What games can the M14x not run?

I have already found that the Witcher 2 is unplayable at medium or high settings without getting a degree in computer science to modify .ini files or whatever. Seriously I should not have to modify anything on a laptop that is advertised with the witcher 2 on the monitor. But anyway, what other games can this thing not run?

 

I've not come across anything that it cannot run at the moment. But then again, I'm relatively new to PC gaming. I currently have the following installed via Steam and they all work:

Borderlands;
Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga;
Skyrim;
Left 4 Dead 2;
Portal;
Rage;
STALKER - Shadow of Chernobyl;
Team Fortress 2.

I know that wasn't the question that you asked but I suppose it serves to show how good the laptop is for gaming.

 

Nothing it can't run, but there is things it can really only run on low settings...

 

If it can't run a game it is either because of drivers or bad optimization. The GT 555M should be able to handle any modern game.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

 

I hear Witcher 2 has a hard time with Optimus. I know quite a few people who play Witcher 2 on high. And almost every game Ive tried on this machine plays on High or Ultra, even Crysis

 

Can add DOTA2 to that list also

 

witcher 2 for me. i have only tried on medium high and it plays ok.

 

I just played BF3 last night everything was either on high or Ultra, resolution was 900p and according to Frapps I was averaging about 25FPS(some times she would dip below 20FPS but that was rare), it was very smooth to me and the graphics looked great. Also keep it mind, I'm running the factory settings GPU, so if O.C I probably could have everything on Ultra with a nice FPS.

 

overclock it and the only game left is the witcher 2, but i run it fairly very high setting in 720p and i average around 30fps

some games will have to be whitelisted
and sonic generations only works on the intel card unless its out putted onto an external screen via hdmi

 

I think a lot of m14x issues could be fixed if someone got a bios modded so it would be possible to turn off the IGPU for when you are gaming, but you could turn it on when you need the battery. works great on my m17x

 

well you can force the nvidia card as default in the nvidia control panel but idk if it fixes all issues

 

it works for most games but not all games(GTA 4 as an example). With the bios mod you wouldn't even have to do that all you would have to do would be disable the IGPU, and everything would run off the gt 555m.

 

the way optimus works on nvidia you CANT disable the IGP. It uses the IGP to display the image you see even while using nvidia GPU

 

I have optimus and it doesn't work that way.... I can disable the IGPU or my 460m and run with the other opposite one. you just need an unlocked bios and I haven't seen one for the m14x

 

The only games that M14x (or Windows 64Bit) cannot run are those that made for Windows XP 32Bit, like C&C Red Alert 2 for example or any game that is make before 2007.

You said what game can the M14x not run, but you also said that Witcher 2 is "unplayable" <- that mean you Can it just it is run poorly, I think that game is somewhat similar to GTA4, where you have whitelist the game but still unable to get the game to run on the GT555M, I think it is better to ask around in their forum or contact the game's tech support, they might be able to help you.

 

Have to agree with the above statement, the GT 555M should not have any troubles running a modern game. That doesn't mean you can play on High or Ultra on every single game, just means you can play a game without really having to check the computer requirement specifications.

 

I've been running Civ 4 and Baldur's Gate 2 just fine.

Also, GTA4 runs at a nice stable 25-30 FPS on my M14x.

I've heard some horrible things about Witcher 2, but I've also seen it run at 30-40 FPS on Youtube (specifically on the M14x).
So there must be a way.

 

The only thing I've had a problem running was GTAIV and it ran god awful. I then found out the issues with it so I just let it drop for the moment. Crysis ran okay, I don't see myself maxing it out with all the settings since I ran in the low teens for FPS.

Hopefully we can Max Diablo 3 =3

 

I couldn't get GTA 4 to work with optimus either its one of the worst coded games I have ever seen.

 

Well I'd like to correct myself one thing, I was confuse with the year, I mean any game that is make before 2004 would have some issue with Windows 7 64Bit version BUT if you play with Windows 7 32Bit it wouldnt be any trouble, because on my old Desktop which run on Windows 7 32Bit Ultimate and it can play on pretty much every games (incl DOS game), and GTA4 I can run it on high (and max out nearly everything) and able to get an average of 30-45 fps, as well as on the benchmark it show that my avg fps was 40~45.

Follow this link to my old post, it contain both the commandline and benchmark I ran back in the time I have GTA4 installed -> GTA4 Benchmark and Commandline

 

meh I have optimus turned off now so its not a problem, I just haven't had the chance to reinstall the game.

 

bigtonyman - There is an unlocked A05 bios floating around for the m14x. That said although you can disable the intel gfx I dont think it works (I havent tried but someone else has). The reason it probably works for you is that you have an mxm card (which means AMD and nvidia gfx) whereas our 555m is soldered to the motherboard and I think they route the signal through the intel gfx.

 

ah that would make sense, shame it isn't that that easy to fix as I thought.

 

Uh....

If a game plays below 25 FPS that is basically unplayable. Under 20 is just uh...yea..

So that is the problem with the M14x.

 

I have tried many games on the m14x and they all work fine. Witcher 2 plays great. Knowing where source files are for the game config doesn't require a BS in IT or Computer Science. Just general PC knowledge. There are videos on youtube of the witcher 2 running on high settings at over 36fps on the m14x... stable. The game is not the most optimized and everyone was mad on release when you can get an alternate executable and you get a 7-10 fps increase with just a different (GOG) executable. This was later resolved but just proves my point of poor optimization/design. Other games that are premium games that run fine are BF3, Skyrim, Saints Row 3, SWTOR.

Good luck

 

I have a few videos in my signature of some gameplay, including Crysis 2, DiRT 3, MW3, etc.

 

I don't agree.

Under 10 is unplayable, between 15 and 20 it's still playable.

I have an old desktop that I upgraded last year with extra RAM and 3 ghz CPU (from 512 Mb & 1.8 ghz). I was greatly surprised at how it changed my Oblivion experience. Then I installed FRAPS on it and the game was running at 15-20 FPS on Medium settings. I was super happy until I saw the numbers.

Obviously you don't want a game that stutters all the time, but it doesn't at 20-25 FPS. It's not silky smooth like at 45-60, but to say it's unplayable is harsh.

Or maybe some of us are spoiled.

 

When you spend THIS MUCH MONEY on an Alienware M14x I think if you cannot play games at a Medium/High or High/Ultra graphics setting with good or extraordinary frames per second then it is NOT spoiled, the product simpy does not work as well as it should.

The M14x seems awkward for a gaming laptop because it sort of works but sort of fails. I really am thinking "Meh" as an overall review.

 

If you want performance then why dont you go for the M17x, because M14x sacrifice some performance for portability while M17x is opposite to M14x and M18x is for extreme. Plus the GT555M is not a high end card so dont expect it to run at high/ultra. M14x built mainly for portability/performance combo, and that two thing is like rival they dont go together.

However, because of the Optimus problem, most game (like GTA4) you'll have a hard time trying to get it work, I think if there's a BIOS mod like bigtonyman said, then we'll be able to enjoy games and will have no worry about the game that will not run well on the M14x.

It is maybe because of your M14x, because not all M14x are the same and that goes for the hardware too even if it is the same series, some will work and some will not. My M14x never had many many problem (beside the hardware problem and game that I dont own like yours) like from what you say, so before saying something is not work, then try to do search for solution first and the best thing is on their support forum of that particular game of yours. But I do admit that the M14x is not flawless, because of it is the first version, and by the time they release the later version aka M14xR2, those problem might get fix.

 

So you're saying that everyone who bought the first model M14x should not feel bad because they will let us purchase the M14xR2 and that will be better? Somehow that does not make me feel much better./

 

If you say that, so how about those who bought the M17xR2 and then get the R3, and same goes with the M11xR1 and the R2. The next generation will always be better than the previous, that for technology and for pretty much nearly everything.

 

if you want performance and the ability to play games maxed out buy a specced m18x, m14x is a perfect concept of gaming on a smaller laptop with larger hardware. R1 products generally have issues like the heat etc and these issues should be fixed next revision( I hope). Seems like all the R1 gens of any electronic device have issues

 

I suppose both of you are right. The laptop is a good size (it is still very portable) and is more powerful than all of my friends'/colleagues desktops even.

And it is under advanced warranty so I suppose if heat becomes a real issue and it stops working then they will fix/replace it with the R2 or something like that....hopefully.

I have been traveling HEAVILY with this laptop as I flew from the United States to India, and India is pretty much the harshest environment for a computer to be traveling (and I walk about 1 or 2 miles with this m14x every day). So I would say I am a good test case for the durability and portability of this laptop.

 

sure sounds like it. I just carry my alienware around school in my nice everki backpack. Don't have to lug it to far

 

I hope they would fix the heat issue by the time they release the R2 version too, so then I will reconsider if I still want to get the M17xR4 or the M14xR2.

Talking about travel, I carry the M14x to school everyday and believe me mate, in here it is very mountainous, worse than that my home is on the top of the hill, I kinda glad that I didnt get the M17x otherwise it would be tremendously heavy , but that wont be any problem because next year I would be able to get a car, so the weight problem would be gone

 

what if the next generation of 15x comes alive next year, then I doubt dell will be releasing 14x....

 

It is my understanding that the M15x was almost the same size as the M17x. If that is the case, then I do not really see a point in dropping the M14x.

The one thing the M14x has going for it over the Sagers and M17x is its size, which is basically the perfect laptop size -- not too big, not too small. So I would think they will keep trying to put a better GPU in the M14x rather than go back to M15x.

If they figure out how to put a better GPU in the M14x then I think that would settle the debate once and for all and make M14x the best TRUE laptop ever.

 

Well, I reckon they could, they can even throw in the GTX 580 if they want to, but it would smoke if they do so lol, the BIGGEST thing that prevent them from have the more powerful GPU is Heat Issue. And that was also an issue to all major computer component too, if Heat isnt an issue, then Intel would have able to produce the Pentium 6 with the clock speed of 4Ghz+, but because of that, they was revert to create the multi-core technology instead, since it would be more efficient and will produce less heat too.

 

I suppose it's in a different category than the rest (which actually tax the GPU), but Sonic Generations has yet to be fixed to where the game's configuration tool will properly recognize the 555m. As of right now, one can't even whitelist or force the game to use the card at all. In fact, the best (and only as far as I know) workaround that's been found so far is tricking the computer into thinking it's hooked up to an external monitor (or actually doing so), so the 555m is active to be detected by the game.