• On TV.com: Sexy summer bodies photo gallery
September 17, 2008 3:30 PM PDT

Alienware's got the biggest, baddest gaming laptop we've seen (but still really expensive)

by Dan Ackerman

We've just finished testing and reviewing Alienware's flagship 17-inch gaming laptop, the Area-51 m17x. We'll just come right out and say the m17x is about as powerful as a laptop gets, at least if it's as tricked-out as our $6,000-plus review unit was. How powerful? How about around 120 frames per second in Unreal Tournament III at a 1,920x1,200 resolution?

Sure there are more modest Area-51 m17x builds available for as little as $1,999, but at that level, you might as well save up your pennies for a few more years, or switch to an entirely more affordable option, such as Gateway's P-7811FX, which offers about as much gaming performance as anyone not in the rarefied $5,000-plus market, all for a highly reasonable $1,450.

Read the full review of the Alienware Area-51 m17x

New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan.
Recent posts from Crave
Walkman versus the rest--Ask the Editors
The 411: Pre vs. iPhone, Limited Bluetooth, Amazon deals
Yamaha YHT-791BL: Big home theater sound from an all-in-one HTIB
Ghost Pigeon masks your supersecret identity
Make your own batteries (out of other batteries)
Samsung Omnia photo gallery
EzCube FM Transmitter: Super tiny, works great
Do new PS3 bundles mean Slim is coming soon?
Add a Comment (Log in or register)
by Shaymojack September 17, 2008 3:44 PM PDT
$6,000? This is why you don't buy prebuilt computers.
Reply to this comment
by Björn Jansson September 19, 2008 1:59 AM PDT
A 500 GB HDD @ 5400 rpm is faster than a 200 GB @ 7200 rpm...
Reply to this comment
advertisement

About Crave

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

Add this feed to your online news reader

Crave topics

Look before leaping to short URLs

Fueled by Twitter's rise, services that scrunch Web addresses are taking off. They bring a host of problems, but some are working to fix them.

In Utah desert, it's bombs away

road trip At the massive Utah Test & Training Range, the Air Force runs 15,000 sorties a year to ensure that pilots and weapons are on the mark.
• Photos: Training and testing

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right