The Official M9750 Owners Lounge

Here are a few quick photos....
I havent run benchmarks etc yet, but Command & Conquer 3 ran at highest settings, 1920x1200, without any hiccups whatsoever. Only problem performance wise has been loading times, probably because I only have 1 GB of RAM. However, I have the upgrade scheduled for delivery today, so that should solve that issue. The "Vista Experience" scores are 4.5 for RAM, 4.9 For processor, and 5.9 for Graphics and HDD. (Scale of 1 to 5.9)

Those photos are the ones I have that fit in the file limit, I'll crop a few more in a couple of minutes.

 

A few first thoughts:

The Unit was packaged very well, I dobt the laptop moved during the whole trip. It was first in a plastic bag, then foam on each side, then placed in the iconic Alienware box, along with the box including manual, AC adapter, and some Star Wars freebie. A second package held the free hat and my Targus cable lock.

The trackpad "mouse" tracks fairly well, although it can skip occasionally. In the dark, sometimes the mouse buttons feel like the trackpad, which can throw you off. (But thats why They have external mice, right?)

There is a noticable flow of warm air behind the unit when it is on, but the front, keybard, and mouse remain around room temperture.

The keyboard works well, but is still slightly cramped for the amount of dead space around it. (About 3/4" on each side)

One thing I really dislike about the laptop is the mechanichal volume wheel. Its next to useless as you need to turn it about 50 times to go from least to maximum volume, and if you spin it to quickly, it starts performing the reverse of the way its spun.

As far as the speakers are concerned, They have very good audio for a laptop, easily filling a room. However, at maximum volume, they do begin to show "tinniness", and the bass will suffer. There still phenomenal for a laptop howver.

The integrated camera has a slight delay, but is still acceptable for an integrated webcam.

That's all for now.

 

Because there are a lot of M9750 Topics of questions I decided to ask this here:

I have intrest in buying the M9750 but I have a couple of questions:
-The alienware site states the weight is 3.9 Kg or 8.5 lbs. Is this the acctual weight or is it the weight without the battery.
-I would have to carry it a lot, is it really to bulky and heavy to carry around?
because Most of the 15.4 Inch and smaller notebooks don't provide the graphics I liked to have.

thanks

 

The m9750 is one of the slimmest 17" laptops around at 1.5", the stated weight is without battery, with bat its 9.6lbs (4.5kg). If you include the fact that its got dual HDD's and dual vid cards it makes the Clevo 900 look like a skyscraper. There are very few 17" laptops that are thinner than that, in fact the only one I could find was the 17" Macbook Pro, but thats got 15" video card inside (8600GT)

 

Did anyone had the time to try out some games? it would be great to see some benchmarks from the M9750, because almost all off them out there are 3d mark 2006 scores.

Does the weight of the M9750 really bother while carry it around or do you thinks it isn't that bad?

I looked at the size and weight of some 17 inch notebooks compared to the 15.4 inch. An I found that the most 17inchers were about 1kg heavier then a 15.4 Inch and some cm bigger. Most people say that an 17 inch isn't portable but some people say the same about the 15.4 inch. To me it doesn't seem that much of an difference, but still it would be the first notebook for me. What do you guys would advice to me, because I would have to carry my notebook to school everyday. And in my opinion the 8600M GT doesn't have the graphics power I like to have to game.

thanks

ps sorry for asking all the questions, but I really like the M9750 and it still is an big investment and I want to be sure that I make the right choise.

 

When it comes down to portability I wouldn't see much of a problem taking it to school everyday, though it could get tiring after a while. I carry a DELL XPS2 to work every mon-thurs, and it is thicker and weighs more than the m9750. The only hassle I find in taking a 17" laptop around is putting it in the bag/case/whatever since I have to go under the desk to get the battery charger, mess with cables, and take the bag to the car. But, in the end, it's certainly not unportable. If you have the money for this laptop and like it very much, purchase it. I did and can't wait to get it.

 

like I said, the m9750 is slim compared to most 17" laptops... are you getting SLi? if not there are better deals for single 7950GTX laptops...

 

I live in Europe, to be more exact the netherlands .

If I would be the M9750 the config would be:
-T7200
-2GB
-160GB 7200rpm
-1440x900 screen
-single 7950GTX

In Europe you have some 7950GTX deals but they are more expensiver then the M9750 would be. And importing from the us means an 19% tax on top of the cost of the order itself. With alienware that is allready included ( www.alienware.nl, build in ireland so I don't have to pay import tax because of the european union).

I also looked at the Zepto 6625WD as an 15.4 Inch but I Think the screen resolution is way to big for an 15 inch (1680x1050), only an 100GB 7200rpm and an 8600GT wich according to the benchmark I find to "slow" for gaming with everything on high on native resolution.

 

wooohooooo decided to check and im in phase 8! so i guess it wil ship today

 

Ah, good man, with a single 7950GTX and even with SLi the m9750 is the cheapest in the EU

 

got a fedex email and they picked it up so finally its on the way longest wait of my life lol

 

Ordered june 26th or 25th i dont remember now phase 8. Fedex says will be here in 3 days (July 6th)

 

I AM SO EXCITED! Mine is in phase 6 now. Hopefully I'll have mine this weekend. How long were the people who got theirs on phase 6?? Just wondering. Thanks for any input you can give.

 

Hi, i was on phase 6 and it shipped 2 days later

 

I was from phase 6 to shipping in 2 days as well.

 

Mine is being held in the local fedex facility because of the holiday. Will be at my house tomorrow.

 

lol, check if the box has been opened

 

this is my 1st post.
i ordered a new area 51 m9750 last night.
[1] Area-51® m9750

Video/Graphics Card: 512MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go 7950 GTX
Chassis: 17" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD - Stealth Black
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T5500 1.66GHz 2MB Cache 667MHz FSB
Memory: 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 512MB
Operating System (Office software not included): Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium - Without Remote Control or TV Tuner
System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 80GB Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s 5,400 RPM w/ NCQ & 8MB Cache
Primary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 24x DVD-ROM/CD-RW Burner
Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel® PRO Wireless 3945 a/b/g Mini-Card
Sound Card: High-Definition Audio with surround sound
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support w/ Onsite Service
AlienRespawn: AlienRespawn v2.0 Recovery DVD – Windows Vista Edition
Games: Command & Conquer: Generals - Deluxe Edition
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mesh Cap
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mousepad
Alienware Extras: AlienInspection - Exclusive Integration and Inspection - $100 Value - FREE!


this is my configuration. my budget is $2400. i like to play c&c generals
i already owned a m9700. i have no problem with it. i'm giving it to my son as a gift on bday. i got a question guys. what's the difference bet. 1440x900
on the 1920x1200 resolution? is it glossy like my 9700 1920x1200?

 

It doesn't say so in the config menu but the XGA (1440x900) screen is glossy as well. Your setup is good but Vista + 1 GB of RAM don't mix well

 

Yes make sure you get at least 2GB of RAM, it's an inexpensive upgrade. Check the RAM DEALS thread.

Congratulations on the machine!

 

yea the only other great upgrade I would go with is the next step up processor. You will see a noticable difference between the 2mb cache and 4mb cache...and for 150 bucks I think its well worth it.

Just my 2 cents. Other than that, congrats! I should be getting mine today! OUT for delivery!

 

Congratulations on the new machine!

I would definitely reccommend upgrading the processor and screen. Those are the two things you can't change on your own, and the processor will make a significant performance diffrence.

The screen is partially a personal prefrence, but if your used to another machince with 1920 x 1200, the 1440 x 900 will seem boxy and low quality in comparison.

Just my opinion, Good Luck with your m9750.

Now I'm back to gaming on mine.. LOL

 

Yea well im kinda pissed...

My roomate just called and said Fedex would not let him sign for it, it HAD to be me to sign...

Ive never had this problem before but o well...and the worst part is I called to tell them Id come pick it up because I work 500 feet away from the local Fedex facility, and they tell me that the service they use is Independent contracts so the drivers take the packages home at night and lock them up...Yea that seems a bit shady. So i cant even drive over and pick up my package. So yea I have to wait another day...

SUCKS!

 

I think Alienware does not allow you to pick it up, as an antitheft measure.

 

Well Fedex said they will hold the package for me tomorrow morning, so I can pick it up before work...

yes, 1 more day is GOING to kill me.

 

So it seems I'm the first and only person on this board to have one currently...HAAAA.

LOL.

Seriously though, It's well worth the wait. Enjoy it when you get it

 

20 more days nyoro~n

 

Hey mjl2142, can you test the 3DMark06 scores? Thanks and congrats on the sweet unit man!

 

Well After waiting and waiting for it i hear my d00r bell ring and i was like yes!!!!! it was 2 boxes so i unpacked it and since this is my first alienware ever it was amazing. ill post a review after i get to play all my games but its one of the nicest labtops ive seen its pretty much blk labtop thats undercover with loads of stuff in it made for gaming lol man i hate downloadin the patches again for battlefield 2 and stuff takes for everrr but you guys will enjoy when u get urs its a great labtop.

 

The unpacking process with an Alienware is So great; I always love receiving review units. Congratulations!

 

Just got mine ordered two days ago! I need a new computer for college and I had been drooling over the 9700 for ages, but then the 9750 came out and changed everything, in the best way possible. This thing is going to blow my current Dell Inspiron 9100 completely away. Reading all the great stuff on this forum has only made the wait that much harder.

 

Congratulations shadowhunter; what kind of specifications did you get?

 

Video/Graphics Card: 512MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go 7950 GTX
Chassis: 17" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD - Stealth Black
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7200 2.0GHz 4MB Cache 667MHz FSB
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 1024MB
Operating System (Office software not included): Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium - Without Remote Control or TV Tuner
System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 100GB Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ NCQ & 8MB Cache
Primary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 8x Dual Layer CD-RW/DVD±RW Burner
Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel® PRO Wireless 3945 a/b/g Mini-Card
Sound Card: High-Definition Audio with surround sound
Warranty: 3-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support w/ Onsite Service
AlienRespawn: AlienRespawn v2.0 Recovery DVD – Windows Vista Edition
Microsoft Office Suites: Microsoft® Office 2007 Small Business - Factory Installed!
Includes Basic + PowerPoint, Accounting Express and Publisher!
Power: Additional Battery - Alienware® Area-51 m9750 12-cell Lithium-Ion Battery
Mobile Bags: Alienware® Odyssey Backpack

Unfortunately I didn't do quite all my homework and realize now that I should have gotten 1 gig of ram and bought 2 gig separately, but at least the upgrade on Alienware was only $150 now instead of the $270 it used to be so it's not that big of a deal. Live and learn I suppose. I also realize that there are better deals on single 7950GTX systems but I'm planning on upgrading to SLi 8800s after they come out and I know it's going to be easy to do that with the m9750. Besides, the 9750 looks cool as all hell anyway, so it's worth it.

Current/old computer:
Dell Insprion 9100
2.8ghz Intel Pentium 4
128mb ATi Mobility Radeon 9700
1gig 400mhz RAM (2x 512mb)
40gig 5400RPM hard drive
4x CD-RW/DVD+-RW
15.4" screen

 

I'll run benchmarks myself when I get the chance, but for now, the Alienware test scores for my 9750 are:

Burn-In/Benchmarks

Doom 3
Doom 3: 122.5 fps
3DMark 2006
Customer Information:
3DMark Score: 6,063.00 3DMarks
SM2.0 Score: 2,558.00
HDR/SM3.0 Score: 2,698.00
CPU Score: 1,687.00
Game Score: 0.00 Points
SM2.0 Graphics Tests
GT1 - Return To Proxycon: 20.89 FPS
GT2 - Firefly Forest: 21.75 FPS
CPU Tests
CPU1 - Red Valley: 0.53 FPS
CPU2 - Red Valley: 0.86 FPS
HDR/SM3.0 Graphics Tests
HDR1 - Canyon Flight: 23.38 FPS
HDR2 - Deep Freeze: 30.57 FPS

 

theres a vid now for the m9750 that i found its prettty kewl for all of you who still waiting for urs lol http://youtube.com/watch?v=MsaTWpoCAY4

 

The M9750 you bought should be an awesome upgrade to your Dell 9100. I remember the Dell 9100 . . . huge, heavy, no battery life, and loud. This machine is a step up in all areas.

 

Ha, that's me. It only ever takes less than 6 hours for people to find video content we post on YouTube before actually posting it on the site here.

Here's the post we've got the video and more pics in:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=2122425

It's on its way to Chaz now.

 

oh haha thanks for showing us

 

Mwahahahaahaa

 

also saw the youtube video before seeing this - I was wondering who did it (I thought it was going to be another one of those "How I killed my Alienware videos "

I see Chaz will be doing the full review - I am NOT going to read it. So far, I've avoided even thinking about replacing my m9700 - but this m9750 is looking better and better

 

I saw a youtube of a 9700 with the 512mb SLi cards, runs like hot knife through butter, the 9700 is still an awesome machine, He was running STALKER at wuxga on high!

 

Yep - mine runs STALKER just fine. I've got 512MB SLI with the 1440x900 display, so I've got nothing to complain about. Gaming performance is not an issue!

 

oh man, you've got that right on all counts, especially the no battery life part. Even on max power saving settings the best I get is an hour and 15 minutes, tops. People are always complaining about alienwares like "omg terrible battery life they only last like two hours" and I just shake my head in disgust, I would kill for 2+ hours of battery life with all that performance. My machine slows to a crawl because of all the power saves and it still dies before I can hardly get anything done. I ordered the 12-cell upgrade battery as well as a spare cuz I'm gonna need it on college.

 

Just picked up my 2 Boxes from fedex...I will be opening them when I get a chance.

Rock n roll.

 

Could someone post a picture of the underside of the power supply as i would like to know the power rating. its because i have a power supply from another laptop that i just bought but recieved a refund as it was faulty and they forgot to ask for the power supply back. it just may save me £69.

regards dave

 

Finally got it...its amazing in every single way. I am so glad I got the 1440x900 screen, its a perfect resolution, not miniature fonts!

I gotta install some games on it and check it out...

Everyone i work with is in awe...

and lastly the Odyssey bag is great...it has so many compartiments to put stuff in, it was well worth the money.

 

Very happy for you, OblastSRT4! I assume it was well worth the wait, and glad you like the 1440x900 display.

 

I am in phase 6 atm. Hopin to get it next week. Oh, and the power supply thing, it comes with a pretty heft power supply. Probably larger than the one you had for your old comp. Hope that helps some.

 

My Alienware m9750 just shipped today! Am very excited.

I choose to order the RAM upgrade from another vendor in order to save $$$ per suggestions of many of you notebook experts. Just want to confirm the RAM I have ordered will be compatible with my new m9750.

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit Notebook Memory Model F2-5300PHU2-2GBSA - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231116 --- $89.99

I ordered this from new egg to replace the 1 GB RAM that comes standard with the M9750. After reading other posts I think this will work, just wanted to make sure in case it doesn't I still have time to cancel that order and place another one.

Thanks again all.

 

Looks good.

When you do upgrade the RAM, call alienware Tech support. Tell them that your going to add RAM, and they will give you the link to a support article that explains how, and wait on the phone to answer any questions you may have.

Even if you don't need the help, this should protect you from a voided warranty.