(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. ... Read More
The beast from front and back.
(Credit: Alienware)With E3 around the corner, gaming news is breaking left and right. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that details on Alienware's M17x gaming laptop broke a little earlier than next weekend's onslaught of pixels and polygons. And indeed, Friday morning, the full profile of Alienware's All Powerful laptop has surfaced--ahead of schedule, and ready to steal a little weekend limelight while it can.
It's big. And thick--2.11 inches thick, to be precise. At 11.6 pounds, and 15.98 inches by 12.65 inches, the M17x comes with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo P8600 (which can be upgraded to a Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core) and up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. And it can be outfitted with dual 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M GPUs (it starts with a single 1GB GeForce GTX260M, but why not dare to dream?). The hard drive capacity goes up to 1TB, or half a terabyte of solid-state. A nine-cell battery, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Blu-ray-upgradable optical drive round out the package. And, of course, there's the 1920x1200 17-inch screen.
It's thicker than Texas toast.
(Credit: Alienware)In case you're clamoring for audio/video options, the M17x includes HDMI, VGA and DisplayPort, as well as 6.1 audio out.
As you can see, glowing red lighting is everywhere, including the keyboard, trackpad, and considerable grille, fairly screaming, "I'm a gaming laptop" to anyone who dares approach this beast's cooling vents. Carry this one out of your dorm/bedroom at your own risk.
We'll report more on this when we've actually played with one here at the lab. But the All Powerful promise looks to have been kept. Prices start at $1,799, but if you want the maximum upgrades we've listed here, look for a credit card with a line much higher than that.
According to I4U, Alienware will soon be offering a $200 instant discount on the Area 51 m17x Notebook (which starts from $1,999) and the Area 51 790i Desktop (which starts from $1,349). This deal will be available from November 26 until December 2, and free shipping is available until December 31.
We reviewed the Alienware Area 51 m17x in September and were really impressed with its performance. However, $200 isn't that much of a deal for this kind of beast, but if you're a fan of the systems then I guess you can't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Alienware Area 51 m17x
(Credit: CNET Networks)The starting price for the Area 51 m17x Notebook gets you:
- Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 2.1GHz
- 1GB DDR2 667MHz
- Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1
- Dual 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 8600M GT--SLI Enabled
- Single Drive--160GB 7,200rpm
For a gamer on a budget, however, we recommend the 17-inch Gateway P-7811FX--that's if you can still find it.
At the time of review, the Gateway was priced at $1,449 and included these specs:
- Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 2.26GHz
- 4GB DDR3 667MHz
- Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with Service Pack 1
- Single 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS
- Single Drive--200GB 7,200rpm
(Credit:
Alienware)
Way back in November of 2007, Alienware told us about its rebooted gaming laptop series: the 15-inch Area-51 m15x and the 17-inch Area-51 m17x. We first got our hands on the 15-inch version a month later in December, and it officially went on sale in February of this year, but in all that time we never heard another peep about the 17-inch model--a design that's the mainstay of any gaming laptop lineup (the only 17-inch choice was the older m9750 model).
We're pleased to say the long-awaited 17-inch Area-51 m17x is finally up and available to order on Alienware's Web site, starting at $2,199 and easily topping the $5,000 mark if you totally trick it out. Noteworthy highlights include:
The Area-51 m17x's design is nearly identical to the 15-inch version, although with a black finish instead of silver. At the time, we said of the m15x: "The system is somewhat clumsy looking...and very fingerprint-prone. It's dorm-room chic, at best--we'd expect a laptop with the fastest components available to look a little more sophisticated."
But there was no arguing about the high-end components inside, or that this was an extremely powerful gaming laptop: "The combination of the 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme X9000 CPU and Nvidia GeForce 8800 GPU is a real winner, and the m15x is, overall, the fastest laptop we've ever tested."
The Area-51 m15x's cool backlit keyboard.
A couple of weeks ago, we brought you some exclusive pics of Alienware's two new laptops, the high-end Area-51 m15x and Area-51 m17x, which impressed us with their updated designs, cutting-edge components, and imaginative lighting systems (seriously--lots of lights on these things).
While these two laptops probably won't be shipping until mid-January, we just got our hands on a preproduction unit, which, while not exactly final shipping hardware, has both the lighting control system and an Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX video card--the first laptop we've gotten our hands on with one of those.
We're in a green mood today.
Using the lighting control panel, you can assign different colors to the backlit keyboard, keyboard tray indicators, touch pad outline, skull logo, and sides of the display panel. The touch pad itself is just a touch-sensitive section of the wrist rest and made of the same material as the rest of the keyboard tray--and with the internal lights off, you see only the keyboard and a power button--no touch pad, no status lights. With the lights turned on, the touch pad is outlined by a colored light--a very cool effect, but one that might take a little getting used to, as we kept running our fingers off the side of the touch pad accidentally, because of the lack of any tactile feedback.
We're currently loading up some games to put the m15x through its paces, and we'll let you know how the new Nvidia 8800 handles the current crop of system-crushing games, including Crysis and Unreal Tournament III.
Boutique PC maker Alienware has been flooding in-boxes recently with secretive messages about its upcoming unveiling of two new gaming laptops. E-mails to members of the company's mailing list are filled with cryptic notes about "increased extraterrestrial activity" and links to a Web site with an "alien" message to decipher.
If you've cracked the code, you probably already know some of this, but Alienware has confirmed for CNET that the two new laptops are going to be called the Area-51 m15x and Area-51 m17x, and both will be officially shown off for the first time on Monday here in New York.
Backlit red keys. We've also seen a blue version.
We won't see these new 15- and 17-inch systems in full until next week, but Alienware says they have a whole new look, designed from the ground up, and will be available with a choice of two case designs called Skullcap and Ripley. The exclusive teaser shots here--the first photos of the new systems Alienware has released--give you a small idea of the new direction. Check back Monday for full details on these new laptops. More pics after the break... ... Read More
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