Hey guys,
I've received my M11x R3 last month and now can safely say that I have used and played with every single revision of this wonderful machine. Therefore... I have decided to do a quick guide to help future buyers of the M11x.
To begin there are three models of the Alienware M11x by Dell **. The R1, R2, and R3. All of the three separate revisions are annotated with an "R" and their corresponding numbers.
How do you differentiate each revision?-
R1 - Revision 1:
This model generally has the SU7300 Core 2 Duo processor (CPU) and always has the Nvidia Gt335m graphics card (GPU).
R2 - Revision 2:
This model generally has the i5-520M or i7-640M CPUs (though others are available such as the lesser: i3 330UM, and U5400) as well as also containing the Nvidia Gt335m GPUs.
R3 - Revision 3:
This is the newest model and has the most up to date processors. This model typically has the i5-2537M or i7-2617M CPUs and always has the Nvidia GT540m GPU.
But I've heard about the M14x, M17x and M18x Models, what are those?
The M14x, M17x and M18x are larger models by Alienware. They are 14, 17 and 18 inches respectively. Each one performs quite differently and they are heavily based on personal preference. The m14x performs 20% better in general than a fully geared M11x. The base M14x price is roughly around the price of full M11x. The M17x is a cheaper version of the M18x, it can handle most games and is for the person that wants a bigger machine that can handle everything like the M18x but is on money restraints. The M18x is a dual GPU system that performs 3 to 5 times better than the M11x but is twice to three times more expensive and almost 2-3 heavier (depending on bags and such). Its all by preference and money. But anyway... moving on to the best computer (in my opinion)
The M11x...
What's the difference between the i5 and i7 and should I go for the lesser i3 models?
The difference between the i5 and i7 is not much at all. You will not gain much except for maybe 5fps (frames per second) in many situations. IF YOU CAN HELP IT, do not go for the i3 model. The i3 model does not have turbo boost technology. This means it loses 20% or more of its effectiveness. Essentially it means that if you have an R3 with an i3 processor you essentially have a very slightly more powerful R2 CPU. Always opt in for the i5 or i7 models if you can.
What does my M11x Look Like?
Other than giving you a picture, all of the 3 models have the same general shape and basic ports (for the most part)-
1. All revisions have a 11.6'' screen capable of 1366x768 resolution (720p). The R1 and R2 have slightly less vibrant displays (not that noticeble).
2. All revisions make use of the AlienFX Command Center allowing the use of fully customizable color changing keyboard and speaker grilles.
3. The R1, R2, and R3 all containing 3 USB
[port]
: One is on the left side and two are on the right side. The R1 and R2 only have USB2.0 ports. The R3, however, uses USB3.0 [t]echnology with the 2 USB ports on the right side. [All three are powered though reviews frequently misinterpret a useful function that keeps the left USB port powered on when the system is off until the battery reached 10%.]
4. All revisions h[ave] a microphone attached above the screen [with integrated sound. The R3 has a second microphone used for noise cancelation]. There are also 2 headphone jacks and 1 microphone jack to make use of external speakers, headsets or microphones.
5. The R1 is the only model to have [VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort].
6. The R2 and R3 [do not have VGA (only HDMI and DisplayPort)].
7. All revisions have a standard ethernet [RJ45 port] and SD card slot.
Price to Performance Ratio:
The big question I am always asked is whether or not it is worth the $200-300 between each model. Here I will discuss what you will get for each system in terms of performance.
M11x R1 ("Don't care what the graphics look like" Gamer") - $500-600: This computer makes use of Hybrid Switching Drivers which allows you to turn on and off your graphics card on demand. When you have your graphics card off you will gain approximately 3-5hours of extra work while performance suffers (mainly used for notes and light workloads such as browsing the internet). These drivers cannot be upgraded on a normal bases from the Nvidia website as they are released specifically from Dell.
When it comes to gaming this computer has almost reached its end. The CPU of this computer is several years old and is the bottleneck (what holds the computer back) in most of the situations. There are several mods that can be done to increase performance such as a GPU overclock but when it comes to the CPU you are pretty much stuck unless you want to open up your laptop.
This model can pretty much tackle games up to Bad Company 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops on low settings. The games which are very CPU intensive will be the ones that take the heaviest hit. Games being released in today's market such as Warhammer 40k: Space Marine and Human Revolution will all need to be played on low settings to get at least 25fps.
Though the performance lacks this is the best model when it comes to battery life. The R1 with some tweaks can get as much as 7 to 8 hours of battery life when keeping the GPU off.
For $500 its a nice computer for someone in college who desires a laptop that can play games fairly while staying on without a plug when taking notes.
M11x R2 (Market Crowd: Average Gamers) - $800-1000: This laptop is the laptop for the "average joe" computer consumer. Between all of the leaps between models you will notice the biggest improvement in performance when getting an R2. When it comes to fundamentals this and the R3 use Nvidia's Optimus technology. This is where the computer switches the [discrete] GPU on and off when needed [deleted]. Furthermore you can update your[r] drivers to the most recent Nvidia release. This computer tends to play most games on medium or high settings without issue. Typically you will not want any shadows enabled in any game as this will take the biggest punch in your system. Bad Company 2 can play on High Settings with shadows on Low getting around 30-50fps (scenario permitting) which is an incredible jump from the R1 considering it gets in the 20s to 30s on low settings.
M11x R3 (Market Crowd: Portable Enthusiast Gamers) - $1100-1400: This is the enthusiasts laptop and not much can be said except that it can play every game on the market today at medium or high settings. In best terms the R3 plays Bad Company 2 gets about 40-50fps on All High (including shadows/ HBAO) and in Crisis it packs a punch at Enthusiast level so long as you take the Shaders down a couple notches.
When it[']s all said and done there is a revision for everyone. The R2 and R3 get less battery life but not by much. Typically the R2 and R3 get about 5-6 hours when browsing and taking notes on an airplane or college setting. DO NOT buy the GT540m with 2GB of VRAM - it is a waste of $100. Your computer will never use this (unless you are doing heavy visual graphics... and even then). My computer was a replacement and came it. I would have purchased the 1GB.
Can I upgrade my M11x?
There are only five things that you can upgrade in the M11x:
1. The RAM (memory)
2. The Hard Drive
3. The WLAN card (WiFi)
4. The WWAN card (mobile internet)
5. The bluetooth
YOU CANNOT UPGRADE THE CPU OR GPU - THEY ARE SOLDERED INTO THE MOTHERBOARD.
Should I use Dell's Outlet to purchase my M11x if money is tight?
I have heard nothing but good things about this option. The only thing I suggest is only purchasing Certified Refurbished models. The other ones are crap *side note: The outlet has some M11x R3[deleted]s stating they have the GT550M[. T]his is a confirmed typo and you should [read] it as a 540m.
Drivers:
What is a driver? It is software that "controls" your hardware. ie: Your Graphics Card. In most cases updating your drivers will lead to a [better] experience and performance with your machine.
The sites for Dell Drivers are as follows:
Here. Located the GeoForce 335m or 540m respectively.
Issues reguarding each model?
R1 - There was a hinge issue that affected the screen hinges but they are easily replaced by a [D]ell tech while you are n warranty [or by depot service when you are outside warranty]. [Also, many are unable to operate reliably with the factory overclock enabled in the BIOS setup. They not advertised with the faster overclock in all countries so Dell's support regarding regarding the issue varies. Even with a stable overclock some Flash videos will appear corrupt when using Intel graphics and Flash hardware acceleration while overclocked. There is a known issue with closing the lid while manually entering sleep (often causes a hard lock on a black screen). If you have changed the default lid sensor behavior and manually trigger sleep, allow it to finish entering sleep mode before closing the lid.]
R2 - The hinge issue as well. Also very few laptops are affected by an error when playing certain games where it causes a Blue Screen (nvlddmkm.sys) on newer N[v]idia Drivers. The only solution was to underclock your GPU. It is very hard to get it to Blue Screen while on a service call because it usually happens between 15min to 3 hours in gameplay of any of a number of games. This issue is not as common but has been mentioned on this forum
R3 - None so far. Hinges are fixed and no issues with BSODs (blue screens).
That is all that I can think of for my quick guide on the three models. Feel free to comment and suggest other topics to add. I will do my best to update with your information as I see fit.
Good luck,
DeeVu
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
