what about this M17x build

i am prob going to get a M17x here soon(and my first alienware in general) and this looks like what i want. the only thing im not sure about is the processor(i have never dealt with i7 processors, always had AMD) so if you have any advice please leave it. This laptop will be used for gaming and school work.


SYSTEM COLOR Space Black - Anodized Aluminum edit
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache) edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English edit
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 1 Year Basic Serivce Plan edit
In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis: for issues covered by Limited Hardware Warranty, technician and/or part will be dispatched, if necessary, usually in 1 or 2 business days following Remote Diagnosis. During Remote Diagnosis, you may be asked to access the inside of your system (where safe to do so) or to participate in troubleshooting until a cause can be isolated.
VIDEO CARD Dual 1GB ATI Radeon™ Mobility HD 4870 in CrossfireX™ edit
LCD PANEL 17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 RGB LED (1200p) edit
MEMORY 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz edit
HARD DRIVE 640GB Raid 0 (2x 320GB 7,200RPM, XMB Cache HDDs) edit
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW) edit
WIRELESS CARDS Wireless 1520 802.11n Half Mini-Card edit

 

Thats a very good system!

The CPU depends on what you are doing. For most work/gaming the 720 is really enough. If you need more CPU power, you could get the 820, but the 920 is really pricey right now

 

dude, thats like maximum performance, good enough for almost everything

 

Looks like a great system, but I'd go with the advanced warranty. You can always upgrade down the road when the one years is almost up if you want, but if you drop it or spill a soda on it the "complete care" that comes with the advanced warranty takes care of it. It's great insurance and I highly recommend it. Just some friendly advice. Your call.

 

cool i was a little worried if the cpu would handle most games, mainly play fallout 3, oblivion, stuff along those lines and i just wanted to make sure. i may have to look into that extended warranty, ha and possibly wait for another paycheck too

 

for for max warranty, from some of the horror stories floating around the net about alienware breaking down after a few month u will need that peace of mind.

 

I think most modern games rely more heavily on the GPU's not so much the CPU. So this system should be great for your needs.

I plan on getting the Advanced Service plan when I make a purchase on my M17x. It's only $79 more and after a year you'll likely have the money to extend your warranty.

 

yea i looked at the price and it isn't that much so ill prob go ahead and get that too. bringing it to 2700 which is how much i paid for my macbook pro last summer so im ok with that

 

After hearing some crazy stories about laptops being dropped off building or orange juice encounters I think it's a good investment.

 

yea now if i can only get some epp discount

 

I've heard you can get discounts if you do your order by phone. Worth a shot.

 

yea. thing is, im trying to use some of the money from my paypal account and im pretty sure you can't do that over the phone

 

Not sure...hopefully someone with some experience with this can give you some better information. Still never hurts to ask.

 

sorry for posting on my old topic again. but im about to get my M17x today and i really don't know if it is worth the $300 upgrade to the i7 820QM or not. to give you an idea what i play, i mainly play fallout 3, dragon age, mass effect, stalker soc and cs, and possibly far cry 2. i like playing games at pretty high graphics settings, i can do without super detailed shadows and stuff. anyone want to give some input on if the upgrade is worth it on those games?

 

Actually, I'd recommend you get the 620. No need for quad core in gaming yet.

 

Normally I'd say you can save the money. But i7 Processors are not normal quad cores. The turbo feature on an i7 shuts down cores in the processors to increase the GHz. The i7 820QM for example is 1.73GHz((Four Cores)) and can turbo boost to 3.06GHz max ((One Core)). Simply put while gaming you can shut down two or even three cores so the i7 820QM can have a higher GHz rating with the cores that is supported by whatever game you play.

So yes go for the i7 820QM if you can afford it.

 

when you say it like that, it almost makes it sound like a qx9300 is the better choice

 

The QX9300 is indeed alot stronger than the i7 820QM. However, I've read the i7 processors are alot more efficient at tasks at lower GHz ratings than the Core 2 Duo's and Core 2 Quad's. Also, the Core 2 series seems to be at the end of it's life span. It's unlikely others will ever be made.

So if you want a laptop you can update down the road the i7 chipset is a better investment. I'm sure alot of people on this forum can tell you more on them from experience.

 

i guess my main question is "should" i be able to play these games that i listed above with the 720qm?

 

I don't think you'll have a problem. I'd wait to hear from someone that has an i7 laptop answer. What I can tell you is that alot on modern games rely more on the GPU instead of the CPU. From the games you've listed I think it should be good for your wants.

 

went with the 820
+rep for you terreos thanks for the help