Need help with when/what to buy regarding the M17x

Hi, I am planning on buying the new Alienware M17x, I am not quite sure when to buy it and have some questions regarding parts. Here is what I am thinking of getting...

SYSTEM COLOR Space Black – Anodized Aluminum
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™2 Extreme Quad QX9300 2.53GHz (12MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows Vista Home Premium (64 bit) + Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Coupon
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 3 Yr Limited Warranty with 3 Yr NBD Onsite Service with Complete Care and 3 Yr Tech Support
LCD PANEL 17-inch WideUXGA 1920x1200 (1200p)
MEMORY 6GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
HARD DRIVE 1TB - 2x 500GB 7,200RPM - RAID 0
VIDEO CARD Dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 280M, 2GB – SLI® Enabled
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE Slot-Load Dual Layer Blu-ray Combo (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
AUDIO OPTIONS Alienware TactX Headset

With tax it would cost me about 6,500 (cause im in Canada). I currently have 7,000 but my parents are cringing at the price tag and pestering me about buying a car instead, so I can spend more but am trying not too.

I am going to be using this computer for gaming and schoolwork and would need it to last me for about 3-4 years.

I am not quite sure about the RAM. Originally I was going to get 8GB 1333 but people said I wouldn't need 8GB to play games and that I could always upgrade later. I also heard that 1333 vs 1066 makes no difference at all when overclocking, but want to make sure this is the case before purchasing the laptop. I am also not sure whether to go for the 3 year or 4 year warranty and would like some input as to whether or not I should go with the complete care option or not.


Another thing I am not sure about is when to buy it. I was hoping to buy it when Windows 7 released but I am not sure that would be the best thing to do. Namely because I will be out of town for 2 weeks after Christmas and would need to have the laptop by then. Also, there are quite a few video games that I want to buy that are releasing before Windows 7 so if I did wait to purchase my laptop I would have to play them on my desktop. Which wouldn't be too bad, but it wouldn't be ideal as I would much rather have a nice new laptop for my nice new games.

Majesty 2 - 9/8/2009
Alpha Protocol - 10/6/2009
Dragon Age Origins - 10/20/2009
Modern Warfare 2 - 11/10/2009
Assassin's Creed 2 - 11/17/2009

I believe Windows 7 releases on October 22.

So if Windows 7 is available for the M17x at the end of October and I order it then, I should have it by about the first week or so of November right? So I would have it for MW2 and AC2, but not for the other three games.

Or I could buy it now. It would come with Vista, but it would also have a free upgrade coupon, I believe it would upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 just via the normal update manager is that correct? So then that should be pretty easy. Do you expect that will work ok or with games installed on it and whatnot is there a good chance something would get messed up somehow?

I am kind of worried about buying it at the "last minute" because what if it is delayed or lots of people are buying them for Christmas so parts are out of stock, or what if something is faulty and needs to be replaced. I would prefer to have a couple months "cushion" for possible delays and to make sure everything is working properly. Also then I would have more time to experiment with overclocking and that sort of thing.

I suppose what I am mainly asking would be, is waiting to buy the laptop with a clean install of Windows 7 on it worth the risk of not getting it in time and the inconvenience of not having it for some of the new games coming out. I mean, would it make a noticeable difference in...anything...to have it ship with Windows 7 installed instead of switching from Vista to windows 7 a couple months after purchasing it?

I really hate the thought of something happening, a delay or needing a replacement part or something and having to head off to Hawaii for 2 weeks without a computer : /

Thanks for the help! This is a major purchase for me so I am wound kind of tight about something possibly going wrong >.<

 

Nothing will go wrong, just make sure to order at least a month before your trip.

 

Thanks for the reply. I am planning on getting 6GB instead of 4GB because Dragon Age: Origins recommends 4GB and I want to futureproof the laptop a bit.

I think I read somewhere that if you have Vista already you can just put in the Windows 7 CD and "upgrade" it. I'm not sure how well that would work though : /

Anyone know if the free upgrade option for Vista to Windows 7 on the Alienware website means they will ship you a CD, or is it a digital download?

 

If you choose to upgrade, it saves all your stuff from vista, and you can choose to have the settings saved. From what Ive heard, they ship the cd.

 

Well that is cool, I didn't know about that.

And they don't ship the CD with the laptop, they send you a code and you take that code and go onto the win7 upgrade website and enter it, then I think they ship you the CD, but you can only do that after Win7 is released.

 

Oh ok, thanks.

Is there any benefit to having Windows 7 ship on the machine instead of upgrading from Vista to Windows 7? Because if it wouldn't make a major difference I will probably buy the laptop in the next little while instead of waiting till the end of the year.

 

Not really any advantage to getting it pre-installed I don't think, except that you don't have to install it except this upgrade thing will apparently make it a lot easier.

 

I would get 4gb of ram instead of 6, and start with the 1 year warranty
then upgrade the warranty in like 10 months

that will spread the cost around some

also, if you can procure the cpu on your own and install it, that can save you like $600 USD (so even more Canadian)

 

I am still fairly new to computers as I purchased my first computer (a desktop) coming up on just two years ago. So I have no idea how to install a CPU : /

Where would I buy one in Canada though? I'm not sure what store would carry it.

 

ebay....it is your friend haha

if that is the case, then pass on the cpu, but the ram and warranty things I mentioned should save you a pretty penny as well

 

Mr.Moo has a very good CPU changing video guide, I'd recommend watching it even if you aren't going to change your CPU. It is really quite good.

 

Hmm...I checked ebay and there appear to be only three. One from Tawain, one from China, and one in the USA for the same price that Alienware has. I think ebay USA and ebay Canada have different items or something : /

My current desktop has 3GB RAM, and one of the games I plan on purchasing recommends 4GB so I think I will stick with the 6GB RAM. I don't want to have to upgrade the laptop for a couple years so I am trying to futureproof it a good bit.

I was thinking of ordering the laptop via the phone. When I did that with my desktop I got the second year warranty half off and a free second cd/dvd drive. I was thinking seeing as I am increasing the price from 1,999 to about 5,9xx or w/e I could probably get some stuff like the warranty/headphones/laptop bag/bluray drive or something cheaper.

What is the respawn cd or whatever? Do I need it or would it be easy to make one once the computer arrives and I shouldn't bother to get it?

 

For me the respawn CD came with it..It just resets the laptop back to factory conditions.

 

Ok, because the respawn cd shows up as an option for $50 or something like that. I suppose its not worth spending the money on?

 

I don't think so, like I said, one came free with mine. You can also get some imaging software and do it yourself..

 

Before you decide on the RAM, check Newegg or a couple other sites on current RAM pricing. I haven't looked at the current amount AW is charging for the 6GB but you might be able to save yourself a few bucks. Also you may be able to save a little bit on the headset by buying it elsewhere too. Granted it might not have AW all over it but it'd be the same thing no?

As for the Vista+Upgrade vs Straight Win-7 install. Things might have come a long way since the older upgrade versions of OS's but I personally think that a fresh install of any OS is much better then an Upgrade-install. Reason for this is that when using an upgrade any possible issues you were having will carry over after the upgrade and could potentially cause even bigger problems. Ir could also cause small errors or issues to become much bigger. So again, I myself always do a fresh install of an OS.

Some other things from what I've read (correct me if I'm wrong on some of this ya'll.) is one of the bigger changes between Vista and Win-7 is how the OS manages your memory. This alone would cause me to want to do a fresh install just in case an app or program doesn't like how Win-7 is managing things.

Lastly, like others have said, you could get the cheaper CPU and find the better one on eBay for a LOT less. Replacing the CPU is much easier than you might think. I would also recommend you learn this before you start delving into OC'ing.

Anyway, that's my nickles worth of opinion/advice.

Good luck and I'm sure regardless you'll enjoy that beast.

 

I'd say lose the 6GB of RAM and go for just 4GB of 1066MHz...there really will be no benefit for gaming in having more than 4GB, and not for quite a while.

Spend the money instead on a SSD, then get a second HDD for storage. You really will get a huge difference out of an SSD.

 

I checked newegg.ca, I can't find any 6GB laptop RAM for some reason : /

If I were to buy the laptop with Vista on it, then when Windows 7 comes out uninstall everything and format the harddrive and then install Windows 7, that would be about as good as buying the laptop with Windows 7 on it right?

I think I might be checking for the wrong thing or something. I went to ebay.ca, typed in qx9300 and got three results, only one looked legitimate and it was more than Dell.ca.

 

Ewwww... Don't get the Alienware headset!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106219

These are a bit expensive but the quality of the audio and microphone are BEYOND amazing. Worth saving for.

Whenever someone hears me on vent they say the quality of my mic is crystal clear. I'd go on about them but then I'd be going a bit off topic.

 

I would listen to your parents.
You could get basically the barebones and just the essentials and still be able to buy a decent car, but 6,500 for a laptop is alot more than you should be spending.

I'm gonna be a great dad one day.

 

Hehe, you mean buy a car instead of a laptop? Ya I probably should...cept that I hate driving. Plus I only have my L so getting a car now wouldn't make much sense. My dad has a 2005 Honda Accord he will want to sell in the next year or two. So I am thinking I will buy the laptop now, then save up and buy the car off him later. Besides, I need a laptop for school soon anyway as I am taking a university course along with the usual grade 12 work this coming school year.

 

Yea but do you really need to spend 6,500 on the laptop? you can save alot of money if you are willing to upgrade the CPU yourself. Its up to you but I wouldn't spend more than 3,000 and spend 4000 on a car or something. You're parents will still have a heart attack at that price tag for a laptop.

 

Wow thats expensive. My current headset only cost me about $40 or so, and it just broke so I would need to get a new headset right when I get the laptop, and I don't really have money for a headset that is that expensive.

I am planning on getting the Cryo LX for cooling the laptop, so thats about $70, so $60 or $70 is about all I have to spend on a headset.

Why is the Alienware headset really bad or something?

 

I don't want to spend that much on a laptop but thats how much it costs to get it with the parts I want.

I *might* be willing to upgrade the CPU myself but so far nobody has provided any links and I have checked ebay and can't find anything : /

3,000 wouldn't be enough to get the qx9300 and dual gtx 280s : /

To be honest, my parents almost had a heart attack when I bought a Dell Dimension 9200 that was on sale for 1,500 with free shipping...

 

here you go

the qx9300 is NOT needed to be a great gaming computer
get a t9600 and overclock it to 3.3 ghz and you will be good for a long time and next year when your better with computers install the qx9300 for 300$

DO NOT GET 6 GIGS OF RAM you do not need it . When i play i leave Firefox steam MSN pidgin and every other service running and usually have 1.5 gigs left to play with

get 260's in SLI they ae MOST 10% slower so the 300$ pice difference is not needed

here is the CPU guide i made

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=401382

 

yea parents wont be happy unless u buy a laptop thats as slow as chiseling a rock for 100 bucks. yea you're right, ebay.com qx9300 should bring up some results, also there is a forum on HP that sells the qx9300, for like 600 canadian, more than half what alienware charges. The only upgrade you should get from alienware I think is the 280m SLI, and WideUXGA.

EDIT: and like moo said, the dual 260's are worth the price tag much more, plus you still have lots more money left over to spend on a car and give you're parents another reason to fear for your safety.

 

I like the idea of getting a "decent" machine and upgrading if you feel the need to.

I agree with Moo and I'm sure many others also do.

 

Why do you need the QX9300? Just get the one down (Q9100 or Q9200, can't remember) and overclock it. It will still perform great and save you some money.

Here is one $360 CAD and free shipping.

 

I have a question, I think I read somewhere that the GPUs are a bit hard to get at, is that true? Would the CPU and RAM be easier to upgrade than the GPUs?

 

not only is it $360 but you can sell the OEM of your stock CPU for like 180 on ebay. so its only a 180 dollar upgrade instead of the 800 or watever alienware wants you to pay.

 

Yes, and you won't save any money upgrading the GPU. Alienware has good prices on them.

 

Well I think at the moment if you want to upgrade your GPUs you'd have to have Alienware send you one (for their prices)?

CPUs are available all over the place.

Dunno about ram.

 

RAM will be the easiest..just 1 screw, judging by Moo's videos the CPU and GPU will be about the same difficulty to get at.

If I'm not mistaken, Dell is the only place where you can get the right GPU's since they are the only ones that have the SLI connector on them..you might as well just order it built into your laptop.

 

Alienware has good prices on GPUs? I dunno about that. More like the only prices.

 

The other sites that sold the Notebook 260m's and 280m's it was actually cheaper to buy through alienware in canadian, as for ebay couldn't find any anywhere.

 

the GPU's are acessable half way through changeing the CPU

the RAM is the easiest followed by HD's then GPU then CPU

 

Hey Moo..you should make a screen changing guide

 

why ?

who needs one ?

 

Moo why a t9600 instead of a t9800? Do the both overclock about the same so the extra $350 would be wasted?

 

Where would you even buy the 1920x1200 screen?

 

Most of the time the best and second best in terms of technology the very best isn't worth it compared to the second best in price for what you get.

 

the t9600 overclock the almost the same and so the 350 is WASTED

t9600 is the best bang for the buck CPU

i have my p8600 running @ 3.1 all day

 

Twas a joke, you have made a guide for just about everything else haha..sorry..it's been a long day.

If I was able to buy the screen afterwords and install it myself, I probably would. It has been my only real regret so far.

Doubt you can.

 

what are the temps moo?

 

yabe ffo neercs et teg uoy dna eurt OOOOS sooo true and you can get the screen off ebay my text is going backwards ....

 

OOOOS to you 2

 

Your P8600 OC's just as good as my P8700..:/ waste of $60 CAD on that upgrade..

 

Ok, so how does this look then?

SYSTEM COLOR Space Black – Anodized Aluminum
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™2 Duo T9600 2.8GHz (6MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows Vista Home Premium (64 bit) + Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Coupon
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 3 Yr Limited Warranty with 3 Yr NBD Onsite Service with Complete Care and 3 Yr Tech Support
LCD PANEL 17-inch WideUXGA 1920x1200 (1200p)
MEMORY 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz – 2 x 2048MB
HARD DRIVE 1TB - 2x 500GB 7,200RPM - RAID 0
VIDEO CARD Dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 280M, 2GB – SLI® Enabled
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE Slot-Load Dual Layer Blu-ray Combo (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
AUDIO OPTIONS Alienware TactX Headset
GAMING ACCESSORIES Mobile Edge Alienware Orion Laptop Messenger Bag – Fits Laptop Up to 17" - Black
POWER PROTECTION Belkin Inc 12-Outlet Surge Protector

Would this system be able to play all the games I mentioned earlier on max settings?

My first computer (Dell Dimension 9200) I bought about two years ago. About a year after purchasing it I bought a Corsair 650 watt power supply and a Evga GTX 260. My dad's friend helped me install them. then at Christmas I got a Seagate Barracuda 1TB HD, which I installed myself.

I have never installed anything "tricky" like a CPU or RAM before : / The very thought of it makes my hands all clammy lol

So...say I want to upgrade the CPU and RAM Christmas next year. About how much would you guess I would save getting 6GB RAM and a QX9300 then instead of now?

Also, what would I all need exactly? I have no tools whatsoever, no special screwdrivers or paste or anything...would I need to get some?

And there shouldn't be any problem with finding RAM or the CPU for the laptop right? Its not like only parts from Alienware would work or anything like that? Also, would upgrading from parts purchased on ebay void the warranty in any way?

 

http://cgi.ebay.ca/17-WUXGA-1920x12...in_0?hash=item562ff86776&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

would that fit the M17x? only thing I could find on ebay.

 

ask Zfactor

also all you need to take apart the laptop is a philips head screw driver

btw that will play any game out right now maxed