*OFFICIAL* Alienware M11x Owners Lounge - Part 2

Has anybody had Paypal take their money out yet? Mine is still listed as pending since day one.

 

looks like it went up lately, maybe i was wrong and it had only gotten down to like 50.

Anyway its as low as 50 on google shopping http://www.google.com/products/cata...&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCAQ8wIwAg#scoring=p

 

alienfx is the crazy lighting system for the keyboard mainly, but also the alienware logo and alienhead and front grill for the m11x.

im hoping the m11x has like 4 areas on the keyboard that can be separately set but regardless the main reason the alienwares are awesome is because of this lighting, because you can put like any backlight color you want, and at least in the case of the other alienware laptops, multiple at the same time.

 

Seems to me on one of the reviews and someone earlier posted that the M11x only has 2 Keyboard zones, WASD and the rest of the keyboard.

[EDIT] It was the IGN review that said this:

Like it’s full-sized brethren, the M15x and M17x, the color of the M11x’s keyboard illumination can be altered to match just about any color in the RGB spectrum, ranging from red to pink to white using Alienware’s proprietary AlienFX software. Unlike the M15x or M17x, however, the keyboard has only one color zone rather than three. Otherwise, users can alter the colors of the the row of indicator lights just above the keyboard, along with the alien head power button, and speakers. Each color zone can be programmed to actively transition between two colors, glow a solid color, or pulsate.

 

i heard great things about the cooler master infinity, it looks amazing especially with the fan piping in air FROM THE BACK so your legs or a bed dont block the vents.

Should fit the m17x perfectly fine since i read a review specifically saying how his dv7t (same as my laptop) went over the edges but the rubber feet positioning matched up which made it not move regardless.

If you're not particularly worried about actually cooling the laptop, which shouldnt be necessary on any laptop, get the belkin cushdesk from target for $25. its like a hard platform to place the laptop that has a soft, comfortable bottom to it. I tried it and thought it was great, but i had bought it from best buy for $35 so i knew i needed to return it to get the better target price but still havent gotten around to going and rebuying it.

 

Got a link where i can download this awesomeness software?

 

aww thats unfortunate, i was hoping by zones they were talking about like separate areas of the laptop such as touchpad being a zone that was not included on the m11x.

oh well, alienfx is still far and above any other 11 inch offering out there

 

its included with the m11x, preinstalled even as an official thing. What we were discussing is an m11x plugin for pidgin that alerts you to messages by pulsating.

There is no m11x pidgin plugin yet I think, it was made specifically for the m17x so i think would have to be ported over.

 

Not sure if the overclocking option has been described yet or not?
The bios option is more like a Turbo not an overclock. if you enable the overclock it takes the su7300 from 1.3 to 1.73. If this has been discussed all ready forgive me, I am not reading back 1000 pages lol.

 

It will come preinstalled on your M11X

 

Ok so turbo=1.6 and OC=1.73? Or did I get confused?

 

No, there is only the option to enable or disable overclock. Disable is 1.3 enable is 1.73

 

Ah got it. That's a pretty good OC then. Any word on OCing the GPU? Thanks

 

Just wondering, is the fan an AlienFX zone? And does the keyboard have multiple light zones?

 

Okay thank you Mr. Eggs! I have got to brush up on my software/all around computer skills again :/ been active lately lol.

 

The one I was playing with today did not have a fan light so I am sure it does not. And the keyboard is one zone. The screen is Amazing! Everyone is going to be pleased!

 

It was the IGN review that said this:

Like it’s full-sized brethren, the M15x and M17x, the color of the M11x’s keyboard illumination can be altered to match just about any color in the RGB spectrum, ranging from red to pink to white using Alienware’s proprietary AlienFX software. Unlike the M15x or M17x, however, the keyboard has only one color zone rather than three. Otherwise, users can alter the colors of the the row of indicator lights just above the keyboard, along with the alien head power button, and speakers. Each color zone can be programmed to actively transition between two colors, glow a solid color, or pulsate.

The HH review as well as the first looks all said that the fan is a zone and is lit. In one of the videos they turn the M11x over and show the red lighting in the fan. But after Darkhans post I'm not sure.

 

It might be? Ours is a pre production model so cosmetic wise it had a few flaws and was still very nice.

 

i thought it was 1.6ghz like the hardware heaven review was saying?

awesome if its really 1.73 instead, more power the better!

just as a side note, and its really just picky to continue to discuss, but isnt it really an overclock of separate values such as fsb or ram speed, and the processor follows due to the way overclocks are handled nowadays?

I think what you're trying to say is that its not like we are raising the cpu multiplier alone, like most unlocked black/extreme editions allow but for example when I overclock desktop systems that have locked multipliers (m11x is 6x, my phenom is 13x for example) I'm actually tweaking values such as hypertransport and ram multipliers after raising the amd equivalent of FSB.

So, is it just that basically you're trying to say that as opposed to doing all those sorts of finicky changes, its just a true/false value in the bios settings. I'd personally call that a preset overclock

 

I'll let you know when I get it, which will be in 1-2 months, provided my rep doesn't mess up my order again.

First thing I'm going to do when I get it is completely disassemble it and photograph the insides

 

The one we have is set at 1.73 and I was told that will be with all models. Confirmed!

 

all nvidia gpus can be OC but you have to use rivatuner.

no nvidia GPUs that i'm aware of allow official overclocking, especially not in the bios.

 

Yes the fan on the bottom of the casing does illuminate. And it looks pimp.

 

awesome awesome awesome awesome

 

[EDIT] Reads Darkhans post, and likes his numbers better...

 

Has anyone noticed that when you log in as an EPP member, you can only get one M11x combo? You can only get it priced at $1,069 (After initial 10% off from the EPP)... The specs are Su7300, 4gb of RAM, 500gb HDD, and McAfee Anti-virus.

Is this normal for dell to do- make a set config the 'base' for the EPP? Will you be able to get the EPP discount on the base model and spec it up how you like at a later date, like you could before?

EDIT: You can remove the Anti-virus in the config, but nothing else can be downscaled from what I listed.

 

Has anyone asked about a 128GB SSD option? It's strange to me that they would have a 256, but not a 128GB since it's available on the other models.

 

I should run off for 30 minutes more often; it seems like the best news comes when I'm gone. :O

 

See that's the part that made me think that the keyboard could still have multiple colors at the same time, I guess what it really means is it can alternate between two colors.

That said, I'm still excited to do exactly that, alternate between multiple colors.

I always really really envied the look of the alienfx system, If I had the money for an m17x or m15x a while ago I would have bought it solely for that feature.

I feel like when people criticize the look of alienware they usually have no freaking clue how customizable all the lights are, its funny to imagine someone being so ashamed with how they'd look to other people that their laptop says alienware or has an unassuming alienhead on one or two parts of the laptop, turn off the lights, get the black version and i'd say the alienware laptops are just as unassuming as any other laptop out there.

 

What people are saying is to make your model on the main site and then call the Dell EPP number and ask them to apply the discount. This seems to work.

Also make sure to have your $50 discount code ready.

 

LOL exactly, especially when people have NO problem running around with a lighted piece of fruit on their Laptops....

 

I dont blame them. They didnt do this before and thousands probably got away with more than $150 off a preorder of the base price for a hot laptop. That said, I'm glad they didnt force this when I bought mine, early bird gets the worm.

Cheapest now would be normal price, home and home office, 799 base price, 50$ tax or so, free shipping.

 

Hey Darkhan,

Would you be able to ask about the Gobi Mobile Broadband? Specifically, can we insert our cell phone's data-enabled SIM cards (meaning an iPhone SIM or another AT&T 3G SIM) and use that data plan like IGN and others have said? Or will we have to get a mobile-specific data plan?

Thanks!

 

I find their claim that this is the most 11 inch gaming notebook in the universe terribly debatable at best. There could a more advanced specie than humans somewhere.

 

Waits patiently for Darkhans reply....

We have a couple of the HP Mini netbooks here in the office that use the ATT service. Yesterday I tried taking the sim from my iphone and using it in the mini, and it was a total fail. However, when I took the sim from one of the other smart phones we use here, it worked fine. Seems like ATT does some voodoo on the Iphone sims so they will only work in an iphone.

 

Hey guys, I've been following this thread and one other before it literally through every post (like 400 pages or so now) and I finally decided to jump in. yay first post

Darkhan: The question bugging me the most right now is the color. I saw in one review that there would be "lead flecks" in the paint. Does this mean that the black and silver colors are different from those colors on the M17x and M15x? Personally I LOVE the silver on those two, but all the pictures thus far make the M11x's silver seem rather dark.

Thank you so much for all the hints you've posted on the forums. It really has spiced everything up to have some solid info from a solid alienware rep.

 

That's actually part of the reason I'm getting it. In my area for some reason, Alienwares are not only rare, but people also seem to view them as the creme de la creme of computers. So to go out in public and fire that baby up at Borders or something, I'm gonna love seeing people's looks, be it the out-of-the-loop "HOLY CRAP THAT'S COOL WHERE'D YOU GET IT?" computer-illiterate to the elitist "Alienwares are overpriced crap" geeks. Negative or positive, I'm just gonna love their reactions.

 

as much as it'd be nice if darkhan tried this, I'll mention that I have a thinkpad with a built in cingular device, but when I plug in an iphone sim card it doesnt work.

I think this is just a standard thing, that iphones or even internet enabled sim cards DO NOT work in built-in laptop units. Best just to tether using a usb cable anyway, that way you get phone calls and charge your phone and such.

There are plenty of ways to tether unnoticed, and you dont have to pay an additional $130 just for some device you dont know is compatible with your iphone or not.,

 

yeah, but can you game on there system, thats the question... I mean, come on, they probably will be running linux or something

 

This could definitely be something. The IGN review said they failed with their iPhone but said that it was the iPhone SIM's fault and not the laptop.

I mean, if we have an iPhone we can tether it... but just in case I can't afford my baby anymore I'd like to be able to get another AT&T smartphone and use that data plan in my M11x.

When my M11x comes, I will unlock my iPhone and see if that unlocks the SIM card so we can see. Much love for posting this awesome information, kevin25a. This raised my spirits a bit.

 

yeah thats the other major benefit of the m11x, you can literally roll on the floor laughing when someone says that's alienware? you paid too much! because you paid much less than they should have understandably charged for this beauty!

When alienware asked what price the m11x should be when they announced it would be less than $1000 I said it should be $999 just because of what it offers compared to the competition. this laptop blows its competitors out of the water

 

Totally Agree Doc,

Here in the bay area is like the Apple cult capitol of the world. Pretty much all you see here is Apple laptops. I'm really looking forward to parking next to someone with the "Me too" lappy, and firing up my M11x. Gonna be like a Lamborghini next to a Ford.

 

I agree. People are going to crap their pants wherever you take this thing, and as superficial as that is, it's part of the allure for me.

As for this OC'ing business...it kind of surprises me that Alienware doesn't appear to be advertising this at all? I mean, the CPU is the obvious weakness in this system, wouldn't they be smart to be plastering 'TURBO BOOST to 1.73 GHz' or some such thing, like Acer(maybe I'm thinking Asus) does with the same processor?

Also interesting what Darkhan says about 1.73 when I'm pretty sure that hardwarehaven review had screen shots showing 1.6...hmm.

 

Just got on a plane will try and answer questions later.

 

Lol kevin i love that comparison there! But i still love my stang!

 

Exactly. There have indeed been past Alienwares that were overpriced and of poor quality, but they've been really trying to change that lately. I admit, I used to HATE Alienwares. Overpriced pieces of crap with too many problems. But then, alas, came the M11x. The M11x, I think, is a massive step in breaking that perception.

 

Oh I got mine ordered Wednesday. Gonna replace the TIM with mx-3 and see if I can oc the GPU with Precision.

 

if it has lead flecks in it, thats a majorly majorly huge plus for me. My thinkpad is like this and it looks GREAT

 

Off topic but what year?

 

I dont think they want the average consumer overclocking it just because they heard about it and assume its fully supported. I wouldnt be surprised if there would be some problem with a return or repair that could be caused by overclocking. I know its far fetched but you never know. Just be glad they havent taken out the OC option because they based on what they've said, like you mentioned, arent required to keep it in.