Packer's Area-51 m15x Review

Packer445....thnx for the review btw

 

What is so hard about this people? It's VISTA. Make the FONT larger with LARGER icons. There's a concept called bitmapped fonts. It won't get jaggy.

Not picking on Wayland. Its all these, OMG its too small! Go watch a HDdvd movie. Does the screen shrink? No, its becuase the movie was made for all those extra resolution. Why do you think you can play World Of Warcraft at such high resolution?

My complaint is that everybody says the 1920x1200 is matt. I want Glossy.

 

ehi packer! can you make a couple of thing for me?

first the comparison pic between yor macbookpro & m15x

second, a test with 3dmark06 on stealth mode

thank you

 

REMEMBER stealth mode is NOT the intergrated gfx. Just a underclocked Nvidia GPU. Packer, can you run the same test also with the intergrated GPU?

 

yes, I know, but with IGC you don't have good performance in game, while in stealth mode, you can run game and maybe have a good battery life with 2 bateries! I'm interested in the score of the 8800 downclocked. maybe it will be the same as an 8600 GT max performance

 

So packer said the speakers were the best he'd ever heard on a laptop, but someone later in the thread posted they were the worst.
WHAT IS THE TRUTH? I MUST KNOW

 

The lachesis is a horrible mouse. It is uncomfortable and irritating. 4000 DPI Means nothing. If you like faster sensitivity go for a Deathadder... and raise your sensitivity in the options menu. If you're looking to be accurate in games 4000 DPI isn't the answer... lol. I played professional CS for 5 years and my team was ranked 4th in the world; i've tested every mouse on the market - The Deathadder is the best thing since sliced bread. I tried the Lachesis - Returned it 30 minutes later.

 

Packer, Do you have CS:S? Could you put all of your settings on max and take a screenshot of your fps in a busy server with 18+ people (while being in an area that's busy) - Thanks

 

I could go with the dell m1730 with dual 8800 GTX's or go with the m15x with one 8800 GTX. What would you guys do? I like the portability and the hdmi output on the m15x...

I know the alienware m15x has the option to upgrade video cards in the future.... Do you guys feel that nvidias next line of top cards will be the same size as the 8800 gtx? and will be able to be plugged into the m15x's mb?

 

i think they will be really hot.. and not suitable for the m15x... the gt200 is INSAINLY hot in test show atm... to the point where health warnings have to be etched into the heatsink.

this may mean the 8800m gtx stays the best mobile card for ages but (unless u have a massive clevo or some thing)

just a huntch


I 2 will be taking the m15x over the 1730 mainly due to the fact that with a penryn and a smart bay battery the m15x can be used as a highly portable notebook for years after it stops being a valid gaming note book...

the life of the 1730 is 1-4 years max... the life of the m15x is prob 1-4 years gaming as well... but with the right power settings and a smart bay battery (and possibly a 9cell main a 5hour batterylife notebook will last you alot longer.

 

ya guys ill try to get all those things done for you soon

 

i really want to see a unboxing video for the m15x hehehe but i guess its 2 late

 

make a youtube video demonstrating how good the speakers are! please!

 

hmm - Heath very good point. The main issue i'm having right now is - I don't PHYSICALLY know how much better the m1730 with dual 8800 gtx's would be compared to the m15x with one 8800 GTX.

But also... It's not just about performance - it's the fact the m15x has an hdmi output and as you said - the extra battery option.

Do I go for ultra mega gaming rig that's not portable what so ever..
Or go for something Almost as good that's portable and has 10x the featues.

Atm I have my order in for the m15x. Nothing is final yet though, but obviously me putting the order in for the m15x means i'm leaning towards AW > Dell.

 

Im thinking of buying the Area-51 m15x but i just have 2 questions:

1. To anyone who has a Area-51 m15x does the laptop heat up allot of the time because of its high performance?

2. How long is battery life not in stealth mode?

 

Hi, I'm of the opinion that if you're running a notebook in "performance mode", you can forget about battery life.

For exemple i'm waiting for the M17X but with 3 HDD's, 2 graphics cards and a large screen i'm thinkin ghtat the battery will become a UPS rather than a useable part of the notebook lol

The time will also depend on how specced you're machine is, maybe a simple set-up would last a while?

OB

 

damn.. look at all the requests you're getting packer.. :s all these test.. benchmarks with different games on different settings.. taking a comparison picture of m15x with a tree (might as well be..) i feel for you dude.

here's a request for you.. please enjoy your laptop..

 

Yeah Packer has always been helpful. B4 i got my m15x he always answered any questions I had. Thanks again Packer!

 

@akami dont waste your money on SLI, its just not worth it for Few FPS :S

 

hey packer ... if you do make a vid, could you test the screen wobble a little? I'm just kinda worried that when i have it with me in class, that quick typing may make the screen shake. If you could show some fast typing demos and the effects on the screen, that would be greatly appreciated

 

So SLI mode really is not worth it at this point? Thoughts anyone? Its pretty much the only thing holding me back from just ordering the m15x.. I want mass FPS. Thanks guys

 

I would also like to know.

 

Hey everyone just registered here after seeing all this talk about the 15x. I also had a few questions.

I defidently slpurged a little bit on the 15x (mine comes in late march...sigh). Has anyone gotten the 15.4" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p) configuration. I was wondering how it looked and how it played. And for those of you that bought from alienware, did anyone get it earlier than the anticipated ship date they were told?

 

Have you had any problems with the m15x I have seen the specs and its seems very powerful. But im wondering is it to powerful for a 15" laptop?

 

The comparison (size wise) would be great indeed!!!

 

Here is the compilations of m15x problems:

1) Touch control volume slider doesnt work. Out of 10 set, 10 set dun work. The rest of the touch control works but u need to have patient (touch 3-4 times b4 it register)

2) Display did not turn on after hibernation. Happen to some ppl but not me .. phew..

3) uneven tube/keyboards lights. Some keys brighter than others.

4) Keyboard respond lag sometimes. Not all the time (happen 3 days 1 time)

5) LCD 1440 x 900 is not as sharp as others describe. If u are used to desktop high end LCD, m15x pale in comparision. My Asus g1 much better. But really its usable and not bad at all.

6) "~" button in some games does not work. So no way u can bring up game console. But its a good thing, U cant cheat.

Other than that I dun see any problem. Did I miss out something? anyone?

There is no such thing as "too powerful" for a 15". m15x cant even run crysis smoothly on all settings high. Dun even think abt very high.

 

Welcome to the forum..
You can take a look at a video of the 1920x1200 screen on Absinthe42's video here (99MB) Has a couple of comparisons and Crysis gaming
Other than that I'd suggest you look at the m15x FAQ for info.
Note: The 1920x1200 screen is matte

 

I heard of that several times but unclear is that it maybe software related. Maybe Vista is busy doing stuff you don't know about and therefore responds slowly on your typing.
I know Dell has serious lcd problems due to different manufacturers. Could you please look what kind of screen you have (device manager -> properties of your monitor -> hardware id) it should read something like LG Philips LPLDF00.
I'm curious whether AW uses different manufacturers too.
For the price we're paying it should be the best and certainly not a Samsung SEC3157 or AU Optronics AUO2077 because of the inferior quality that manifests itself with for example graininess.
Because of this problem I canceled my xps1530 order and got interested in a m15x.
Thanks

 

Just a note, I love my 1920 x 1200 screen!!!

Best looking laptop screen I have ever seen!

 

1. Not True! Some people have had difficulty getting the slider to work, but there's nothing actually wrong with the slider itself (e.g. I can slide fine but when my friends tried they had trouble, so it's just that people need to get used to it) Plus I have no problems using my other touch controls, just keep your finger on it for about a half-second and it will register

5. I'm confused about your point here. It's as sharp as any 1440x900 screen -- there's nothing particularly wrong with AW's 1440x900 screen.

6. That issue is ONLY with Crysis, and it's that game's fault (Crysis is incompatible with ALL IR keyboards and anyone with IR keyboard drivers installed on their computer will have this problem)

edit: apologies, I see now the Oblivion thread which also says that it has the same console problem. But, since it is also solved with the same fix, that means that it is again the game's fault and not AW's.

 

Cool RanT, what make is it, i'm getting the 1920x1200 for the m17 whenever it's released, it's good to know that Alienware use high quality screens

Don't suppose you can do any pictures of the desktop, to show the icon size, possibly the menus.

OB

 

I keep gettin the question is it worth it or should i wait for the m17x? I would say if you are gettin it as a desktop replacement and its your only computer than wait for the m17x but if you have a desktop than get this because it is able to be a portable laptop and still be easy to carry around. That is the biggest advantage

 

This laptop has enough power to be a desktop replacement IMHO. SLI wouldn't add much as the drivers are not great and many games don't support SLI technology. Who cares about SLI honestly... The m15x is powerful enough to be compared to most performance desktops.

 

With the numbers I am seeing this past weekend, I am forced to just about agree with Rebmik here...

 

The GM965, and not the PM965 like AWsite says, has a front side bus capable of 800MHz and Memorybus support for 667MHz
http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/gm965/index.htm
By the way only the GM965 has the X3100 vga used by AW for BinaryGFX.
Great review Packer thanks

edit: wrong thread sorry

 

Hi Packer445,
Reading all of the requests you have for info, i'm surprised you have time to "enjoy" your new baby, let alone answer all the questions.
I know loads of people are asking questions related to the M17X or quality issues, purely based upon the "to buy or not to buy" as they are thinking of getting an awsome notebook. I was wondering if at some point you might do a full review of your M15X. I was thinking that this might answer all questions for comparison to "how does it look"?

Just a thought?

OB

 

I got a weird question...

Can anyone take a pic of the DVD player, when it's ejected.

No one have posted it yet!

 

3 rep points for the pic. deal?

 

if I remember well, you can see those pictures in the thread by shima, first page-first post

 

Would that be the actual picture taken by the '3rep receptor' or would the link to a pic suffice?

 

Is there a way to disable the dedicated graphics card so that it runs only on the intergrated - i.e for better battey life?

How long can it go on battery power with everything turned down as low as it can go?

I've been looking for a seriously powerful laptop, and this seems to fit the bill.......but....i also need to be able to run it for 3 hrs + on pure battery....!

It also comes with smart bay batteries which i think are fantastic, but is the smart bay battery the same as the "normal" battery?There seems to be an option for a 12 cell battery....is that larger than the normal one?

I really want this laptop!!!

Thanks in advance

 

once you set it to integrated it stays there till you change it back to dedicated. Also if your going for 3+ hours of battery life then I would highly suggest getting the battery after you receive your system. Your order will be delayed because of the shortage of smartbay battery's. Here's my advice order the system once you receive it then try to order the battery its cheaper too.

 

I have a question about this. Is there anyway to tell if you are in Integrated Graphics mode? One time I accidently pushed Fn - F7 (meaning to hit eject F8) and it said I needed to restart. I pushed it again and nothing happened... So is there some indication somewhere that says you are in integrated??

 

in the bottom right hand you'll see a blue little screen.

 

Hey taco, when you buy the samrt bay batteries after you recieved your system, they are really cheaper?

 

Currently the price for the smartbay battery has gone up from $100 to $150.. If the 10% discount is still in place (for purchases after your m15x order) then it should cost $135 now..
Can anyone verify if the 10% discount and/or free shipping is still available after you buy your m15x?

 

well I can tell you that when I bought my m15x in beginning of Feb the battery was $100 i found out it would delay my order so I canceled it. I ordered it a week later when they where in stock and it only cost me $78 with taxes and free shipping so yeah it was almost $30 cheaper.

 

wow okay so I should do this for everything like the smart bay HDD and the standard battery if I want it..

 

Where did you guys see the smart bay item on the alienware website? i can't find them

thx in advance

 

on the 3rd page where you configure the system.. you click continue