the drivers, there are many things in 10.11 Radeon that I would like to have but the drivers are still a bit buggy on my machine so I stick to the updated stock ones.

I'm looking forward to years with my m17x, and I couldn't be happier.

 

Before i got the M17x i considered getting a desktop, but my room literally doesnt have space for a desktop PC (hard case+ monitor + keyboard + sound speakers + all the wires), money wasnt a problem so i decided to go for the most powerful and expensive laptop, it was time for me to replace my 5 years old HP dv5000 (which served me well).

I love the M17x design, I love the screen and its resolution and colors, I use it for gaming mostly (obviously).

 

yup, this is my only PC now. I use it to game, edit video, and work with 3DS Max (3d animation). I am in college, and I do bring this heavy #itch with me. other than how heavy it is, I love it. I am just scared it will wake up one night, kill me, and take over my life.

 

I had an old Dell Inspiron 8500 for about 4 years and then I swapped out the main board, processor, and graphics card for what went into the Precision M60. This was the only computer in the house and my wife was tired of sharing the old thing so I got an m17xR1 about 14 months ago and, after dealing with a couple bogus BIOS and command center update issues, I love it! Like some of the others who posted, I can't leave will enough alone and have done some mods. I traded out the T9600 processor for a QX9300 when HP had them on sale for cheap, I got rid of the 1510 wireless for an Intel 6300, upped the RAM from 4GB to 8GB, installed two 640GB 7200RPM drives in RAID 0, and I just barely upgraded my nVidia 260m SLI to the 285m SLI. I also took the time to clean off the old thermal paste, apply better stuff, and mod the ducting a little. Obviously, my benchmark scores improved but I also notice a generous increase in performance in my day-to-day use. My R1 is fast, stable, and a lot of fun to show off to others!

I do some gaming with it--Crysis, LoTR games, and such. Sometimes I watch a few bluray movies. Most of the time I am using it for all my grad school work--digitizing artifacts in 2D and 3D, working spreadsheets, and I love those programs that take advantage of multiple cores! I never expected this thing to be as fast as it is, I initially bought it because of the aluminum shell all the pretty lights.

My old Inspiron/Precision's screen is getting pretty dim. It's likely we will replace it with an m11xR1 and I am pretty excited about that!

 

While had a R1 ( and later R2), used the beast for all around computing, gaming, work, home TV replacement - you name it.

 

I have had an R1 I bought 2nd hand for two weeks. I Love the power of the thing, like many others it outperforms my 2yo desktop, which was a reasonably high end build at the time. (q9450 and gtx 260. Was when the GTX 2xx cards had just been released so i couldnt afford to pony up $600 for the GTX 280 lol) However Im having a lot of probs with the R1 atm, more than ive had with any previous machine. So we have a bit of a love hate relationship atm. It does have 12 months warranty so Im hoping it comes back all fixed up and i can just feel the love

Have to send it off tomorrow already starting to suffer seperation anxiety.... lol

 

I love my R2! Hands down the best laptop I have owned to date.

I'm recently new to this machine so I haven't had to suffer the many issues experienced by early adopters. I think reading through the forums you'll find many/some of the issues have been resolved with firmware and driver updates over the past several months.

Is it perfect and problem free? No. (Example: Battery Charging, Transistor Noise, etc.)

However, I use this machine day-in and day-out. It's on almost 24/7 (Only powered off during travel to and from work).

I use it for a variety of applications including Virtualisation (Running locally as well as Remote Management), Video/Photo Editing, Multimedia, Gaming and general Productivity (Word, Excel, Visio, Project, etc.).

Like other Dell laptops I have owned, I find it relatively easy to service myself (Example: Upgraded Wi-Fi, CPU - The first time is always the most difficult. However, you will be rewarded with persistence, patience and care).

You also have a wonderful community of very knowledgeable and helpful individuals.

What more can you ask for?

No machine is perfect and I doubt you will ever find one! (People spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on exotic sports cars only to find they self-combust!).

I personally have never had an issue with Dell's support. Whenever I have had an issue in the past, I simply call the help desk, explain my issue and either request parts be sent to me for replacement or insist on an on-sight tech (who you watch like a hawk!).

That's my two cents worth. Back to work.