M17x R3 M18x R2

Hi! I'm looking for a gaming laptop with more power, currently using a M11x R3. I'm wanting a M18x R2 with a GTX 680M, though a M18x seems to be hard to find for a decent price, compared to a M17x. So I have some questions, If I bought a M17x R3 or M18x R1 would they have PCI-E 3.0? Though the M17x R4 and M18x R2 have that right? Also what are the differences between the M17x R3 and R4? Also what about the M18x R1 and R2? Will 4th Gen i7's work in them? Speaker Quality or screen quality better between revisions or models?
That's all that comes to mind right now. What would you think of a M18x R2 with a 3940MX, Blu Ray, Windows 7 Home Premium, 16GB DDR3 and 2X GTX 780M's all for $2900? It's way out of my budget range for now, though turns out that out of anywhere it could be, it's only a few miles from where I live. Another I'm looking at is a M17x R3 with a 2820QM, Blu Ray, 1080P 120hz 3D Screen, Windows 7 Ultimate, 8GB DDR3, 1 GTX 460M (would upgrade later), all for $975. Seem like a good price? Though my main concern is what versions have PCI-E 3.0, as I plan on upgrading whatever laptop I get for a long time. Sorry if I'm posting in the wrong spot. Thanks!

 

I would try getting the M18x R2 or the 17x R4.. The other 2 are very old and don't support PCI-E 3.0... Otherwise, look on ebay for a refurbished new AW17 with 780M.. It should be quite good too..

 

Thanks! That's a HUGE help! One of my must haves is PCI-E 3.0 , may not be necessary right now but a few years from now it might be crucial. I'm not really interested in the new Alienware 17 and 18 laptops, I personally like the look of the older models better, along with some of the small changes like the M18x R2 is easier to upgrade than a new 18. Plus it goes better with my M11x . I do have another question, I know the M18x has two speakers and a sub woofer, does the M17x have a sub woofer? Can I run a M18x with only one video card? Thanks!

 

I highly suggest buying the notebook with the CPU and graphics card(s) you want from the outset; the CPU is economically inefficient to upgrade later on and upgrading the graphics cards is always hit-and-miss. Don't take the risk.

Go with as current of a platform as possible; that means a third- or fourth-gen Intel CPU (Core i7 quad-core) and an Nvidia 7 or 8 series graphics card. If you plan to use this notebook for heavy-duty 3D titles like Battlefield 4, it'll pay off. See if you can get a graphics card with 3-4GB of dedicated memory; modern games are starting to use more than 2GB. Don't buy old tech.

 

The M17x R4 has 2 speakers and no subwoofer. As for 18x R2, it can run with 1 GPU but why do that? Get 2 and save yourself trouble...

 

Wow, I see what the OP means by a large setup at a decent price, these can get a tad expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Alienware-Ove...qid=1406111248&sr=8-6&keywords=alienware+m18x

 

Well you can get the New 17 model on amazon for 1849 with the 4700MQ and 780M .... Its more then enough... but if OP wants the older models, it will be harder to get and more expensive...