A few questions before I commit to m9750 purchase

Hi!

I think I am going to purchase the m9750, but I would just like a few questions answered (preferably by people who actually own it) before I actually commit to it. I have searched through multiple forums for several weeks now, so I finally caved and decided to ask my fellow posters.

1) What battery comes default with the laptop? (9 cell or 12 cell)

2) What would the battery life (est.) be on Power Saver, Performance, and Balanced profile on Windows Vista for a 9 cell and 12 cell battery for a T7200 CPU with a SINGLE 8700M GT card? (Many posters had 8700M GT SLI or 7950 GTX SLI, but virtually none with a single card.)


I am in college, and I don't mind lugging around this relatively slim (for it's performance category) and sleek laptop. My father is going to be paying for this, and he has told me to just go out and configure the laptop of your dreams and come back with the quote and he'll pay for it. I decided that I like the sleek looks of the rubberized magnesium alloy of the Alienware, so I am almost 98% certain that I am going to get it.

Thanks to everyone!

 

Sadly, I can't answer any of your questions, but wow, what a lucky person you are to have a father who is willing to do something like that for you!

 

honest...
i think the m17x looks sleeker then the 9750...and has better performance.
but thats just me

 

If I was you, I'd go for the m17

 

Wouldn't the M17's Ati card's give better performance than the 8700m GT's at the same price? The M17 is also the newest chipset, allowing you many upgrades (ie. CPU and RAM).

 

I would recommend the m17 as well. They've released an impressive machine this time. Not to mention we need some active posters in here that actually have the m17 for knowledge purposes.

 

ahahaa. better performance? The crossfire 3870s DEMOLISH the SLI 8700m GTs. Almost double the performance. I've been a member of GoG and trolled around the OCZ forum for quite some time, and ive learned a thing or two.

One thing is that the 3870s are the most powerful cards, when in xfire, out there, and is pretty equal to the 9800M GTX, but just like the 4870s and GTX 280s, are half the price.

 

No need to rub it in, regardless of whether you are right or not.

 

well said, Ennea.

 

Then it's time to start dreaming of an m17 son. Your father sounds like a good man, so let's spend his money wisely. You're pretty much dealing with the same chassis, except that the m17 has an illuminated keyboard.

At the same $1399, you have superior technology in the CPU, GPU, RAM, and Wireless options.

Show them both to your dad if you need some convincing. The m9750 is absolutely the wrong choice, as a matter of fact.

 

I agree with everyone here. The new m17 is the smartest choice now Same chassis, better tech

 

Hmm...Ok.

Does anyone have preliminary estimates on the M17's battery life yet? Or is it still too early to tell?

(I still think that the M17 is a little bulky for my taste, but the 3870 is definitely very good!)

 

check the battery life of the OCZ Whitebook (there are a few reviews in the OCZ section i think), it's the same notebook.

 

yeah, why go for the M9750 when you can get the M17?

 

Thanks for suggestions everyone (M17 added to list), but my original question still stands. I want to know the battery life of the m9750 estimate with a single 8700M GT and T7200, so I can either eliminate it from my list or keep it on my list.

Thanks! And keep the comments coming in!

 

I know it's now "old" but, you could go for the m17x as it's proven to be reliable (well, mine is anyway lol) and will be cheaper now...

Personally i'd go for the newest machine but it's not Nvidia so...

Just a thought...

OB

 

Probably ~1h50m

 

If they do drop the price of the m17x as well, it would be great

Advantages of the m17x over the m17 include

1. AlienFX - Not only do you have more color options with the keyboard, but the touchpad, alien head and the touch controls also light up

2. Smart Bay - The m17x has smart bay technology where you can swap the optical drive for an additional hard disk drive. The smart bay battery is still unavailable for the m17x.

3. Nvidia GPU and the Ripley deisgn - Now this is more of personal opinion.

 

Is that with the 9 cell or 12 cell battery?

 

yes the m17x is also a very nice machine and hopefully the price goes down. the only down side is its old tech so u cant upgrade to a quad in the future but other than that m17x would also be a good choice.

 

At 10.5 lbs for the m17x?! Wow that is going to be a cow to carry on campus! The m9750 is only 8.5 lbs!

 

power brick's another 2lb for the m17x

 

Nope m9750 is 8.5lbs without battery with battery its 9.6lbs

 

Jesus, I am not going to be carrying 12.5 lbs on my back for half a day for classes even if it offers better performance! The m17 is 9.5 lbs! Wowee! The 8.5 lbs for the m9750 is more realistic for me to carry around.

 

Its not 8.5 its 9.6 with battery

 

Thanks. I didn't see your post until I posted. My bad.

 

Haha, if you expect to carry around a 17" on a college campus functionally, than you are mistaken. I am a big guy and ~10lbs. + 3 classes of books...I did that for two weeks. The weight was not an issue, as I do some serious backpacking and my school pack had good support. The issue was the desks, power, and usability. I overhung in 2 of my 3 classes and even with undervolting, powermizer, underclocking, lowest brightness, no wifi, etc. I could only get through 1 hour and 45 minutes. That means I had to go into sleep mode every time the teacher took a breath. By the end of the day, I was scrounging for non existent plug-ins to recharge. It was also nearly impossible to use due to its shear size, making my arms cramped and also difficult to see the prof and the whiteboard. This prompted me to buy the Asus 1000H, 6 hours of battery life, I was sold and it has been working ever since.

 

I am also looking into the m15x. I see that many of you who replied to my post own this machine. I was wondering what your thoughts on the machine are. I also notice that Chaz says that this machine is completely glossy. That actually might be a turn off for me since I currently own the M-152XL with glossy palmrests (or should I say saunarests), which I don't really like. The m9750 is NOT glossy on the palmrests, right? I like the sound of "rubberized" feel since I would assume it feels pretty good.

 

I canceled the order I made for my m9750 today since the Video Card was on backorder I ordered the m17


[1] M17

Video/Graphics Card: Dual 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870 - CrossFireX™ Enabled!
Processor: Intel® Core™2 P8400 2.26GHz (3MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Chassis: 17-Inch WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD (720p)
Keyboard Options: Illuminated Keyboard – Alienware Exclusive Design - Astral Blue
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Home Premium (64-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Without Media Center Remote Control or TV Tuner
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR3 SO-DIMM at 1066MHz – 2 x 1024MB
System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 160GB 7,200RPM (8MB Cache) w/ Free Fall Protection
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Wireless Network Card: Internal Wireless b/g (Full Mini-Card)
Sound Card : Internal High-Definition Audio with Surround Sound
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Onsite Service and 24/7 Toll-Free Phone Support
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mesh Cap
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mousepad
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mobile Binder
Alienware Extras: Owner Identification Card
Alienware Extras: M17 Protective Cloth Sleeve
Alienware Extras: M17 Keyboard Diagram Overlay


SubTotal: $1,674.00


New Stuff and you cant upgrade later on the m9750 is old technology from early 2007

 

That's true, but why not get one of those business class HP notebooks that lasts 24 hours and has a 14.1" screen. I don't remember what it's called, but it had that funny thing that said "Dude your Dell just died 5 hours ago." I LOL'd at that statement.

 

That's a pretty sweet setup you got there. Price is not half as bad either.

 

Uh huh...just what I thought. That's why they decided to raise the price. Demand was too high, need to shift supply curve to the left!

 

What's really weird right now is the fact that I am currently on Alienware website looking at the laptops they offer. The more I stare at the m17/m17x/m15x, the more I like the m9750. I don't know why. The m9750 with its outdated tech just seems more eye appealing to me.

 

Hey!

I'm back again! I'm sorry if this will disappoint any of you, but I finally caved, and I am going to order the m9750. It might have old technology, but I just like the design with minimal flashiness. It looks like a sleek black jet and every time I look at it, it takes my breath away.

I would just like to take a moment to thank everyone who contributed to this discussion. All of your input was invaluable, and rest assured that all the help was greatly appreciated. I hope to come back and contribute more to this wonderful forum for years to come.

 

nice to hear you've found something you like.

then again, you do know that the m17 is the direct successor to the m9750, taking many design cues from it?

 

I will now call your father and tell him you're being a bad boy.

I hate to see you do this, but at least... no, nevermind, I can't support this course of action.

Shouldn't the price to performance comparisons be taken as a factor? You're ripping yourself off mate.

 

The reason for no getting that HP machine is cost. My G2S, originally cost me $2400 and serves as my desktop replacement, despite being outdated at the current moment. The EEE is $450, a fraction of HP or Dell cost. Even buying an additional battery for a standard laptop is anywhere from $50-150, not cost effective.

 

OK. So that statement made me reconsider before I officially put in the order. So, I guess we're back to the drawing board. Let's argue this out some more, but I don't have that much more time since I have to get it by Thanksgiving.

 

If You don't order soon you will get into delays and back orders.

 

Thanks. I put in my order for the m9750 finally.

Thanks for all your help.

 

BTW, the M17 uses a 12 cell battery. Not sure if that was mentioned yet (as opposed to the 9 cell of the M9750).

 

You want to play modern games right? Go ahead and buy your 8700 equipped laptop, and by Spring of 2009 (actually today if I'm honest), you'll be turning down the screen resolution and graphical settings to maintain a decent framerate, while Joe Schmoe who went with the dual 3870s is beasting along with no sweat. The thing is, he's doing this at the same price you paid for outdated technology.

Your dad pointed at the moon, but you got stuck looking at his finger

 

In answer to your original question about battery life, you will get around 2 hours and 15 minutes on a single charge on the M9750 with single 8700.

Now on to a point. The chassis and rubberized finish on the M17 and the M9750 are identical and as such they look identical. The lid of the laptop on both is identical. They are both in the same weight class (within 1 pound if each other) and are very close in overall dimensions (the M9750 is 1.5" thick and the M17 is 1.7" thick). Now, if they look identical, feel identical, and are very close to the same size, why on earth would you get the one with much older and lesser performing tech?

Also, just so you know, I have 2-M9750's and they are the best laptops I have ever owned and I can tell you in that I would buy the M17 over the M9750 in a heartbeat.