The Official Area-51 m15x Owners Lounge II

Great to hear a new batch is shipping!

Would you guys be able to take pictures of the units, I would like to see the top left hand corner near the ethernet port, to see if they applied better sealant or some other change to this latest batch. Let's see if they've taken measures to prevent the case cracking.

 

After 39 days, my system has finally shipped. I received an e-mail from FedEx this afternoon stating that it will be delivered via Home Delivery tomorrow (3/28). I'll be sure to post details about the BIOS version, the LCD, and the general workmanship (no cracks, scratches, etc.)--the main issues that have been discussed here.

 

Ordered!


Display: 15.4" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD (720p) with Clearview Technology
System Lighting: Alienware® AlienFX® System Lighting - White
Video/Graphics Card: 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800M GTX
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Home Premium
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Without Media Center Remote Control or TV Tuner
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 1024MB
Turbo Cache Memory: Intel® Turbo Memory (1GB) – Accelerate Data Transfer Speed
Available on Windows Vista Only!
System Drive: 160GB 7200 RPM (8MB Cache)
Optical Drives : Dual Layer Blu-ray Disc Reader (BD-ROM, DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Wireless: Internal Intel® Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Sound Card : External Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Card
Keyboard Options: AlienFX® Illuminated Keyboard – Exclusive Design
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support w/ Onsite Service

going to upgrade ram to 4gb and hd to 64gb ssd when the good ones come out!.... after i test and make sure my machine isn't defective. hope it doesnt take too lng to come!

 

congrats on your purchase. i would of recommended you take out the intel turbo memory tho since that does slow down your system.

 

i was thinking of that, and i decided that i'd try it out. maybe a miracle will happen and it will help , or sp1/sp2(if there ever is one) will put it to use.

 

My m15x was shipped out yesterday and will arrive on Monday!

 

How much did it cost you total including taxes?

 

Some users (including Chaz) stated that they didn't notice the slowdown... my guess is that it looks worse on paper than experienced in practice.

 

link from m15x faq
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=2985&p=4

that link will show u how much it slows it down. the difference is really minimal though. its only about 1 extra second for start up and .1 of a second difference to exit from hibernation. you wont notice the difference but with the same amount of money you get turbo memory for you can buy a new game. the only significant difference is the time it takes to enter hibernation.

 

grats on your order, jl. and grats on your shipment d4rk.

As of earlier tonight i was still in phase 2. now their status page is down again -.- the paaain

 

I haven't notice any lag or improvement with the intel turbo memory. I don't think it really made a differance.

 

is it possible to overclock the 8800m gtx?

 

Maybe, but I cant' imagine it being a good idea considering the problems it may have at stock speeds with heat.

 

As far as i've seen, the slowdown that TM causes has only been really tested by anandtech on May of '07... every other site that i've read who bashed TM got their info from anandtech. that made me want to test it out myself. I didn't mind spending the money and i don't think that the slowdown that it could cause would be that noticeable. From what i've heard, not many people can tell that it slows anything down. I'm also hoping that being a year after that anandtech review, we may be able to utilize TM better... maybe not but it doesn't hurt to be hopeful.

A part of me also wanted to think that maybe if AW offered it, it shouldn't be that bad... you know, back when i thought all AW promoted/produced all things good.

ahhhh naivete

 

Well, I have had my m15x for just about a week now, and I am please to report that I have no cracks or physical flaws as of yet. I have noticed a slight screen shake when typing, but I barely notice. I am not sure about the magnetic latching system yet, I think I would have preferred a mechanical locking system over the magnets. (Makes me remember the old days "Keep those magnets away from the computer or you'll destroy data." ) The keyboard was a little tweaky at first, but it seems fine now that I have broken it in more. The touch controls are a bit hard to use, but they even say that to hold for 1 second to activate. Makes the volume slider harder to use, but it works. Speakers could have been better, I suggest good headphones.

I haven't yet to really "burned" it in, but I don't anticipate any thermal issues as I have the 8700M - 512MB Card installed. Actually this system runs cooler, not to mention quieter, than my old AW 766, which this is replacing. My 766 could toast bread put under it. (never really tried it though )

I have experienced one problem though. As I outlined in an earlier post, I am having a minor issue with the AlienFX program in "advance" mode. I did reinstall the program with a download from AW's site. The download upgraded my firmware for the light FX from 1.00.19 to 1.00.22, but even after reboot, I am still having the same error. I have a report in with AW tech, we'll see what happens.

In all, I really like this new computer. I (dare I say it?) feel that this is perhaps the best laptop of it's size class. It's performance seems right on for the upper class of laptops, and have had little issue at all. I don't even miss my old conspiracy blue AW766.

My friends all seem envious of my new laptop, my one friend, who has a m9750 even likes this one better. Great performance in a light and MORE transportable form. They even like the silver case, makes the light effects really stand out, especially in a dim lit room.

Hopefully this weekend I'll have more time to torture it and really see what it can do, but for now, I am quite pleased with it's overall performance.

What changes might I have made if I was to buy again? I think I would have saved the $50 and NOT put in the Intel Turbo Memory. I don't feel it did much at all. Would have been nice to have the 8800M GTX, but I did have a budget, and I didn't feel that the performance could justify the cost, much more like the leaving the processor at the 2.5Ghz T9300. To each their own though.

I will keep you all informed as I get more info, and get the FX problem fixed. At least I can still get lights, just not activated with programs or email notification.

-Etnadian

Display: 15.4" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD (720p) with Clearview Technology
System Lighting: Alienware® AlienFX® System Lighting - Aqua
Video/Graphics Card: 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8700M GT
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
Memory: 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 2048MB
Turbo Cache Memory: Intel® Turbo Memory (1GB) – Accelerate Data Transfer Speed
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Ultimate
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: With Express Card Media Center Remote Control
System Drive: 200GB 7200RPM (16MB Cache)
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW) w/ LightScribe Technology - View Demo
Wireless: Internal Intel® Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Sound Card : Internal High-Definition Audio with surround sound
Keyboard Options: AlienFX® Illuminated Keyboard
AlienRespawn: AlienRespawn v2.0 Recovery DVD – Windows Vista® Edition

 

Anybody have a link to the New Version of the Bios which addresses the overheating issue?

 

http://alienguise.alienware.com/_m15x_x30r/m15x_x30r.zip

 

Thanks for the quick response!

 

Ok how do I start the update> ? Its an ISO file.

 

Youll need to use something like MagicISO to open it up. Either that or PowerISO, but i use MagicISO.

http://www.magiciso.com/

Should be albe to open it without registering... hopefully. I got ahold of an already registered one

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3140065#post3140065

This is where some of us discussed what programs to use to upload it.

You use a program to burn it to a disc, then keep it in the drive, restart the computer, and push F12 when the alienhead shows up. Select the disc drive.

 

or alternatively http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3141197&postcount=388

 

actually now that i tried crysis again with the triple c pack , it is playable. but im not sure what the game really is supposed to look like. the triple c pack i heard used very high settings. how come 1280x720 looks like crap compared to 1440x 900. it does not seem like that big of a gap. sadly the game is not really playable when i switch up to 1440, as i loose about 5-10 fps.

 

Currently im in need of some traveling advices... right now i travel a lot from my hometown toward my study place (plane traveling)... my current bag is the old asus carrying bag (Ha, its kinda weird, i know) ...

anyone can recommend a good backpack for my m15x that can give a good protection from heat and water resistance during rainy days?? also any more extra tip? should i use the protective cloth sleeve when traveling? Will my m15x have problem when passing the scanner during the check-up at airport??(just asking around)

p/s: the weather condition on my country are usually hot everyday, and im always worried if my m15x got "BURNED".

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!! also its great that the heat-issue is over now... yes i was traumatized because of it and now my m15x arent that hot anymore except for the loud noise.... but right now im more worried if any problem would occur during travel...

 

still phase 2...since tuesday afternoon. do i ask them if there's a problem yet...or is this still normal? -_-;

 

Terek,

I travel all the time aswell, and my laptop taking a battering is a big concern too. Plus the fact i have cyclones constantly soaking my bag, so i had to get something to protect my invest aswell. I bought a Targus Voyager Backpack, which has a fair bit of padding, and also is made of waterproof feeling material on the inside. It also has a pull out waterproof cover to protect it further, and it covers the front and top of the backpack, but still lets you sling it over your shoulder. I had to put my bag on the heli-deck to go off the rig in the middle of Cyclone Pancho, and the rain pelted my bag. But cos i had the sleeve pulled over, and a Belkin Laptop Sleeve, nothing in my bag got wet or moist. PLus with the crew throwing my bag into the back of the chopper, my laptop still doesnt have a scratch or dent on it! Link for the backpack is http://www.targus.com/AU/product_details.asp?sku=TSB045CA . Its a 17", but i find it fits the m15x perfectly, as its a bit bigger than a normal 15.4", plus in the sleeve it is a bit bigger

I put my laptop through the scanner with the sleeve on it, they dont ask me to take it out of the sleeve, and the x-ray has no effect on the laptop whatsoever. Been doing it to my Dell D610 for 2 years, and it still works fine.

Any other questions about travel mate, ask away, im a veteran at it!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_resolution

Running a LCD at anything other than native resolution makes it look like crap. This is why WUXGA screens on gaming laptops are a bad idea, most new games won't run well at that resolution on even a high-end mobile video card so you're forced to run at a lower resolution, and your ultra-high-priced laptop now looks like crap.

Hence my decision to go for the 1440X900 screen.

 

That's what drove my decision, as well.

 

oh my! thanks for the quick reply!! and also the juicy info! Just worried abt getting it scan at the airport and then got problem with the system. i was also thinking of getting an 17" backpack rather than the 15" because of wanting an extra space.. i dont mind carrying super big backpack, as long as the m15x are in good care. I'm checking out your bag and it look cool plus the bag reallly have an extra protection... i think i've seen it somewhere at nearby store, hope its there .. do you have any other recommendation? do you worried about getting a heat problem when carrying it during hot day especially during the afternoon??

So, i guess i'll be getting the 17" Backpack, goodbye asus bag!!! Thanks Krismezza!!

 

Hey Terek,

I find the bag to be pretty good. I needed one with good waterproofing as my last bag got my D610 wet and i had plenty of problems with it afterwards! Not wanting the same to happen to my baby....

Despite the fact it is a 17" I find it fits the m15x perfectly. As it is a bit bigger i would recommend a 17" Bag, especially of you put a sleeve over it. I use the Belkin 15.4" Sleeve ( http://www.i-tech.com.au/products/25813_Belkin_15_4_inch_Slip_Case_Dove__Pink.aspx - comes in different colors, not just the pink one!), and its real good, has nice layer of padding for xtra protection, and a soft, almost velvety feel on the inside to stop scratching the chassis. Once this goes inside the bag, its a nice, snug fit - no slipping inside of it for extra damage. Its not actually that big on the back i find, real good padding and support on the bag area, and a few straps to hold it in place if you feel the need for it. There's a few threads in the accessories forum about bags (even one i started soley for waterproof bags) and sleeves. Just have a look in there aswell for other recommendations.

As for teh heat, i live in a humid environment, and dont see my computer getting hot in the bag. Obviously it will heat up in there, but i dont think it would to the point of burning something out inside the chassis. Well, not so far... haha.

For the Airport Scanners/X-rays, i have been doing them for years, and they havent messed up my system. They are basically just a reallllllllly short wave, theres no actual particles like an alpha wave. So there should be no damage.

Hope this helps mate.

Kris

 

For people in the phase game: i just got off the phone with AW sales. (I was kinda annoyed about how long it seemed to be taking them to charge the credit card.)

The guy was cool..told me i'm actually in phase 3 and that their status page has been having some issues with accuracy lately. Just putting that out there for anyone frustrated with their phases. Maybe you're further along than you think.

 

i hopped from stage 1-4 in less than one day. lol :1

 

I ordered before you and you're in production while I'm in que. Somehow the universe isn't fair

 

i ordered in mid Feb... until mid last week i was still in phase 4. i still don't have my system.

...maybe sometime this evening.

 

I called them this morning and they said it might ship out today or monday 31st. Well....I just got a call on my cell and it was aw telling me my system shiped out yesterday and I should see by the 1st. Something doesnt seem right here????
-jb

 

We ordered about the same time, NNugles, and I received mine at 12:30 PM today. I'm waiting for my girlfriend to get home from work before I (we) open it, since it's our laptop.

(Don't tell her, but, technically, it's mine, since I'm a gamer, she's not, and her desktop was built in the 60s. )

 

Damn dude, thanks for that info. I never knew that before now.
I was considering getting the WUXGA screen but decided to go for the WXGA screen in the end. And after reading what you just said makes me ..

 

Just got mine in! Here's the first picture...

...more to come later.

 

Ouch! Sorry to see the sleeve is ripped T_T

 

dang that sucks. Hopefully thats your only problem

 

i dont think i will ever use that thing anyway its to thin to protect it from anything more then a scratch. too bad though if you intened on using it.

 

DeadOrAlive,

it depends on what games u play and how you play. Typically, usually people play games in full screen but there are some gamers that play in window. I play some games (not something demanding like Crysis) in a window so that I could multitask better like Alt+Tab for say, Flocking, MIRCing, IMing, or whatever you are doing.

So it really depends on what games are you playing and how you play the game. I only play games like CoD4 or Crysis on full screen for best experience, but games like PES 2008, Football Manager, StarCraft, Counter-Strike (full windowed screen) just so I could Alt+Tab faster. And before anyone saying you also could Alt+Tab during full screen yes indeed u can. Try window screen and Alt+Tab, it's so much faster and smoother compared to Alt+Tab during full screen gaming.

 

i have plenty of laptop/padded cases, backpacks, and messenger bags that i use. i did intend on using this sleeve just for protection from dust and tiny scratches... and rely on the other things i have to pad the laptop. I was pretty bummed about the ripped sleeve and i wrote AW asking for a replacement.

I've had only about 30 mins to mess with the laptop so far and this thing is NICE. The flex in the keyboard is noticeable and the only flaw so far to the otherwise perfect keyboard.

Havent had time to test anything else yet. going to install some games tomorrow.

NOTE: the BT media controller does not sit flush with the system.. it actually sticks out the side about 1/3 inch. I assumed it would be like the HPs where the controller sits all the way in the slot but it's not the case... rather disappointing. I intended to keep the controller in the laptop at all times but being that it sticks out so far, it would just look weird and get in te way of my laptop cases.

 

NNugles, good luck with the sleeve, i hope that they send you out a new one

I noticed the keyboard flex too when i first got my hands on my m15x, however, under normal use, you don't notice at all. games, notes, so far i've done a pretty good variety of things with it, and I don't notice the flex one little bit... but if you push on it, it IS there.

I assumed the same thing about the remote... oh well, the remote is great, works up to 30 feet (supposedly), i've been able to use it from a few rooms away (with wireless headphones attached to the system)... it's nice in a way, because it's small, and after it's charged, you can slip it into just about any small compartment in a bag or backpack (mine has a card-holder right next to the laptop, which is where i store mine)... it's almost as good. would've been nice to have it stored in the system itself, but that's okay. the remote makes up for that in so many other ways.

 

i think i will like the remote a good bit even though it does not sit flush... and yes i completely agree with your comment about the keyboard flex not being a problem. I do notice it as i'm typing but it's not bad enough to be a problem. I totally expected to have to do the foam/sponge sheet fix but i don't think i will.

i'm actually on the road now and this laptop travels fine so far... much lighter than i expected and even though it's thick, it's not really bulky or cumbersome to carry.

Another user mentioned that the right palm rest gets warm. This is the case for me too but it's not really a problem yet.

One thing that did happen was when i picked up my laptop this morning - holding it form both sides towards the front - i heard a loud pop/crack near the smart bay. :O

 

Do any of you other m15x owners have a warm or hot right side palmrest? Just trying to see if mine is normal.

Thanks,
N

 

yep, it's the heat from the graphics card

 

wow, did you check out the smart bay to see if it was alright? (pop out the drive and look to see if anything was broken?)

 

Thanks - I was wondering if that was the case. I just hope they get a driver out that the PowerMizer works in. Its crazy for the card to stay at high speed when not gaming.

N

 

probably the graphics card