Alienware M17x the fastest gaming laptop ever, but do we still need big PC gaming rigs?
(Credit:
CNET)
After a steady stream of Netbooks and entry-level laptops, it's nice to slip behind the seat of a deluxe mobile powerhouse for a change. Alienware's new M17x laptop jams pretty much any high-end component you can think of into an imposing, matte, black chassis, including an Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9300 CPU, dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M GPUs, and 1TB of hard-drive space.
While the system starts at a reasonable $1,799, you'll need to configure something closer to our $4,849 review unit to really get the benefit of Alienware's years of experience making high-end gaming PCs.
While playing around with the M17x was a blast, and we especially enjoyed creating wacky color combinations with the customizable backlit keyboard (this new version has four separate color zones under the keyboard tray), we're left wondering if the era of the extreme gaming rig is over--replaced by a mix of 10-inch Netbooks and console games.
It's an argument some have been making for years (or rebutting), but the oft-reported "Death of PC Games" really does seem closer than ever. An industry group called the Entertainment Software Association reports that console games brought in $8.9 billion last year, compared with only $701.4 million for PC games. This data usually excludes many downloadable and casual games, and MMO subscriptions, but those kinds of games (even The Sims 3 and WoW) are specifically designed to run on lower-end machines--not $5,000 gaming monsters.
We honestly had a hard time figuring out what we'd even play on a blazingly fast M17x (Plants vs. Zombies?). The usual default high-end gaming benchmark, EA's Crysis, came out almost two years ago, and we can't think of too many other big-budget, high-profile PC-native games in the pipeline.
After expensive flops such as Hellgate: London, some publishers and developers may be gun-shy about PC gaming. One exception is Bioware's Dragon Age: Origins, one of the few buzz-worthy upcoming games that's being developed for the PC and ported to consoles, rather than the other way around (and definitely something we'd love to play on the M17x).
As a life-long PC gamer, I hope I'm wrong--and I suspect many of you will think that I am--so sound off below in the comments section. In the meantime, I'll be trying to get my GOG.com copy of Under a Killing Moon to run on a Netbook.
Read the full review of the Alienware M17x.
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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. 
Alienware is pretty and I don't doubt their quality, but they are way over priced. Apple anyone?
Building your own PC kinda excludes Apple, don't you think?
Unless you build a Hackintosh-which really isn't a Mac at that point.
Besides, the current Macbook Pros are way under-powered (and way over-priced) compared to Alienware and Falcon lappers.
It's a nice mid-upper range gaming PC that plays most new games with settings cranked up to max, didn't cost me a fortune, is extremely overclockable (some games run better with the cpu running @ 3.0 ghz), and was an absolute blast to make. I'm probably never going to buy another prebuilt desktop again, and for mobility, I just use a netbook - I can do anything I need at home, and the netbook is everything I need while mobile: notes, web browsing, movies, email, etc... (anything but games and heavy photo/video editing), plus it gets 5.5 hours of battery life (in real use) and only cost $400. Doesn't get any better than that!
wavjockey - I think he was saying that alienware is like apple - good quality, but overpriced.
I know it's about laptops, but the title asks if we still need big PC gaming rigs, and i was making my point that $4k for a laptop or a pre-built system is ridiculous. Although laptops now are certainly capable of high end gaming, is the price really worth it? I just don't see the need to be gaming "on the run". Building a high end desktop and buying a decent laptop for just browsing on the go is still cheaper than this machine being reviewed.
Sure, it's only a 1300 dollar 'Gateway FX laptop', but it is still VERY worth it.
Though.... the main reason that companies are turning to consoles is more because of the 'no piracy' or 'no easy piracy' thing.... which pisses me off, because there isn't really much 'piracy' on the PC.... just people trading the things usually AFTER THEY HAVE STOPPED BEING SOLD, like HellGate: London, which I will admit, I did download 'illegallly'.
the 17" macbook pro will get you 8-7 hrs of battery life compared to 2 hrs
futhermore this laptop is thicker, heavier and more expensive
yes it may have better specs but isnt it better to buy a desktop for gaming purposes instead !
this laptop is basically a overpriced desktop , it's huge !
and stop comparing Pcs and Macs based on specs, it's stupid
different operating system different needs !
And now that I've checked it out on mac's website, you really shouldn't be talking. A top of the line mbp 17" costs $3,800.
Alienware: $4,000
Core 2 Extreme Quad @ 2.53GHz
8GB DDR3 @ 1066
1TB HDD
2 x GTX280M in SLI
1,920x1,200 17 inch screen
Macbook Pro: $3,800
Core 2 Duo @ 3.06GHz
8GB DDR3 @ 1066
500GB HDD (you can spend another $600 on a 256 SSD)
9600GT
1,920x1,200 17 inch screen
Even the alienware, which is well known in the PC world as a complete ripoff, still kicks the crap out of the mac by an enormous margin (especially in graphics), for only $200 more. Not to mention all the fancy extras that alienware adds (like all the lighting, customization, etc...) And don't kid yourself, they are anything but low quality (they aren't going to send you a cheap feeling laptop for $4k).
As for strategy games, they could probably pull off a clunky turned based one, but RTSs are just out of the question with controllers. We all saw what happened with Halo wars - it got simplified into oblivion just to make it playable with a controller.
The other big one you didn't mention is MMOs. They are pretty much exclusive to PCs, and will probably remain so for a while until the consoles get their acts together and figure out a coherent, consistent system for allowing games that massive and complicated. There's been alot of clamoring for The Old Republic on xbox and ps3, but the developers have decided not to bother attempting it.
Overall, PCs will always offer better graphics, customization, and user created content. And if you think user created content isn't important, just take one look at valve's source engine. It is the engine that runs half life 2, left 4 dead, portal, counter strike source, day of defeat source, team fortress 2, and more user created mods, models, maps, and content in general than you could play in a decade. And that's not even counting the insane modding community that spawned with the half life 1 engine (and continued on to the source engine). And best of all, all this user created content is free of charge.
Now this is completely unsubstantiated (it's just my opinion), but I suspect the PC market will always retain the majority of hard core gamers. They offer so much beyond what consoles do - they can just be more complicated (not everyone is a hardware expert, not that you have to be to play), and consoles offer a simpler solution for the more casual gamer.
I agree with you.
Just look at the quotation from the article. A lot of people today download their games from services such as Steam, but NPD's number don't take them into account. The same goes to casual games, which is a booming industry by itself.
Gaming PC (desktops) aren't expensive, and you can buy a nice gaming PC for less than 1000$. Online gaming is becoming more and more popular (just play left 4 dead... amazing experience), and the hole experience is great is great on the PC. The MOD community is something that just doesn't exist in the console world.
So I don't think that PC gaming is dead. Far from it.
sure, pc gaming isn't really what it used to be. now its more MMOs than anything (and they really don't require that much power unlike the crysis like games). i still believe that last gen's console generation (xbox/ps2) was when pc gaming was in its glory days. recently, it seems piracy has been a big concern for studios and in turn most went teh console route since they were guaranteed that a sale was a sale (except of course for us modders, hehe).
too much money for stuff i would never use. i'l stick w/my mid ground but still power laptops (hp dv6700, intel t9500, bluray, 4gb ram, 500gb hdd and under 6lbs).
just my .02
Why do you need to use a gaming rig for gaming anyway?
Why not video editing or music production?
Lmfao i'm surprised you got that much out of it.
(many are on consoles as well)
Arma 2 (PC only)- I think this game should be the new benchmark games. Pushes my system harder than Crysis
Assassin's Creed - multiplatform
Crysis + Warhead - PC only
Empire Total War - PC only - Turn based + Real Time strategy
Far Cry 2 - multiplatform
Fear 2 - multiplatform
Fallout 3 - multiplatform
GTA4 - multiplatform
HAWX - multiplatform
Mass Effect - multiplatform
Mirror's Edge - multiplatform
Prototype - multiplatform
Sins of a Solar Empire - PC only. No way you could ever play this on a console (very deep, slower paced RTS)
Supreme Commander - PC + xbox. But, I would count this as a PC exclusive. On IGN, the PC version got a 9.0, and the xbox version got a 4.5. Basically they said the graphics were heavily downgraded, and still played badly on xbox, and the controls were too hard to use. (both advantages of PCs in general).
Also, while you can get an absolutely amazing gaming PC for $2k, you can get a decent one for $800, or a great one for $1200-$1400. All of which would still blow console graphics away.
World in Conflict - PC only - very fast paced RTS with graphics that consoles can only dream of (one of the few good direct x 10 games floating around)
Anything from Valve:
Team Fortress 2 - I would count as PC exclusive - it was ported to xbox but failed horribly. It still has a massive and very active PC base.
Left 4 Dead - PC and xbox, but again, like any STEAM game they try and port to xbox, it has a much better community (and controls, and graphics, and user created content, and so on...) on PC
You also factor in that a Gaming PC is so much more than a piece of hardware to play games on. Yea, It's a little harder to justify one if you already have a laptop/desktop that can do everything you need (besides hardcore gaming of course). But if you need a PC anyways, it's a lot easier to justify, along with the option to upgrade it at your pace, instead of being forced to buy a new one like people who game on consoles are forced to do.
But isn't this really a question of perspective? Some people won't want to spend $50K for a car vs a honda civic because the civic will do the job for them just fine while others want a nicer feeling car. Some people won't consider spending $10 on jewelery while others believe if you don't spend at least $15K on an engagement ring there is no point in marriage or $500 on a cell phone thats ooooh so shiny but have awful video capabilities.
Here are my system specs:
Core 2 Duo E8400 - 3.0GHz
4GB DDR2 1066 RAM
1 TB Storage (2 250GB HDDs, 1 500GB HDD)
Asus Xonar DX
Corsair 450w PSU
Asus P45 ATX Mobo
22x DVD Burner
GeForce 8800GT
Total cost when purchased LAST July: $603.86.
I game at 1680x1050, and I've yet to find a game that brings my system to it's knees. Crysis? Nope. Fallout 3? Nope. BioShock? Nope. Nothing I've played in over a year has managed to make me go "Hmmm, maybe it's time to upgrade something?".
Gaming laptops are great if you need to game portably. But honestly, they're big, they're heavy, and they get hot. Desktops continue to be a better solution.
An ATX Mid tower Case is 8" wide, about a foot and a half long, and a foot and a half tall. You can stash it under or on a desk. My case would fit fine with any home theater. So it's not like it has to be ugly or obtrusive.
PC Gaming will be here for a long time. It's outlasted every competitor, every console. Also, it's worth noting that all the old console games end up on PC anyway.
A nice system with a c2d and (2) GTX280m, 4gb ram, 1920x1200 display, and every thing else standard. cost $2500, not bad for a note book with these specs. That is only $300 more than a comparable Asus w90, but you dont' get the looks with the asus.
Anyways that was just some thoughts,
Ryiu
they are huge and Heavy and have hardly any batterylife ,1.5 hrs on average !
you might as well buy a desktop for 1/4th price and get better performance and screen real estate !
OTOH there are many 1000-1500$ laptops with decent graphics cards that you can easily game on
and get decent batterylife also they are far more portable !
They point isn't to be portable, it's just to be movable. "
Then its not thought of as a lap top right? But they are selling its as it is......""portable"" is only and should be used to a since of easy to carry and placei in another location. Well its not......
- by Dan_Ackerman July 16, 2009 11:37 PM PDT
- One of the commentators made a good point about the stability and reliability of gaming PCs vs consoles. As a long-time PC gamer (my first computer was a TRS-80, followed by a Tandy 1000), and someone who's covered PC hardware for years, I can honestly say that for any boxed retail PC game that lands on my desk -- I've got maybe a 50/50 chance of getting it installed and running properly on the first try.
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- by BradTrinh24 July 17, 2009 2:54 AM PDT
- Even steam though didn't have there new interface until 2 years back. I remember buying half life, and not even playing it for a couple weeks because I believed it to not work haha.
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (68 Comments)Outfits like Steam have helped somewhat, but the mix of developers not being able to test with every possible hardware combo, plus crazy DRM schemes, makes buying and installing a PC game a frustrating experience for many.