Sneak peek on the upcoming M17x and M14x

M17x
Comparison against the M17xR4: http://www.notebookcheck.net/typo3temp/pics/c787e23adc.jpg


M14x
New keyboard, no more flashy keyboard Alienware is known for. The entire touchpad is uplight compared to the earlier versions where only the border around had lights.
M14x R2 keyboard as comparison: http://imageshack.us/a/img823/5052/cooskin.jpg
M14x R2 touchpad as comparison: http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/alienware-m14x-review-laptop-touchpad.jpg




Dell have added much more holes with filter under to cool the notebook
M14x R2 as comparison: http://icdn4.digitaltrends.com/image/alienware-m14x-review-gaming-laptop-bottom-800x600.jpg


Source:
Pictures

Where he states its the final production design




5/24 NEW UPDATE
Here I am again. Back to fuel the model discussions. I don`t have much to show but you can clearly see that Alienware have changed to looks on the models

Alienware M17x R5 looks SEXY :hi2:

If anyone knows chinese, please help us translate what it says.

The new M14x, M17x and M18x together. Looks like Alienware is fusing the looks of desktop X51 and notebooks together



New Alienware M17x with GTX 780M. From the picture above it looks like all models will have the same design. Seeeexxxxy :hi2:

 

That thing looks ugly as hell

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

I ordered my R4 yesterday, they told me there wasn't going to be an R5...

I like the lid design on the M17x. The M14x doesn't look that good to me. The R2 looks better, IMO.

 

They gotta say something to finish the deal I guess...

Too bad I couldn`t find any more pictures of the M17x. Perhaps they are abandoning the flashy keyboard Alienware is known for on the R5 as well as the M14x?

 

If that's the case, the R4 will look better...at least in my opinion. They must have lied to me...

 

I enjoy the flashy that comes with the Alienware. If they start doing away with that, they will appeal less to me. I do like the lid design, but the M14x looks more old school to me.

 

Dude they have to be kidding talk about disappointing on that m14x r3 with no illuminated keyboard ...but i guess the added ventilation is more functional.....

i need more pics and info on this m17x r5 chassis i decided to wait for it....if this key board isn't illuminated and the chassis is bland im getting an r4...the lid looks like an m18x's which is weaksauce

I think most of us agree if your going to pay a premium price you,d like a premium product....It was the details that separated the AW brand from the rest of the high end market such a shame

 

I'm all in for the exterior design but the keyboard looks like a Sager...

 

you think they used a sager keyboard just out of convenience? like maybe this is a v1.1 of the updated look?

 

Unless these are just "draw ups" of the upcoming design (samples), they look cheaper.

 

Those are some serious vents.
Sli perhaps?

 

Exactly what I see too. Looks like Alienware might go for more sleek professional look Sager have.

Good guess. Some rumors talk about GT 750M SLI for the upcoming Alienware series (dont know which, probably M14x), but who knows if it becomes reality

According to the source

With the plastic around the screen and tape on the laptop, it looks like a production model too.

 

Illuminated keyboard is what first got me into AW, because you can see the keyboard perfectly in the dark. It would be a downright error not to include that. I mean, what would be the cons of having a LED keyboard, you can always turn it off quite easily. The power consumption would not rise dramatically, because it is LED..

On the design itself.. meh.. keyboard looks like an old IBM laptop and you could easily hit a wrong button, when there is no 'slope' to separate the keys and the exterior is uninteresting. The pre-Dell laptops where flashy bling-bling like, but still unique. This design look like a cheap convenience store laptop. Only plus is the air intake, but it doesn't matter if the air channels haven't been sufficiently engineered after it.

Bad Alienware! Bad Alienware! Go outside and think about what you have done!

 

You shouldn't listen to the sales people. They don't know about new models until their release. Plus, why would Alienware get rid of the M17x line when it's their best seller? Doesn't make sense, does it? Unless, they plan to rebrand the M17x model to a new model name.

 

I had my doubts, which is why I brought it up with the person I was speaking with. And it wasn't a level 1 sales representative either, I spoke with a manager in the upgrades department. He explained to me that four revisions (R1, R2, R3, R4) was usually the most Alienware made for any specific product, suggesting there wouldn't be a fifth revision of the M17x. But I suppose that does not necessarily mean there won't be another version of the M17x product line.

I suppose he could have told a lie to sell me a product -- which is likely what happened -- and it worked.

 

Now that makes more sense for them to do a major change in design but keep the 17" laptop profile. I can see it now, they start naming their laptop lines after zodiacs. The newest laptop to be released is called the Alienware Scorpio (M17x). I would totally go for that. And the M18x can be renamed to the Aquarius line (as it is the largest zodiac).

 

I've read several times that the M14x is their best-selling unit. I haven't seen sales figures though.

And good god that thing is ugly... I'm seriously disappointed to see such a departure from the styling they've used the last 4 years... I don't see this ever growing on me like their current designs did.

If the M18x gets discontinued or ends up looking like that picture, then I won't be upgrading... my warranty lasts through 2017, so I'll just upgrade my current rig to stay relatively up to date.

 

As per my experience, Alienware is cutting costs right and left, up and down and some more in the center.

Just a side by side comparison of M17x R2 vx M17x R4 and M15x vs M14x shows it quite obviously. M17xR2 feels super solid and although touch pad is a bit meh but it feels premium while M17x R4 feels like a plastic laptop, hp/toshiba will sell.

With all of the issues I am having with tech support and customer care, I have put the M18x plans on hold, if it turns out Dell/Alienware brings out new models with yet cheaper production and ugly styling, M18x will just be a dream. But as I am contemplating moving away from Alienware, I feel like a kid dying inside me

 

Well, you can't directly compare the M17x r2 with the r4. It's more apt to compare it with the M18x, and in that regard Alienware still retains (and improves) the build quality they're known for. As much as I would love to see an anodized aluminum M17x again, the r4's build quality is still miles ahead of the competition. If you're contemplating leaving Alienware, then where would you go? It's not like there are other high performance brands that can match their build quality... sure, you could buy a Mac, buy you'd be sacrificing incredible performance and replacing it with plain, ubiquitous styling and low end hardware.

I'm definitely not a fan of the pics in OP's post, but I'd like to see more before writing them off completely. I really hope the M18x follows its current design and performance philosophy, while continuing to improve and evolve.

 

It is funny how companies go away, from a good solid working design. I know, design-wise, you have to try something new, but the current design is working perfectly. It is like changing the formula for Coca-Cola.. just don't try to fix something that ain't broke.. Save our money AW, fire your design department.

 

m14x ugly as , still single vent,the solid keyboard looks like a cheap consumer acer thing...
definitely not premium anymore (

 

I'm calling pre-production mock-up on this. No way Alienware can expect to sell that heap of shít.

 

I sense sarcasm...

I agree with you, Serephucus.

 

YUCK! - that's all I can say if those pics are gonna be an accurate representation of a new AW machine. If so, Dell have totally screwed up BIG TIME......

 

The M17x appears to be a lot thinner in that photo, it seems to me to be closer to an XPS with a different lid than the Alienware we are used to. I feel sad that its going this way, if I wanted a business looking laptop I would have either gone with an XPS or a different brand all together.

 

Looks like Alienware have taken an ugly leaf out of Clevo's ugly book.
Although I like the idea of lots of cooling vents (42 by my count).. everything else just seems plain ugly, and I honestly cannot think of a valid reason for them to remove AlienFX.
I sincerely hope this is not the final product, because if it is there is no way I am paying for that.

 

The complaints about the cheap looking keyboard crack me up, because the keyboard for all previous models are just as cheap, but with lights. I use a professional mechanical gaming keyboard because of the low build quality. Just bring back the SLI options for the m17x and allow the Xtreme chips, that's my main complaint, that is where all the value truly is.

 

This isn't a dig at any Asus owners out there.....BUT.....looks like AW have gone backwards in time, when comparing to an Asus G73 - I put the image comparison in the spoiler below as it's large . Seems to me that they are pretty similar - looks cheap and plastic - of course, hardware is crucial, but aesthetics are also important too....

Spoiler

 

I use a mechanical keyboard as well, but I still like the keyboard on my M18x. It's definitely a ton better than the keyboards on my old Sagers, which looked similar to the kayboard on the M14x in OP's post.

 

Sarcasm? Me? Never!

But in all fairness, I will reserve judgment on any of their new systems until they are actually released.

This may be the first stages of a design mockup, and not even an external design mockup. They may just be playing with the internal design as to incorporate the newer haswell architecture and such.

 

Lenovo have same keyboard in their professional notebooks. Extremely tough notebooks that last a long time.
On the other hand, my Asus M60J also had the same keyboard. It was a semi-cheap notebook.

I agree that the Alienware keyboards on previous models isn`t as expensive and solid as people may think. The lights may fool you to think otherwise.

Anyhow, we have only seen the M14x keyboard. M17x might go another route. Dell have struggled with sales the latest year, they got new owners now. Perhaps thats whats causing the change?

 

Just wondering Cloud, where'd you find the pics? I'm assuming these are the only ones? I'm really anxious to see more, mostly because I'm worried about the M18x

 

Maybe AW will offer different keyboards as an option? Maybe they want to move AW into corporate offices where people may desire a more bland look as some people actually don't like the whole lighted keyboard thing.

If these are legit, at least it's nice to see something is in the works and closer to release. Any tech conferences coming up where they might release new things?

Hope we hear more on what the M18x R3 will be soon.

 

Yeah, unfortunately they were the only ones.

Pictures

Where he states its the final production design

 

I'm also worried about the m18x too. I hope they don't change the design. I plan to buy one in june with a haswell chip and I hope they keep it the same.

 

These look cheap and ugly. AW's turning into Clevo? I don't like where this is going.

 

As they say, "don't fix something which isn't broken". Looks like the execs at Dell don't know this proverb. I especially dislike the keyboard. Case design changes could be okay, but why change the keyboard?

 

Thanks man, I actually went over to that forum earlier to look for it but I couldn't' tell which thread it was in. Why is it that the Chinese always get leaks on new hardware first lol

x2

If the M18x r4 ends up being made and looks like that M17x, then I'm going to stuff two 880ms in my r2 instead of buying a new laptop lol.

 

I was waiting for the new model to come out to upgrade but if its the real deal, then im buying the current M14x or maybe stay with my M15X.
the keyboard is so fugly

 

Doesn't look like the M14x R3 is going to have dual fans as most of us wanted. There is only one exhaust vent and then a big intake grill beneath to let it breath better. That will likely help a lot, though. I'm curious if the M17x is going to have dual GPU's.

 

Well if it does than say good bye to the m18x!

 

I can't see Dell/AW doing two dual gpu machines. It would subtract from sales of one or the other. Both fit specific niches right now and Dell know that. Why offer two machines that have the same possible gpu config? - don't make sense to me....

 

As far as I'm concerned, M15x>M14x any day. Drop a 7970m/920XM combo into that sucker and call it a day

 

Why turn their machines into cheap plastic boxes? We already have a brand for that. Dell has no idea what they're doing. lol

As stupid as the can be sometimes I wouldn't be surprised if they made two dual gpu laptops.

The thing they should be concentrating on is their reputation. They're not going to gain any by going cheap and still asking a premium price. They should turn their attention to their quality control which is basically non existente and leave the design as it was.

 

True. Stranger things obviously happen, eh? - one thing that has remained constant, from what I know, is that the "flagship" model has always been the one to have the aluminium casing and dual gpu's - it was the M17x R2 that had it before the M18x came along and then Dell kinda dumbed down the 17x to soft touch/single gpu/3d option to fill a niche which they saw - and quite rightly so, from a business perspective......I hope they don't do away with aluminium/dual gpu's in favour of "plastic boxes" for their flagship - if they did, I'd be bailing.....

 

Agreed, most of their M17/18x sales probably come from the M17x side, even if we were to only judge by the number of people with R3s and R4s vs. M18x on this forum. Cost would rise too much for a dual GPU 17x that most average people wouldn't dig. It would be perfect if they made the 17x aluminum and implement a better CPU cooling solution.

 

Personally I like how the current m17x looks,inside and out and the same could be said about the m18x. The m14x r2 looks cool but it's too loud under load. It could have used two fans. Would have been interesting if it got two 750m's in sli but that's obviously not the case with it having a single fan.
I might be too pessimistic but at this point I'd say the whole lineup will go down hill. We already have ugly plastic laptops with high end specs. Some of us also want good looking ones.

They should just keep the current looks for the m17x. Slap a Haswell mobo in it,a quad pipe sink for the gpu and a three pipe sink for the cpu with the option for the 4930xm. Than they'd have a single gpu laptop with the highest options and huge overclock ability + a dual gpu one with the m18x.

 

These pictures could have been an early prototype concept or something. I wouldn't start freaking till we see some more leaks or previews. If they are going to look like those pictures though, looks like I'll be getting a 2920xm and a 680m for my r3 or having to go and get either a sager or MSI. The latter doesn't appeal to me much, but if alienware is going to try to sell me crap, I'll be jumping ship.

Edit: These could also be alienware knockoffs. Never know with china

 

I must say i really like new AW design. Never liked flashy notebook, or anything flashy for that matter. Reason i didint order AW but instead went with dell precision is also based on the design.

 

Exactly. - those of us who DO like it, don't want it changing that much.....