Life Expectancy of the M15x?

After speaking with somebody on these forums, and listening to their opinion that the M15x with the 8800M GTX card inside would probably give the notebook (and its overly delicate chassis) a life expectancy of around two years... this has me more than a little worried.

So, I was wondering if a "lesser" graphics card would increase the life of the M15x, as I was hoping to have any notebook I spend this amount of money on last me for a minimum of 4 years, at least.

Due to the recently reported faulty cards manufactured by Nvidia, this doesn't leave a lot of choice in Alienware's listed specs (as some people reckon it's the 85 and 8600 cards that have been the faulty ones). The only downstep you could really choose would be the 8700M GT then.

Thoughts, anyone?

 

more heat = less life expectancy

So since the M15x is always pulling 85-90C for its GPU, it might be affecting its lifespan.

As for the upcoming M860TU, we wont know until reviews are made, which should be within this week.

15.4" notebooks seem very borderline to handle such powerful videocards at the moment, but hopefully the new Clevo would bring new cooling features to the table.

 

Well if you got the 8700M GT your laptop would last you longer...

BUT, then your laptop wouldn't be future proof so you have that to consider

Also as Gophn said the M860TU seems to look very promising but no actually benchmarks or how well it handles heated would be publish untill a couple of week after its release at the least.

 

if you're gaming 24/7, i would be worried. keep in mind the m15x has stealth mode and the option to use the integrated graphics when surfing, etc. i recommended everyone to use this feature to definitely increase the life of our gpu and duration of our battery.

 

if your laptop wont last till the future whats the point of future proofing it hehe just messing around but yea theres no point of getting the 8800M GTX in a laptop that cant handle the heat properly and will only deplete the life of your system.

 

Not to mention what effect that heat has on the plastic of the chassis 1 year from now.

 

Is the 8700 safe?

 

As long as your within warranty, does it matter if you have a hardware failure? That's a fact of life with most computers. My Dell 9300 was a wonderful computer and has lasted for over 3 years with some serious abuse but that doesn't change the fact that I've needed the LCD, dvd burner, keyboardx2 replaced during it's lifetime. Then again, my m1710 didn't need any but I wasn't abusing it nearly as much. What's important is that you have technical support and customer service that you can rely on because all these things are going to break at some point in time. I'd much rather rely on technical support from AW or Dell than a relatively small pc manufacturer such as PC Microworks, but that's just me. They simply don't have as many resources as the big manufacturers at their disposal.

Cat, you've been mulling this over for weeks. Why don't you just wait for the new clevo reviews to come out and see the closeups of the computer before you pull the trigger. I do admit that I've noticed an increased number of people encountering initial problems with their m15x, but then again I can't really relate to it as I've had mostly a pleasant experience with mine.

 

I want to keep mine at least three years so I will likely warranty it. That is also why I chose the components I did to avoid high expense and heat.

 

I'll be waiting on the release of the new Clevo for sure. Neil at Kobalt computers told me that they should be getting some stock in either tomorrow or Tuesday evening. I'll probably wait until some initial reviews (especially NBR ones) before I commit to anything.

I'd have really loved the keyboard on the M15x though. It looks lovely to type on and they look like proper keyboard keys. The Clevo keys are a generally flatter experience, although comfortable.

EDIT: By the way, would a 8700M GT suffice for heavy graphics/digital photography work, and music creation?

 

I dun understand why u would need a gpu for music creation? neither for photography I think.

I think getting loads more RAM would help more in both those areas instead of more GPU horsepower.

Things like Reason, Traktor, logic, cubase all run really well on modern computers and the more ram u have the better. GPU is more for gaming to be honest and maybe 3D modelling stuff like CAD etc.

 

Gah! I just posted a reply and my post went missing. I was just replying to say that I will definitely be waiting for reviews of the new Clevo before deciding anything (especially any NBR review, which I hope will be very soon).

And then went on to say that... it's a shame, because I really like the look of the M15x keyboard, as it looks lovely to type on... and the keys look like proper keys.
I have typed on a Clevo before and the keys are a flatter experience, although comfortable as far as flatter keys go.


Does anybody know if the 8700 GT will more than suffice for heavy graphics/digital photography work, and music creation? Do you need to be running on the designated graphics card to watch movies? Or does watching movies just reply on the resolution of the screen? (Always wanted to know this).

 

Ah... my previous reply suddenly decides to appear now. I feel like a pleb!

 

DAWs will really benefit with multi-core and more RAM.

A sweet portable music studio would be an M869TU with a Quad-core, 8GB of ram and 8600GT. It would perform awesome.

 

Well, I do plan on doing the odd bit of gaming when the mood takes me (hence the need for a good GPU)... and I don't really expect to be running Crysis on a 8700 (as I'm not sure it would even run well enough to warrant playing it on that card). I've become quite fond of the Xbox 360 I have recently invested in, and may just use that a great deal more than gaming on a PC. If I wanted to game seriously, I think I would rather invest in an amazing desktop with a decent monitor.

Maybe an 8700 would be enough for me.

 

I still cant run CRYSIS maxed out on my PC which cost me over £4000 quid to build, although alot of the cost went into the SSDs and Watercooling blocks

 

ooooo SSD's
what brand, size, and cost?
just curious.
and do you like em? do they perform to the hype they were given for the cost?

i know - off topic - but had to ask....

 

just one GPU mate? still a shame you can't run Crysis at ultra.

 

Putting 8800 GPU in m15x form factor is begging for trouble,any other GPU option for the M15x would result in a much more reliable laptop.

 

Well i've finally decided that an m15x just isn't worth the possible hassle, and so am going to get the new clevo, hopefully i'll be able to read a lot of gd reviews when i get back from holiday in 2 weeks and place my order. Just to confirm it is the EDGE laptop on PCMW isn't it? and do ppl know if it is out in the UK at the same time as the US?

DK

 

That is a BIG NEGATIVE!!!
read this thread before you make your decision: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=270105

 

That's some very impressive detective work. I think all you guys considering buying the new Clevo from PCMW should really think it through. Lots of risk involved. I'd wait until the model is offered from someone more reputable. Isn't Sager going to carry it at some point?

 

It will be within 48 hours when Intel officially launches their new mobile Intel platform (Montevina).

Then Sager and other Intel partners will be allowed to take orders... as well as update their sites with the new models.

 

i've been reading that thread for the past hour and i can only say "wow"...

 

@Gunsmith

the 8700 would suffice for heavy graphics right now. it basically depends how long you want your graphics maxed out for. the 8700 should max out most games you throw at it for now. the 8800 would max it out longer tho.

 

De@thknight: Refer to the Clevo Guide for reseller information.

I'd say the life expectancy of the m15x could be decent without the 8800m. Just pray it does not malfunction somehow.

 

as long as you have 3 year warranty you should be fine. if you have 3 year warranty i would recommend getting the 8800. even if the 8800 were to fry your computer can still run like normal. another plus for binary gfx . its a back up video card. you will also know when your video card fries since your comp wont turn on when it does fry and the power brick will make a buzzing sound when you plug it into the m15x.

 

Agreed just get the 3 year warranty and go out and get home owners insurance encase any accidents happen. I mean it's going to then last at least 3 years minimum

 

You guys have a lot of faith in this new clevo notebook...I hope it isn't a disaster

 

At least as much of a disaster as the M15x was... ? :wink:

 

I'm not putting a huge amount of faith in the new clevo, just more than the m15x. And i wasn't going to buy from PCMW i was just wondering if that was the new clevo case design thingy, i'll be buying from novatech or rock. I was just looking at pcmw for possible specs. Might fill out that what notebook should i buy thingy as well for when i get back just to get final thoughts from people.

 

I've been enquiring with Neil from Kobalt computers in relation to the new Clevo.

 

kobalt seemed very expensive to me

 

The "Edge" from PCMW is just their branding of the Clevo M860TU, which Sager will sell as the NP8660. It's the SAME computer as PCMW is selling, and so if you're in the least bit concerned about their business practices or viability, then simply purchase the computer from Sager through one of their resellers. In the US, XoticPC and PowerNotebooks seem to have great reputations. In the UK, check out Kobalt Computers, who also have a good reputation.

 

I was only asking about pcmw because its the only one showing it before tuesday and i was checking that that was indeed what the m860tu would be like

 

The fact that they're showing it before Tuesday is a large part of the problem with PCMW's marketing tactics.

6 weeks ago they had the "Edge" on their site, and were taking pre-orders, promising to ship them by the first week of July. The other resellers don't play those kinds of games, and only offer systems on their site when they are legitimately available (in-stock) for assembly and shipping.

 

Actually they promised shipping by June 14th, then that got pushes backed a week due to "customs issues", then it got pushed back to late june / early july, then they just took down an eta

 

They also promised the 9800 GPU, and have had to recind that. That's the problem - making promises they can't keep, because they jumped the gun on giving assurances to customers.

 

Um.... the M860TU is now up for pre-orders through Sager.

It does have the 9800M options... 9800M GTS & 9800M GT.

 

Also for clarification purposes (since there were soooo many threads about it), 9800M GT = 8800M GTX in terms of performance; I think it was stated that the 9800M GTS is the lower performer.

Man, xoticpc's and powernotebooks' prices on the Clevo just cannot be beat.

 

yup... the M15x has met its match... especially for the non-ripoff pricing.

 

i have to concur with that....did ya see the $$ (cheap) on the SSD? omg!!!

 

Yea, pretty crazy
I think there was someone that said what they offered on their website was cheaper than they commonly found at most other retailers.

 

There prices are not bad. If I seen that site I would of gone for one of there laptop. But store credit.

 

Ok here goes. I got my m15x 1 week before they went to Skullcap. so its only 3 weeks old now.

But it ROCKS.

Sure its a little delicate with the screen, but its lightweight, powerful as all hell. the sexiest most beautiful laptop on the market. and did I mention it a ****ing powerhouse cpu. I got it cause I like to have power to play with when I want and battery power when I need too as I travel alot now. I'm currently in Helskini airport, charged up the smart bay battery last week. plugged it in, only had 1.2 hours battery life left ****. so I turned turn power saver feature, turned on intergrated graphics card and restarted laptop. Dropped lighting on the laptop screen and now I've got 4.5 hours to use this thing in the airport which is about the time i've got to wait here anyways so i'm set.

Its a great laptop I ummed and arred about it too but it rocks BUY ONE you will love it. Sure the screen has a little flex (open it with 2 hands and be careful with it no big deal. Doubtful you

Oh and i've got the 3 year warrenty. So I personally hope it falls apart in 2.5 years and i'll get an upgrade LOL. I think it will last at least 2 years if not 3 if taken care of properly.

Sam

 

Cat already knows these things, but thanks for sharing?

Your post doesn't address whether or not the dangerous heat cycles of the GPU will downgrade the life of the laptop.

Not trying to attack you, but it sounds better off in a 'my thoughts about m15x' thread.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I was referring to this thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=259667

Where it is widely discussed that for thermal issues, the 9800m GTX would not be available in the m860. Sorry for the confusion.

 

guess no one can ask you now....

 

Just remembering... the m15x also has the biggest battery life on market if you get the smart bay battery.

 

Cat knows this! That's also what the other poster mentioned.
She's not talking about that.
She's worried about the heat cycles of the GPU affecting the life of the system.
Or simply worrying about heat within the m15x in general.