What should I do?

So I am stuck and dont know what to do.
I am definetly buying a alienware laptop but I have 3 choices.

Choice 1:
Alienware M14x Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 2630QM (2.0Ghz, 6MB, 4C)
1.5gb GT555
4gb of 1600mhz ram
1600x900 screen
Killer wireless card
I live in the UK so that comes out at 1250 GBP.
The above laptop is brand new.

Choice 2:
Alienware m17x r3 Intel Core i7-2630QM
256 GB Solid State Drive Ultra Performance
4 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz (2 DIMMs)
Display: 17.3-inch Wide FHD (1920 x 1080) WLED LCD
Graphics: 1.5 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M or a 5870.
Works out at 1050 GBP but it is a certified refurb.

Choice 3:
Alienware m17x r3 Intel Core i7-2630QM
4 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz (2 DIMMs)
Display: 17.3-inch Wide FHD (1920 x 1080) WLED LCD
Graphics: 1.5GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560M
Works out at 1350 GBP but it is brand new.


This would be my first alienware and I know with a certified refurb I wont get the "alienware experience" so I am unsure.
In my position what would you do, thanks.

 

Are you ok with the larger size? If so I would try to get a m17x r3 with atleast the 6970 GPU. The performance and cooling are a huge plus. I have both systems as of now but would never part ways with my m17x.

If only those options above I would go with choice 3.

 

I'd say, if you have a smaller laptop for traveling/carrying around, get the m17x with the gtx 560m, it'll be a beast at gaming. If you want a moderate gaming machine with some portability characteristics, the m14x is the choice for you. Just keep in mind, at whatever you pick, the m17x is huge and heavy, makes the m14x looks like a netbook. The m14x isn't light, but its much smaller and not really too dense, so it feels light for its size.

 

For pure gaming, I'd get the 3rd choice. You've basically listed the laptops in terms of increasing gaming performance and decreasing portability.

As for certified refurb, I've heard good things about them, especially since they're backed with the same warranty as new ones. In Canada, this means next business day in home service.

 

depends what you are gonna do with it.
if your mainly gaming then m17x new. i went with m14x i really should of gone for m17x as i mainly game on them.
still pleased with m14x it has ran everything i want to play on it so far.

 

I plan on using it to shift about the house, sometimes take it to my mates when we have abit of a nerdfest xD and probably uni next year, I mean can the m14x run most games on ultra?

 

Umm newer titles maybe not on ultra, like crysis 2 can run ultra at 25 or less fps, and bf3 wont be able to, maybe medium to high settings. But that's still better than any console

 

I was never really in to games like crysis, I like online FPS games.
I used to play wow alot, does the m14x demolish it?

 

Yeah the m14x blows WoW away, bfbc2 can be maxed out as well.

 

The 3th one.

You can upgrade ram to 32GB later if you want. You can add a blu ray player/burner and watch movies, they do look amazing on the FHD screen. You can upgrade the GPU later with a 580m, 6790m or 6990m. You could buy a SSD for the OS and use the stock one for data since it has 2 HDD bays.

Just some things you could do with the M17x R3.

See if you can get the 6990m. Contact a rep. You should be able to get the 3th config with a 6990m for about 1400. I would def. buy it.

 

Go look at some 17 inch laptop (like the HP I have next to me). It is awkwardly large. 17 inches is a desktop replacement system. So, if you pull a 17 inch Alienware (which is even larger than any HP laptop, and louder) out in an airport or some other public place, the sheer size and bright lights might as well come with a siren that tells people "Hey! Look at this! Steal this!"

However, m17x has a better graphics card and other things for gaming. I almost regretted getting m14x instead of m17x but then I realized that I would actually feel embarassed even using the m17x in public. I am just going to get a desktop along with this laptop instead.

If you are keeping the computer in one place and using it only for home use then definitely m17x, otherwise m14 x (14 inches is what I would consider a true laptop size). Just remember you cannot game on m14x like you can on m17x because your hardware (graphics card) is set in stone, cannot be upgraded on the m14x.

 

m14x handles any online game like Counter-strike, Team Fortress 2, WoW, and stuff that isn't graphically demanding. It also handles , games like Dragon Age, Fallout, Oblivion on Ultra-high (I just play it on high though). It has trouble playing The Witcher 2 (very graphically demanding) but some others have posted here that it plays with updated graphics drivers which you can download.

If you are going to college and planning on taking a computer to classes I would definitely suggest the m14x. I doubt girls are going to fall over for you when you pull out some gigantic m17x in the middle of class, and I will bet 5 U.S. dollars that it gets stolen.

 

Well I have heard there is plans to scrap the m18x and make the m17x the top dog of alienware laptops again, So I guess if this happens the m17x will become very expensive, I cannot afford the laptop till january anyway