*OFFICIAL* Alienware m17 Owner's Lounge

Thin and light 17" series is here:

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/del...re-m17-gaming-laptop/spd/alienware-m17-laptop



Ports & Slots
1. (2x) SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Type-A | 2. Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately) | 3. Power/DC-In Port | 4. HDMI 2.0 Output | 5. Mini-Display Port 1.3 Output | 6. Thunderbolt™ 3 Port | 7. Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port | 8. Killer™ Networks E2500 Gigabit Ethernet NIC | 9. USB SuperSpeed 3.1 Type-A with Powershare Technology | 10. Audio Out 1/8" Port (Compatible with inline mic headset)



Dimensions & Weight
1. Height: Front 0.727" (18.5mm.) – Rear 0.91" (23 mm.) | 2. Width: 16.1" (410 mm.) | 3. Depth: 11.52" (292.5mm.) | Weight: 5.79 lbs. (2.63 kgs)*

 

I am currently debating between a few laptops the alienware m17, msi gs75, ge75 and 17inch asus strix. Looking forward to reading reviews when they all come out. Right now the alienware website shows 60hz screens I thought they were going to be 144hz? Right now the only reason i am still considering the alienware is because i have the graphics amp and do like using that in my living room.

I have the alienware 13 oled which i really like and appreciate the sturdy build quality. The new m51 looks cool but is just not practical for me. I will be using the laptop on business trips and while I don't need 8 hours of battery like i do need a couple before I have to hit an outlet and have it somewhat portable.

 

msi build quality is trash, don't commit that mistake
wait for an m15 with 240hz or oled panel with i7 plus rtx 2060 and use the amplifier

 

I actually also have the msi gs65 today and really like it. The build quality is not the same as alienware i would agree with that but its hard to be the form factor and only 4 pounds. I miss having a 17 inch screen so looking to go back to that on my next purchase.. I had bought the alienware 13 on clearance just because i wanted to try the oled,

 

i repasted a GS65 and i was totally dissaponited with the build quality, the touchpad is the worst i have ever touched on a laptop. the keyboard have really short travel and the distribution is bad, also it had a problem with the ENTER where it doesnt register the press
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...thin-8rf-053-keyboard-enter-key-issue.822928/

 

I partly agree with you, and partly disagree.
The keyboard i am totally on your side, i dont particularly like my steelseries keyboard on my gt62 aswell - it just feels a bit plushy, and sometimes key strokes aren´t registered.
However the overall build quality is okay - if you want a thin and light gaming laptop like the gs65, sacrifices have to be made.
If you want a more solid build quality, you need materials that are havier, what many people dont want.
So in short, there is no brand out there without problems, every company has specific ones, but my experience with msi laptops (MSI GE60, MSI GE40, GT 62 in current use) is that msi laptops are good allrounders - what i dont mean in a negative way (MSI doesn´t make big mistakes, but dont really stand out among companies).
So for me, MSI is a brand I would always take a look at, when comparing laptops!

 

On the Reddit AMA, they did confirm as a reply to my post stating that the omission of the 144hz IPS panel on the M17 is a mistake on the website and will be fixed.

 

I will be getting this!

I'm hoping it will run cool. I don't game much but I'm in need of a new laptop.

I'll get a cooling pad because I use my laptop on my bed.

 

Tripod mount for the heatsink? :/

 

Heatsink will look like the m15 but bigger.

 

>.<

 

Gah... There are so many good choices right now... I am currently at a loss.... I am debating whether to go for an Alienware M15 (Fell in love with this laptop the first time I saw it) , the Alienware M17 (Same beautiful looks as the M15 but with a bigger screen and hopefully better cooling), a GP63 (one of the seniors in my workplace is urging me to purchase one together with a friend of his to hopefully get a huge discount, but I have always wanted to own an Alienware) , or a ROG Strix GL703/GL503 (heard those are also very good laptops for their price point). I am pretty much set on an Alienware, but well, now we move into the prices... Dx

I am pretty much set on an Alienware but of course, the prices of the MSI and ROG laptops are very appealing.. and well, the M17 as it is costs significantly more than the M15 and currently, the screen choices are lackluster...

 

You know what gets me is Dave2D was giving the m15 such high praise for it's thermals. And then I see so many people have throttling issues on the CPU. Clearly he got a cherry picked unit. But why not just ship them all out in that condition? Less people returning laptops is more money in Dell's pocket.

Hopefully they fix the issue and the m17 performs cooler across the board.

 

Watch his video again and pause at 4:46...it's running every bit as hot as what we see in the forums. His wasn't cherry picked but rather his choice to show and not tell.

Things probably get weird when you're getting review units and are expected to say good things. Whether that happens to him or not, I can assure you that it DOES happen.

 

I totally missed that. Thanks for pointing that out. . .wow. I might have lost some respect for Dave.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/ordered-an-alienware-area-51m.826914/page-12#post-10850655

 

No! Stop! Don't do this! Noooo!

 

Hello Sir BobofallTrades, fancy meeting you here Could not wait to see more of your Laptop Reviews on Youtube. I hope both you and Sir Steven from OwnedorDisown would make a review on these new laptops from DELL/Alienware. I am really debating between this, the New and Improved G7, and the AW M15, and I could really use your opinions on them. With all these new releases, DELL has made it even harder to choose even within their own brands. xD Hopefully, HIDEvolution would have these laptops for sale and customization. Hoping to get better temperatures with all their Cooling upgrade options.

 

My goal this year is to minimize purchasing laptops. I reviewed 19 last year had bought 17 of them. It buried the channel pretty hard. Small channel like mine barely makes a few hundred dollars a month but spends thousands is a strange investment. So 2019 will not repeat what I did last year.

I think the Alienware M 15 and M 17 Run Way too hot and I personally think they’re absolutely hideous. Don’t let the latter influence your opinion but these are factually hotter than Satan‘s balls. I laid hands on every laptop at CES and the keyboard deck on the M-series Alienware laptop‘s were by far hotter than everything else.

I would love to get my hands on a G5 or a G7 but then I found out how much a proper configured one would cost. I just can’t justify that for myself let alone the consumer.

RTX better be amazing!

 

Understood sir And hmm, yeah, indeed they do run hot, based on all the reviews that I have seen so far... Reaching 100 Degrees Celsius Constantly... Sir Steven did manage to curb the temperatures in his Liquid Metal equipped M15 by undervolting, but yeah, He had to go through all those steps just to bring the temps to a manageable level. Hmm, the G series is supposed to be their budget line, although, the lines are starting to blur between it and their Alienware Line-up, but I still do hope we get to customize them how we want them and hopefully cut down on some unncessary costs.

I am hoping they would be for us consumers. Currently, I am on stand-by to see what develops in the next few weeks after RTX equipped laptops finally come out. I am hoping to see if RTX would be worth the upgrade from the GTX 10 Series, as well as any potential price drops for the GTX 10 series since there are these new RTX 20 series out and about, and also, what kinds of temperatures would these new cards be getting. All in all, it is a very exciting year for gaming laptops. Thank goodness I withheld purchasing one last November.

 

I think people will be quite content with their Pascal 1060 on up for awhile.

Pricing of 10 series doesn’t need to drop as it’s quite a bit cheaper than RTX as we know it at this time. That doesn’t mean that we won’t see liquidations of course.

Keep in mind I want to make it as a content creator and I want nothing more than to see RTX absolutely wreck shop so to speak. Because if it does, and people want them, it’ll be a lot easier for me to make reviews and justify its existence.

Pascal series laptops were great because it was the first time we saw desktop level performance in a package that was priced well enough that a desktop builder had a hard time price matching. Especially when you factor in just how nice the FHD 144hz IPS panels are, and that’s something you can’t match on desktops without spending BIG money.

RTX might just put laptops back in the land of “luxury”

With that also said, the Aero 15 type laptops are actually priced pretty good considering the overall price hike associated with RTX. So certain chassis are looking good still. Clevo has some things cooking that I’m very excited about too. So it’s not all doom and gloom either.

We’re about to get the best stuff we have ever seen, but its price will dictate its acceptance.

 

I didn't think NVIDIA was producing any more pascal chips. They said they are out of everything but the 1060s.

 

I'm sure they have stopped. But I'm also sure we will be able to get them in-store and etailers for several months still.

 

Indeed sir, I would also like to see your channel grow. I subscribed to both you and Sir Steven because both of you provide excellent and honest reviews on various laptops, which surely a lot of people would pay a lot of money for. And for people like me, that information is an absolute necessity so that I do not make a very expensive mistake. Although, I am still really hoping on a DELL at this moment, they still do have the best Customer Support available in my country given my nation is renowned for having poor customer service from international companies.

Oh yes, I would also like to experience a 144 HZ Display. I have never used a monitor with a faster refresh rate than 60HZ, and those higher refresh monitors would cost just as much as a gaming PC in my country.

Hmm, funny you should mention the Aero 15, another youtuber, JarrodsTech, also suggested the AERO15X to me when I commented on his M15 video regarding the M15's temperatures. He said it is a laptop that does have the least problems as compared to others he reviewed. However, I did view that laptop on HIDE's website and let's just say my jaw dropped at the price, and considering it was already on sale at that price... it would cost me more than 137,000 in my local currency. That is murderous... And Gigabyte is not that well known in my country, so Local Warranty for it is questionable...

I am a bit interested in some SAGER models available in my country, but I have not really seen much reviews on them and the reviews that I have seen are from people complaining over the temperatures they get. Oh wells...

Indeed, price vs Performance and if it is truly worth the upgrade... That is what I am currently waiting for before pulling the trigger on a laptop. I could not wait for these new laptops to hit the market.

Hmm... well.. I sure hope not.. I would still like to have the option to either get a GTX 10 series or an RTX 20 Series. Or at least, I hope there would be enough of them left by the time I make my decision on what laptop to buy.

 

Yeah that's small scale stuff, I don't see any laptop manufacturers releasing new laptops with GPUs that aren't being produced anymore. NVIDIA is working on that 1660ti or whatever the heck they are calling it though...

 

Oh no nothing new of course just what is already available.

 

Hmmmm that does complicate things.. my window for buying a new laptop would be around April - May of this year.. I hope these new releases would come out soon, and hopefully before that time frame. My next window to buy would either be December, or Next year.

 

My guess is that when the embargo lifts you'll see quite a few new laptops out in the wild (or at least for sale). I wouldn't worry about that time frame.

 

Ah, thank goodness.. I am very much hoping for that. I am aiming to get a good enough deal thanks to this new RTX releases.

Although, I did hear that NVIDIA would be releasing some new GPUs other than their RTX 20 series.... Some of sort of GTX 1100 series or something (not entirely sure what they are called).. I am actually curious about those as well.

But anyways, I am hoping to snag either an Alienware M15 or an M17 at hopefully at a price tag that I deem as reasonable enough. I would need to have these fine tuned to curb temperatures that is for sure... hence why I would have to order either of them from an Authorized reseller who could actually mod the things with improved thermal solutions... It's going to cost more, but I am hoping it would be worth it especially if their prices drop a bit.

That being said, I am still open to other laptops. I do find the G-7 to be another good alternative, as well as some of the laptops from MSI, and I am also considering now the AERO15X as suggested by Sir BOB.. decisions decisions.. xD

 

So will you guys be getting the M17? I plan on it and plan on getting a cooling pad along with it.

 

I am definitely thinking about getting it. Although, I am also considering the M15, the G7, as well as offerings from MSI, Sager, and Gigabyte. So many choices xD

 

Well i did get a reply from Alienware that the 144hz screen for the M17 would not be available at launch.

 

They should wait to launch it then. Many are already salty about buying the m15 only to have it refreshed a few months later.

Yeah sure, “we” saw that coming but the average Joe didn’t.

So m17 buyers remorse will kick in once the 144hz becomes available. Many will return theirs if possible to get the better panel. Seems silly and I would just wait to launch the m17 until the 144hz displays are ready.

Ultimately I’m speaking for those not on forums so I don’t expect those reading this here to have a concern since we are well informed as enthusiasts.

 

Yeah, i was pretty bummed about it as well since I was hoping to get the M17 (especially with their mention of bigger fans and hence hoping better cooling) with a 144hz screen option. Unfortunately they dont have a time frame of when they have the screen availability and they seem to have pulled the 144hz screen options from their G7 17 and G5 15 as well.

Guessing its a shortage of the new item.

 

Yeah, I could not wait for the 144 HZ screen to come to the M17 as well. I could not wait to see reviews of the laptop, hopefully it has better cooling than the M15 due it's bigger size, although, in my case, I would still have mine repasted to get the best performance possible.

As for the G Series of laptops, I am looking forward to those too, but only if they have the 144HZ Screen option. I never considered the G series before due to them only having a 60 HZ panel, but with their announcements at CES, the G7 is definitely in my radar as long as it has a higher Refresh screen. Hopefully, DELL would deliver on all their statements at CES, it is in their best interests afterall.

 

I noticed that the m17 is only available in the US and not in the UK at the moment. In addition it appears it does not come with the 4K IPS panel and being thinner than the AW17R5 will definitely run hotter.

 

New m17 will come with mobile Nvidia Max-Q graphics. Aka with half the graphics TDP vs 1080 in AW17R5. Lower graphics TDP will help lower the overheating.

 

What dell should do is make the screen an option to preorder. That way people atleast know something else is on the horizon. Especially for a gaming laptop like this. No one wants a 60hz 1080p panel on a laptop like that. And like you said it would save dell from getting returned units because word got out that a better screen was coming out.

 

Oh man I didn’t even realize that wasn’t an option yeah that would be nice

 

Yeah, none of the page details for the product mentions it but it was confirmed by Alienware in their AMA (to my question) that they would have a 144hz option as well a delay in it (as in not non availability at launch).

 

Just placed my order. getting the M17 I can't wait.

 

Perfect you’re the right person to ask this question then. What is it about that laptop that you like?

 

Just landed here because of some notebook searching, and by that I can also give a response to B0B's question (which then also explains why I landed here).

I have digged through almost all 17" laptops from CES2019 and eventually came to the conclusion that the new Alienware m17 is amongst the best of all new 17 inch laptops ( emphasis on 17").


Because:
- best compromise in material, robustness, weight
- best compromise in maintenance: just take bottom lid off and directly access everything
- best compromise in looks: doesn't scream "Gamer" although it's an Alienware
- best compromise in price: starting price is at $1650, while competitors start at $2000


In comparison some competitors:
- Asus GX701: giant, tacky logo on lid, narrow touchpad on the right, no integrated webcam, mediocre maintenance
- MSI GS75: bad maintenance because the motherboard is still flipped (see my recent investigation in the MSI GS75 thread if you don't believe), weirdly aligned trackpad probably makes writing an issue
- New Dell G7: much heavier, bad maintenance (inside is full of plastic crap, you also need to pull out the whole motherboard. This is an assumption based on previous series, but I doubt much has changed)
- MSI GE75: the build quality seems much worse, the inner layout imo looks like a mess, also screams "Gamer" with red logo, stripes, and red trackpad edges

- Lenovo Y740 17": ok, I can't say anything bad about it, but there was something I didn't like about it... unfortunately I can't remember right now what it was exactly. I would probably rate it 2nd after the Alienware.

Aside from that I have no comparison to upcoming Clevo laptops. And I'm also waiting for Acer's upcoming midrange laptops of the A717 series, which were already good allrounders in the last year, but this year may come with a new chassis and thinner bezels (last summer they actually presented a new 15" with thin bezels, but I never saw them sold. Maybe this model was for 2019).

So, if you want 17" there are not many good competitors...

 

I wonder who has a m17 with the 4k screen? How does it look when playing 1080p games on it. 4k is an exact scale on 1080p so i guess it would turn out nice? Hopefully not blurry like 720p on a 1080p screen.

I doubt a RTX 2060 can smoothly render all 4k games. But I only game at home so for me i could get invest in a graphic amplifier setup. On the road i want to use it for IT stuff.

How does the keyboard type? I am still enjoying my 7 years old M17X R4 and that keyboard is amazing. Very good for programming. This new m17 looks really portable compared to the one I have now

 

I know gaming on the 1440p oled panel still looks great turning games to 1080p. Panel has great scaling. I'm sure other panels can also do this.

 

For me I love the power. The ports. Its a laptop I'll be using for years to come.

 

This seems to be the new 2019 model thin Alienware m17 (i9-8950Hk - Rtx 2080 Max-Q). The low physics score show clearly that the unlocked i9-8950Hk run hot.

https://www.3dmark.com/fs/18184732

 

lower than my stock score (graphics/physics) and the price just went up ! this is not looking good...

 

I haven't ordered yet as I'm still considering my options but leaning heavily in favour of the m17 with i7-8750H and RTX 2060 Max-Q.

The reason is I have been hauling 17" DTRs to work every day for the past 12 years and the option to combine a reasonably powerful CPU in a light laptop works well for work but then add an AGA at home for gaming and I think I might be on a winner.
Hopefully with the AGA doing most of the 'heavy lifting' during games I won't run into overheating problems.

 

I have an AW laptop idea I want to pitch to Dell. I’ve been holding on to it till I had a voice big enough to throw around.

You would be a great candidate for that laptop.

At CES I laid hands on many laptops. Nothing was hotter to the touch than the m15 and m17. I genuinely fear it’ll be just as bad as the m15 is. I pray it’s not however.

I don’t want any product to fail its consumer.