M14X configs

Hi All,

I'm kind of confused so I need some advice from you all...

I'll looking at two M14x configs right now. The one below is what I really want, but also considering the same config for $200 less with only 4gb of ram and the 1.5 gb video card.

Is this really worth the extra $200 bucks? I got a quote from Dell on this same config, but with 6gb of ram. They would only take $20 bucks off! I was hoping for a lot more than that!

So please chime in with your thoughts and advice, please! Thanks in advance!




Module Description Show Details
System Color Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish
Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Processor Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.9GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
Memory 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
A/C Adapter Alienware M14X 150W A/C Adapter
Display Panel 14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
Video Card 3.0GB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M using NVIDIA Optimus™ technology
Hard Drive 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
Nameplate Personalized Plate (F1R3b1Rd)
AlienFX Quasar Blue
Hinge Up Hinge Up WLAN -BLACK
Adobe Reader Acrobat SW Adobe Acrobat X Reader
Optical Drive 8x SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Slot Load Optical Drive
Audio Soundblaster® X-Fi™ Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled
Wireless Intel® Advanced-N WiFi Link 6205 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology
Hardware Support Services 1 Year Basic Plan
Factory Installed Games Steam and Portal™ Factory Installed
OS Customization Alienhead Glow
Mobile Broadband None
WirelessHD None
Bluetooth Internal Bluetooth 3.0
Standard Nameplate Trigger Thank you for Purchasing Alienware
AW:F1R3b1Rd

 

This has been discussed many many times (it's even a sticky)

Buy lowest ram possible (4gb) and install your own for cheaper
Drop the 3.0 GT555 to 1.5 GT555 if possible

 

Do not bother with the 3gb GT555. If you are playing a game that needs 3GB of vram, it needs a card better than a GT555.

Drop the RAM to 4GB and if you want more later on buy it yourself. RAM upgrades through dell are overpriced.

Do you particularly want the XFi sound software? As far as I know there is no actual extra sound card, just software...

 

def drop from 3gig to 1.5 gig. that should run just aout anything i think

 

all you need for the m14x upgrade is the 2630qm (don't get the core i5), the 1600x900p screen is basically a must, ram you can DIY from newegg unless you get a good deal from dell, 6-8gigs is good enough, if you really need bluetooth, its a cheap add on, though i wouldn't use a bluetooth mouse for gaming, connection isn't solid, but for communication its great. The gt555m is a great card, for this size of a laptop, but upping the memory to 3 gigs isn't gonna make it perform any better. The gt555m 1.5gb starts to lag even before it uses all of its memory. And don't expect to max out newer games at 1600x900 resolution with high expectations Drop the soundblaster, but keep the wifi upgrade, the base wifi card isn't that great.

 

Yes, upgrade the screen, but someone told me to choose either 4GB or 8GB ram only since 6GB will be single channel.

Is there a reason for avoiding the core i5?

 

it's only a dual core. The extra power is worth the price.

 

you could drop the 3g to 1.5, but i would keep 8gb of ram

 

You can get ram on newegg, dont upgrade with dell unless you get a deal on a package.
Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model KHX1600C9S3K2/8G

there ya go, better ram, 60 bucks cheaper. And Dual channel ram doesnt really make a difference in gaming.

 

I copy pasted the recommended config

Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.9GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
1.5GB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M using NVIDIA Optimus™ technology
500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
Intel® Advanced-N WiFi Link 6205 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology
8x SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Slot Load Optical Drive
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Internal Bluetooth 3.0

 

The SoundBlaster upgrade, seems more like a gimmick to me since there's no added soundcard ~ waste of $25 which you might as well spend on getting the neoprene sleeve on offer.

As for the Bluetooth, do you really need it?? I have a bluetooth dongle which I barely use - if you need to transfer stuff to and from your phone/tablet, you have the USB cable

Also, the 900p screen is a good idea, but it makes me wonder, future games will not work well on that resolution, so essentially you'll end up running games at below the natural-res for better fps, sacrificing quality [??] big question mark there?

The Wireless card is a good idea because the base one basically sucks. And that Wireless HD whatever is a gimmick I don't think I'll ever use, since if I ever had to hook it up to a display I'd run it at 1080p, which the GT555M won't even be able to handle properly. For movies, there's always an HDMI cable

Everything else seems solid, and the saved cash can be used to get aftermarket RAM kits and an SSD, or even games