*OFFICIAL* M11xR1 Owners Lounge - Part 4

Notebookreview.com's Review of the Alienware M11x Gaming Notebook
http://www.notebookreview.com/defau...=alienware+m11x+ultraportable+gaming+notebook

Previous Owners Lounge Threads

• *OFFICIAL* M11x Owners Lounge Part 1
• *OFFICIAL* M11x Owners Lounge Part 2
• *OFFICIAL* M11x Owners Lounge Part 3

Additional NBR M11x Threads

• *OFFICIAL* M11x Order Status Thread
• *OFFICIAL* M11x Benchmark Thread
• *OFFICIAL* M11x Arrival Thread
• *OFFICIAL* M11x Optimization Thread
• *OFFICIAL* M11x Troubleshooting Thread
• M11x Gaming Discussion Thread
• M11x Gameplay Videos Thread

M11x Tech Specs

Alienware M11x Manuals @ support.dell.com

Current M11x Drivers from support.dell.com

Processor Options
Intel® Pentium® Processor SU4100 (2M Cache, 1.30 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=43568

Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo SU7300 (1.3GHz, 800 MHz, 3 MB)
http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=42791

Comparison Between the SU4100 and SU7300:
http://ark.intel.com/Compare.aspx?ids=42791,43568

Chipset
Mobile Intel® GS45 Chipset

Operating System Options
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64-Bit
Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate 64-Bit

Memory Options
2GB, 4GB, 8GB DDR38 - 800MHz

Video Card Options

• 
  1GB GDDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 335M
  
  Hard Drive Options
  160GB5 5,400RPM
  250GB5, 320GB5, 500GB5 - 7,200RPM
  256GB5 - Solid State Drive
  
  Display
  11.6-inch WideHD 1366x768 (720p) LCD
  
  Bluetooth
  Internal Wireless Bluetooth 2.1
  
  Battery
  8 Cell Prismatic (64 whr) - Primary
  
  Ports
  IEEE 1394a (4-pin) port
  Integrated Ethernet RJ-45 (100 Mbps)
  3 Hi-speed USB 2.0 ports
  DP / HDMI - Video Output
  3-in-1 Media Card Reader
  2 Audio Out Connectors
  Audio In / Microphone Jack (retaskable for 5.1 audio)
  Two Built-In Front Speakers
  
  Network Adapter
  a/b/g/n 2x2 MIMO
  Internal WWAN Mobile Broadband
  
  Audio
  Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
  
  Optional
  Optional USB Digital TV Tuner, TV Tuner with Remote
  Optional External USB Slot-Loading DVD Burner (DVD±RW)
  
  Dimensions & Weight
  Height: 32.7mm (1.29 inches)
  Width: 285.7mm (11.25 inches)
  Depth: 233.3mm (9.19 inches)
  Preliminary Weight: Start at 1.99kg (4.39 lbs)

• 
  
  Offsite Review Links
  
  Alienware M11x IGN Review
  http://gear.ign.com/articles/106/1065816p1.html
  
  HardwareHeaven M11x Review
  http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews.php?reviewid=924&pageid=1
  
  
  Mini FAQ
  
  Well upgrading HDD or Memory void my warranty?
  Probablly not, if anything all you have to do is replace your original hdd back into the system before sending it back in for repairs.
  
  Anyone now how the Gobi™ Mobile Broadband with GPS work? Since they use cellphone data networks do you pay a usage fee to which ever provider you choose?
  I believe you need a Cell subscription to work with it, either ATT or Verizon. And I think it is like 60 bucks a month, but it basically gives you internet where ever you go. However, if you already have a smart plan and are paying for a data plan,, it is possible to tether your phone to your PC, and get anywhere wireless using that method.
  
  Any idea when the i5s or i7s will be coming for the system?
  There is no reliable time frame for the i5/i7 processors. Some people say summer, others October.
  
  Everyone talks about how much better it is going from OC 1.3 to 1.6...but in reality how much better is it and why? Im new to all this so pardon the noob question but why so much better?
  You are looking at a 20% performance increase, as in the same kinda boost you would get from upgrading to a UM i5 processor, and all you do is turn one options to yes.
  
  What kind of discounts can you get?
  10% off with EPP, $50 off coupon with EPP newsletter signup, and 3% off using your DPA.
  
  
  Thanks to Mag for tracking down the videos and other assorted links which follow:
  
  Additional Info and Videos:
  • <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qn1ONBObwVQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width='560'>
  • According to this video the M11X weighs less than 4.5 pounds and has more than 6.5 hours of battery life.
  Digital Chumps (thanks othersteve for sharing and aznguyen316 for linking me to it )
  • Video (Watch it in HD)
  Engadget
  • hands-on
  • pictures
  • video (Engadget Show) - Dirt 2 running on the M11X skip to 48 minutes and 45 seconds.
  Gizmodo
  • hands-on
  • pictures
  CNET
  • CNET M11X early review - Thanks Binkojobin
  • hands-on
  • "Quick look" video
  • "First look" video
    <embed src="http://www.cnet.com/av/video/flv/universalPlayer/universalSmall.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="playerType=embedded&type=id&value=50081945" height="280" width='364'>
  IGN
  • hands-on
  • video
    <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EgXMqd-3DRc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width='560'>
  Laptop Mag
  • hands-on and video
  • pictures
  Notebooks.com
  • hands-on
  • video
    
    <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QW7cog1WTGw&hl=en_US&fs=1&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width='425'>
  • According to their hands-on review the game (MW2) was running on 1280x720 with AA off and with "all other effects turned on".
    
  • The source also mentioned that the speakers are very loud.
  Hot Hardware
  • hands-on & pictures
  • video
    <width='560' height="340"></width='560'>
  According to Dell the M11X
  • Scores 6000 to 7000 3DMarks (I'm guessing 3DMark06 looking at the specs of the graphic card).
  • Has 6 and a half hours of battery life and over 2 hours during "intense" gaming.
  • Runs Call of Duty MW2 on high settings and HD resolution at more than 30 frames per second.
  • Runs Crysis at 50 frames per second. (Unknown settings)
  
  

 

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Does anyone have a recommendation for a gaming pad like this one? http://www.crazypc.com/images/inputdevices/keypads/cybersnipa/full_game_pad_006.jpg
I'd like to have something mobile that can replace the wasd keys. Been playing MW2 for 6 hours yesterday, I noticed my fingers get a bit more cramped.

 

Damn part 4 already guess this really shows how popular this laptop is. Mine is coming on Monday can't wait.

 

copycat, I use the wolf king pads.

Neil.

 

Anyone using the 256GB Samsung (Dell OEM) SSD's in the M11X? What's your opinion on them?

 

I'm curious, is there an *OFFICIAL* Alienware M11x Owner's chat room, on IRC perhaps?

 

Not that I am aware of.

 

Can you install nVidia drivers on your own? Or can you use only AW released nvidia drivers? What drivers do you recommend?

I didn't think of this before I bought my M11x, but my Lenovo had "hybrid" graphics between Intel and ATI, but you only could use Lenovo's drivers because they combined the drivers for the "soft switch", and unfortunately Lenovo never released new drivers.

Either way, what drivers have people successfully installed, and is there any suggested technique different than normal?

 

For this one, I would suggest the typical clean install process -

1. Uninstall Display Driver via Programs and Features CP
2. Reboot into Safe Mode (F8 @ BIOS)
3. Run CCleaner Registry Module and clean any leftover NV/Intel entries
4. Reboot normally
5. Run display driver installer

As for the actual driver, since this is literally the first NVIDIA/Intel Hybrid driver, its going to take some time before we start seeing these. IMO of course.

 

I apologize if I missed this discussion in the hundreds of pages posted so far but I am looking for a bag to carry this beast as well as a few accessories.

Has anyone come up for the best options for the M11X...

I have seen the sleeves and 1 bag so far but I am not sold on them... Hoping for something secure, nice looking and durable.

Thanx

 

@CEOWULF - Still looking for an answer to ZLOGS questions on the glare screen:

"is that actually big enough to cover the entire E2E plastic cover thats over the lcd?"

 

Figured I would chime in with some initial impressions of my M11x. I ordered it on 2/3 and it was delivered on 2/24.

It looks great, I love the fact that it has a backlight keyboard after using an external one at my desk I don't think I can ever use another computer without one. I have it set as white and the left side of the keyboard is slightly off color, has elements of blue at the bottom and pink at the top. Also the lights for the wireless card is way too dim, its barely noticeable when on.

I have the cpu clocked at 1.6ghz and have had 0 issues, after following the optimization thread I have it idling at 0-2% now instead of 10%.

The screen quality is alot better than my gateway and is almost as good if not better than the great screen on my sony FE. It has no dead pixels, no dust, I don't see any gaps, and the none of the hinges squeak. I do wish the screen was a little bigger since the bezel is so big but its really a non-issue.

The gaming capabilities of this thing are great, there is no doubt in my mind that in most cases at native resolution the cpu is the weak link but it can handle all the games I would play on the go namely wow, l4d2, and audiosurf. If there are games it can't handle I think I can stand not playing them while on the road...

Build quality of the chassis seems great so far. I haven't noticed any creaks, groans, or flex that I notice anytime I handle my gateway.

I have not been able to turn off battery charging while plugged in and I hope this is fixed soon. I never paid attention to the battery in my sony until one day I unplugged it and it only lasted 20mins (same thing happened to my sisters lenovo r61).

I haven't benched battery life but it appears that at full brightness, wireless/bluetooth on, cpu overclocked, gpu on integrated, lights on that it will last 4-4.5hrs which is great imho (I'm used to 1.5-2hrs on my gateway).

The speakers are nothing to brag about, they do get loud enough for personal use and are comparable to my Sony and Gateway but still suck.

I'm used to the dual fans on my gateway so the noise on this one does not bother me in the least, especially considering the cpu, hdd, and gpu all run cooler than my gateway. Some people have reported that the fan is always at max for them and really loud, I have not noticed this but I will pay more attention over the coming weeks.

Sorry for the long post that kinda rambles but I just typed as my thoughts came to me while waiting for borderlands to finish downloading (its done now)

 

nofxman32, could you please link me to said optimization thread?

 

So - I have a new question..

What is the "proper" way to clean the screen? (i.e. what do you use to keep from scratching it?)

 

Here it is

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=463114

It just involves turning off the Alienware Fx taskbar icon and service. It appears to me that when you turn it off whatever theme you have turned on at the time stays, so if your keyboard light is blue it will stay blue. You can easily change said theme by going back into the alienware command center but then until you reset the computer or turn the program back off again the cpu utilization will go back up. Also when its off the FN+Print Screen hotkey doesn't toggle the theme on or off, but to me its a far trade while gaming to ensure I can get max performance out of the cpu.

 

They are not worth the money - had a Samsung one in another machine. Put an aftermarket one in.

 

useful question would be around alternative NVidia drivers to see if anything runs better.

 

Not sure if you meant this, but did you check out the link in my sig? I threw together a quick list of accessories.

I edited my second post of pictures no, it's not big enough but I wasn't looking to cover the e2e. The only time I'll ever see the cover is when my screen is off and when that happens, the lid will be closed.

My ViewGuard is actually 11.5", not 11.6".

 

I have/use the logitech G13 and love it. The LCD is great for viewing quick stats in games like HP and ammo. and the button layout is better than most gamepads i've tried (including the wolf king, Speedpad, Cybersnipa and FANG).

 

Can anyone else comment on this? I was thinking of ordering an m11x soon and was going to go with the SSD option....

 

Do like i'm gonna do and just get the M11x with the lowest hdd and get an aftermarket SSD like the Intel X25M or the Kingston V+ series. Will be cheaper than getting the Dell SSD though you probably won't be able to get a 256GB one.

 

I'm looking for more opinions as well, but the reason I like the idea of them is size/price. 256GB is a lot more if you go aftermarket. I need a lot of room. I'm not expecting them to be as fast as intel SSD's, I'm used to 7200RPM mechanical drives, so I they are faster then those I'll be happy. Now that they come with trim, that should help. I'm asking about the Samsung SSDs from those that have them. Not looking for aftermarket suggestions.

 

@jingaro:

There is an "official" m11x owners Steam group, posted a while ago:

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/m11x_owners

 

Anandtech did an exhaustive review of SSD's:
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3631

Someone had posted a brief synopsis of this article, but you will find the comparisons to other drives and the differences you should expect from the Samsung drive. In most respects it looked comparable to the Raptor HDD.

 

Thanks Captain

 

i was wondering... i know that the m11x comes with an Nvidia gt335 Gfx card, but can i install a Nvidia Gts 360m card later? (just wondering) and yes i understand that the 335 is more then enough for the 1.3 -1.6 cpu...

 

Does anybody here have a good external drive they would recommend?

 

From the pictures I've seen the 335 is soldered onto the system board. It might be possible for a skilled solderer to swap them, but I have no idea if the new card would work due to the intel/nvidia switch. The chip could also require different voltages and such. It might be possible, but I wouldn't consider it feasible.

 

So i thought i should mention i just ordered my alienware m11x ;D total came upto 1280 after tax ;(

i thought i should mention this to Canadian buyers : BLUETOOTH MUST BE PAYED FOR it is Not standard as people have mentioned and the agent i have been talking to has charged my order $20 for the 2.1 bluetooth module.
* 430-8555 Optional Bluetooth Module, 2.1 1 *

Estimated Delivery Date : 03/31/2010

 

Well don't cause within 24 hours my system crashed and now I'm having hell getting ahold of anyone at dell that can help me. I've been on the phone for over 2 hours today and have been transferred 10 times or more. Supposed to receive a replacement HDD a day or 2 after but now it won't be sent till sometime next week. I can't deal with the bad service and no help so I'm just sending it back for a refund.

 

The Case Logic e-Sling XNTM4:
http://www.amazon.com/Case-Logic-XNTM-4-E-Sling-Large/dp/B001I3NFQE

I bought this case and it is PERFECT.

The case is JUST big enough for the m11x, a perfect fit, and there is plenty of room for accessories. I carry an external HDD, external Microsoft Wave mouse, a handheld hd camera (Zi8), a digital camera, an extra cell phone (be prepared), a Zune HD, the charger, a couple SD cards, a small inverter, two mini-usb cords, and a small external card reader to use on other computers. It all fits, yet the case is still very compact.

I bought mine at Best Buy for $40 + tax.

This concerns me, as well. I like to run the battery all the way down before charging back up. Call me old fashioned. >.>

I bought this at Microcenter last night:
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0262085

I the little wedge really gets into the corners of my LCD. I love it. I also use it on the screen of my m11x, while the included microfiber cloth was used to clean off the keyboard, base, and the backside of the lid.

IMO, that is a very bad decision. The cheap SSDs (~$200) are 40gb or 80gb. You will only be able to install a few games at a time. And forget about tossing a few movies on there, you'll be permanently tethered to you external hard drive. This is a huge inconvenience. You want at least 256gb if it's going to be your primary hard drive.

Suck it up and go with the 250gb 7200rpm hard drive for now. In a year or two, you'll be able to afford a 256gb SSD for $150. If you really want an SSD, you can add one to the available expansion port on the m11x... so long as you didn't buy the Gobi aircard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&N=2010150636 1421548207&name=Mini PCIe (PATA)

I recently purchased a Seagate Expansion 750gb. It write at 20mb/sec. Not bad:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148509

It's a little thick, but not thicker than the power brick for the m11x. Do not buy a Black Armor drive, they aren't really mass storage anymore. You have to write files to them using their application. Ew. Also, be careful of drives with external capacity gauges. Many of these only work correctly in FAT32, and you're probably going to want to format the drive is exFAT.

Nice list. I'm going to jump on that razer bluetooth mouse!

 

that's what i figured... but i don't trust my judgment to much when it comes to computers.... and what about the CPU? (given that we are allowed to add voltage later on)

 

I was about to add this case to my list but then I realized it was on there already. XD I'll make it recommended.

Careful, that will totally kill your battery faster. These aren't your old fashioned NiCd batts.

I've heard nothing but good things about it. It's a small mouse, though, so if you have big hands you might want to do a bit of research to make sure you'll be comfortable with it.

 

woah woah part 4! we're beating m11x's older brothers' threads. :O and for cases.. As much as I like my belkin I feel like I want to get a new one too to match my cool new m11x . Everything is so expensive though I never knew bags could be so pricey

 

Looks like the CPU is also soldered to the board from the pix in this thread.

 

Someone in this forum said that this Sleeve fits m11x perfectly.

I've personally ordered this ZeroShock III and waiting for its arrival.

 

I want that sleeve from Dell with the Alienware logo on it but it has a ship time of 3-5 weeks.

 

Has anyone had a chance to run a recent Total War game, or even Napoelon on it?

Interested in how they'd handle.

 

A little while ago I discovered Waterfield Desings in San Francisco. I bought the Muzetto Personal for my IdeaPad S10 and I must say the quality is outstanding. I will be ordering the 13" version with a sleeve for the M11x.

Warning, those bags are expensive...

 

I've been looking at Timbuk2 bags, as well. Not sure so far, but they look pretty damned good.

http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/products/home

 

Is this true, has anyone tested it? Cause if that's the case I have no intention of getting the Gobi card and would just as readily purchase 64GB SSD mini PCIe and use that for a boot drive.

 

You're going to have to disassemble the machine to fit that in.

 

My daily bag for my uMBP is a Timbuk2 Commute 2.0 and I absolutely love it. The bag is huge inside and can carry just about anything I need. I have the large for my 15", but the Small or Medium would work good for the M11x.

 

If timbuk2 had major discounts .. I'd be all over it. Although they're pretty pricey

 

Yeah, they're expensive, that's what's holding me off.

But then I think, they look solid and well made, and is it worth paying for that protection for my laptop, my books, my reader... And I assume it's built well enough I could pretty much keep it for a long, long time.

 

i live in Florida and i just ordered the Binder (alienware, same brand) it said 3 -5 weeks but my EDD is teh 4th

 

They are a bit on the expensive side, but if you have an REI near you they usually discount theirs pretty good. I got my Large Commute 2.0 for $80, down from the list of $120.

 

I would like to know this also, as I've bought the Gobi and and can easily take it out if I find I never use it.

Also I'd like to know if it's a pain to install in to this expansion.

 

Has anyone got theres with the Intel 5100? I'm wondering if that comes with it if you don't get bluetooth, but I have a feeling that all the M11x's come with the dell 1520.