M11X or M14X

Ok so I am looking at buying a new laptop for high school and gaming. I have chosen to go with the alienware laptops.

I am looking between the m11x and the m14x. This laptop has to be able to play games like skyrim and diablo 3 when it comes out on at least medium settings. I am happy with the performance of the two laptops but I have a few questions an concerns



1 - I walk to school everyday which takes over a half hour, Is the m14x going to be a pain to carry around everywhere?



2 - I am concerned that the screen on the m11x will be too small. I looked at the small macbook briefly to see the size and it looks too small. I know the m11x is a bit bigger. I am planning on using this laptop when I get home as well for hours, I do not have an external monitor nor do I have interest on buying one so please do not say buy a monitor. I would like the screen to be comfortable for extensive use.



3 - How loud are these machines. I have heard a lot of mixed thoughts on these; realistically in a quiet classroom will my laptop be disturbing people when only running basic programs like ms word?



4 - How much of a difference is there in these two machines; Is there a big difference in weight and screen size or is it quite similar?



5 - How hot will this laptop get when I am gaming, too hot to put on my lap?



Thanks

 

I own both an M11x R2 and an M14x.

1. The M11x weighs 4 pounds, which is about standard for normal 13-14" laptops; the M14x weighs I think 6 to 6.5 pounds, which is about standard for normal 15" laptops.

2. The screen size is up to personal preference. My own preference is that 10" is too small but 11.6" is just fine for extensive use, but that's something you'll have to decide for yourself.

3. Neither should be loud for basic things like MS Word in class.

4. Neither machine is large, but the M11x feels a bit 'small' (in a good way - compact, portable) while the M14x feels 'normal'. Gaming wise, the M14x has a vastly better processor, so any CPU-dependent games, like Starcraft 2 or other RTSes, will show vast improvements on the M14x over the M11x. Non CPU bound games, like Mass Effect, run just fine on both machines (a bit better on M14x but not that big of a deal, imo).

5. I never game on my lap, so I can't answer this one. The M14x gets pretty darn hot. The M11x gets kinda hot too, but not as much. However, the M14x gets hot on the right palmrest, while the M11x gets hot on the left palmrest (in my cases at least), so that's something to keep in mind if you're playing games which require you to use WASD to control your character. The M11x was uncomfortably warm at the left palmrest at times.

Hope this helps.

 

For me, I'd be going with the 14. I use a 10.1" tablet with a keyboard dock in class for notes (have been for about four months now), and the screen is too small. Sufficed to say, I'll be moving to a 17" Windows machine as soon as I get the chance.

It is very much personal preference though. Six pounds isn't that much to carry at all. I was carrying a ten pound M17x around college for a year as well, and it was fine. I mean yes, you're going to notice it in your backpack or whatever, but it never got to the point of uncomfortable, and I'm not exactly build like a house.