Buy m14x or wait?

Hi guys,

I did a lot of research on what laptop to get, and I really want the m14x. But I am not sure since many people criticize the GPU. I know AW could not have packed a better GPU inside but that's not the reason to buy the m14x nevertheless since there are/will be other and better laptops for similar prices and better performance.

Should I buy the m14x now or should I wait for some new 14"-15" models to come out (e.g. the new HP Envy)? I might try and wait until the Ivy Bridge but my current laptop might not - I doubt it will stay alive another 15 months or so.

Thanks for the help.

 

As someone said in another thread, if you wait for new technology, you'll always be waiting As someone said in yet another thread, the M14X runs Crysis on high settings. I'd at least wait a little bit to see if AW plans on doing anything with the current issues by ways of a BIOS update or something before plunking down $1500+ though. Supposedly the 19th something is supposed to happen, not sure if that's been confirmed though

Hope this helps and happy shopping!

 

Thanks for the advice, I hope something will actually happen on the 19th, can't wait.
In terms of current issues, I am planning on installing an SSD instead of the HDD so the heat issue should not bother me. As far as the loud fan is concerned, I'd be really surprised if a BIOS update solved it..

 

If you CAN wait, then I'd wait till maybe there's a sale/coupon available. Then it's so worth it

 

not sure coupons are an option - I live in the UK so I would order at HIDevolution

 

You can also use MyUS.com. That would allow you to use coupons.

 

Personally I don't consider the loud fan an issue...it's a powerhouse computer and I want it to be as cooled as possible (especially after my GTX 260 practically melted inside my tower). Usually the sound of the app that's causing the GPU usage (gaming, HD video) drowns out the sound of the fan, but that's just me

 

Thanks, I too have bad experience with overheating. I might get a cooler underneath the laptop.
P.S.I see you have an SSD installed - is the heat that some people described lowered by the ssd significantly?

 

It gets a little warm under my right hand...a little less than the stock hard drive I guess, but I usually use a remote mouse/keyboard, haven't gotten around to heavy gaming yet. I actually sold the one I had in there (a Crucial C300) and am waiting for a Crucial M4. I'll play some Crysis before I switch'em out and see how it goes...if it ever gets here that is >.> they are backordered 7-10 business days *sob*

 

If you DO get through HIDEvolution, call them and maybe theyd add the coupon as I think they order online anyways. But also maybe get the new thermal paste? Itll keep temps lower and maybe help the fan

 

There won't be similar laptop coming out soon.
I guess envy 14 won't be even closed to M14X in benchmark. Without a beautiful screen, there is no reason to get envy 14 because it's almost same weight as M14X -.-

For the over heating issue, I set the maximum processor to 80%.
It helps, the fan used to stay lvl 2....
The m14x is my roomate PC ....I did it secretly.
He doesn't notce its slower

I am also planning to underclock his GPU, but......he may notice that because EVGA GPU tool will pop up

 

LOL, you are a twisted individual. Love it!

 

At first I lol'd
but then I srs'd: The fact you were moved so as to deal with your roommate's laptop means the fan noise is really bad doesn't it?

 

For the CPU, you probably did him a favor, as quad core is so ridiculously fast anyways.

Now the GPU......that's not very nice

 

OK following the recent discovery that almost all m14x's crash with 100% GPU on battery I'm not buying anything yet.
Damn it, just when you discover a great laptop it must have bugs and issues >:-(

 

how often will you be gaming at full power? i donno why they let this slip no other laptop out there games on full power..... you would get 30 min battery life....

 

well, when connected to electricity I'd game on full power for sure.
When on battery I can imagine I would turn down the settings.

BUT some people reported the crashes happening even when using the laptop for "normal" tasks - internet, multimedia, work and such.
It seems the battery just can't take high requirements - it's most apparent in gaming (because the GPU uses the battery more) but it is not limited to it.

To get this thread back on track:
AW m14x: Nice, Portable, Powerful ----- Fan noise, Heat, Crashes
Is it still worth it if you consider other laptops in this category and a possible m14x R2 coming up in a year's time???

 

Yes.

char10

 

If you're waiting for tech that comes out in a year, you will NEVER buy a new piece of hardware. You want something that will last a while, but there is always going to be something better, faster, and more efficient in a years time.

 

Fair enough. Are there any fair alternatives today? I already rejected Sager and HP but I'm open to ideas.

 

No


12345678

 

For me the m14x is just a perfect balance. Plenty of power to run games, and still portable. The larger gaming laptops run games better, but lugging around 20lbs sounds like a huge pain in the shoulders. (See what I did there?). I could go smaller, but then performance starts to get affected. I've owned powerful 17in media laptops, and I've owned 10in netbooks, and I've had problems with both. The 14x should be a good mix of the two, and in my opinion, the best mix on the market.....for now.

 

Anyone would agree the m14x is the most powerful 14 inch out there.

But yeah, you can wait, but you only get to live for so long. Make the best of it.

 

Buy now and be happy.

People who constantly wait will be constantly disappointed because new/better tech comes out every few months, so you'll be stuck in a never-ending loop of waiting.

 

What he said. I was making that same point, but I didn't get it in just one sentence.

As a matter of fact, you should buy now, buy early, and then when you want to upgrade, sell your hardware to the others, who waited.

 

Why did you reject HP? Was it because of the 1366x768 screen resolution on the HP Dv6tqe? If so, HP released a 1080p screen for the Dv6tqe yesterday. You might want to reconsider a dv6tqe, because I believe the 1gb GDDR5 Radeon mobility 6770m is better than the Nvidia GT 555m. There's a 30% off coupon for the dv6tqe that expires tomorrow I believe. I ordered one with:

- 2630qm
- 1gb GDDR5 6770m
- 15.6" 1080p Anti-Glare display
- 6gb Ram
- Blu-ray reader

for $940 + tax = $983.

Also, if you wait a few days, Microsoft is giving out free xbox 360s with the purchase of a new $699+ Windows 7 PC from HP/Dell/other retailers.

Link: Students, We?ve Got You Covered

 

bull-crap man! *wishes i was still in college*

also, awesome price on that computer!

 

My question as far as waiting goes... With the fan noise issue, the Sata III incapability, minor build issues popping up, what are people's thoughts on waiting for the R2 version to come up and hopefully solve some of these first release type problems? (See if they add a dual fan for example...) For me it's not necessarily waiting for better chip tech/computing power, but having some of these bugs/problems worked out in a new revision.

 

Those in this forum have actually figured out that doing a fresh install of windows and not installing dell's chipset/intel rapid storage drivers, SATA 3 worked..when mine gets here i'll try to confirm myself

The fan will be loud if you want it to cool properly.

Build issues can be resolved with tech support.

I'd go for it. (of course, i already did lol)

 

I saw that about not installing the chipset and the rapid storage... but what are the negatives of not installing them? I'm sure there are some...

 

Thanks a lot, I see you are a lucky person.
but I think that's all US only. I live in the UK.

EDIT: I think I just decided not to buy the m14x after all. Its buggy. Too many problems for the price. I'll probably wait for R2 or some nice laptop similar to the m14x....