The Official m15x Owners Lounge

cool that will give us a good review on gaming performance

 

you know i must say that its not as overpriced as many people think. i mean the 8800gtx is about 450 everywhere and the x7900 ranges from 650-750...that plus the ram plus case design and lights and the little electronics....i'd say its a good price.

i can't wait for your video. can you do it with the blinking lights and showing around the entire thing? thanks

 

Did you try using the advanced AlienFX control panel options to try to get the lights to synch with a game? That'd be sweet for games like Guitar Hero III. Actually, the Alienware rep at CES said the programmable lights are perfect for GH3.

 

The $2699 model comes with the T7700, the X7900 is $650 more.

 

in that case....it is a little 'spensive. but they charge for the name, their "alien support", the hype about 8800m...so still not too bad. im shuddering to think about the mALX though if there is ever one.

 

The funny part is only suckers will buy the 2.8GHz Extreme processor just because Intel adds the word "Extreme" into the title. In reality, benchmarks for the most demanding game on the market, Crysis, show very little to no difference between a 1.6GHz C2D and a 2.8GHz C2D Extreme. In 3 years from now there might be a 3-4fps difference, but is that really worth so much money? Every game coming out will run the same on a 2.2GHz as it will on a 2.8GHz Extreme processor because games won't depend as much on processing speed for future-proofing as it will on bigger L2 Caches and FSB. A 2.8Ghz with, say, a 8MB L2 cache and a 1066FSB will show a lot more of a difference, just spending more on pure processing speed won't future-proof you in this generation. So, seriously buying an Extreme processor won't furture-proof you at all compared to most of the other processors. Guys, take my advice and save yourself the money.

 

I currently own a Dell XPS Desktop with a P4 Extreme Edition and I can tell you it's held up real well. However, the C2D is all so powerful that Anything T7500 and above should be plenty for a laptop for a long time. Is 400mhz wirth 600 bucks? I doubt it.

 

Well, the desktop Extreme processors boost the L2 cache and FSB.

For example the current high-end Extreme desktop proccesor, the QX9650, boasts 3.0GHz of overclockable processing speed (the Extreme mobile processor is also overclockable), a FSB of 1333MHz compared to the 800MHz of FSB on the mobile Extreme processor, and a L2 Cache of 12MB, the Extreme mobile processor has a 4MB L2 Cache, like most C2D processors.

There's only one downside to the amazing speed. Ready? The 3.0GHz desktop processor costs a wallet-burning $1,099.

 

The X7900 is also overclockable to 3.2 ghz and possibly will run cool at 3.4 ghz in teh M15x. Only time will tell. Also from a strictly gaming perspective yes the x7900 might be over kill. But for those of us who will use it for Engineering software cad and other CPU intensive applications will be a godsend.

I have some engineering software that take forever to run real time hydraulic caculations in deep water drilling scenarios. Just going from the 2.0 ghz to a 2.6g(clocked 2.8) in the XPS m1710 it shaved off a serious amount of calculating time. This was the best invest I coudl make without having to lug aroudn a larger 17" laptop. Jumping from helicopters to heli decks and walking around airporst the 15.4" will be awsome. It was never teh weight of the 17" that got me. It was the size of the backpack I need to carry.

 

i agree that with some special apps the x7900 and the like might help but most games would run absolutely fine with pretty much any 2.2ghz dual core or higher.

 

Mrwater


Is the DVD drive a "Slot In" drive or is it the usual drive?

 

Performance stability does not merely depend on the effectiveness of cooling; I doubt the X7900 OC'd to 3.4GHz will be stable.

 

Yes that is true, but some people have been running the X7900 @ 3.4 ghz and are seeming to be quite stable. Overall most have been running ta 3.2 without any problems. I will be running some orthos test once the unit arrives.

Hopefully we can post some decent results.

 

Talked to Alienware to see if I could add the TV Tuner to my config...
They said it's not really a TV Tuner option, it's just the Expresscard option, which explains the +$50 price. So far still no tv tuner upgrade available...
I'm in Phase 5 for:

Display: 15.4" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1080p)
Video/Graphics Card: 512MB Nvidia® GeForce™ Go 8800M GTX
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7800 2.6GHz (4MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
Memory: 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 2048MB
Turbo Cache Memory: Intel® Turbo Memory (1GB) – Accelerate Data Transfer Speed
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Home Premium
System Drive: 200GB 7200RPM (16MB Cache)
Optical Drives : 8X Dual Layer CD-RW/DVD±RW Burner w/ LightScribe
Warranty: 3-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7

Also, this is my first post...

 

Welcome to NoteBookReview! Congratulations on your purchase, you've got one hell of a system comin' your way. I'm waiting for the m17x (it's still not out) with the specs in my sig.

 

Hi all! I'm in stage 7 now....... the wait continues. I just hope that it's better than the (2) M1730's that I sent back before xmas. Here is a shot of mine.

Display: 15.4" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD (720p) with Clearview Technology
System Lighting: Alienware® AlienFX® System Lighting - Aqua
Video/Graphics Card: 512MB Nvidia® GeForce™ Go 8800M GTX
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7700 2.4GHz (4MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 1024MB
Turbo Cache Memory: Intel® Turbo Memory (1GB) – Accelerate Data Transfer Speed
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Home Premium
System Drive: 200GB 7200RPM (16MB Cache)
Optical Drives : 8X Dual Layer CD-RW/DVD±RW Burner
Wireless: Internal Intel® Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Sound Card : Internal High-Definition Audio with surround sound
Keyboard Options: AlienFX® Illuminated Keyboard
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support w/ Onsite Service
AlienRespawn: AlienRespawn v2.0 Recovery DVD – Windows Vista® Edition
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mesh Cap
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mousepad
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mobile Binder
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Personalized Nameplate
Alienware Extras: Owner Identification Card
Alienware Extras: Area-51® m15x Protective Cloth Sleeve
Alienware Extras: Area-51® m15x Keyboard Diagram Overlay
Alienware Extras: Area-51® m15x Smooth Mylar Touchpad
Avatar: Alienhead 3D
Window Style: Default Window Style
Mouse Pointers: Standard Mouse Pointers
Power Plan: Standard Power Plan
Automatic Updates: Automatic Updates On
Time Zones: (GMT - 5.00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

[1] Employee Purchase Program ; 5 % Instant Rebate

SubTotal: $2,788.00
Shipping: $50.00
Discount: $139.40
Tax: $161.92
Order Total: $2,860.52

 

employee purchase program!!

 

Nice employee discount!!!

I want a student discount, but need a .edu email address!!!

 

Gratz on the system. And nice discount there.

 

It's actually a military discount! Hey, I'll take what ever I can get to save a few bucks

 

Roor, if you're on this forum, please tell me that the "End of march" date I'm hearing from Alienware sales reps for the skullcap and black case is WRONG....

 

He never reveals any information at all. Most users are still in doubt he even works for Alienware, since he's never given any proof. I do know the information, though. My dad works for Alienware and I know for sure the m15x will be fully customisable January 29 and the m17x will be out on February 16.

You didn't really believe that, did you? Anyone can say something, it doesn't mean what they say is true and Roor never proved he works at Alienware.

 

I love you d00d

 

Michael you sly dog you..

 

Funny!

 

Wow all of a sudden they have better shipping dates on the site..

If you ordered yesterday, it said ESD, Feb 15th, now it's showing the 8th!

(This is Canada BTW)

 

oh man i went for it..lol

 

I have yet to use fraps to tell what I'm getting, but Crysis is totally playable with the object detail at medium, the textures on high, and everything else on medium. This gives me smooth framerates at 720 resolutions, and I'm very happy!

Hellgate London runs like a champ.


The 8700 is no slouch, but those who splurge for the 8800 will be very pleased

 

the 720P looked good on a macbook I used last week, I bet its just as sweet on yours!

 

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MICHAELSD01!!!!! YOU HAD ME SO EXCITED I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU.

And then I somehow randomly highlighted the text below it and saw your "hidden" message.

nice. very nice. Well at least I was happy for the 60 seconds I thought Jan 29 was true...

 

Now that's piss funny. I guess it puts it all in perspective.

On that note they will be out when there out. lol

 

I don't remember where, but I saw some tests between T7500 T7700 & x7900 extreme. i was a differenze between T7700 & x7900 only when they worked @ 2.4 vs 2.8, but the difference between T7500 & T7700 was even more

when you OC the x7900 there was no difference in gaming, while in some test it seemed like the freq was the same as default (2.8), just 1% max 2% improving! strange

 

mrwater, i noticed that red LED light around screen. didn't see that on their display unit in CES or in their web, is it changeable to different color too, that u can switch it off ?

 

Michael. I am now forced to castrate you with a rusty spoon because of your false information. Sorry.

 

Anyone can comment on the charger of the computer. I can't find out any specs on it, is it a huge block of 1 kilo like in the dell XPS models? Just to know if to order 2 of them not to need to carry it around all the time between work and home. Or are they normal laptop kind of chargers? I saw a picture where it does look like the dell huge chargers but can't really tell...

 

^^ am with u in this thing, dell charge is way huge like xbox power adapter.

from the pic it looks smaller by fraction, which may need big space in laptop briefcase.

mrwater, have u ordered the AW briefcase?

 

Hi mrwater, will you be giving us the first review of this laptop, you can be the one.. more pictures and benchmarks is what we're all looking for

 

More pictures!!!

 

No benchmarks, I'm no expert PC reviewer Just a casual gamer and a lover of sexy tech.

Some answers, so please don't miss this response... I have been repeating myself on a few questions, and there are a few new responses here.

1. The power brick is NOT HUGE. It's comparable the Nintendo Wii's AC adapter. It's about 2 times the size of my Thinkpad T41 brick, it's 6 inches long, 1.5 inches high and 2 inches wide.

2. The AlienFX zones-
monitor tubing
alienware logo on monitor
touch controls
alien head on touch controls (same color as other alien head)
alien head on back of monitor (this has to be same color as other alien head)
touch pad
keyboard (only on $2699 model)

Each one of these zones can be changed to a bunch of different colors. It takes a few seconds to switch colors, and looks very cool. You can turn off AlienFX if you want, leaving ONLY the touch controls and alien head lit. You can also turn off the zones if you dont want them on.

3. Battery- My battery lasted about 45 minutes while playing Crysis. I had 1:45 of life, as per the display. So if you turn your performace down to low, lower brightness on the monitor, put it in stealth mode, and only do something simple like web browsing/word processing, you should be able to get about 2:15 to 2:30 worth of battery time.

4. Screen- The screen is GREAT. Fast response time, bright, nearly no light bleeds. Very deep blacks, no dead pixels on my display. The monitor itself is wobbly though, the hinge isn't the best in the world, but it doesn't feel like it'll fall apart.

5. Keyboard- Great keyboard. Better than my T41 keyboard, very comfortable. No spill guard.

6. Speakers- They sound VERY good for laptop speakers, but at very loud levels there is slight distortion. Good enough to game on the go, but if you're a serious gamer with a serious sound system, it'd be worth it to hook it up to that.

7. HDMI- You must have th HDMI plug in the laptop BEFORE starting the laptop. No hot-plugging. The display is very easy to configure, and looked great on my 37 inch Aquos. I have a wireless gaming adapter and a 360 controller, and Crysis was a blast to play on the big screen. I don't know how to get audio over the HDMI cable, so maybe someone can help me when they get their m15x

8. Cases- It comes with a soft pouch, I don't have any briefcase for it. I don't plan on taking it out of the house, but if I do I will make sure to get the best of the best for it. The finish is very sexy and I would hate to see it messed up.

9. Build Quality- The unit feels solid, the bottom of the unit is a metal material. The fans keep the unit cool, the palmwrests don't get too warm. The only aspect of built quality I'm not a fan of is the wobbly monitor, but that's a small price to pay when you have such a sexy light show

10. OVERALL- I love the laptop. I am very pleased with my choice to go with the $2099 model. Not only did I get it fast, but it is exactly what I wanted. It plays Crysis pretty damn well and Hellgate runs on near max settings- between 20 and 40 fps. Anyone that gets the $2099 will not be sorry, or feel regret for not going with the $2699. Those who get the $2699 will be FLOORED by how amazing their 15 inch laptop is. Not only will that unit have the sexy lit keyboard, but it will have a graphics card that is 2.5 times more powerful. If I can play games and have them look great, I can't even imagine how the 8800 will run them.


Now, if anyone has any questions, please feel free to PM me, or post replies. I'm going to be at work till 9:30pm EST, so don't think I'm running away.

 

Wooo! mrwater is finally back!

 

I've been back michaelsd01

thecommish16- I uploaded photos, there's no real need for me to take more since I have no idea what to take them of. If you have any requests, LMK and I'll try and help.

 

Cool, 2:15 to 2:30 of battery life with a single 6 cell battery and if you added another 6 cell battery with SmartBay you could expect double the numbers, five hours of battery life is amazing for a 15" gaming notebook! You could expect 90 minutes gaming on it using dual batteries, which is great. mrwater, you do know that gaming on the AC adapter will improve framerates, even if you have performance set to max on the battery, right?

mrwater, one more thing. Could you comfortably use the notebook on your lap for some quick gaming and web browsing? It'd be sweet to be able to sit on the couch and play RTS, RPGs, and MMORPGs. Of course, I'll use a Razer Copperhead for FPS and games that need precision.

 

Yup, i noticed that. I was showing my brother Crysis, and I'm like "wtf... it never ran this poorly before!"

Lap usage- I only used it on my lap when I first got it and I was unable to go home and test it out for real. I personally wouldn't play games on it while it was on my lap, so I can't help you on that one. If you are able to do that with another laptop, I'm sure you could do it with this one though. Web browsing would be fine, the bottom doesn't get that hot.

 

First post on forums.
I'm definately going to get the m15x $2699 model. The keyboard lights are just too cool, and the bigger GPU is good too .
Thanks for the info on not spending an extra $400 for the extreme processor.

Question though, should I spend on the BluRay drive or just forgo it?

 

If you are going to use the HDMI port on the m15x and hook it up to an HDTV then I think BluRay is a good idea. If you will never use a monitor bigger then 24" then I think it renders it useless. I feel like you cannot see the difference between DVDs and BluRay discs unless your like 10 Ft away.

 

How could you game with dual batteries? Don't you need the disk drive to run the games? Or do some games now don't require disks to run. I'm a little behind in gaming with my old computer...

 

So, one short question. can the lights at the notebook be changed into any colour or only in the colour which you select in your config?

Alienware Command Center
This centralized, user friendly portal provides access to exclusive applications such as the AlienFX® lighting controls and the AlienFusion power management controls.
Alienware® AlienFX® System Lighting
White
Aqua
Fuchsia
Yellow
Blue
Red
Indigo
Lime

This is what the site said, and I am not sure about whether you can swich between the colours or only choose the colour which you selected?

 

Regardles of who wins or looses the HD DVD wars, I just got a regular one for now, and will upgrade down the road if I really want it for probably 25% of the current price. My laptop ships in 1 week if they stay on track, although they had to remove my spare battery form the package as they have run out of them for the time being. They will send me one later which is nice of them, so that they can get the main system to me earlier.

 

Thanks.
The way I'd configure would cost about $5000 with taxes, still.
Any idea as to how many months until the price drops a bit?

 

I reckon you'll see the price drop slightly once the m17x is released.

However, best bet would be the summer months, around June-Julyish