Is an Alienware M14x R2 with i5 processor and 1 GB GeForce® GT 650M good for heavy gaming?

I want a new gaming laptop for college and this one looks great. My one concern was the i5 processor... I could also order the laptop with the i7 processor, but I don't have enough money right now so I would have to save up a bit longer, which I don't really want to do. So if I just go with i5, will I still have a capable gaming pc?

 

How much is it? and what are the full specifications (including screen resolution)?

 

It depends on what do you mean by heavy gaming. If you mean by playing a ton of games, yes it will hold up (with i7 processor), or if you mean at high graphics settings, then it won't so much (for demanding titles).

 

The M14x doesn't really excel in anything other than looking like an Alienware laptop. There are cheaper, thinner, lighter laptops that can game as well as or better than it. Like maxheap said, if heavy gaming means gaming a lot (durability), it should hold up just fine. If heavy gaming means gaming at high resolutions and settings and/or playing new games for 3-4 years (power and longevity), it's not going to be so hot.

If you want the style and gaming is secondary, go for it.

If you don't mind lowering settings and limiting your ability to play future games, feel free.

If you want maximum gaming power for your dollar for higher settings now and more longevity with future games, you probably want to look elsewhere.

If you do go with the M14x, $100 for the i7-3630QM and $75 for the 1600x900 panel are very worthwhile upgrades. RAM and Hard Drive/SSD are bad upgrades to make with Dell - buy the parts and upgrade them yourself if you want them - you'll save money and end up with spares to sell or utilize.

 

You also might want to wait a month and see what Alienware has up their sleeve with a refresh with Haswell and nVidia 700m series.

 

I would agree with Fat Dragon. The M14x is a bad choice if you are on a budget. You can get the exact same configuration for cheaper and you could use the extra money to purchase the i7 processor.

Like others have said, you would need to define heavy gaming a bit more. If you want to play Crysis 3 maxed out, that's not going to happen.

You may also want to wait a month or so until Haswell comes out.

 

It depends on where you get one. I would never buy an M14x new from Dell, but if I found a nice used model or a refurb from Dell for under a grand then it's not a terrible choice for light gaming or a second machine. I enjoyed mine while I had it; I didn't use it for gaming much since I had the M18x, but it offered a nice compromise between portability and power.

I agree with HTWingnut though, you should wait to see what the M14x r3 looks like before purchasing an r2 now.

 

Short answer: no. You'll need a quad-core processor and want at least 2GB VRAM.

Wait for the M14x R3. The 750M is going to be up to 75% faster in some games over the 650M, and the new design of the R3 will likely solve the heat issues.