Alienware offering me replacement laptop for my m15x - What should I buy?

Hey guys,

So after long talks with Alienware support about my recurring hinge problems they have decided to refund my money for my laptop on the agreement that I purchase another Alienware product from them first. This is fine (I really wish they could just use the credit from the first machine's cost though...) but I'm on the fringe now between a m14x or a m17x. What do you guys recommend for a budget around 1900? Mostly I would love for it to be able to play Battlefield 3 well

 

M14x for great mobility and great gaming! M17x R3 for awesome gaming but limited mobility! M18x for gobsmacking unbeatable gaming but no portability.

 

Exactly what evilras said. If you prefer mobility over pure performance, M14x is a fantastic choice. If you prefer pure performance over mobility, I hear the M17x isn't that much bigger than the old M15x ( picture).

 

Don't buy a laptop. Get all the parts and build your own. It's really quite easy.

Also don't buy a car. Get all the parts and build your own. It's really quite easy.

Also don't be a television. Get all the parts....

M14x is best for portability but if you upgrade from the standard GPU on the m17x then the performance is MUCH better on m17x. I play Skyrim on High settings with my m14x but it is fully upgraded. That means i7 and 3 GB GT 555m and SSD, etc.

M17x is very big so if you are carrying it around a lot and you are willing to accept that you cannot play games on Ultra and sometimes only on Medium (for future games) then m14x is good.

But seriously don't buy clothes. Get all the parts and stitch them together yourself. It is WAAAY cheaper.

 

I think your models are the m14x and the m17 that you should choose. The m14x is great for portability, but the m17x is a beast at gaming. Especially since graphic card upgrades are cheaper now, especially the 6990m or gtx 580m. I would say the m17x, and only get a graphic upgrade and upgrade ram and hdd from somewhere else like new egg. The m14x is great as well, but with lack of graphic upgrade, id say its less value. The gt555m is great though, i can play skyrim on high settings. But for bf3, maybe you can get medium - high if you lower the reso.

Idk what fallout was talking about lol, but if you were okay with your m15x, with the size and weight, the m17x shouldn't be too much more of a hassle.

 

Haha! Fallout is making fun of the "DIY" gang. whenever i say "i fancy a new gaming laptop" and purists scoff and say "build a rig, its cheaper".

Yes, but it only takes me 4 seconds to plug in a cable at a lan party! And i can carry my stuff on the tram!

 

Yeah, the size and weight shouldn't be an issue. Alright I'll probably look more into the m17x, is the 3d screen upgrade worth it at all as well?

 

i think people suggest it looks amazing running in 120hz mode! But 3d 60hz mode is personal choice.

 

I think the 120hz screen is a personal choice. I heard it's great for gaming, but if you do get the 120hz screen, you'd want a really high end graphics card to take full advantage of it, and I doubt that'll happen with your budget, idk about the 3d aspect though, I doubt you'd really use it. So i'd just get the base model alienware m17x, and add the 1808p screen and either the 6990m or the gtx 580m. The 580m is only 75 more than the 6990, and I believe it's a little better, but the choice is yours.

 

If I had 1900$ I would buy a good bike and some good portable camping equipment and I would go camping in the mountains for a week.

Or maybe fix my teeth.

 

Yeah but dell only agreed to refund the money if he purchased another alienware. But a bike sounds nice.

 

If you have $1900 to spend I'd buy the M17X if portability isn't an issue. Talk to a sales reps and tell ask them to give you a quote based on your in store credit for both 14 and 17 and decide from there.

 

Now that I own the m14x I think the major split between the m14x vs m17x argument is well obviously the size.

If you need portable and something big and heavy will be an issue carrying in a backpack or size to sit ontop of a desk, then the m14x is the best choice. It can play the BF3 with a mix of Medium settings custom Without an Overclock on the GT555m. With an overclock, people here can get high settings with 30-45+ fps, which is pretty good.

But if your just buying a laptop to sit and home and play and maybe take out once in a while, then buy all means get the m17x.

I got the m14x only because I take my laptop out, literally 5 out of the 7 days of the week to college. And I never game while in school only on weekends. But It plays all games on high with 60FPS or around such with new games like Modern warefare 3, World of Warcraft, Starcraft II. Battlefield bad company I think I got around 30-45 on High/Ultra.

The only game that really pushes the machine out right now I seen most commandingly is battlefield 3. But the card can be overclocked to the capabalities of a gtx460x. Interestingly, you can hook up to an external monitor for a good gaming experience with that power, and then unplug and still have that power portable laptop.