here we go again... m15x vs m9750

haha, yea. I hope that we don't scare you away. Sometimes it's hard to control what comes out of out mouths. Since we don't actually see each other, it's easy to get overboard!

 

The m9750 isn't as portable as I thought it would be as I take mine to and from work everyday. It's also not a laptop that you just open up in your car and use in any quick manner. It also scratches REALLY easily and the rubber finish wears off quickly if your not carefull. Under the nice slick dull black paint job is a Silver painted laptop where the actuall plastic is white. If you scratch this thing you WILL notice it as well as everyone else around you.

The m15x appears to win technically on paper. Smaller/lighter form factor, chance to upgrade to a better GPU and a chance to upgrade to a better CPU. Fully stocked, I'd be very concerned about heat issues (you live in the Phillippines and it's over 100F everyday there lol), but I don't really see that as too big problem with the base model. However, I would be concerned about the lack of support from temperature issues, cracked chassis, etc. You'd pretty much be on your own and these are CURRENT issues with the system. It's got a slightly wobbly screen.. and on top of that, doesn't come with that cool lit keyboard.

At this point in time, there is NO Graphics card that can run dx10 well and this includes desktops. When this issue is solved, I'd guess two-three years after before you see dx10 exclusive games. By then, your laptop wouldn't be able to run those anyways. On the other hand, Dual 7950s isn't all that great either unless you're going to benchmark all day and love to tweak each game you own. So far, I'm rather disappointed in SLi. Sure, it runs 3Dmark like a single 8800 GTX, but I just don't see the performance in actual games.

While it is definately a kewl thing to have an Alienware computer simply because it's Alienware, it will be the little things that will outright piss you off and will make you question why you paid soo much over a comparable computer. The Dell 1530 may not have the flash of Alienware, the build quality and metal finish really is a thing of beauty, and some people may overlook the fact that it is a Dell.

To make a long post short:
m9750 (Base with 7950 Sli) - No
m15x (baseline) - No
Dell 1530 - Yes

Believe me, having an Alienware seems more hype than being an actual quality product. There's good presentation, but not great on build quality. Drivers are another thing that will piss you off too, but don't get me started on that one lol.

 

that's a long post =)

thanks for that. i am considering the 1530. it actually has the looks compared to the Gateway and yet packs performance for a rather cheap price. I never thought about the material used in the Alienware (and making me aware that the rubber coating peels off easily). the slot-load dvd-rom is also a plus on the 1530.

if by then the m9750 becomes obsolete, then m1530 might be the laptop for me to buy. that's actually my second choice: m9750, 1530, m15x.


and yeah, you're right that the Dell has no "flash" on its own (and as some Filipinos consider them as cheapo notebooks. lol).

I am after some bragging (rofl)... and it wouldn't be nice to just brag about the looks while having weak specs, so i really wanted the m9750 which comes with dual 7950GTXs -- in that case, looks:style will be at least 1:1.




hey mate, are you aware that the dell 1530 only offers 8600M GT? yes, it is sufficient for me, but having dual 7950GTXs in SLi for the same price seems to be the better pick. DX10 is not a big thing right now, since it will take months or even years before some companies fully utilize its capabilities. it's great, but I wouldn't want to spend money on something that isn't stable (or something that's only delivering half its potential). 7950's would run Crysis on DX9 pretty well and fast, and that goes for other older games. within 2 years, I may have saved again for another laptop, and at that point in time, games may be exclusively on DX10.1.

**it's like buying an unripe fruit... I'll wait by the time it gets fully edible, and delicious lol


thanks for the concern. deeply appreciated it


EDIT:

actually, the next best thing to DX10 (if it is the best thing lol) is DX9. 7950s in SLi can compete with a single 8800MGTX in some aspects. 8800M GTX being the supreme DX10 card, and twin 7950s as the best DX9 GPU, scaling as well as the 8800 only without DX10.

so really, if one is to play the majority of games in DX9, then why opt for a DX10 GPU not as capable as the 7950GTX SLi (I am talking about the 8600M GT in the 1530). for the same price, one can enjoy the best of DX9 through dual 7950GTX in SLi, while those who want to yield the same results with DX10 must burn money on the 8800M GTX.


**maybe if I'm dying to play on DX10, I'd probably go with the 8600.

 

I thought they fixed the heat/cracking issues.

 

They said they did fix the heating issues by making the fans run higher. As for the cracking, unless they recently changed how it was built and the materials used, that should still be an occurring problem that will show over time.

Back to the heating issue, unless people are regularly cleaning their laptop (taking it apart and blowing air into the heatsink fins and cleaning the fans) the issue will compound over time. I don't have an m15x, but heat will always be a killer if not addressed. I think Alienware's current solution is temporary at best.

 

wahhhhh...


I just visited AW, and the base price of the m9750 just got up to $1,399 because the base GPU is now the 8700M GT. they no longer offer the 7950s. how unlucky is that? lol


maybe 2 weeks from now, m17x will be out, then bye bye m9750.

 

i guess they raised the price of 2.4ghz cpu of m15x for $100 as well

 

so, the 17" m9750 comes with a base 512MB 8700M GT while the m15x comes with a base 256MB 8600M GT (I have no idea if it comes with GDDR3). even if the screen size is bigger on the m9750, both share the same resolution at base configuration.

so, which one to get? can I actually OC the 8600M GT to yield 8700M GT performance?


*why is this happening to me?* lol

 

whatever you do DONT try overclocking notebook grafics cards, and especially in a m15x. If you really need this to be an AW, then accept that there will be no gaming on the system unless it is low resolutions. 8600 and 8700 are the same cards, just one clocks faster, so if i were you I'd get the m15x, but not overclock anything

 

To my knowledge, no one has been able to get the 8600M-GT overclocked to levels where it has comparable game performance to the 8700M-GT. Get the 8700.

 

base m15x vs base m9750.

8600 is enough for me, but if the base configuration of the m9750 is more reasonable than the m15x's, then I'd go for the better choice. MAYBE the m9750 won't be available by then -- that's the sad part of the story

 

If you are thinking about getting the Base M15x take a look at the second link in my sig before you purchase the base M15x. Personally I think it is overpriced for the base config since you aren't getting anything special besides flashy lights.

 

I think alberttwomi had made himself clear that he pay $1000 for the performance and $600 for the looks. am I right?

 

well... yeah.

the 1530 isn't bad though... and I can see the reasons stated by Stone (m15x vs 1530).

but the flashy lights keep on flashing on my head... lol

 

your situation is like choosing between ferrari f430 and corvette.

 

@ nirvana0001

lol... and you'd suggest I get the Ford GT?

 

ha thinkin about the m15x? Its nice its flashy it was my old laptop. i got a question pare when you deciding to purchase your laptop?

 

sa May pa maybe... earliest will be last week of April. and since it's an order basis, I'd try to get one as soon as possible. =)

 

then the choice is up to you but for portability sake id would take the m15x over the m9750. M9750= outdated m15x has a chance incase you need to upgrade components later you can.

then again i wouldnt count out the m1530 however future proofing the m15x wins.

 

Yeah I am in a similar situation with you, although I was thinking M15X VS M1730. I am kinda afraid that the 15inch will hamper gaming performance since it may be too small...But then the M1730, while a solid machine, looks well like a dell, and there is no 'love' towards the machine in that sense....U could try and wait for the M17X though noone knows when it may come out...

 

I only have $1,600 to burn. LoL

 

So any news about 8800GTX on the m9750?

 

I've been visiting the AW site every now and then. 8800M GTX is not yet available for the M9750. I really doubt that it will have the 8800M GTX, especially when the M17x is just around the corner.

 

won'te happen. never. m17x is coming up soon, so AW wouldn't wanna lose potential m17x customers to the m9750. plus the m9750 has an older centrino generation, and probably the wrong MXM module. sorry.

 

So alberrwomi, which notebook are u going for? Have u decided?

PS i have a gf in Cebu island

 

haha... good for you. Filipinas are really sweet.

btw, are you a Filipino? lol just a question, hope you don't mind.



I might be having a new desktop so I might as well play games there. The m15x I'm leaning at will be the college accessory and the movie player (and some very slight gaming). so I really don't need to opt for the 8800 (given that I am also broke, lol).


made a new thread about the delivery and shipping. you see, I only have less than 6 weeks there in US (be leaving tomorrow, 11:33 here right now). if within 5 weeks, and AW fails to ship the laptop, then I'll be screwed... *ouch*

 

ahh cool, yeah i have also ordered the M15X as an 'on-th-go' gaming machine. Im supposing ur from manila? funny how u think its the worst 3rd world country LOL hope the rice shortages arent affecting you!

 

nope it's not... the market in our place has lots. haha =)

yep, I am from Manila. and I suppose you're a Filipino (or am I damn wrong?).




you really don't need the m15x. you've got one hell of a sig! LOL

 

I've just seen Crizzler's issues with his new m15x. I don't think that baby's for me. once I get the lappy, and it has flaws in it, I couldn't afford to send it back to them again since we will be leaving on the 4th of June. I am 5 hours from ordering the laptop, and I've decided to go with the m9750 which has the 8700M GT.


any suggestions about the T5500 playing Flight Simulator X and some recent games (Bioshock, COD4, etc)? is this procie really capable?


thanks thanks!

 

are you going for SLI 8700? at this point the bottleneck would be GPU, the t5550 is just enough

 

actually, just the single 8700M. 8600 was ok for me, but then the m15x has a lot of flaws. the m1530 is a Dell, and I want an Alienware. lol


so if I'm playing Gears of War, COD4, World In Conflict, NFS Carbon, SimCity4, The Sims 2, Flight Simulator X, Bioshock, and some more others, will the T5500 bottleneck the whole system? (I don't mind playing in XP or Vista)


I might go for the base config and save some money for the RAM upgrade (unless you suggest to get the 2GB as I place my order to lessen trouble of upgrading RAM later on).

 

just don't forget the m9750 allegedly can only handle 2.5gb of RAM anyway.

 

not offense but getting SLI 8700 on m9750 is a quite dumb idea, and even worse if you are just getting one. that defeats the whole purpose of geting a m9750. I understood that you are paying for the "LOOK", but it just not worth it IMO.

 

then what AW lappy would you suggest?


the m15x is just not so solidly built (cracking here and there), some cheap plastic feel (based on others reviews), wobbly screen, etc, etc. I really don't care about the touch-sensitive controls, but the overall build quality concerns me. when the day ends, it's only the m15x or m9750 that competes for my decision.



if you'll decide, what'll you choose? try to put yourself in my budget-limited shoes, then tell me what you think... then tell me what you'll get.


**if I had more money and bought a cheaper car, I'll get the 8800, period. that'll save me from a lot of trouble, but on the contrary, I am broke.

 

don't get an alienware. maybe a dell xps m1710 or something like that. there are lots of cheap 17" laptops with decent gaming power out there.

 

I am aware of that... but I like AW. having it, especially in the Philippines will be a boom. lol.

people there don't mind bout the specs... and I'll only use it to watch movies and some light gaming during vacant time in school (so the 8600M and the 8700M is sufficient).



so m9750 or the m15x? both ar base config... lol

 

well if you're gonna watch movies so much go with the m9750. the 17" screen definitely won't hurt, and the 7950gtx should be sufficient for "light gaming".

 

FYI, the 7950GTX cards are not available anymore. actually, a month ago, I have decided to get the m9750 with dual 7950s in SLi... however, weeks ago, they removed that offer, and now it's stuck with the 8700M, either a single or a dual card configuration.


if it still has the 7950, I'll get the m9750 no doubt. but it does not anymore.

 

oh ok, sorry. didn't know that. well, then i'd go with the m9750 with one 8700gt. SLI isn't worth the money, so one should suffice for "light gaming".

 

and by that you're suggesting me to get the old (and a bit outdated) m9750 against the flashy (and GPU-upgradeable) m15x?

 

if you're buying it to watch movies and "play some games", yes. but that's just me, the decision is ultimately up to you.

 

I believe you've read about the cheap plastic feel, and some poor build quality around the m15x. and I am convinced that you still want it despite its flaws. I am happy to go with either of them.


have you seen Crizzler's pics? lol... that ain't good.



unless you have a good reason to still get the m15x, I'll stick to m9750... and 3 hours from now, I might give AW a call and place an order today.

 

Go for the M9750. They are great machines with top notch build quality. Both my M9750's arrived less than 10 days from when the order was placed so you should be good to go on that front. One of my M9750's has SLI 8700's and it runs games very well. I have also played with just one 8700 and although I have to turn the rez down a bit it still plays Bioshock, UT3 and COD4 very well.

 

thanks Frag... I'm getting the base, and I'll try to fill it up til $1,600 (after the 5% discount, I'll be having it at around $1,550). with taxes, it will reach around $1,700... perfect!

 

how about macbook pro with 8600? its a boom everywhere
ps. yes for under $1600

 

let me see bout that... hmm... OSX? lol

 

lol

the MBP's base price is at $1,999...





let's just stick to AW, it gives me more of a gamer look (not that MBP looks gay). lol

 

anyone kind enough to give me their personal m9750 configuration for less than $1,600? please tell me why... lol



thanks thanks... sorry for the triple post.

 

you can install windows on it without any performance loss

 

1] Area-51® m9750

Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Home Premium
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Without Media Center Remote Control or TV Tuner
Video/Graphics Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® Series - 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8700M GT - Enables DirectX® 10 Graphics!
Chassis: 17" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD - Stealth Black
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7200 2.0GHz 4MB Cache 667MHz FSB
Memory: 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 512MB
System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 120GB 5,400RPM (8MB Cache)
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel® Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Sound Card : High-Definition Audio with surround sound
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support w/ Onsite Service
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mesh Cap
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mousepad
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mobile Binder
Alienware Extras: Owner Identification Card
Avatar: Alienhead 3D
Window Style: Default Window Style
Mouse Pointers: Standard Mouse Pointers
Wallpaper: Alienhead 3D (Widescreen)
Power Plan: Standard Power Plan
Automatic Updates: Automatic Updates On
Sidebar Gadgets: Calendar

Because thats about it for less than $1600