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    Alienware 15 or 13

    Discussion in '2015+ Alienware 13 / 15 / 17' started by Un0wn1, May 31, 2015.

  1. Un0wn1

    Un0wn1 Newbie

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    Im trying to purchase an alienware laptop that would be portable and would be able to play the latest game. and also last me 2-3 years. I narrowed it down to 2 options

    Alienware 15 refurbished (from eBay) $1419
    Gtx980m
    1tb HD
    Fhd 1920x1080 IPS
    16gb ram

    Or

    Alienware 13 new (dell website) $1185
    I7
    Gtx960m
    256 ssd
    Fhd 1920x1080 IPS
    8gb ram

    Which would be better?
     
    Un0wn1, May 31, 2015
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  2. MooMilk

    MooMilk Notebook Consultant

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    960M GTX will be outdated pretty soon, so 980M is a right choice, you can get good SSD (like Crucial MX200 or Sandisk Extreme II \ Extreme Pro) later for ~100$
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2015
    MooMilk, May 31, 2015
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  3. sabricaze

    sabricaze Notebook Evangelist

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    1. Size. what's YOUR preference?
    2. Since you mentioned that this will be lasting 2-3 years, whether it's 960m or 980m it won't matter. Both will last 2-3 years just fine. 960m will not be outdated "pretty soon."
    3. AW13 has an SSD, so you won't need to spend extra for the SSD. That saves money for the future upgrade.
    4. 8gb or 16gb RAM, gaming wise, it does not matter. If you use 8gb+ RAM however, with programs or whatever it is that you do, the RAM is the simplest upgrade in these devices. No need to go for AW15 for that reason.
    5. If I was given the following choices, it's AW 13 for sure. Save 230 dollars + SSD upgrade saving (100+ dollars) and I would bank that for the future computer upgrade in 2-3 years.
    6. Don't forget, you cannot haggle with ebay. You can, however, with Dell. I'm sure you can get an additional 200-300 dollars off easily with the reps. (1. With the sales rep and 2. with the returns rep once you receive the device. Look for haggling strategies in this forums)
     
    sabricaze, May 31, 2015
    #3
  4. Flaick

    Flaick Notebook Evangelist

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    The 15" one!
     
    Flaick, May 31, 2015
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  5. Chris_Wayne

    Chris_Wayne Notebook Consultant

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    For a gaming laptop I always choose the one with the bigger screen, I wanted the 17 but it was out of my budget so I went for the 15 and so far so good, as a designer I found it more comfortable but then again that's me. If you don't have a problem on having a smaller screen then the 13 seems like a good option just remember, SSD's used by dell aren't really on the high end so don't expect miracles on the included ssd (plus 256gb is too small for me) and the 980m is a lot more future proof for gaming but if you either see yourself getting the graphics amp or don't care about cranking up the graphics that much then the 960m is just good.
     
    Chris_Wayne, May 31, 2015
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  6. CGSDR

    CGSDR Alien Master Race

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    Alienware 15 no doubt, because as it is right now, the GTX 960M cant even run new games like GTA 5, The Wither 3 at 1080p max setting, even if you plan to use the Graphic Amplifier, the U series CPU wont be enough for long term, for $234 difference, I'd rather go for the 15" for that spec bump.
     
    CGSDR, May 31, 2015
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  7. Alienware-L_Porras

    Alienware-L_Porras Company Representative

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    Same here... I've had an m11x, an m14x R2 and an Alienware 17 R1 and I have to say that the bigger screen makes it all better.
     
    Alienware-L_Porras, Jun 2, 2015
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