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    ENVY15 vs Alienware M14x

    Discussion in 'HP' started by Kingofheart4711, Apr 9, 2012.

  1. Kingofheart4711

    Kingofheart4711 Notebook Consultant

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    Ok guys so im kind of at a tough decision point here.

    I ordered an Alienware M14x on the 22nd of March. Its been delayed due to a part shortage on the Killer wireless cards and its ESTIMATED to be here on the 12th but thats no sure thing. So heres the deal: My decision on a new laptop was either the M14x or the ENVY 15 WELL right now HP has a coupon code for 30% OFF all ENVY laptops ( Coupon code is NBP9732 for any interested) I built one with a similar configuration to my M14x that I built (save for the different screen resolution and graphics card of course) and they were the same price EXCEPT with that 30% off the ENVY is over $500 cheaper!

    So lets be real here, it basically comes down to the graphics card. So the real question is 1.5GB DDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M OR 1GB AMD Radeon HD 7690M GDDR5???

    Any thoughts????

    Id really appreciate your opinions on this one. I know some opinions here may be biased but id still like to see what you guys think. That coupon code expires the 14th (Saturday) So im trying to decide whether to just cancel my Dell order before then or not.
     
    Kingofheart4711, Apr 9, 2012
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  2. PaKii94

    PaKii94 Notebook Virtuoso

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    i think they both are very similar in performance but the dd3 is a bottleneck vs the gdd5 in the hp.

    also you get a smexy 1080p screen in the envy and i guess slimmer form even though its a bigger notebook? Idk i am alittle biased away from AW (dont like the flashy display) but it shouldnt be based solely on the gfx cards.

    ====
    btw i believe the AW screen is 768p right? in that case if it really matters to u to run it on native res, the 555m will come out on top cause of 768p vs 1080p but if your willing to lower res in the envy, u should be fine.


    so yeah i would personally go hp for this one.. (idk much about the upgradablilty of the AW tho. I dont think the cpu/gpu can be upgraded on the m14x) right?
     
    PaKii94, Apr 9, 2012
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  3. ratcherd

    ratcherd Notebook Enthusiast

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    what kind of games are you planning on playing?

    i started looking at gaming rigs, and am now debating between the envy 15 and samsung series 7, but given that i only plan to play diablo 3, a dedicated gaming system seems unnecessary.
     
    ratcherd, Apr 9, 2012
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  4. SInC

    SInC Notebook Consultant

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    The HD 7690M with GDDR5 should outperform the GT 555m with DDR3. The Envy 15's HD 7690m is underclocked by default, but overclocking is very straightforward.

    HP also has 30% off coupons every other week, so don't worry too much about the expiration date. The prebuilt version is also priced at $1200, which is roughly 30% off the pre-instant rebate price of ~$1700. Note that the 30% coupon is taken off the pre-instant rebate price.
    Where did you come up with a $500 difference? Did you configure without the Radiance/1080p screen?
     
    SInC, Apr 9, 2012
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  5. Kingofheart4711

    Kingofheart4711 Notebook Consultant

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    I posted screen shots below
     
    Kingofheart4711, Apr 10, 2012
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  6. Kingofheart4711

    Kingofheart4711 Notebook Consultant

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    Heres the customization of each...

    The coupon knocks off $545 before tax

    The ENVY more bang for the buck ultimately??
     
    Kingofheart4711, Apr 10, 2012
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  7. Kingofheart4711

    Kingofheart4711 Notebook Consultant

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    This is a GREAT review comparing the two

    HP ENVY 15 vs. Samsung Series 7 Chronos Comparison Smackdown - YouTube
     
    Kingofheart4711, Apr 10, 2012
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  8. Luxferro

    Luxferro Notebook Consultant

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    I have both the envy 15 and a AW M17xR3. And I'd say if gaming is your main thing for your purchase the AW might be better suited for it.

    If you can, just order them both so they come around the same time. so you can play around with both side by side. People tend to be biased... you're in the HP section ;)

    Edit: you also might want to wait for ivybridge at this point

    Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
     
    Luxferro, Apr 10, 2012
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  9. PaKii94

    PaKii94 Notebook Virtuoso

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    well if he was considering b/w envy 15 and M17x, then i would say M17x, but hes considering the M14x :p

    m17 would the envy... the m14 not so much
     
    PaKii94, Apr 11, 2012
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  10. Kingofheart4711

    Kingofheart4711 Notebook Consultant

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    Yeah ive heard the ivybridge version would drop soon and I hate when I buy a new piece of tech and then the newest version drops soon after. I would love to buy both at the same time (AW & ENVY) but I dont have that luxury (the dough lol) My M14x in SUPPOSED to come in "a day or two" according to the dell rep so ill play with it and see if I really love it and if 14in isnt too small for me

    lol Yeah if I didnt think 17in was a little big for me (want something more mobile and not bulky) and I was willing to spend all that extra dough customizing an M17x to perfection I DEF wouldnt be questioning that choice :D
     
    Kingofheart4711, Apr 11, 2012
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  11. PaKii94

    PaKii94 Notebook Virtuoso

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    it depends on you I would also recommend buying both of them OR go to like bestbuy or a tech store and play around with the Envy since i believe they have it as a floor model... cant really do that for AW llol
     
    PaKii94, Apr 11, 2012
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