m15x Built Quality Question

I've been looking into getting a new laptop that will last me a few yrs, 5 at least i hope. I'm looking to spend £1200 - £1400 ish and so decided the m15x would be a gd idea with the basic setup but the 8800gtx, 2.4 ghz and then upgrade the ram with 2x2gb from crucial as its far cheaper. I'm going to use this for gaming etc as my current desktop is getting dated.
However the only reservation i have is the reports of poor build quality and as i want to use this in uni as well as at home for a desktop replacement build quality to withstand bumps and things at uni is kinda high up on my list even though i have a well padded case and am carefull. Can anyone offer insight to whether the issues of build quality have been fixed or will be an issue in this case? Or should i be looking at getting a m17x when it comes out in the UK (any idea how long until the m17x is out in the UK?) or an m9750 instead?

Thanks
DK

 

I am on my m15x right now and though my screen creaks a bit when I open the case.. it holds up well. I used to carry it to class all the time.. carried it all the way out to Idaho for the summer with me and I don't have a single problem with how it is handling everything. It has been said they are fixed... but I have one from late march/early april and it is just fine.

If you are looking to tote it around at school.. I wouldn't recommend the m17x unless you really want it. I mean, it weighs A LOT and then you have to find a bag that fits it in the first place. Those can become very costly.

 

I was only going to go with a m17x if the m15x was too flimsy. Hopefully you won't be the only one that doesn't have trouble with it and i can feel safe buying one. Thanks

 

The M15x is not solid and it's not a computer that was built to withstand lots of physical stress.

 

Ok, but would it last being used at Uni? or would the m9750 be a better option?

 

I would sit down and look at the sticky that doing the reviews for it show more facts. I have counted 4 or 5 people with faulty cases. But the Question is how many had the problem over all. Check this site to give you more info. http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=260275

 

I wouldn't say that the M15x has a faulty case. I didn't have a faulty case, it was quite good actually.

What I'm saying is, the M15x is not the most solid 15.4'' laptop around. And this has a very easy explanation... It's bigger and heavier and also thicker. So this puts more pressure on different parts of the laptop compared to the pressure on smaller laptops. Opening and closing, carrying it around, plastics, etc etc... all give a sensation that the M15x is not the most solid laptop around.

If you treat it well, it will last. But I've compared it with several other 15.4'' and it's really not "solid". Saying this... If you treat it well and if nothing dramatic happens, I'm sure you will make it last.

 

Ok cool thanks

 

When I first ordered my M15x, I was concerned about how well it would hold against bumps and such too. After cruising through these forums, I decided (only a day before I recieved the laptop) that I was sending it right back after I "saw" the weakness of the chasis.
Then I actually held it.
Sure, some areas flex more than some other laptops, but by no means is it a fragile little baby. I'm off to college in a few months, and i'm pretty confident (with the right care given to the laptop of course) that it will last at least 4 years. Hell, there's an old Quantex laptop sitting next to me made of plastic like the Ps2's, and it's lasted at least 6 years in one piece.
PLus you have a month to evaluate it and send back for a refund.

 

i would suggest, for longetivity, to get the 2.5 ghz processer. Although it is only 1 ghtz faster, it has double the cache. In 4 years, you will need that if you want to still have a decent laptop. CPU is one of the most difficult and expensive things to upgrade and you are better off getting the 2.5 now if you plan on using it for several years. Just a suggestion but it will pay for itself in longevity

 

i think so far, the m9750 is the safest bet, with many people praising how firm and sturdy it is.

 

the m15x may not be as solid as a lenovo but the build quality to me seems fine. when i walked around best buy to take a look at the build quality of those laptops, the m15x to me was better built than some at best buy. i remember the inspiron having a worse build quality when i was looking at it in best buy. forgot about the others tho.

 

I don't like the big electrical stores for computers anyway, the ones on display rarely give an accurate impression and the staff are generally not well informed.

I point-blank refuse to buy from anywhere where I have to google processor names on my PocketPC to find out the laptopss clock speeds

 

you shouldnt buy from those stores. i just use those stores as reference so i can see the laptop in person. you can test it and see how the build quality is so you know exactly what to expect.

 

My problem is I may well end up with something from there. It pisses me off, but my parents might not release the funds for an Area-51

 

Ok i feel a bit safer with the m15x and the 1 month trial period is comforting. Do you know if any shops e.g. pc world stock them so i could go and have a look at one in person as it were.

Thanks again all i appreciate it

 

AW only sells their systems on their website so it will be really hard to see their systems in person. the only place i can think of is at a convention like Digital Life

 

Just to confirm, what your generally saying about it is:

It has the capability to hold up to the bumps of life but should be treated with care and doesn't feel / look as strong as it is?

Would that be about right?

 

More or less that, yes...
In my house there's a Dell XPS M1530, a Sony Vayo (14''), an Acer Aspire 2026WLMi, a Dell inspiron and some other Dell and, by far, the M15x seems the more fragile.
Now... if you treat it well... who knows what's going to happen. Hopefully it will hold itself up. But there are good chances that you might end up having a problem or two.

 

Like milcs said you might have a problem or two (my vid card is bad, but they are sending me a new one) but as long as you take care of it (like with all other piece of high end tech) it will last.

 

I totally agree with Milcs and Syth!

Your lifestyle and your laptop-use reflect your decision in a laptop purchase. If you care enough to buy a higher-end machine (as well as spending more money for it)... importance in care for it also increases.

For an example, my girlfriend uses her lenovo for word docs, web browsing, and email... and she kinda treats it as such... throws it in her backback, keeps it in her car sometimes, doesn't care about performance or updates, etc. In which case, that laptop works for her. If my m15x (coming next wednesday) were a high-performance sports car, I wouldn't take it off-roading. I'd be waxing it every other day and keeping it's engine fine-tuned.

In short... you spend a lot of money and a lot of time with it, extra care/time is a given and a must.

 

Ok thanks ppl, now to decide really, m15x or m9750....could take some time this, i think i'll be careful with it its just if it gets bumped by others now.

Out of interest how much slower would a m9750 with the duel sli 8700GT's, and a 2 or 2.1 Ghz processor with 4 gb ram be than the m15x with the 8800gtx and 24 / 2.5 ghz with 4gb ram? As if its not that much slower i think thats what i'll be going for, just to avoid build quality issues. And does any1 know if the new skullcap design has helped to fix any of the problems such as the build quality?

 

I look at Tech. Dual grapics dont mean everything is 2x the speed for games. Most of the time it 25% to 35% faster and sometimes slower then single grapics card on older games. But with a faster Cpu and a faster Grapics card it could be about the same speed or Faster. Plus the m9750 has a older setup.

Build quality the M9750 might be better.

But the M15X might have a faster game setup.

The best idea is ask both sides who have the M9750 and M17X and test there laptops so you get a idea which system faster.

 

Sorry slightly different topic and probably a stupid question but i think is should ask to make sure . The price on the UK website in the floating bubble thingy is inc vat ...right?

 

@ Shootydogthing... if you're trying to afford one of these computers, do what I'm doing right now and sell loads on eBay! Granted I have a lot of cool stuff like movie costumes and things that I have sold for a few hundred each, but eBay is a good way to make money. It just takes a lot of patience.

 

@Deathknight- Final price (except the shipping that is added when you checkout).
@Cat- I'm just going to my wardrobe to dig up my collection of movie costumes then! You are an... interesting person.

 

I'd give anything for a realistic battle-worn Pulse rifle and one of those limited edition Motion Trackers. (My fave film of all time is Aliens. Colonial Marines rock!)

The only costumes I had to sell was a Mars Police Force uniform from John Carpenter's Ghost of Mars, and the police officer's costume from the Silent Hill movie. Sold for £350 each... cheap at 3/4 of the price I originally paid for them! Oh well. It's all for a good M15x cause.

 

Is the Xtreme 770 rock is a good alternative to the m15x for gaming etc...?

 

The Xtreme 700 fully specced out is the one I had earlier this year. What I liked about it is that ROCK can put in 800mhz Ram. The M15x can't support that. All in all, I found the ROCK a fantastic, smart looking notebook that I was sad to return. I would have kept it if tech support hadn't given me a whole new chassis instead of doing a screen replacement - the new chassis had bad keyboard flex, and flex is my pet hate.
I haven't experienced the M15x yet, but ROCK rarely gets bad reviews, and the Xtreme 770 comes HIGHLY recommended. The fingerprint reader was good too, as you didn't have to enter your password into things all the time. You can store your log in details for myspace, photobucket, etc etc with a single fingertip swipe, and then just swipe again to log yourself in the next time.

I would definitely have bought that ROCK again if I hadn't laid eyes on the M15x (and if I hadn't always wanted to own an Alienware machine). The only problem with ROCK notebooks is that the screens are lovely, but very prone to getting stuck pixels (as was my problem). There is a catch with ROCK though, and it's pretty much industry standard now, that you can't get a screen fix if there are less than 5 stuck or dead pixels on the screen. And trust me... one is annoying enough!!!

All in all, the Xtreme 700 is a very solidly built machine. I would definitely recommend it. The HQ where they build and ship these out is in Warwick. Oh, and the sales people are your stereotypical "geeks" in appearance! They come out to greet you in jeans, football shirts, long greasy hair, and glasses.

EDIT: And if I get a bad M15x, I will definitely be looking to ROCK for a gaming notebook again. If only they did a 15.4" model.

 

yes- 15 or 17 and the weight, but the heat and longevity something to remember.. new rock's ( see sager forum) next month so wait!

 

The chassis for the X770 is the same as Clevo.

 

Ummm... yeah that is an awesome uniform... I don't know if I could handle seeing a girl wear that... whew... that is if it's the skin-tight one the over-the-top-policewoman wears....

 

OK well i won't be ordering my new laptop until i go to and get back from holiday, so be about 4 weeks till i order it. And hopefully the prices might have dropped and from sticking around this forum i'll be able to reader about all the new buyer experiences here to see if there have been any improvements before i send the order in. Thanks cat

 

Rock might not be the best one actually...just read in my "What Laptop" magazine i bought for helping me decided that they'd gone into administration. So for now probably not the safest company to buy from.

 

they are back now- after someone acquired them- on the website...

 

Yep just got home and seen. Might be a realistic alternative for me if i'm willing to spend an extra £100 although the m15x is still extremely tempting and will probably win

 

If it's any comfort, I'll probably be buying a Rock again if the M15x doesn't work out. Unless I can find a 15.4" gaming machine elsewhere, that is. I found the 17" Rock a bit big for my tastes. Great sized screen and lovely to use. GREAT quality and sharpness. It's just that, after owning it and being too careful about where to perch it and how I carried it around, I would rather own something a bit smaller.

 

Cat you around London or longer afield? Cause you can call Rock and go up to their show room, once the new Clevo's are out that is what I am doing anyway.. give it a good tough and press down all my too many kg's.. to see if it holds up and does not make noises like the AW or cracks under pressure

 

Well i must say between a rock and m15x is about 50 / 50 atm all depending on how well new m15x's do and atm its not looking too good. However much i love the m15x i'm not sure thats what i want to go through, but we shall seeeeee...

 

Maceto... I spent more time at ROCK's HQ (in Warwick) than I actually spent having their Xtreme 770 laptop in my hands. I had it for a total of 9 days. It had to go back twice (the second time was when I returned it for good). It all started with a stuck pixel...


EDIT: And they told me I would have to pay a restocking fee as I had it over 7 days!!! Even though it was not to standard (and breached the Sales of Goods Act in my eyes). They still owe me just over £108 for the Blu-ray drive I bought seperately from them, but I've let this slide as I knew I would probably be charged around this amount for the restocking fee.

 

As said rly i'd much rather have the m15x but if its going to play up then i want something more secure, so only time will tell, going to have a look at rocks build quality etc now compared to the m15x.

Btw do issues with the m15x's people have ordered usually get cleared up in the long run? e.g. you eventually get a working gfx card, lights etc... or do they remain unsolved.

 

Deathknight, Rocks' build quality is very, very good. The only thing I didn't like about the design is the cheesy, giant "X" on the touch pad. I like the slight wedge shape to the chassis, and the speakers are really, really good. The higher spec 770 models have a silver edging, as opposed to the horrible orange edging. I think the silver looks much smarter... so I'd spec up if I were you.

 

Definitely agree with this, i don't mind the design, i had a quick look on the Internet for any complaints about it and i couldn't find any quickly (i didn't spend long looking ). But i just can't help feeling that if i go for it without trying the m15x I'll be kicking myself forever if i sit next to someone with the m15x that i didn't buy it!
Btw whats the rock delivery time like?

 

Well, I ordered it at the beginning of March, and I received it in the early period of April, I think.
It's the same with AW where you get some specs quicker than others.

 

Ah right ok, any1 know where alienware is based in the uk btw?

 

I think AW is based in Ireland.