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    good choice ?

    Discussion in 'Alienware' started by got2bel82day, Jan 14, 2010.

  1. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    m17x

    Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
    Intel® Core™ i7 920XM 2.0GHz (3.2GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache)
    3 Year Basic Serivce Plan
    Dual 1GB ATI Radeon™ Mobility HD 4870 in CrossfireX™
    17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 RGB LED (1200p)
    8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
    512GB Raid 0 (2x 256GB Solid State HDDs)
    Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
    Additional 9-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery for Alienware M17x Laptop
    Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology
    Space Black - Anodized Aluminum

    should i change anything to make my m17x stronger???
     
  2. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    8GB only if you KNOW you need it and I would buy the SSD elsewhere.

    Also get the Advanced/Complete Care service plan and do only 1 year. You can add on to it later if need be.
     
  3. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    well i live in austria.. i will save to 3000 dollars :D

    8gb ... hmm will it help me in the future or not really for gaming...??

    iwhich card is the 2nd best than

    shouldnt i take the 3 year serive ???
     
  4. KC0r8y

    KC0r8y Notebook Consultant

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    Did you bother to read the rest of the forums to see the problems people are having with this laptops?

    Why would anyone want to buy one?
     
  5. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    Well has everybody got problems with it???
     
  6. redbalrog

    redbalrog Notebook Consultant

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    It may not have the same issues because it is the refresh
     
  7. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Look at his specs. No one has this system. As far as the old version I had no problems and fully recommend it.
     
  8. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    If you're in Australia then the rules for warranty will be different. I cannot comment on that. 8GB of memory is not useful in gaming. Save the money.
     
  9. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    1. its Austria--- is in Europe...not Australia

    2. what should i get instead of the SSD 2x256 gb then????

    3. well ive got many friends from america coming always so if there would be a big problem with the m17x i could give it to my friends and let it bring back ... in the worst case
     
  10. KC0r8y

    KC0r8y Notebook Consultant

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    I wouldn't drop a red cent on an Alienware product until it was out on the marked and tested by other for atleast a month. Just because the spec's are different doesn't mean there will not be any problems.

    Also you can't deny there is problems with the old config when the forums are littered with complaints.

    Do what you want, but buyer beware as far as I'm concerned.
     
  11. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    lol sorrry now its answered ;)
     
  12. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    You've obviously been burned and I would guaranty for every one person with a complaint you will have 1000 satisfied customers. Dell wouldn't be able to survive if EVERYONE had a problem.

    Plus you can say "I wouldn't drop a red cent on an Alienware product until it was out on the marked and tested by other for atleast a month" but you can say that about anything new that is released regardless of brand.

    You're coming off as a whiner now and it isn't helping anyone.
     
  13. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    1. Sorry I read it too fast, I know the difference but my response would remain the same.

    2. Anything without a proprietary firmware on it. As a general rule stay away from OEM SSDs. Go get an Indilinx or Intel based SSD.

    3. Even better. ;)
     
  14. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    1. its Austria--- is in Europe...not Australia

    2. what should i get instead of the SSD 2x256 gb then????

    3. well ive got many friends from america coming always so if there would be a big problem with the m17x i could give it to my friends and let it bring back ... in the worst case
    got2bel82day is online now Add to got2bel82day's Reputation Report Post Edit/Delete Message

    4. will there be a nvidia card also to the refresh??
     
  15. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    lol i thought you would not see it omg ^^ sorry my system is totally f' up
     
  16. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    4. Probably but the better choice would be the ATI 5870 w/ DX11. That may be worth the wait but probably at least a month or two away.
     
  17. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    2. so is the indilinx a upgrade option or not??? on the alienware site...
     
  18. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    No it isn't. Dell is using Samsung drives with their own special (crappy) firmware.
     
  19. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    yeah but it would not know how to put those hard drives in my laptop,... im a complete noob on that....


    so what would be the best on the alienware site
     
  20. KC0r8y

    KC0r8y Notebook Consultant

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    Im nothing more then a frustrated buyer that wasted alot of money on a bad product that a major company is failing to fix properly. If that does labels me as a whiner then so be it. I'm doing nothing more then trying to warn someone from making the same mistake I did. I say stay away from Alienware because they fail to properly fix this. Dell has acknowledge publicly that there was an issue with the laptop and rather then pull it until it was resloved they continued to sell it. That my friend is bad business. Regardless of the percentage, it was a known issue with no fix at the time of sales.

    The fact you don't warn someone of the possible issues that others have had with it would make your opinion questionable. We're not talking about 2-3 people here
     
  21. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    but we are talking about a small percentage. Your easy solution is to sell your system and move on.
     
  22. KC0r8y

    KC0r8y Notebook Consultant

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    But it exists and should be brought to the attention of anyone coming to the forums looking for honest options and help about purchasing a very expensive laptop.

    My plan is to call them and push for a i7 system with ATI cards to replace this problemed machine. If I'm not successful with doing so then I will sell this unit and move on.

    Calling me a whiner because I wanted to warn him of these issues isn't fair.
     
  23. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    I apologize but the warning is not warranted since this is a different system.
     
  24. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    i will probably wait for 5870..
    but thank you for the answers anyway
     
  25. KC0r8y

    KC0r8y Notebook Consultant

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    I'm warning him about the system AND the vendor.

    Mandrake - I like you and have valued your opinions in the past - I think the best we can do is agree to disagree and move on.
     
  26. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Then you'd have to stay away from ALL the vendors who have had issues with systems in the past. Asus has probably been the worst as of late with the W90 issues over the summer and the over-heating issues as of late. If the G73 fails as a gaming system that vendor needs to stop trying and stick to netbooks.
     
  27. KC0r8y

    KC0r8y Notebook Consultant

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    I agree - I'm thinking more of the lines of scrapping the whole gaming laptop thought and going back to a nice reliable Thinkpad and a sick Gaming Desktop.

    I can kick myself in the butt for selling my T61.
     
  28. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    do you think the nvidia 285 gtx will be released
     
  29. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Now you're talking my language. I still use my T60p.

    I believe that option will be available with the x8100 so yes, I believe the M17x will get it.
     
  30. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    Gaming laptops are new (past 2-3 years) and use mostly mobile components shared in all other laptops with a mix of enthusiast GPU's. It's still a very niche and new market they don't even have a standard for MXM that they can fully agree on, but the past year or so it's become really good. You take a big risk of having big problems when you miniturize a desktop and try to match its power in a small package. The M17x A00 has 3 GPU's maxed out. 5-7 processor cores. So many individual components..

    You have a warranty and I recommend you call dell and try to get an upgrade or a refund (They will give you a refund if you demand it.) However you don't know that his system will have any issues, not sure why you're gunking up his thread!

    OP that spec is SICK. 8gb is overkill and for your hard disk I would choose the most basic one and order an SSD later. Installation is not hard- you can learn about it, and it will save you cash (and teach you about computers).
     
  31. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    soon?? :confused:
     
  32. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    yeah but which one should i get from the site then instead of the ssd????
     
  33. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    the cheapest one. But If you cant be bothered to open up the PC and know literally nothing about computers just pay for your SSD upgrades (especially if you have the cash)
     
  34. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    I wish I knew. ;)
     
  35. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    can someone do a top 3 list of the drives.. so i can choose.... please
     
  36. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    but i mean of the m17x option list
     
  37. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Get dual 320GB 7200RPM disks. They are Western Digital Scorpio Black drives, very nice. If you need more space get the 500GB drives. Set it up as a RAID 1 NOT 0. Then buy a SSD, pull your HDD 0 from the system and install the SSD. You will get an error message about the missing drive but it doesn't matter. At that point break the mirror/RAID and reinstall Windows. Keep the additional disk you have as backup and plus you can always do an Alienware respawn from that disk if you wish. Hope that makes sense.
     
  38. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    Haha.. Nice.
     
  39. inap

    inap .........................

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    man those specs are awesome, wish i could afford something like that. :mad:
    why 8gb memory, i think thats overkill but if you have the money, i;m not going to stop you. also mandrake is right about those ssd, the ones that come with it ain't that great. also something that pricey i would get the best warranty possible, something with complete care. wish you luck, man i;m so jealous right now. :notworthy:
     
  40. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    im 17 years old and save since i was born always my money ^^ lol... got to 17.000 dollars.. so i think its time to do something with the money.. and its not that bad because i save really lot of money buying the m17x from america
    my last lastop is from 2007 is a aspire 5920 g which is totally crap.. i cannot even play virtua tennis on high settings^^ .. (dont like the game anyway)
     
  41. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    yeah but when do you think 8gb are necessary??? 2012??13??
     
  42. inap

    inap .........................

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    depend what you are planning on using it for. just for gaming 8 is too much, 4gb should be fine. it should be much cheaper in the future if you ever find that you need it, but really doubt that you ever have too. just send the money you save to me thanks. :D
     
  43. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    how much mb do games need???
    and which hard drive from the option list on alienware site would you recommend to me???
     
  44. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    again depends on you needs, reliablity and speed, SSD, Cost is an issue, then HHD. If you like a ton of space, 2x640GB.
     
  45. got2bel82day

    got2bel82day Notebook Consultant

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    so which is the most reliable on the option list??
     
  46. inap

    inap .........................

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    if you really want ssd then get lowest possible hdd possible then buy ssd some where esle and replace them. maybe the 320 (2x 160gb). in the end it may cost you more to get different ssd but performance will be better than dell ssd.
    but i'm guessing money is not a real issue for you by looking at the specs.lol
     
  47. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    Most reliable option is SSD. Due to the lack of moving parts, you don't have to worry about the platter being damaged and your information is much more secure. Getting an SSD elsewhere can be pricey, but you will have better performance. The ones from dell are not terrible, per say, but they don't have quite the performance of the Intel SSD's. One the other hand, I'm sure you will still notice a large performance differance from the dell (samsung) SSD vs. the standard 7200rpm HDD. Another option is to go 640GBx2 RAID 1 which makes it so you only have the space of one HHD (640GB) and the other HHD is a mirror image of the first HHD. So if one dies, you still have a backup drive. Most reliable=SSD, second most reliable option (cheaper) RAID 1, with what ever size HHD you need. If you want a little faster HHD I'd go 500GB 7200RPM HHD RAID 1 because it will be a little faster then 5400RPM. Since the laptop has to write the information to two drives, it wil be a little slower, but more secure.

    RAID 1 with 2 SSDs would be the absolute most secure, but since SSDs are pretty safe, kinda a waste of an SSD.
    RAID 0 (info split between two drives, total space=both drives) is the absolute best performance, but with and SSD do you really need more speed? lol
     
  48. inap

    inap .........................

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    ^^^ yeah what the handsome guy on the motorcycle said :D
     
  49. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    +1 for that! lol
     
  50. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    The first SSD I ever bought (from Dell) failed on me. lol!
     
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