Help me choose which is best.

Hi there fellow NBR forum reader. This is my first post and I'm been reading this forum for a while now. I have read mix opinions regarding Alienware laptop hence this tread.

I'm having a really hard time in deciding whether to get the M14x or the M17x since in my country the m18x are not available. Its for work and gaming also. I don't mind the weight of them. What is important to me is long term usage and built quality.

So here are the specs for the M14x:
i7-2630QM (2.0Ghz-2.90 turbo) 6Mb L3 cache
14" WLED HD (1600x900) with true life
8GB DDR3 SD ram
750GB SATA HD
nVdia Geforce GT555M 3GB DDR3
Intel Wireless N wifi link 1520 a/g/n
8 cell battery
Window 7 home premium 64 bit
price are around US$ 2010

M17x:
i7-2720QM (2.20Ghz-3.30 turbo) 6Mb L3 cache
17.3 Full HD WLED (1920x1080) with true life
8GB DDR3 SD ram
750GB SATA HD
nVidia Geforce GTX 460M 1.5GB DDR5
intel wireless N wifi 6300 a/g/n
9 cell battery
Window 7 home premium 64 bit
price are around US$ 2840

I have been reading the 460 GPU are having alot of problem. Since in my country i can't customize the GPU can I install different GPU at a later time? Also regarding the wireless card which is best? Inter or killer 1103?

What are the best option for me since this will hurt my wallet alot so i need your opinion guys. If the M18x are coming i would definitively go with that setup.

Cheers and thank in advance for the reply guys.

 

Honestly I say the m14x. The m17x is speced a little better but not $800 different. You can also save more money with either of them by just getting 4 gigs of ram and buying a 8 gig set from new egg. The 460 is better than the 555 by a little, the CPU's are more or less equal in realistic usage. Obviously the m14x is more portable, but there really isn't a price on that everyone values portability different as everyone's needs are different. The Killer card is better from what I've seen, I've got the intel 6205 that some people have been having problems with but I personally haven't so everyone's mileage may vary.

So yea overall I'd stick with the m14x, you get better portability as the cost of a little slower cpu (you wont notice the difference) and a little slower GPU and a higher res screen on the m17.

Also one more point, the difference between the 2 systems when gaming is probably going to be very close in reality because the 460 is pushing a 1080p screen and the 555 is only pushing a 900p screen.

Just my .02 good luck bro.

 

Clienterror makes some good points. bang for the buck the m14x is the better deal. Also you can over clock the 555 I hear they are a beast when you do. That should help a lot for the newer games. And yes upgrade the ram and Hard drive as they are much cheaper aftermarket. Enjoy which ever you buy, I have.

 

I would only get the m17x with the 6970m or 6990m cards.

 

Get the M17x R3.

See if GPU updates are available through chat or phone.

If possible get FHD screen, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD and a 6990m or 6970m.

If not, you can import it from the US youself.

 

Thanks guys for the reply. I am willing to order through the alienware website but I will have to pay licence fee for the wifi and bluetooth annually. It gonna cost me around US$40 weird rule from my country.

Since both of the laptop are pre setup they are not available for customize.

@Brabostaan the one that i list for the M17x is already FHD the only downside is the GPU. Is it possible to upgrade the GPU to 6990m?

 

Yes you can upgrade but it will cost alot. Think 850 dollar for the card.

Do not order on site. Call a rep. and ask for GPU options and some discount.

To save some money order it with stock RAM and HDD.

 

So basically it's a $3600 laptop vs a $2000 one? Lol. Just buy a m14x save the 1400 and buy a m14x r2 when it's released with the 1400 you have left and sell the r1 and you're still ahead by a ton and playing pretty much every game on high and you have less chance of a hardware failure with a new laptop every 1-1. 5 years.

 

thanks for the help guys will update if i had the m14x. when will the 14x r2 be releasing?

 

The new architecture is expected to be released around Q1 of 2012 so you could probably expect it to hit laptops around Q2-Q3. So probably Summer 2012 is my best guess.

 

What about the Dell XPS 17? It has the same specs as the M14X, just with a 17.3" screen. Same CPU (2630QM), same GPU (555M), same resolution (1600x900), etc. It's not an Alienware, sure, but price wise, it might be a great option if you don't need the higher specs of the M17X R3 but still want a decent notebook. It might even cost a fair bit less than the M14X.

 

If you really want the M18x or a customizable options on your M14x/M17x have a look at buying it from HIDevolution.com - Specializing in customized computers, electronics, and mobile devices for gamers and professionals

My brother bought his DV9 from there and the service was really good. He also specializes in shipping internationally. Chat to "Ted" and see whats possible.

Whichever laptop you're going for stick with the base HDD and RAM. These can be upgraded at much cheaper prices later on.

EDIT: Looking at the two options that you originally posted its difficult to say. The bigger screen on the M17x R3 is better for work and the combination of the screen resolution and GT555M on the M14x is better for games. The 460M is a good card but not particularly powerful enough to run demanding games at native res on the M17x. I would seriously consider taking an alternative route, especially since you're spending a lot of money.

EDIT 2: Typed M14x instead of M17x. Edit is in bold.

 

Hi guys just thought id ask a question here. what kind of battery life do you get with the m14x and m17x with it unplugged?

 

On my m14x with my cpu at 50% and surfing the web/youtube or doing word 4-5 hours. 50% is more than enough for most casual tasks.

 

m17X(single card) shub be similar to m15x
my m15x only got about 1hr max 1and half on battery
couldnt do much if there's no socket
but seriously
its easy to compare these 2 laptop
1st:wt kinda game u play on your laptop
there's a lotta benchmark out there and seriously
m14x is only capable of handling online games
too tough for m14 to handle hardcore fps...etc
m17,even though u only got single card at 1st,its easily to upgrade it to sli afterward and doesnt cost too much
2nd:do you usually use it without socket
if so,none of them could be your option but only m14 and m11
15&17 cant do anything without socket,15 1hr...17 with sli maybe less than half and 18?like 10minute UPS lol