Core i7 coming to M17?

...Lolwut?

Trying to decode your statement as saying that a processor requires at least 3GHz to run games smoothly...You're an idiot. Very, very, very, very (etc.) few games require 3GHz to run smoothly.

I run most games with my processor downclocked and running at 1.6GHz and I still get a smooth 60fps constantly. It's only really Crysis that I turn it up to 2GHz for-and even Crysis has no problems with it.

 

There are plenty of games that would benefit from an oc'ed dual core cpu. In my case p8700 at stock speeds couldn't handle games maxed out (@1920x1200). Examples :
Empire Total War - max - 7fps @2.53Ghz - 23-25Fps @3.06Ghz, AA3 - max- [email protected] - 30-60Fps @3.06Ghz. Crysis got a boost of 7-10Fps as well. Even old games like "King's Bounty The Legend" produce minor freezes @2.5-totally gone @3.06. I'm not saying that you NEED a 3Ghz cpu to run fluently most of the demanding games, but you NEED a quad or above 2.8Ghz dual to balance the 2X280M. 2.5ghz dual appears to be a bottleneck. At least in my experience. Of course, if come from desktop gaming - situation is different.

P.S> try running Americas Army 3 (or any other game using the "Unreal" engine) on max on downclocked mobile dual core @1.6.

 

i7 benefits a multi gpu platform MUCH more than it does single gpu systems for gaming.... this has been thoroughly proven in the desktop segment

The difference between same clocked core 2 quad and i7 in single gpu is pretty much none, for multi gpu though (SLI or CF) the difference is pretty good

 

I've got a quad. Oh, and I HAVE run a game that uses the Unreal Engine 3 with my processor @ 1.6GHz. It ran completely smoothly at 60fps maxed out, with the occasional drop to 30fps in some scenes. Putting the processor up to 2GHz didn't seem to help at all. I'm not sure whether the Unreal Engine 3 utilises quad cores or not, but it appears to run fine on mine.

For the majority of older games, a 1.6GHz dual core will still suffice. More recent games do require more, yes. However these more recent games ironically still run fine on my quad at 1.6GHz-like I said, only game I ever need it on 2.0GHz for is Crysis.

Not all games even need that much CPU power. I play Lord of the Rings Online-possibly the best looking MMORPG out there-maxed out and it uses all of one core at 1.6GHz. And trust me when I say it looks bloody beautiful. (I dunno, maybe it's just that MMORPGs require less CPU power than FPSs or RTSs or the such.)

Thanks for pointing me towards Americas Army 3 though. Wasn't aware at all that it was out. Downloading it now

 

Yeaa,..wish I had a quad already. It would be enough for all my games. P8xx can't handle SLI properly, and probably was never meant to.
Desktop i7 would be awesome, but I seriously doubt in mobile i7 capabilities. Only 920XM has some advantage in rendering over [email protected] (I would like to see a comparison @3.06). Will wait for the first Clevo machine with it+SLI/CF and see the benches.

AA3 has undergone some huge changes, so if you're into some bunny hopping and scripted close combat clashing - forget about it .

 

We need to remember that the 920XM OC's @ 3.73 GHz. Compare that with the QX9300 which will be old technology very soon indeed.

 

where does it say 3.73....I have heard 3.2 for a single core using turbo boost

 

Yes, it's 3.2 in turbo boost mode,
http://www.intel.com/products/processor/corei7ee/mobile/specifications.htm - sneaky key phrase here is up to 3.2Ghz. and QX9300 is not too far away from it @2.53 http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html. My p8700 when oc'ed @3.06 benches on par with T9900, so imagine if you run those benches on [email protected] (and some get stable oc @3.2) the difference will be even less (if at all).
Now since we know how tricky those stealth modes are,- 2Ghz might be a bottleneck (I suspect some good old stuttering to happen at those drops/boosts). As with every new tech it will take some time to fix/optimize.

 

"running the Core i7 920XM at speeds from 2.26 - 3.73 GHz absolutely stable even under full load"

http://www.notebookjournal.de/praxis/intel-core-i7-720qm-820qm-920xm-nkmo-114/2

 

That 8760 is going to be big, loud and heavy. Even at idle, the fans are noticeable.

On the plus side, 17.3" LED is nice, but no other options except 1920x1080 which killed it for me (along with the price and early noise reports under load and idle).

I'm curious to see what size PSU it uses. Hopefully it won't be as big as the M17/NP9262/NP9280 models.

But it will definitely be plenty powerful. I'm thinking the 820 is the sweet spot, though. Wait till OC utilities start to show up.

 

Intel says 3.2GHz, must be some unlocked multi's or something being involved here.
http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=43126

 

I see they had to turn off hyperthreading to achieve that as well

I am sure it will OC well but am unsure how turbo boost will work with an OC

 

Still no word on a i7 powered 17" Alienware? Sucks!! These i7 notebooks are popping left & right from every known brand ... 17.3" ~ 18.4" notebooks!! But nothing but the 15.6" M15x from Alienware.

I have to believe that Alienware is going to come up with something similar to the M17x with i7.

 

the reason Alienware has not yet is because unless it is dual gpu, there is no point

And NO ONE has a dual GPU i7 17"-18.4" notebook yet, so they really are not behind the curve at all....The M15x offers EVERYTHING all those larger models do except it has 1 HDD bay vs 2 and no HDMI (for reason that escape me completely)

 

I must honestly say that I'm (as well as a few family members and friends) in the market for a new laptop, and trying to holdout (and keep the aforementioned others at bay) for an Alienware 17" refresh including current minimum specs (readily available from other manufacturers; Core i7, 1333MHz FSB, GTX 260M...) available in the market atm - and its becoming increasingly difficult. Is Dell purposely trying to kill Alienware, or just currently inept in business strategies? If one is going to spend more on a boutique, cutting edge name brand - shouldn't said brand be on the forefront and leader in the game? They seem to be increasingly 'slow on the uptake' so to speak. Its going to cost them in the long run, someone at the "mothership" MUST be aware of this, no?

 

Amen to that Viking!!
I can't agree with everything you've said; like about Dell trying to kill Alienware. The M15x was indeed one of the first to break through the Core i7 laptop market ....

... but I have to admit, I'm finding quite a few number of people looking for a 17" + / Core i7 / GTX 260M combination notebook and at present, none exists from the bigwigs like HP, Dell or Alienware. I thought an M17x refresh with Core i7 would be coming just days after they introduced the M15x. Not sure what's taking so long ....

Ref Post: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=429194

 

they either have too much M17x stock left, they still need to build up i7-M17x inventory, or they don't think they would be able to handle the logistics of a i7-M17x blowout.

its likely a combination of all three, as well as some technical issues.

 

I guess according to this thread the M17x will be getting the Core i7 chip in the "first semester" of 2010 ... various interpretations of "first semester" putting it either around Jan ~ Feb or May ~ June.

Thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=425342

 

actualy it's because the only reason alienware make 17 inches is to have a crossfire/sli solution and actualy they don't have any i7 cfx solution availible

 

They are leading the market with the fastest gaming notebook available. No i7 notebook announced so far is a threat to the M17x's lead.

 

they actualy killed the only competition to the m17x lead since they where making it them self .....

 

Dell just authorised a system replacement for me. I have an XPS M1730 Fully Loaded (Core 2 Extreme X9000), the video card (Nvidia 8800GTX SLI) went bad and they had no replacement so after 3 month's of wait and a million phone calls they are swapping the XPS system for an Alienware M17X, first they tried to go cheap on me by configuring a mid level system (T9600 processor and Nvidia 260M) but a few phone calls and 4 days later I got a fully loaded M17X with the QX9300 Core2 Extreme processor and the 280M SLI card. I was just about to celebrate until I noticed the Intel Core i7 is out and available on the M15X. No wonder they gave me the QX9300 without a fight. Just when I thought I had the best system on the planet a new processor comes out. It will probably be available on the M17X the day I receive my new system. Darn!
One thing I learned from all of this, 4 years of warranty does pay off.

 

For gaming, that M17X SLI GTX280M will smash the M15X badly.

You got the better system for gaming.

 

I was about to say that: If your primary purpose was gaming, you've go the best!! SLI GTX 280M will destroy the i7/260M combo. Don't even blink about it.

I, on the other hand, am looking for a powerful processing notebook ... utilizing CUDA & other calculation processing, which is why I need an i7 and GTX combo. I don't need the notebook for gaming.

 

As this guy says:

The M15x will only take one graphics card, the M17x has two. This makes the M17x FAR superior for gaming, even if the M15x has an i7 processor. Even if the i7 DOES come out on the M17x, it will make little, if any difference, in the majority of games.

 

Let's not miss the obvious here...

Wouldn't an Alienware 17" laptop w/a Core i7, 1333MHz FSB, GTX 280M (with optional SLI) and HDMI, etc., etc., etc., be a tad more worthy of the monetary outlay a high-end, boutique brand that champions itself as the cutting edge deserve?

Myself, family, and friends in the market as potential repeat consumers desire to purchase a 17" (or maybe even 18"?) as a desktop replacement, and desire at least current technology on the product we'll be spending that sort of money on. Alienware is known to be a tad more expensive, but usually for a good reason.

Right now they seem to have a vacuum there, and with the competition (while understandably not entirely equal at all levels of hardware, such as SLI...) pretty much has product out there that can fill those consumer demands now (and in some cases at a somewhat less expensive cost) this makes the case in holding out for the Alienware brand to family and friends a much more difficult obstacle than it should simply be...

 

there is not and has not yet been a core i7 laptop that also has SLI.....ALL the mobile i7 laptops have been single GPU so far

So it is not like Alienware is behind the curve on this...

 

Please re-read - that is understood and not the issue...

 

it is a little hard to read

try breaking it up some, like paragraphs. organize your ideas

 

Hmmm... simply put, "Alienware is the world's largest boutique brand, offering high-performance systems for gamers and enthusiasts."

That theory applied (especially with the purchasing/planning/implementation power now made available to it from Dell's acquisition), a consumer should be able to go right now to Alienware's web site and place an order for a 17" laptop with at minimum a Core i7, 1333MHz FSB, single GTX 260M (or GTX 280M, with option for SLI) and at least an HDMI (which the M15x doesn't even have?!?!) interface.

 

That's really only a theory that applies to desktops where components follow standards that are mix-and-match compatible. With notebooks there are no real standards for parts and everything from the ground up...from the motherboard, and power supply all the way up to the keyboard...has to be redesigned to fit the chassis for each refresh.

 

In my opinion, I would think that the marketing and development teams would make better use of their newfound connections at Dell. Keep on the cutting edge, be way ahead of any of the competitors offerings, and set yourself apart from the pack.

Were they able to roll out Windows 7 at launch?

They should be product testing well in advance in partnership with suppliers to be right there at launch of hardware technologies as well. That way they will stand out from the crowd with added substance to their unique styles. Not merely a notch above the rest, but untouchable - breaking the trends that have plagued notebooks vs. desktops permanently.

I would think that's a foundation for Alienware to build their business, as other manufacturers are indeed "catching on" - but I am merely a consumer who thinks the supply is not meeting the demand in this case.

As for waiting until next year (rumored to be anytime in the first half of 2010?), that is entirely discouraging...

 

Alienware has no reason for a single GPU core i7 17" laptop that would compete against there other 17" laptop

That is why it does not exist. There is nothing that a single GPU core i7 17" would offer over the current M15x except for a larger screen and maybe a 2nd hdd (and the screen would still be the same resolution as the 15")

 

Really? No consumer demand for a Core i7 17" (or greater?) laptop this holiday season?

I'm not totally sure, but I'm thinking Dell would like to climb the charts in the coming future, and that climb would hopefully be upwards after folding Alienware into their portfolio in replacement of the XPS line?

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/acer-partially-fulfills-prophecy-overtakes-dell-as-number-two-p/

I would also prefer that Alienware not become the next Voodoo PC...

 

the M15x offers EVERYTHING an i7 17" would....(just higher DPI)

 

exactly, its just not that more comfortable 17" (or greater?) desktop replacement sized screen...

 

You're wrong there buddy; and so is your earlier post of the same nature. 2 or 3 components on a notebook can make a huge difference when you're talking about a total of 6 ~ 8 components that make the notebook decision. 'Everything' is absolutely incorrect ...

M15x does not offer the same hard drive space. I personally am looking for a RAID 0 1 TB (2X500GB) notebook solution. M17x has it; M15x doesn't.

M15x does not have a larger screen size. I personally need a laptop 17" or above. M17x has it; M15x doesn't.

M15x, due to smaller build, does not offer the Numeric Keypad. I personally need that. M17x has it; M15x doesn't.

M15x does not offer Dual GPU SLI configuration. I don't need it, but would love to have the option if I can fund it. M17x has it; M15x doesn't.

And that is where a Core i7 verison of M17x would score heavily. Just like Viking, I myself and a few others that I have found across various discussion forums & boards, are "Desperately" waiting for a Core i7 / 17" + / GTX GPU notebook ... or in other words; an i7 version of the M17x.

EVERYTHING: You're kidding me right??

 

Indeed. That's because of the Nvidia/Intel licensing dispute for their mainboard chispet.

Perhaps a Core i7 version of the M17x with AMD/ATi crossfire cards would be a possibility even if Intel and Nvidia don't agree to settle the dispute. Then again, AMD may develop an attitude about letting their laptop video cards work with an Intel CPU/Chipset...but I think that's less likely.

 

They are not significant enough reasons to make a 17" model too, except for Multi GPU. And as of today, there is NO multi GPU i7 notebook available on the market. Perhaps there's an issue with it. Therefore, they obviously aren't making it at the moment.

Besides, the mobile i7 isn't massively better than the mobile Core 2 line, for the moment anyway.

 

You have no clue how wrong you are about that;

Yes, it won't make a big difference to Gaming, Word Processing, Internet Browsing or running 6 applications. C2D's or C2Q's would fair just as well as an i7.

But hop over to powerful application processing like: Video Encoding, Rendering, Streamline Media Processing, Format Conversions, Extraction & Archiving ... and you will be blown away. Yes, the difference in these processes is "Massively Better".

Have you looked at Encoding or Rendering benchmarks? That's where this processor excels.

I will give you credit for "And as of today, there is NO multi GPU i7 notebook available on the market. Perhaps there's an issue with it." however, cause you may be right. I don't know, there may be an issue at hand here.

I think the reality of things is that anyone who's in the market currently for a higher-end notebook would probably like to get the 'latest' technology ... that is something that drives most people. Why shell out a couple of grand for a processor that isn't latest / newer anymore? Of course all of us have different needs and demands. Some get the notebook for gaming; others like me want it for video encoding, format conversions etc.; yet others may have completely different needs. I think the bottom line is; there's a lot of us in the market for a high-end, Core i7 powered notebook which offers a great GPU, at least the GTX Series, and provides a larger screen size, 17" or above. And we're just waiting right now ... I have to believe something is around the corner.

 

Safe bet...in our computer world, something is ALWAYS around the corner!!!

 

um...mobile chipsets can't get independent SLI certification?

 

I'll give you credit where it's due, the i7 is massively better at video encoding, rendering, and many multimedia tasks. However, nearly all people who buy an Alienware laptop are gamers, and not looking for using it for rendering and the such. (I'm not saying people don't buy it for that, there are people out there who do) Because of this, and the fact that the mobile i7 is no better than the Montevina chips in the vast majority of games, Alienware are aware that there is not enough of a demand for a 17" single GPU i7 machine.

Besides, if I wanted a single GPU SLi machine, I'd go for the Eurocom D900f Phantom (I think that's what it is, anyway) which has a desktop i7 in it, running far faster than the true mobile i7 chips (sadly).

I'm sure that Alienware will be one of the first to release a dual GPU i7 machine. They may however decide to wait for the release of the Arrandale 32nm chips early next year.

 

I think one of the main hurdles they have to overcome is having 14minutes of battery life with DualGPUs and i7.. Sure they could sell you a bigger battery but thats not how companys seem to be operating these days .. The standard batterys are actually getting smaller.. So till an IGP solution comes along that supports i7 and SLI nothing may be coming to soon.. I figured Winter CES would be an announcement but it may actually be longer ..

 

Well, I do have to agree with one thing you stated ... most people buying an Alienware are Gamers. And that is one area i7 doesn't provide a whole lot of improvement.

But at the same time, if you think about it - despite this factor - they did jump on the i7 bandwagon introducing the "World's fastest 15" laptop". I guess my point is, if I expect anyone to introduce the "World's fastest 17" notebook" ... it would be Alienware. They didn't hold back on the M15x and the i7 power while flashing the new product. I'm assuming they would like to only add to that by introducing a 17"+ i7 notebook.

But some of you guys may be right ... they may be waiting for sometime next year for some other improvement before they pack it in. That would be a bit disappointing for me personally; But I know they have to make business decisions.