m15x: A journal of my journey

true one has overclocked, the rest have down clocked as it gets to hot!

 

hmm if its not slower il just go for it...i dont ever overclock it anyway..just want that processor..u knw..il buy one of those external cooling fans that u put under a laptop..ya that shud work ...

thanks for your help ya! rep +

 

get the ssd disk, that would be a better option, less heat and more speed, now shave 10-15 sec on boot time, load a game in 2-3 sec.. rather that get a heated case that can down clock my tip

see picks here as well

http://www.notebookcheck.com/Test-Intel-Core-2-Duo-Penryn-CPUs.7837.0.html

 

yemo, even if I want to be positive, going for that CPU is probably the most unwise thing you can do.
You can be guaranteed, with a 90% certainty level, that you WILL HAVE CPU overheating and downclocking. This is almost sure.
More... You WILL notice it being slower. Specially in CPU intensive tasks (like video editing, music compression, photoshop, etc etc...). There are also games where you will notice the downclock very obviously, like WoW.

And believe me, it's not going to be the cooling pad that will prevent the downclock to happen. I'm sure you have read my thread on the CPU downclock issue. Read through it. See what the chances are you will also experience the same downclock (like pretty much, everyone else).

So, if you want to avoid being disapointed... Go for the 2.5Ghz. It's really the only wise choice at the moment. Going for that CPU now has absolutely no logical explanation... unless you just... want it because you want it.

Trust me... don't go for the extreme processor.

 

if you plan on getting a notebook cooler i dont think those work for the m15x. i got the nc1000 for the m15x and i notice no temperature difference whatsoever with it.

 

Let me just add...
Lots of people are reporting to be generally happy with their M15xs lately.
There are still problems, but you might be lucky not to find most of them.
Now... with the extreme processor downclocking, this is almost a certainty. That's why I strongly advise you not to go for it. It is not justifiable.

 

[1] Area-51® m15x

Design & Display: Silver Skullcap Design
Display: 15.4" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p)
System Lighting: Alienware® AlienFX® System Lighting - Aqua
Video/Graphics Card: 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800M GTX
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9500 2.6GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Ultimate with Service Pack 1
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: With Express Card Media Center Remote Control
Memory: 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 2048MB
Turbo Cache Memory: Intel® Turbo Memory (1GB) – Accelerate Data Transfer Speed
Available on Windows Vista Only!
System Drive: Solid State Drive Bundle: Internal + Removable Smart Bay Storage!
64GB Solid State Drive + 120GB 7,200RPM (8MB Cache) Smart Bay w/ Free Fall Protection
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW) w/ LightScribe Technology - View Demo
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 – Exclusive Design
Mobile Essentials: Alienware® Orion Backpack
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support w/ Onsite Service
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mesh Cap
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What do you feel about this config doctor?

 

for the .1 GHz gain from the T9300, the T9500 is not worth it imo. I would still go with the T9300. I would really recommend changing the ram to 1 gig. By spending 5 min of you own time you can save around 150 bucks.

 

hey exiled thanks for your view man ..will the 64 GB ssd with 2.6 Ghz be faster than the 2.8 GHZ with 250 GB at 7000RPM assuming that there was no downclocking? and does the ssd actually INCREASE battery life?

 

advice accepted! im going for the ssd now..

 

the ssd will provide faster load times, and increased battery life. the ssd does not take as much energy to run compared to a standard hard drive so you will see a increase in battery life. the access times are also alot faster which allows you to load windows and your games faster.

 

As many others have said I would strongly recommend the 2.5 ghz processor unless price is really and truly of no object to you. The price/performance ration ratio for the 2.6 is quite lackluster in terms of your gains over the 2.5.

The ssd is faster but also realize 64 gb is quite a minimal amount of space by todays standards and its quite new technology hence the price. While the package also includes a smartbay hardrive for more space you also have to realize to use that hardrive you can not have your optical (CD) drive in the laptop. I would personally prefer a conventional hardrive especially if you plan on putting a lot of games, movies, media etc. on

I would also STRONGLY recommend a longer warranty. Commonly overlooked in trying to thin out one's pricepoint, these are important especially when many of the parts are as expensive as in the m15x. I am under the impression the warranty covers replacement parts, unless anyone knows different.

 

Personally I am really glad that I chose a non-extreme processor.

As for what you should get I am not sure. I have not much experience with the newer processors.

I say go for it if you want because I know I am never happy unless I get exactly what I want.

 

Listen... this is not about you being happy or not.
This is about the simple fact that, if you do get the extreme processor, it will overheat and downclock.
It's really simple... The cooling system can't handle the extreme processor.
You can get it... but I do think it's rather unwise.
And that's all I have to say regarding the processor...
Good luck.

 

I suggest getting the SSD separately.

Despite common belief, different brands of SSDs make a huge difference in performance.

I doubt the M15X puts in the best SSDs, I suggest getting it without and then buying one later and installing it yourself.

I suggest the OCZ SATA2 or one of the M-Tron brands.

 

I know you are a believer Yemo...
But before you press the button, read my thread on "why not to buy the M15x" http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=254627
And examine carefully the report from Fex, Jay and buzzin.
Three owners that have had their lid breaking in the exact same manner. Coincidence? I'll let you judge that for yourself.

 

Just as an aside, from what I've read on here, there are a few users that are happy with how the Zalman NC- 2000 cools the m15x; others stated that the NC-1000 was ineffectual.

 

Lol, we probably are. I'm waiting for no one's approval, though. I just want to see how the clevo competitor is received. If the price is right, I'll probably swing for that instead. I'll likely loathe the way it looks, but whatever.

 

thanks for letting me know about the warranty thing..il probably get the 2 year one..i know that 64 GB is a bit low but then again you get with this thing another 64 GB SSD smartbay AND a 120 GB conventional smart bay..il install the stuff that does not need a CD to run such as 3D rendering software and AOE along with movies..ya it may be a pain to keep switching but dont you think that performance wise there will be a huge difference with the SSD??

 

hi everyone..could someone tell me if i should go for the 1440*900 screen or the 1200p one? id really appreciate it..thanks!

 

Hello Yemo,

Regarding the warranty, you can extend your warranty after you have bought the m15x by calling up and purchasing it over the phone. This will make the warranty cheaper (you get a discount), furthermore if you decide to take the one year warranty alienware will contact you 30 days before it expires and ask you if you want to extend it. The options for extension is then 1-2-3 years extra warranty on top of the standard 1 year warranty.

Regarding the screen, i personally went for the 720p screen as it makes minimal difference (some users report that you cant see a difference on a 15.4' screen) between the 720p and 1200p.
Some users also feel that the text becomes to small with a screen with native resolution 1920*1200 but this can ofcourse be changed in Windows by enlarging the text.

The thing that decided it in the end for me with the screen was that it takes a lot more power to pump out a good amount of frame rates per second on a 1920*1200 screen than a 1440*900. So a 1440*900 will make your computer "last longer" before it is unable to play your games and application satisfactory as most often your graphic card is the bottlen neck of your computer.

 

thanks Svarto! ...is the 720p screen glossy and what about the 1200p is that also glossy or matte? also, does clearview tech make a lot of difference?

 

Yes, the 1200p is matte and the 720p is glossy.

Regarding the matter of clearview as i understand it it reduces reflection on the screen, as the 1200p screen is matte it wont reflect that much light, while glossy screen always reflect a lot of light.

I have never compared clearview and non-clearview screen personally so dont know if it is a big difference! Would be interested to know though if anyone have seen it?

 

Ditto. I want the m15x for the looks, smart battery and because its alienware but want to see how the clevo performs to see if its worth the risk of things breaking. If it doesn't break i'm switching. Fortunately because i won't be buying a new laptop for 4 weeks i have plenty of time to work it out!

 

Yemo, I would like to know how it went, and if you got it in the end... and how it is..