M14x or HP DV6QE? FINAL DECISION

I originally had my heart set out on the m14x and I want it so bad but it is indeed pricey, my configuration came out to 1,318$ total with all discounts and everything + xbox 360. Here are the specs i chose:

- Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.9GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
- Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
- 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

Now id be pretty happy with that and its a bit pricey but doable, so i looked into the HP dv6tQE because of the price comparison and this is what i came up with:

- Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit with Service Pack 1
- 2nd generation Intel(R) Quad Core(TM) i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz, 6MB L3 = Cache) w/Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz
- 2GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD 6770M Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
- FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
- 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
- 30% OFF! 9-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (over-sized) - Up to 9.75 hours of battery life +++
- 15.6" diagonal Full HD HP Anti-glare LED Display (1920 x 1080)
- SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
- HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP
- Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN with Wireless Display Support

*** With all the discounts i was able to get about 450$ off and the total for these specs comes out to 999$. Next year i will be a freshman in college and majoring in computer science i need a laptop that will last me the 4 years and be good enough to still compete even then. I need the one that I will get the most out of. I play wow, and few other games like BFBC 2 and stuff, il be getting BF3. And i cannot decide between these two laptops. Please help!***

And the reason i asked in this section and not the general section for laptops is b.c i would like some insight from m14x owners as well.

 

well i love my m14x.... granted the hp is nice... i love the form factor of the m14x and the portability.... ive been wanting a alienware since the early days.... this is one sexy laptop and i have not used my desktop in 1 month..... just purchased a 120gb ssd and will be throwing it in tonight!

they should both be good for a few years.....

 

If you sell that xbox, the price for those two would be about the same right? Neither computer's specs could be even considered as moderate after 3-4 years, but they will both physically work depends on how well you maintain them.

Edit: Now you edit your HP price from $1099 to $999? Forget what I said about the xbox then.

 

Alienware should present better build quality. Mine is built like a tank (not as strong as m15x) but has great build quality. Every Hp I have seen has had low-range consumer laptop build quality. Maybe its just me but they feel cheap.

May consider upgrading warranty also as Dell has been know to have a great warranty system. First year machine probably warrants a extended warranty but that's just my opinion.

 

I would say the biggest advantage of the DV6 is the screen, as this is IMO the M14x's biggest flaw. The m14x has only 42% gamut coverage and is highly reflective. The DV6 screen has 72% gamut coverage and an anti-glare coating. But you will get worse performance at native resolution on the DV6 as it's a higher resolution. As far as size & weight, I don't think there is a big enough difference to take this into consideration as a major factor.

 

I would agree. Three days with laptop and the screen isnt up to standard for a 1200+ computer. Unable to comment on the Hp but I can imagine its better by a long shot screen wise.

 

But how do these stack up speed wise and running games like battlefield and like wow, i need good fps, and i cant stand slow computers. Plus like i said il be studying computer science i dont really know what that entails program wise on computers...but i cannot have it slow up at all. Im all about speed if something takes too long to open or load it annoys me. Thats why i want gaming laptop, not just b.c i play some games from time to time but the fact that their powerhouses and have good speeds. Now how does the hp stack up against the AW. Keep in mind due to price in HP i can prolly swap out for an SSD, if necessary. Also...the graphics card in the HP anyone know about that? Cuz it aint no Nvidia.

 

Almost identical. Like I said the m14x will perform better at native resolution, but that's because it's only 1600x900 while the dv6 is 1920x1080.

 

i play my m14x in clamshell to a 1080p samsung 23" monitor.... it runs bfbc2 all high settings flawlessly... 30fps+

 

wow now im truly blown away i just realized that you can get the hp now for 999$ and an xbox 360 if ur a student....lol. This is bad, i really really wanted the alienware because of its rep and its just awesomeness and cool look, but this hp deal is too insane to pass up for the same specs as the AW, unless i can call up AW and tell them this deal im getting with hp to lower the cost of the m14x then im gonna be getting the hp. Also whats up in the air still is the amount of heat the hp produces when gaming, i heard its a considerable amount and its right where ur wrists would rest on the laptop, and many have said it can get like really hot.

 

the hp dv-x line is such an old design. Its been out for years with little change.

 

yeah but i was told the GPU on the Hp is actually better than the m14x? If this is true then the HP sounds like a steal to me.

 

Slightly. But it depends on the game too. And again, the 555m powering 1600x900 will outperform the 6770 powering 1920x1080.

 

I would definitely stay away from HP.

My family has had nothing but problems with their HP's getting so hot, it would burn their legs and wrists. They're cheap/junk laptops (not counting Elitebooks).'

I used an HP for a few months about 2 years ago and it gave me red scar burns on my legs. The leg hair was actually torched off.

Get the M14X.

You'll have better looks, cooling, build quality, and a superb warranty.

 

Best thing for M14x is u get an awesome gaming + portable laptop as well as an X360

 

M14's gpu is better than the HP's at overclocking I think.

 

Also you cannot OC the new dv6100's GPU. Since they made them work similar to Nvidia's Optimus tech they lost the ability to be OC'd

Not sure it is a hardware or software issue but it is somethign to like about.

 

#Settled. Just bought the m14x. Go AW!!!

 

Doesn't HP come with a whole load of nasty bloatware?

 

There's one aspect that's irking me, i'm surprised nobody has said anything yet. What do you mean by you configured an M14X + xbox? Did they add more options, or are they just winging it now? I was under the understanding that there was one system configuration you could get if you wanted the free xbox (lowest i7, 900p, 1.5gb gpu, 500gb hdd, 6gb ram, 1x2 wifi, bluetooth).

 

Any windows machine over 700 with proof of being a student is eligible for the x box

 

Yup, any M14X gets the xbox if you live in the US (even i5).

People on these boards reported that they sold the xbox for 150$ since they already had one, so you basically get -150$ off your M14X ontop of the discounts your rep gives you AND the -75$ coupon.

Great bargain that's for sure. I'm driving to the US just to get that deal