Magnesium VS Aluminium

Why do they not use Magnesium for the m17x like they do for the m15x?

Magnesium is easier to cast and turn, it disipates heat more rapidly (meaning the laptop will run cooler), and it machining tools can last up to 10x as long as tools used for Aluminium.

The only advantage I could possibly see is the slow oxidation rate of Aluminium, but since the laptops are all powder coated anyway that isn't really even an issue.

Is it simply because they didn't start using Magnesium for the m15x until R2 and where already using Aluminium for the m17x at that point?

 

Aluminum isn't brittle like magnesium. If you bump your M15x a little hard, the corner will cave in. It's happened to a few studio xps 16 owners already.

 

My buddy called me about 2 hours ago for that exact reason. He has a 6 inch long crease along the edge of his laptop where he put it into his bag and it fell on a pencil. I haven't seen it, but he was HOT about it.

 

No way, that much damage?

 

pics or it didn't happen.

i'd always thought a huge machine like the m17x would just bend whenever you held it on a corner if it had a magnesium case.

 

Honestly, it could be purely aesthetic. It looks nicer with its matte finish and doesn't show as many fingerprints.

 

I think he is over reacting myself, because looking at the pic of one, I don't see where he could get a crease. Unless its that tiny little lip on the keyboard level above the ports...I have seen that bent before.



But again, I am not entirely convinced. As far as conducting heat though, Aluminum is a better conductor of heat than Magnesium. Silver would be best, but cost prohibitive...

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html

 

honestly I would prefer a titanium, just for the heck of it...hehehee

 

Mmm Titanium.

Honestly Alum seems to get the job done pretty well. But both are good if done well.

 

it's heat dissapating properties are better, but it's heat conducting properties are ~3/4 of that of aluminum (62-72 W/mk vs 100 in aluminum) which is what counts most. If you can't get the heat away from the parts it doesn't matter how fast you dissapate it. The case would run cooler, but at the cost of the internal components running hotter, I'd rather the already hot running components run cooler in exchange for some added weight.

 

Aluminium, like Lozz states, is a better conductor of heat. Therefore, in a system like the M17x, it is better suited.

 

Magnesium is also a tad lighter than aluminum which allows the M15x to be a tad more portal.

 

Titanium would be awesome. I've got a titanium watch and it is literally indestructable. A laptop case might be a different thing entirely, but titanium is still renowned for its strength.

It sure as hell wouldn't be cheap though.

 

Better than a gold-titanium alloy (kudos if you get the reference).

 

I would deffinatly be willing to pay a premium for that level of industrutability. 10-6-2 titanium would be a VERY rugged shell for a laptop. It would outlast the componets inside by decades

yeah but only Tony Stark has that kind of money... and he wouldnt use alienware, he has Jarvis

 

Oh yeah, I would pay for a titanium case in a heartbeat!

 

LOL...Silver, titanium. I sure do love the direction this discussion is going in. $10,000 base configuration for my next laptop, $5000 on top of that for gold. I can def. dig that .

 

LOL...and while we are at it, lets have the display indicators and the keys be gem encrusted!

 

I think an earlier poster hit the issue on the head. It doesnt make any sense to build an indestructible shell for a device that will be obsolete in 3 years.

Thats why most laptops are made just rugged enough to last 3. Note that most laptop hinges barely last 2 years before they lost thier strength.

 

Well ideally you dont make the case of silver as its a pretty weak metal (and gold would be worthless as a case... heavy and very weak)

But for people that like to keep computers along time aluminum and titanium are very nice componets because they are light and very durable (steel is removed from the equation due to weight mostly)

dont laugh... their have been computers made like that. I'll see if i can find pics

Thus i still say we need more adaptable and upgradeable notebooks. All it would take is to create a few "classes" of motherboards that have ports and connections in the same place and then if your tech got too old you could buy a new motherboard and all the bits and bobs for a new system with out the need to buy a new case... plus it would cut down on waste.

Also not everyone needs a new computer all the time. If i can ever get my M17x working (or replaced) i dont see myself needing another computer for many many years. Even if i have to start playing games on ultra low settings to get decent FPS the quality will be roughly the same as i get now on high. Plus i do alot more than game so the system will do what i need to for years to come.
So more durable is better

 

Titanium is incredibly hard to work with as well. I think Dell prefers the quicker, easier yet less durable solution.

 

Ha, that's why someone needs to design an industry standard notebook case, which the components inside can be upgrated over the years!

Oh, I'm pretty sure they have. I saw in Dubai a "special" cell phone (by Virtu) that was "on sale" for $56,000. It was tiny, the case was made of platinum and 20K gold, and speckled with diamonds and other gemstones.

 

I've suggested a titanium case before. I think it was on a thread called "What do you want in the M11x", something like that.A titanium case would be awesome. I have a spork made out of titanium, when you pick it up you think it's gray plastic, but you can't damage it at all. Bending, twisting, hitting, nothing.

 

it's too bad this will never happen(clevo's and sagers are about the closest we'll get, and look how fugly they are). OEM's can do it with desktops because of their size and general amount of material to work with(and even they arrange stuff funny/ have propritary stuff shoved in there). Laptops will never have standerized mainboards simply because OEM's want different designs to distingush from the competition and models, you have to create a new case to do that, which means a new mainboard because of the form factor's size limitations and general mobility concerns. Until people and OEM's are willing to sell/buy laptops that basicly all look the same it's just a day dream.