New Alienware Purchase Advice Needed

I'm looking to purchase a new Alienware system and was hoping for some advice.

I currently have an m17x with a 460m video card hooked up to a 27" Samsung at 2560x1440 rez. The reason I'm looking to upgrade is so gaming can be handled better on the Samsung at the high resolution. The framerate drop I get right now is a bit crazy.

I'm looking at either an m14x or an Alienware X51, both would be maxed on settings. Would either of these machines be able to handle gaming at the higher resolution or would fps still be an issue? Does anyone have experience with either of these machines at that higher rez?

 

According to what you said I would say that the best way to go would be an m17x or m18x, those 2 will give you the performance that you are looking for. If you need pricing info or tech specs you can e-mail us to [email protected].

 

Hey Lindzad, I'd shoot for something like this configuration.

Alienware M17x (R4) Alienware M17x (R4)
- 17.3" (60Hz) WideFHD WLED (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare-Type Screen (SKU - A1R604)
- Alienware "No Bright Dot" Guarantee
- NO Professional Monitor Color Calibration
- 3rd Generation Intel® Ivy Bridge Core™ i7-3610QM (2.3GHz - 3.3GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache, 45W Max TDP) (SKU – X2N300)
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - GPU & CPU
- AMD Radeon HD 7970M (2048MB) GDDR5 DX11 (SKU - A3R701)
- 8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL11 Dual Channel Memory (2x4GB SODIMMS) (SKU - A4X422P)
- Default Color
- Alienware Soft Touch STEALTH BLACK (Stock Finish)
- CUSTOM ETCHING - Up to 21 Characters - (Etched Plate on Bottom of Laptop) - Enter in Comments Box During Checkout
- Customize your Alienware system with your favorite Avatar and Wallpaper! (Contact Sales for more info or can be completed upon arrival)
- No mSATA SSD Drive
- 120GB Intel 520 Series Solid State Drive (Up to Sequential Read 550MB/s - Write 500MB/s SSD2 Serial-ATA III) (SKU - X5R074)
- 500GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) (SKU - A6R203)
- Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3) (Includes 3rd Antenna) (Dual Band) (SKU - X8R053)
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Pre-Installed + Drivers & Utilities Disk - [ Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 (Directly through Microsoft) ]
- Keep factory installed operating system

 

If you're going to be playing at that resolution, I think you're going to be limited to systems with a AMD 7970m or Nvidia 680m. Anything else would be too slow.

 

The M14x can already struggle with some games at 1080p, as will the X51. Both are more designed to deliver 'console quality' gaming in a smaller size. You seem to be more concerned about raw performance for 2560x1440 and for that you definitely require at least the 7970M or 680M in the larger M17x/M18x.

But you mention the X51. Have you considered just putting together a cheap gaming box?

 

Avoid the M14x. Not in any possible way is that even remotely a gamer laptop. Ideally, you'd opt for a M17x w/ AMD 7970M for the perfect performance/price ratio, and to avoid all the hassle of multi-GPU configurations, not to mention the additional expenses ofcourse.

 

Or if you really want an alienware x51(with the 330 psu) you could pop in a gtx 670!!!

 

Why isn't it? That's a strong opinion on a laptop that can play any game out. What constitutes a gaming laptop?

 

Well, for starters, when an average Lenovo or similar brand that wasn't built for gaming is beating your "gamer" series of laptop, is precisely the first indicator of that particular model NOT being a gamer laptop, marketing and advertising aside. I could certainly give you a much more detailed answer, but what would be the point really?
Also, it's not just about being able to "run" any game out there. I'm sure my old old desktop could do that for a couple more years, if a slideshow is what you consider good gameplay performance. A gaming notebook is a gaming notebook because it won't compromise on a top-of-the-shelf GPU (as and when available at the time of purchase) and superior cooling system. Period.

EDIT: This also reminds me of the Razer Blade.

 

What average Lenovo?? I wouldn't call anything with dedicated video average or mainstream. The average consumer looking for a laptop uses integrated video.

Ivy Bridge and a GT650M is average nowadays? It might not be a top of the line gaming machine, but it is a gaming machine.

I'm sure you wouldn't consider my 1055T and 6950 desktop a gaming machine either.

And what game played on the M14X is a slide show???

edit: if you're talking about a $1000 Lenovo, what do you think they were built for? they put a GTX660 in them for Youtube?

edit2: just checked the lenovo site...the y580 is marketed as a "powerful gaming pc"

 

I did not see a specific Lenovo model mentioned in Prasad's post. Yes, a particular $1,000 laptop with a GTX660M is certainly better than the average Joe's laptop... but, it's not in the same league as what many of us would consider a high performance gaming system. It's just a better than average laptop by many gamer's standards. A GTX660M is far better than Intel IGFX, but it's really not all that powerful compared to 6990M, 580M, 675M, 7970M or 680M.

I think the "slideshow" comment was offered as sarcastic humor. That's how I took it... made me laugh, actually.

 

Key words you used was "high performance". I wouldn't consider a M14X a high performance gaming laptop either. The guy said it wasn't a gaming laptop at all. Also said there are Lenovos and other mainstream laptops not made for gaming that's beating the M14X.

 

Yea, the m14x is more of a compromise between portability and power. It's kinda small so you can carry it around, but its still quite large compared to most other 14 inch laptops. The tradeoff for that size is power. I might buy an m14x here in a few months to complement my m17x, but it definitely won't be my primary machine due to it's screen size and such.

 

Just because it has a 650 doesn't make it a gaming machine. Case in point, the MBP has a 650...

You have to look at things like cooling and upgradability to.

 

I don't see a point in differentiating between "high performance" and "gaming laptop" as they are synonymous terms to gaming enthusiasts. Remove either qualifier and the product falls into the ordinary or better-than-average bucket in terms of performance. I can use my Intel HD graphics to play a number of games with lowered settings with an expectation of lower frame rates and a lackluster experience. Many games can be played like that, especially if I overclock the IGFX. Or, I can also use my wife's Inspiron M5030 with its AMD Turion™ II processor and 512MB HD4250 graphics to play games like Left4Dead 2 with lowered settings. It is neither "high performance" nor a "gaming laptop" by even a stretch of the imagination. Is she happy with it? Absolutely, and without question. She is not an enthusiast.

Being able to do something poorly or in a mediocre fashion does not qualify any machine as capable of meeting those definitions in the way I use them. I have to believe that is part of what Prasad is saying without having to elaborate, qualify the statements or knit-pick over terminology.

As a secondary point, just because a vendor labels one of their machines a "gaming" system doesn't mean it does anything well. They can call it whatever that want to call it for marketing purposes, but the only thing that matters at the end of the day is results. If it cannot run the majority of today's games at max settings with playable frame rates it is unworthy of that label. It might be an affordable compromise that many people would be extremely satisfied with, but I would consider it false and deceptive advertising. People shopping specifically for a "high performance" or "gaming laptop" probably will be less than completely satisfied if they don't know what they are getting into before they are suckered by the label. (Yes, think Razer Blade, again.)

 

Would my desktop with a 6950 and [email protected] considered a gaming desktop? Or does it need SLI 680's and a 2700k@5?

 

Cooling isn't an issue for me. It gets hot just like all laptops do under load. Doesn't alter my playing experience a single bit. And upgradability? Why do I need to be able to upgrade to call it a gamer? it'd be nice if it was, but it's not necessary. I paid less for my M14X than a single 680M costs. When the time comes I'll get a new laptop for my on the go gaming. My desktop gets the upgrades when needed.

 

dell call their xps 14 is an ultrabook, same trick as m14x.
dell just troll consumer with their marketing plan

 

All hardware gets outdated in time. Like I said and Fox reiterated, a high-performance gaming system is one equipped with the higher-end GPU at the time of purchase. My 8800M GTX Sager was a gaming system, can still be considered as such. But for the current technologies available, the hardware just isn't enough. Presently, a 650M or 660M can NOT be considered high-end. Those are mainstream mid-end GPUs. That is precisely why these companies build the higher-end enthusiast class GPUs. In any case, there is a market for each product and each consumer has to individually evaluate his wants/needs. "Gaming" by itself is a very broad-spectrum consideration given it could range from Solitaire to Sleeping Dogs. It depends on each individual whether his gaming needs require a high-end GPU or whether a mid-end GPU should suffice. A "gaming laptop" is senseless terminology anyway. It all comes down to the performance that you demand and the performance that you're getting, whether it be today or 2 years down the line.

As for your comments on the 'average' hardware, I'd like to reassure you that dedicated GPUs have been the mainstream standard for a while now. Most vendors will only provide integrated graphics on their lowest-end budget systems. Times have changed, as they always will. My last laptop was an ASUS w/ AMD 6570M (mid-range) for barely $700. When spending on a brand that is meant for gaming, you're expected to make the right expense and go for the high-end GPU, not settle since if that were the case, there are several other non-gamer brands that can still satisfy the gaming thrills of most folk. Regardless of your purchase, the hardware will get dated.

If you're gonna need the engine power of a Toyota Tercel, stick to the Tercel. It's unwise to stick a Tercel engine into a BMW chassis without any of the perks that the BMW engine would offer. Else, you just make a higher investment and go for the real deal BMW altogether.

 

Of course the latter would be a lot more desirable if having the best performance possible was the goal, but your desktop is by no means a wimpy setup that needs to have settings toned way down to not have a "slide show" of the game. Venturing off into word-smithing to try to prove a low-spec'd system can qualify legitimately as a "gaming system" is pointless. If someone that has an underpowered system is OK with how it games with some compromises in place to make up for lackluster performance that's fine. What often happens is they end up dissatisfied and come to NBR to either moan about their purchase decision or try to find a way to make it run faster. What would be better is for everyone to decide what they want and expect, determine how much they can afford--and whether their expectations are reasonable based on their budget--then do their homework to avoid making a bad purchase decision buying something deceptively labeled "gaming system" based on marketing fluff. Just because the Lenovo mentioned has been marketed as a "powerful gaming pc" does not make it true. But, you have to pity the poor sucker that buys it mainly because Lenovo called it that.

 

When did I ever call the M14X high end or enthusiast? Gaming is a broad spectrum and we both know Solitaire isn't what we're talking about. But the fact the a notebook can run BF3 on high settings at a good very playable framerate I would think puts it in the gaming category. I've never said the M14X is high end. I'm not naive and I'm not drinking the AW kool-aid, but as a 14" laptop I would consider it a gaming laptop. I can play most games maxed out and the others on high and at the very least medium settings. You can't go into Walmart or BB for a mainstream laptop and get that kind of performance.

 

Compare this and this and you tell me which is the superior gaming laptop at it's size. You're wise enough to understand gaming is no longer about playing solitaire. You must also be wise enough to understand gaming requires resources. These resources require high wattage. This requires better heat dissipation and spread, which in turn needs a large enough form factor. Even if the M14x is equipped with a good cooling system, it's only gonna be as good a gaming laptop can get at it's form factor (probably not, considering my links above) but if you want a true gamer, then you can't get one that's constricted by heat and size, since that'll never be a gamer. I think you need to assess your wants and needs first before being hell-bent on gaming. As a customer, you need to decide what's more important to you, in what order and how much, ie. priorities - portability, power, your wallet, etc.

And this isn't walmart. It's NBR. Anything and everything notebooks is discussed here, cutting edge or not. It's the culture here that pushes the general user to choose to be an informed buyer before making a sound assessment and the subsequent well informed purchase.

 

I am "hell-bent" on gaming and I game just fine daily on my M14X so I don't see your point. I'm not arguing that there might be better options out there. I'm arguing the initial point of you saying the M14X is far from a gaming laptop. And I don't get the point of your links, specs wise the two are identical almost (size being the difference). And the reason why I brought up BB and Walmart was because of someones comment on mainstream. The mainstream laptop buyer goes to those places to buy.

I understand the culture of NBR. I've been around here a long time. Fact is if you're looking for a laptop in a smaill form factor that can play modern games at high settings there's only a few options and the M14X is one of them. Now if size and budget are not a concern then by all means look elsewhere.

I'll end my arguing in this thread with a simple question. I'm looking to buy a laptop for gaming. I have a desktop already and the laptop will solely be used for gaming on the go. It needs to have a small footprint and priced at $800 max. What laptop should I buy in that case? (my answer was the m14x r2 and it's served me well so far)

 

And there you go. This whole discussion was in vain. You got what you wanted. For me, that's not enough to be considered a "gaming laptop" by my definition of it, since I intend to use my current notebook for upto 4 years. In my case, longevity in gaming was the priority. To each his own.

 

Man, I just love when we find common ground among the passionate opinions. If you're happy and the M14x is doing exactly what you want it to do, then that is all that really matters. And, we can all still be friends, too.

Kumbaya

 

A gaming laptop is any laptop that was designed with gaming in mind. It doesn't have to be an M18x R2 with SLI 680's, 1 TB SSD storage, 32gb RAM and a 120hz 3D screen to be a 'gaming laptop.'


That's what modifiers are for, kids.


mod·i·fi·er/ˈmädəˌfīər/
Noun:
A word, esp. an adjective or noun used attributively, that restricts or adds to the sense of a head noun.


e.g.: ' high-end gaming laptop'; ' mid-range gaming laptop'; ' budget gaming laptop'.


/thread.

 

This thread went abit off topic..

M14x won't provide you with a good frame rate on that monitor you desire to plug into it.

An m17x or m18x is what you would be aiming for. Not the m14x

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

 

My M18x won't do justice on a monitor till I upgrade my cards. I currently have 560's in SLI, but playing witcher II I need more power...hence I'm upgrading to 580's SLI...one card I bought from here and the other I'm still waiting for and be lucky if I get it. Anyway...you need horsepower to play on an external monitor and the M14x wont deliver.