Anybody help me with a *new* M17x

Hey I'm new here I just bought my AW, I had a real hard time choosing between a M15X and a 17x. Anyway long story short I ended up buying one on ebay for 1500. Heres the specs.

Manufacturer:


Alienware

Model:


M17x

Processor Brand:


Intel

Processor Class:


Penryn XE

Processor Speed:


Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9000 (2.0GHz, 6MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)

Memory:


6 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz (2 DIMMs)

Hard Drive:


500 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) with Free Fall Sensor

500 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) with Free Fall Sensor

Screen Size:


17 inch WideUXGA 1440x900 (900p)

Optical Drive:


8X, DVD+/-RW, CD-RW w/dbl layer write capability

Media Reader:


8-in-1 Media Card Reader

Wireless:


Internal 300Mbps Dual-Band a/g/n Wireless with MIMO Technology

Network:


Integrated Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 (1000 Mbps)

Video:


1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M

Sound:


Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio

Operating System:


Windows 7 Home Premium x64 Edition

Battery:


9 Cell Primary Battery

Yeah the screen sucks, and I dont have blu ray, but I can get SLI or Xfire
so my main question would be, is a Q9000 worthy enough gaming wise to justify buying the Rad 5870? also does anyone know if the motherboard can handle an iCore chip?

 

it can't handle an i series chip, for 1500 you could of got an M15x with same specs but a core i series. and not sure if the M17x R-1 will take a 5870 much less 2

 

my biggest issue with the 15x is no SLI/Xfire and no RAID,
that was really the main selling point, ah crap I hope I didnt buy a paperweight

Edit: And from what I went through in the AW customizing of a 15X,
for 1500 I couldnt get 6gb RAM, a TB of disk space or the 1GB vid card, all in all I thought this was a good deal except the older processor. I'm not all that up on all the tech stuff, I just know this comp should beat the snot out of my G50VT

 

the q9000 will handle games just fine. overclock it to 2.4 via bios. anything above 2.4ghz don't make any improvements in games that are based on your gpu. for $1500, you should have just gotten a refurbished with sli or crossfire. buying that extra card is going to be very expensive. you're looking at $400 for extra card and sli cable.

 

well are there any relatively eaasy upgrades I can make on it? maybe another processor, the P is just a drop in slot isnt it?

Just for the comparison, this is the M15X I picked the 17x over, this one is 1300 bucks,

Memory

* 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz (2 DIMMs)

Hard Disk Drive

* 250 GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)

Video

* 1 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M

Certified Refurbished

* Certified Refurbished

Media Bay

* 8X DVD +/- RW Drive

Hardware Upgrade

* 6 Cell, 56WHr Lithium-Ion Primary Battery
* 5.1 Channel Audio

Laptop Screen

* 15.6-inch WideHD+ 1600x900 (900p) WLED

Bluetooth Wireless

* Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module

Network Interface Card

* Dell Wireless 1520 802.11n Half Mini-Card

Processor

* Processor: Intel Core i7-720QM Quad Core Processor 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)

 

man honestly, if i were you I'd return the laptop. You're buying old core 2 duo tech and 1 video card. I'm sure if you wait a bit, you'll be able to buy a nicely tricked out m17x with dual cards, an i7 chip and 1200p screen from one of the forum members for a slightly higher price.

I'm sorry but I can't in good faith endorse your purchase.

 

well I give you mad respect for being honest, I'll probably do that,
anybody in the market to sell a better rigged one hit me up

I do have to say man this thing runs sexy,
totally going AW from here out

 

Yea they are great laptops, but the Core2Duo M17x R1's are a pain with the latency, and stuttering. The R2 had much less problems. Just something to think about. That said, I had an R1 and it didn't give me many problems. What ever you do enjoy it. Also keep an eye out in the NBR Marketplace section. Might find somone selling an R2. Just remember you have 21 days from the date of invoice to return without a restocking fee of 15%. Just call and tell them it doesn't meet your current needs. They should give you a refund without much hassle.

 

take a look at this http://forum.notebookreview.com/not...8-alienware-m17x-sale-click-more-details.html

 

Yea he is offering a great deal on that one. 1500 not bad at all.