question about alienware compared to others

HI guys

I am a noob so please bear with me. I have been visiting quite a lot here and reading what people have to say about the M17, including heating, overclocking issues.

I am looking to buy a gaming laptop but can't make up my mind. Other gaming communities say to go for ASUS, SAGER, or even GATEWAY. However, since I can remember, I always wanted an Alienware. So, I'd like to ask a few questions and would appreciate everyones input.

1) What does Alienware offer that sets it apart from the other vendors listed above?

2) Which of these are the fastest
512MB NVIDIA® Quadro® FX 3600M
Dual 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 9800M GT – SLI Enabled
Dual 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870 - CrossFireX Enabled
Single 9800M GT

3) Does having RAM in excess of 4GB really necessary for hard core gaming? Some offer up to 8GB

4)I own a Inspiron 8600 and that thing heats up like an oven. How good is M17x or M17 at dissipating heat. I am assuming not too good because of the hefty GPU/CPU.

5) For gamers, would any of these 3 processors be necessary
Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme Quad
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad
Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme


Thanks for the help

 

1) exclusivity, styling, design, "boutique brand".

2) Dual 9800m-gt will be the best in actual gaming performance.

3) not really necessary, no. 4Gb is all you'll need for gaming.

4) m17x is very good, m17 is also pretty good. i don't think either ever get temps above 80-83°C without overclocking.

 

1) Name, style and design. You can get an Asus or Gateway but if someone hears you have a Alienware, you're here to pwn.

2) Dual 9800m gt is best.

3) Hmm, I'm not really sure. I don't think so. I think more ram is only good for processes that use a lot of ram(Sony Vegas, Adobe After Effects).

4) I was in the same situation as you, had a e1705 that constantly would get hot. My M17 CPUs idle at 40c while my GPUs idle at 50c. This is with the back raised. Running ATITool for 15 minutes, I get about temps of 70c on my GPUs.

 

I am assuming that most people overclock to get maximum benefit during playing. But are there risks to the laptop like burning components if you are not careful.

Also I have noticed that most of guys here tend to do benchmarks when you first get your laptops. Besides knowing what the limits of the laptop, can running your laptop at the max for however long it takes to do benchmark, harm it.

I suppose any extreme rig would require help to keep it cool.

 

As long as you don't run benchmarks for days, it can't harm the laptop. When I ran 3DMark06, I averaged 75c, which is above the norm but nothing that could harm it.

 

1) you're buying a botique brand. it's like buying an exotic sports car. you dish out a bunch of money for the same performance, as competitors, but you have that brand name, and exotic model.

2) sli 9800gt is the best right now, but i feel the 3870 crossfire will eventually receive mature drivers which will enable it to rock at games. price wise, 3870's are cheaper. not to mention, if it fits the 3870, it might end up fitting the 4870, which should be a good card.

3) no, not for gaming. for things like video, audio, and image manipulation, the more RAM the better. however, the future of computers might make use of 8 gb soon.

4). both should work well. a notebook cooler and other little tweaks like undervolting can help control heat. desktop replacements usually have much better cooling systems than other notebooks.

5) honestly, no. you do not need those super high performance expensive CPU's to max games. you would get those if you're nuts about cranking out every last bit of power you can. but you don't actually need those CPU's to enjoy gaming. it goes beyond hardcore gaming. hardcore gamers tweak their games for max FPS and decrease quality when they need to. that means, hardcore gamers don't need eye candy as all they want to do is play the game. hobbyists and enthusiasts like to have all the eye candy and whatnot. the CPU's will offer increases in performance, but for the most part they will not prevent you from playing your games on high, and many on max if you have the sli 9800gt's.

 

couldnt say it better

 

what I've found is that Alienware has consistently cool-looking laptops. they'll turn heads and get you compliments. for sure. just like driving around in a Ferrari. USP would be the unique design, and the backlit keyboards. (now on all current models except the m9750).

(for those who don't know, USP = Unique Selling Point)

GFX issues have been done to my satisfaction, so... what everybody else said.

for CPU, games, especially with nVidia graphics, don't need a lot of CPU power to make them run as fast as the GFX card can go. (ATI cards still depend more on the CPU than nVidia chips do).... so for an ATI Setup, the Xtreme 2.8 (X9000 or similar) would give you great performance... or at least good benchmarks. but as others have said, the nVidia would probably give you better in-game performance, and for that you wouldn't need anything better than the T9300/P9400 (2.5Ghz 6MB L2 Cache, dual core)... which even that might be a bit much for what it needs to do.

for RAM, more is always better. eventually, systems will need it, but paying for it now, might get a bit costly... if you want to wait until the 8GB kits come down in cost, that's fine, as long as we don't have another silicon shortage (or whatever... that drove up prices before)... you probably won't need the 8GB of space anytime this year (or next year)... maybe even for the life of the laptop, but who knows? 8GB and Quad core stuffs are more for people doing video/audio work, which is usually heavily CPU dependant... also graphic artists that work with gigabyte-sized images... orrrrrr... extreme multitaskers. which I don't see very often.

if you're just the game, browse, chat kind of person, a T9300 (or similar) with 4GB is plenty.

for heat, both the m17x and m17 seem to have fared well with heat issues... as in, they've both had very few reported (if any). just make sure the vents are exposed at all times. if you're going to use your laptop in your lap... this means having something there to ensure adequate airflow. I'd recommend a laptop cooler (even if you don't plug it in, it'll give more space for airflow).

just my $.02

 

If I'm getting this right, the ATI 3870 are better because they will be supported by drivers longer than the 9800gt. Also I can swap the 3870 for a faster video card when it becomes available, right?

1) From browsing the internet, I have found that most laptop coolers are basically two fans on a board that blow air upwards, some USB and some plug into the wall. I have used these for my Inspiron 8600 without much success.

.....and thanks for all the input guys, all of you have been quite helpful.

......Love that

 

I think he meant that the power in the 3870 hasn't been fully unlocked yet due to delinquent drivers and when it is fully unlocked it will kill 9800gt.

At the moment no one is really sure if you can swap out yet. You're just hearing rumors not absolute truths.

 

well, some laptop coolers are much more efficient than others.

the Zalman NC1000 is a very good notebook cooler and i've used it for almost a year now, however, recently i OC my cpu, and really began monitoring temps with new nvidia drivers as they raised up higher.

since the fans on the NC1000 are underneath my HDD and my battery, it isn't as effective as it could be for the GPU and CPU on my notebook. they're located underneath the keyboard to the monitor area. i believe the m17 should be this way too.

having said that, i've recently purchased the NZXT notebook cooler they have, which has 3x 120mm fans underneath at the top of the cooler, which should hopefully bring down temperatures on the notebook. however, the NZXT has a price tag on it of about 60 bucks, which seems quite expensive for some fans attached to a board. i'm going to see how well it does on the m9750, and if it works well, i'd recommend it for m17 owners.

a very cheap way to cool down the notebook is to put bottle caps underneath the notebook, creating space for the fans to suck in air.


pertaining to the GPU question:

no, i don't know how long ATI or Nvidia intends on developing drivers for their systems, but i can say the 7950GTX cards came out in 2006, and Nvidia is still supporting the 7 series, and even 6 series mobile models.

i would assume that the 9 series Nvidia cards would be supported for at minimum another 5 years. that is an assumption. granted, in 5 years, the 9 series will be outdated, but and sli setup will still most likely be able to run games decently, or on low settings.

however, on the ATI side of things, much speculation is coming into word now that says ATI's new series, the HD4870 cards, should fit in the same MXM connector that the 3870 does. this is so far just good hopes and predictions, but we cannot be certain. obviously the 4870 card will trump the 3870, however, the 3870 is still a very nice card. the problem is the drivers haven't fully matured yet, meaning no one has unlocked the full potential in them much like FoxTrot was saying. once ATI starts supporting their mobile drivers (and this 3870 seems to be ATI's break into the DTR scene, i feel maybe ATI will stick with updating drivers for the 3870), we should see much better stability and performance in the 3870.

my suggestion:

the m17 is a very awesome notebook, and is much cheaper than the m17x. the m17 runs off a newer platform, supporting newer CPU's, and DDR3 RAM. the m17 also is a force not to reckon with; it has a powerful CPU and GPU configuration that should prove well in many games. but, the m17x has flashy lights, a smart drive bay, and other little knick knacks that are quite eye catching (and it also packs powerful GPU's and CPU's). so if you're into that stuff, the m17x is a good thing for you. however, i'm more of a fan of the m17 (though i could be bias because i own the m9750, and the m17 is the updated version of my laptop... and i think my laptop is awesome!) so i would suggest looking into the m17 if you're interested in an Alienware.

 

over at xotic pc there saposed to be testing 9800 gtx in one of the slots.. imagine 9800m gtx in sli in our babys m17...well there testing in the barebones but hey a person can still dream

 

I think from all you guys have said, the M17 is the way to go. I am not really into all the eye candy in a laptop. I think a setup that will let me play games at the max such as Crisis, or Call of Duty would be all I need. It just seems that the ATI 3870 may get updates far longer than Nvidia 9800 GTS will.
Having said all this, I am really worried about heating since I have lost laptops to heating.

Apart from all the hardware questions, how is the warranty service handled by Alienware. Being a customer of DELL, I know that they are very good except when your warranty is up, good luck with any help then.

 

I haven't had to call AW for warranty or CS, but judging from what is said on the forums, CS is horrid.

 

It's a shame customer service is so bad especially for a priced brand like Alienware. i would have thought they would learn something from Dell.

 

Fact: ATI have horrid driver support. nVidia would have you covered longer.

 

there are many different cooling solutions you can look into.

there are guides on NBR that teach you how to do stuff like undervolting, which will decrease your CPU temps quite a bit. as far as the GPU's go, i'm not too familiar with the 3870's and any heating issues. but if you buy a nice notebook cooler and keep the dust out of the vents, it should keep the temperatures down from the GPU's.

 

I finally figured out what I would get. I hope it will be adequate to play most games on max settings without sacrificing FPS.

M17

Video/Graphics Card: Dual 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870 - CrossFireX™ Enabled!
Processor: Intel® Core™2 T9600 2.8GHz (6MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB
Chassis: 17-Inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p) with Clearview Technology
Keyboard Options: Illuminated Keyboard – Alienware Exclusive Design - Astral Blue
Operating System (Office software not included): Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (64-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
Memory: 4GB« Dual Channel DDR3 SO-DIMM at 1066MHz – 2 x 2048MB
System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 160GB 7,200RPM (8MB Cache) w/ Free Fall Protection
Optical Drives : Dual Layer Blu-ray Disc Reader (BD-ROM, DVD±RW, CD-RW
Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel® Ultimate N 5300 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card with MIMO Technology
Sound Card : Internal High-Definition Audio with Surround Sound
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Onsite Service and 24/7 Toll-Free Phone Support

The whole rig cost $2800. I wonder if Alienware will send original windows vista cd along with the laptop?

 

that rig should definitely play everything you throw at it just beautifully, and yes, AW will send along a Vista disc (or at least they should).

 

what disc are included in the leather folder that alienware provides?

 

I got 2 support CDs (drivers), a system recovery DVD and a Nero Essentials CD.

 

QFT (Nvidia provides a lot more support)

 

Alienware has a few locations near me here in Miami, FL just Google Alienware and Miami.

I have stopped by and looked at their Boutique operations

and they will be my next Laptop as soon as Core i7 goes mobile and ATI 4870 goes mobile which looking at Intel and ATI's Roadmaps will be in about 10 months

This combo should destroy most of Todays top performing Desktops

 

A lot happens in a year though. By then desktops will also have improved a lot more.

 

I am assuming the system recovery DVD has the vista operating system or would I have to pay extra to get that.

By the way, how long has the M17 been on the market

 

You don't have to pay for it and I think it was available sometime in November?

 

How do you guys monitor temps for the GPU and CPU? Is there a porogram for it?

And are most of you buying 3DMark06 from AW directly?

 

i think almost everyone is using the free version of 3dmark06, and for monitoring temps, use HWMonitor and/or Rivatuner.

 

you can downlad 3dMark06 for free. it just allows benchmarking and gives you a score; you can't tweak the settings, but that doesn't really matter anyways if you're looking for your base benchmark because you wouldn't count your benchmark at a lower resolution or higher resolution or quality because the general scores will be different relative to everyone else's.

i use hardware monitor to monitor my CPU, GPU, and HDD temps.

download found here: http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php

 

Maybe this thread may be of interest:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=335180

Though we haven't been updated regarding the content for a while...

 

Guys correct me if I'm wrong, but Both M17 and M17x have a face recognition and finger print reader, right?

 

both have face recognition, but only the m17 has the fingerprint reader.

 

hi guys

I've been reading lately that AW laptops tend to have hinge issues like broken down or cracked. Is this a big issue with M17 or M17x. For any of you guys who have either of these laptops, how sturdy have you guys found the hinges to be? I suppose this does not really matter because I went ahead and ordered the m17x yesterday.

 

the only AW laptop (in recent times) with any sort of "hinge issue" is the m15x, so you should be safe with the m17x. in fact, the m17x seems to be the AW laptop with the least issues.

 

guys I have a old inspiron 8500 with the HDD specifications as follows

Hard Drive,40GB,I,9.5MM.5.4K IBM-CSD

Is it possible to use this internally with the M17 or M17x?

 

i dun see what type it is.... cant help with tht but

but for all the money on the m17x it better be and its been around the block for a while

 

Hi I was planning on getting a laptop for my B-day May 1st, and couldn't decide between the M17 and m17x. This thread help me alot, and I've decided to go with the m17x but am still unsure if I should just wait til the end of the year for something better. This will be my first laptop this is the setup I would like to get.

Dual 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 9800M GT – SLI Enabled
17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p) with Clearview Technology – Black
Includes AlienFX® Illuminated Keyboard – Exclusive Design!
Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme X9000 2.8GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
8GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 4096MB
Windows Vista® Ultimate (64-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
Internal Digital/Analog (ATSC) MiniCard TV Tuner
Extreme Performance (RAID 0) 256GB (128GB x 2) Solid State Drive
320GB 7,200RPM (16MB Cache) Smart Bay w/ Free Fall Protection
2x Dual Layer Blu-ray Disc Burner (BD-R, DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Internal Intel® Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Internal High-Definition Audio with surround sound
Subtotal: $6,199.00


I just found this site Sager this is the setup I would like to get


Dual Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTX Graphics with 1GB DDR3 Video Memory in SLI mode
17" Wide Viewing Angles WUXGA LCD with Super Glossy Surface (1920 x 1200)
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Processor Q9650 / 12MB L2 Cache, 3.0GHz, 1333MHz FSB
8GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 X 4096MB
8GB memory available on NP9262 with 64bit edition of Windows VISTA, however due to hardware chipset limitation only 6.8GB max would be available for use.
Genuine MS Windows® VISTA ULTIMATE 32/64-Bit Edition
Primary Hard Disk Drive 160GB Intel SATA2 Solid State Disk Drive
2nd Hard Disk Drive 160GB Intel SATA2 Solid State Secondary Disk Drive
3rd Hard Disk Drive 320GB 7200rpm SATA 300 3rd Hard Disk Drive
2X BD-R Blu-ray Burner/8X DVD±R/2.4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software
Intel Wi-Fi Link 5300AGN - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module
Internal Bluetooth Module
TVT-6010, USB ATSC HDTV / ANALOG TV TUNER The remote control bundled is not Windows MCE compliant
Compact Media Center Remote Control & IR Receiver, fits in Express Card slot MCE Interface required
Unit Price: $6,849.00

Which should I get, the one from Sager I think is better but I don't know much about this.

 

I suggest the GTX - also I suggest talking to johnksss - He can likely put you in contact with another GTX seller which will save you quite a bit of monet.