About to take the plunge...

Here in the next day so I am probably going to buy an Alienware. A couple of questions though. Sorry if I'm asking questions that have already been asked.

I know that you get what you pay for, that's why I'm looking towards Alienware. I figure the computer will last me quite a while, but one of the questions I have though, is: Are they upgradeable? With ever changing software and hardware needs I don't want to be behind the power curve in a year or so.

Thus, if I get a 1gb video card in it now, can I replace it later with a bigger one? Or is it going to be like the Dell inspirion that I have now and once its "outdated" it's done for.

Thanks for any insight. Sorry for any repeat questions.

 

madmax, the alienware is completely upgradeable...meaning, CPU, Vid card, RAm, SSD/HDD, wireless card etc...the only thing that isn't is the sound card cause its soldered onto the motherboard...however, you can bypass that with a USB sound card. Start saving cash now lol

Generally speaking, the most cost efficient way of getting an alienware is to get the nicer screen like the 1080p option and the best vid card you can get. Leave the rest at the lowest options like don't spend $200 to upgrade to 8 gigs of ram lol...The rest you can upgrade easily yourself at a much lower cost and we are here to help you.

 

Thanks for the help slickdude. That's exactly what I was looking for.

 

It really depends on the model. You can't really do too much to an M11x, you can't upgrade the graphics on the M14x (have no idea about processor), but on the M17x and M18x you can do pretty much anything you want provided the parts are compatible. Don't go buying a processor that won't fit in the socket. You never almost make that mistake more than once, luckily I didn't.

 

I was told that you should get the i7 2960XM from dell because other CPUs only come with 1 heat pipe, where as the i7 2960xm or 2920xm come with 2 heat pipes, which is needed for sufficient cooling. Apparently it's very difficult to install another heat pipe yourself.

 

Just want to add to what Gamer is unsure of, everything on M14x except for GPU and the soundcard can be upgrade, so yes CPU can be upgrade up to the Sandy Bridge version 2.

 

CPU's don't come with heatpipes...the heatpipes on the heatsink come with the laptop and you will reuse the heatsink when you install another cpu. You can look at my "how to CPU guide" in my sig for a clearer picture

PS...don't buy CPU's from Dell unless you like to pay triple

 

Its not VERY difficult to install a dual-piped heatsink, It would be strongly advisable to do so if you decide to buy an aftermarket extreme cpu as if you DONT buy it from Dell at the outset, all the other cpu options are catered for heat-wise, by a single piped heatsink - which in insufficient to keep the extreme cpu cool enough to run heavy loads....

As long as you are happy opening the system, repasting the cpu/heatsink and re-assembling, its a viable option but you would need to buy a dual pipe heatsink if you configured your purchase with any cpu other than the extreme 2960xm .....

 

True, I think a Dell rep from Canada quoted over $3k for a 2920XM, which is more than what I paid for my whole system..

How much reduction in battery life can I expect when upgrading from a 45W to 55W CPU?

 

I recently upgraded my M18x to a 2920XM CPU and haven't noticed a reduction in battery life. It seems roughly the same, although it probably is a tiny bit less.

The thing about that is performance and battery life are at opposite ends of the user spectrum. When you switch to the IGP for battery life, don't plan on doing anything that requires a lot of CPU or GPU power. You're not going to get that except while running discreet graphics and connected to AC power, so battery life becomes irrelevant during that type of usage.

 

My advice is this: Upgrade at purchase what you won't be able to upgrade later.

 

OP......as stated earlier, it sounds like you want the m17x or m18x. Both are very upgradeable including the video card.

The m18x accepts dual video cards and has an aluminum chassis. The m17x is a little more portable and cheaper but you are limited to one video card and soft-touch plastic.

I have the m17x r3 and love it. Almost a year old and has been flawless.

My advice: 1080p screen, 6990m or 580m video card, and a nice long warranty. The components on these machines are powerful, hot, and expensive. If you can't afford a 3+ year warranty at purchase time, then you probably can't afford to pay for repairs out of pocket either. Something to think about.

Do it.....you won't regret it:beer:

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

On the Video Cards.. How many here have actually upgraded a vid card on their M17x or M18x?

 

That is a VERY valid point....+ 1 rep. (upgrading warranty aftermarket is ALWAYS waaaay more expensive than getting it at time of purchase BTW....)

 

That 20% premium can be a bitter pill to swallow though.

 

Probably not as bitter as possibly having to fork out a fair few hundred more for a new gpu in 18ths time if it gets fried...

 

Derp, you forgot to state which Alienware laptop you want. Don't get anything below M15X, they lose their gaming prowess and power after 1 year (Although, for portability they are smooth.)

If you have the $$$, then get the M18X. The thing looks like a portable desktop/generator. Also, unlike the M11X, most of the higher tiers of the Alienware laptops are actually upgradable in terms of GPUs.