M14 vs. M17

Hello,

I'm looking for some opinions on size between the M14 and M17. I know the physical dimensions, but I'm looking for opinions on actual use. I'm torn between the two.

The use is spent equally between my desk at work and on my couch at home. I have the feeling that the desk use would benefit from the 17" and the couch use would benefit from the 14". I know the M17 is more powerful, but is the M14 really a viable gaming computer? (I'm looking at MMOs) Am I going to miss that extra screen space?

I'm using a 15.6" now, and really wish they still offered the M15 but that's another matter.

Thanks.

 

The m14x is certainly viable for gaming.

I am actually in the same boat as you, but I think my decision was made for me due to the cheap screen they used on the m14x. It's not terrible as far as laptop screens go, but the gamut coverage is very low and I'd like better options on a "high-end" gaming machine which I am going to be doing a lot of image work on. The gamut coverage on the m17xR3 display is about twice as high, and the overall quality is a bit better as well (though we all wish for the m17xR2 display).

As far as performance goes, yeah the 6970 GPU in the m17xR3 is quite a bit more powerful, but unless you want to play something like Crysis it is probably redundant. For MMO's the 555m in the m14x should do fine. Everything else is pretty much the same apart from screen resolution.

And price. The m14x and m17x I have configured are around $500-600 apart in price.

 

Will you be taking the laptop anywhere besides the home? If not, and if you can stand quite warm legs, then go for the M17x

 

Nope. Just work and then home.

 

if you don't mind carrying the m17x around, and have the money, by all mean go for it Gaming (or anything else) feel so much better on a bigger screen imo, also the gpu in the m17x is better as well

 

M17xR3 = more futureproof

 

I was in the same boat. I wanted something nice since I returned my m18 and I just rebuilt my desktop.

So I had three choices - the XPS 17, m14 and m17. When I saw the m14 I turned away and started to take a look at the 17s due to the screen. I did the pros and cons to both and the m17 won.

 

Thanks for the opinions. I really appreciate it.

 

Personally, if I had to take my G73JH to work daily I'd cry. I know it isn't a m17 but it's still a huge laptop so I'm sure it's the same pita.

 

Hey guys,

(Buying From Hidevolution btw)

Just considering if i should go for the stock m17x r3(non 3D)

- Intel® CoreTM i7 2630QM (2GHz/6MB cache)
- 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
- 2048 (MB) AMD HD6970M RadeonTM
- 17.3 inch display (1600x900)
- 320 gp 7200rpm SATA-II HDD

Price $1483
Not including (postage, Tax, etc.)

or the m14x with the following (something's Upgraded)

- i7 2630QM (upgrade)
- 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
- OCZ vertex 2 Sata2 120 gb (upgrade)
- 1.5 DDR3 gb Gtxm 555
- 14 inch 900p(1600x900) (upgrade)

Price $1436 AU
Not including (postage, Tax, etc.)

Will be mostly Gaming (league of legends, WOW, COD etc. Also just normal computer usage (Word docs, internet etc,).

Cheers guys

(First post ever lol, so sorry if i have forgotten anything).

 

Lol.

The M17x is over double the performance of the m14x.

This is because the GTX55m is less than half the power of that card. Although CPU wise, they both are the same.

 

I was also deciding between these.

I thought it was nice to have a 14 inch laptop with power. Although I found out that the GTX55m is not that good.

$400-500 more got me a much more powerful M17x.

It is a bigger laptop, but I would rather have more power of smaller size.

 

They will both game great. If you plan on taking your lapp anywhere frequently the m17 becomes quite annoying. Basically the m14x was made with the idea, hey lets see how awesome we can make a gaming laptop and still make it easily portable. I have my m14x coming today to replace my m11x and my G73JH. I found I never move my G73JH because it's so massive and the m11x is awesome for its size but I needed a little more power and the m14x came out and it seems like the perfect balance to me. Really you need to decide if you are going to leave it on the desk or be mobile.

 

For gaming the m17x with FHD screen. The 1600x900 screen kinda sucks.

For mobility the m14x.

 

Considering the how close both prices are,i say M17xR3 is a more sensible choice if you are leaning more towards gaming.Keep everything stock & bump up the display to 1920x1080.Unless you are going to lug it around all day & only game for 1,2 hours,then i say M14x.

 

Seems like you have an SSD upgrade for the M14x. Not sure why that is only in 1 of the choices but I'd go with the M17x for the sheer power of it.

 

2 different machines with different purposes [m17x = fullout desktop gaming, m14x = portability gaming].

Decide which is more important to you, then pull the trigger.

Good luck

 

Thanks Guys Really appreciate all your response's and have taken them into consideration, think im going to go with the m17x R3 as i will be using it at home mostly, but still having the mobilty when i want to take it places.

Btw the stock graphics card in the m17x R3 is : 1024 (MB) AMD HD6870M Radeon, I put the wrong one in there, sorry =S

Would it be worth paying the extra $200 and get a SSD drive (Crucial C300 SATA3 128GB)

Or get the Larger screen? 1920x1080 for $150

Fred the reason only one of those have SSD in them, is because it is an upgrade that Hidevolution offer.)

PS. How do i give rep to people on this site lol.

 

You can always get a SSD later but it is hard to upgrade the screen.

 

i was picking a college laptop between m14 and m17, the m17 won out because a 1080p or better screen was necessary, and the GPU is much more powerful if you get the 6970m.

 

Good choice on the M17x, its better for overall performance and more future proof.

 

Priority would be to get the Dell 6970m card,then decide slowly which SSD you want.& if you decide to bring your R3 out for a walk,better to get a backpack,the belkin messenger bag that came with my system gave me a sore shoulder everytime...

 

I had a couple 17" laptops before, it felt heavy, but probably just because I don't use a backpack.

 

Hi guys. I'm an incoming college freshman and I'm hoping to give up desktop gaming (have an 8800GTS) for more casual portable gaming. I still want to be able to play games like Mass Effect 3 when it comes out and Crysis 2, but high settings are not necessary. Also, I'm afraid if breaking my back.
I've also been hoping to order from Costco. Their warranty and return policy is unsurpassed. So my choices are:

$1300 base M14x from Costco.
$1800 base M17x with 460m and 3d screen from Costco.
$1750 base M17x with 6970m from Dell.

The third choice is obviously cheaper, and by haggling on the phone and using coupon codes I can drive the price even further down. But I'm reluctant not to have Costco's 90 day returns and 2 year warranty (their reps are superior to Dell's).

So, any opinions? Should I sacrifice frames for portability, value, and Costco, sacrifice value and portability for performance and Costco, or sacrifice portability and Costco for the powerful and cheaper Dell direct M17x (with no 3d screen... Big frickin deal). Maybe I should buy a warranty on top of the Dell option?

Thanks for any advice, I'm truly going insane here.

 

You're looking for portability, not a powerhouse. You answered your own question. Get the m14x... The m17x is not portable. It's a pain to have to wrestle with it every day and more of a pain to carry.

I would get the m14x from dell with as many upgrades as you can fit into your budget. Yes, the support might not be as fast as Costco's and you'll only have a 30 day return policy (if I recall correctly) but you'll have a better laptop and still have service on it for the rare chance you may need it... even if it takes a little bit longer and is a bit more of a hassle, it's still the same result.

Or you can do the alternative (and seemingly more logical) method and pick up the base m14x and a new 560 TI for $200. Have a casual gaming laptop and a good gaming desktop and still be $250-$300 further ahead of the m17x.

 

Note the above poster has the very old first gen M17x.

The new one is a fair bit lighter and thinner.

 

Maybe so, but it still sucks for a daily carry.

 

So you reckon get the graphics card, and get an after market SSD and Install at a later date? (Limited cash so can’t afford both straight up lol)

The reason I was going to get the SSD drive in my purchase is because it'd come set up/installed/etc and seems easier then doing it my self lol

I have never really installed any hardware or taken apart a laptop/computer before.

So I’d probably have to get an IT guy to install/re-load windows/programs and what not and it seems like a hassle or is it really not that hard to do/ or that expensive to pay someone?

Sorry about all the questions, just really want to make the right decision in what things are best to upgrade....in other words "best bang for your buck"

Ps. I also heard that the 1600x1080 screen is a must have on the m17x R3? Is this true?

Cheers mate XD.

 

Thanks for the input.

Akari: If I were to buy the M14x, I'd get the Costco model. I failed to mention this, but it actually has an i7 2630QM, 6GB of 1600MHz DDR3, and the 750GB HDD. It's only $20 more expensive than what that configuration would be at Dell direct, and the only thing I'd be missing out on that I'd normally put in is a 1600x900 screen. Considering the DPI of 14" 1366x768 is higher than my desktop monitor (22" 1680x1050), I have no complaints about that resolution.

The M17x at Costco only has a 460M, which is lacking comparing to the 6970M. How much of a difference is there between the two cards, though?


I just want to note: The reason why I'm still considering the 11 pound behemoth that is the M17x even though I'm going to use it at college is because I've always liked the idea of having one computer for everything.

I guess my ideal (nonexistent) laptop is a future-proofed gaming laptop that's portable enough for college. The M17x makes concessions in the portable department, and the M14x makes concessions in the future-proofed department.

Has anyone attempted to carry around an M17x? Any input on how that feels?

 

Any particular reason you're limiting yourself to Alienware? The Sager NP8150 is getting the new GeForce GTX 580M, which would be about as future-proof as you can get in a notebook GPU (until the next one comes along, of course). It'll also be a lot more portable than an M17x.

 

Well, the NP5165 is larger and has worse battery than the M14x. Never looked at the 8150. It looks powerful but I think that card is overkill, as the price becomes over $2000. I'd probably rather save some money and get better battery life by getting the M17x with the 6970m.

That card, from what I'm reading on Notebook Check, seems to be the highest practical choice. The 580m is very expensive and offers little extra power.

Really, Alienware's biggest draw for me is the battery life. The M14x is also the smallest laptop with the 555m. If you have another computer appropriate to my needs to mention, I'm all ears. Note that I tried the dv6t already and was unimpressed, mainly because the better was nowhere near advertised (3.5 hours or so web browsing on integrated graphics).

 

I am a big dude (huge actually). Think NFL offensive tackle huge. I would not want to lug my m17x around a college campus. Taking it from home to a LAN party, or from your dorm/appt to your mom & dad's house, is more what the m17x is built for. It is a portable desktop machine that can work off of a battery for 4-5 hours if you need it to. You can use it as a daily portable....but I would not recommend it.

Two reasons to get the m17x over the m14x:
1. You need the 6970m graphics power
2. You need the full size number pad on the keyboard (I am an accounting/finance dude and it means everything to me).

My 2 cents.

 

Thanks for the input. I actually hate number pads and I'm a very lanky guy (I'm already having nightmares about the weight). I was hoping a backpack could alleviate the weight if worse comes to worst. But yeah, the only reason I'm considering the M17x is because I'm worried about the M14x becoming a giant $1300 netbook in two years.

Interestingly, the M17x has the 580m now, but again, it's a huge rip-off. I'd still get the 6970m.

 

I don't think the weight of the m17x is a problem. It is just bulkier and more difficult to pack/unpack and use on anything smaller than a regular office desk or table. It is just this much too big.

My wife's 15" Dell Studio feels like a flimsy piece of crap by comparison, but I choose it everytime when I will be packing/unpacking alot or using it in a less-than-ideal situation (like on an airplane or in a classroom).

 

The M14x is compact from a length and depth perspective, but it's thicker and heavier than any other notebook its size by a country mile. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 is smaller and uses the GeForce GT 550M, which would be close performance-wise to the 555M. Its biggest drawback is the lack of a 900p screen option, which admittedly is a strong point of the M14x.

If you're not going to be gaming on the go, how about something like a Dell Latitude E6420 and using its Expresscard slot for an eGPU? This way you'll have something small to carry around but have plenty of gaming power when you're "docked."

 

Thanks. I guess I should consider the fact that I need it to fit on lecture hall desks! I guess the M14x is looking better and better than the M17x.

I'm just wondering, does anyone know of 15" gaming laptops with good battery life and 460m or above? Maybe that would be feasible to carry out and about.

Regarding eGPUs, I've considered DIY ViDocks, but I still want to game on the go. It's just convenient to have sometimes. And I've read that mirroring to the internal monitor is a pain.

 

The 6970m is your "best bang for your buck",if you are not after 3D gaming.& if you are not confident enough to do a clean install,then you should get the preinstalled SSD to be on the safe side.I never heard anyone mentioned before that 1600x900 is a must have for R3,you can see that the majority of the M17x owners have 1920x1080 screens in their sigs.I personally never opened up a laptop for upgrading before,its the kind folks here at NBR who have provided so much valuable info that prompted me to learn & experience.

 

Today I weighed my messenger bag that I've been using for high school for the past 4 years (the weight hasn't changed much) and it's 15 pounds because in high school, I carried all my papers and books all the time in addition to a medium-sized laptop... that's pretty much an M17x and a textbook. And considering that's a messenger bag, I think with a proper 2-shoulder backpack, I could more than handle carrying the M17x and some other stuff daily.

I'm more confident in buying an M17x now. I think that the weight is doable, even for carrying around everyday. I've carried a lot on my back for years.

Anyway, which of the M17x graphics cards is the best one to go with? I mean, I like NVIDIA cards better because of their drivers and the PhysX support, but then I'd have to get a 580M which doesn't seem to offer much more power over the 6970M for $350 more.

 

Cheers for all your help mate, yeah sorry I posted the wrong screen I was meant to put the 1600x1080 screen lol.

Ill probably fork out a bit more Cash and get the m6970 and go the cheaper
Crucial C300 SATA3 128 GB SSD - $ 200
OCZ vertex 2 SATA2 120 GB SSD- $176

Not sure which one haha. Assuming the the SATA 3 is better of the two.

And probably not bother with the larger screen because ill just end up getting a 32 Inch TV and have it running through that.