m14x for son's xmas

I have an m17x r3 and love it. My son really likes the m14x but a new one exceeds my xmas budget.

I've been watching the Dell outlet, and modestly equipped m14x seem to go for $1,000 - $1,100. If I could couple that with a 25% off coupon it would be managable. IF the 25% coupon comes back in time for xmas.

He mostly plays Stalker (all of them), Deus Ex HR, Fallout & Fallout NV, Metro, Crysis 2. Probably add Skyrim, BF3, and Diablo 3.

Two questions:
1. Can the m14x handle the above games at medium-high settings?
2. Would you buy the m14x again if you had an opportunity to go back in time?

 

Nevermind. Just read the new review on this site. Looks like a loser. Crap, I thought I had xmas almost solved!

 

My gaming philosophy:

If you can't run a game on 1920x1200 on high @ 60FPS minimum, build a new rig.

Just a several other of my life's principles: keep gaming to desktops, buy a MacBook, respect women.

 

Are you kidding? This notebook is amazing. I run Crysis at high settings with very good fps. I also run fallout 3 at max specs. This notebook is amazing for what it is: a portable gaming rig. No problems with mine either, and I'm sure your son would have the envy of many if he has the m14x, especially with the flashy lights!

 

I would agree with you on all points, but I began attending regular lan parties last year and lugging my desktop around became old very quickly.

I built my own gaming rigs for years before splurging on the m17x and used to scoff/laugh at laptop devotees and Alienware customers. I feel differently now.

 

You are probably right (since I don't have the experience of owning a gaming laptop)

I did have an XPS M1330 which I liked (gave it to my grandpa),
and now I use a 13" MacBook for "laptop needs", and a 4.29GHz i7 920 rig I've built in 2009 for gaming.

 

Maybe you should ask your kid about it. If he really wants it it may be worth it, but i mean thats your choice of course. Im 14 so i just think of it in the way that itd be like my dad decided hed buy me a desktop instead of a gaming laptop i really wanted

 

m14x would play all them gasmes medium to high no problem. wjile a desktop is always going to be better it just depends on budget and if you have the space. i went for gaming laptop as i have no space for desktop.
going back in time yes i would rebuy. has the perfect balnce for gamin and portability.

 

Thats what I got from my dad for x-mas of 1999 (a 7 year old computer at the time), with a black&white monitor, 2 MB ram, 33MHz 80-386 Intel, 25Mhz Math Co-Processor and a 40 mb hard drive.

At the time I would've definitely preferred a P3 533MHz (Top of the line), but in retrospect, this was a really good decision on my dad's part.

 

Lol, that's awesome! Very similar to my first computer, including the black & white monitor! Some people don't believe me when I tell them some monitors used to be black & white.

This gives my age away a little bit, but I was already graduated from college and the computer was brand new!

 

Sorry, but the m14x is good enough for a 30 yr old gamer, why not a teenager! It plays battlefield 3 in high on single player, medium/high on multiplayer! its smooth! Its a great machine!

If you want portability and want to play games, then m14x. if he wants to move it occasionally and wants great graphics then its m17x. if he wants out and out performance, its m18x or a desktop.

 

Sorry I have very high standards for gaming:

As I have started out on really low power systems, and spent quite some time gaming on bare minimum, I personally hate being "under powered".

It is very subjective and 90% of the gamers would disagree, but none the less, my standards are: Minimum FPS 60 (as in low dips), Resolution 1920x1200.

Upto 2009 all my computers ran games on med-high @ 60fps tops,
after I bought and built a "current" rig, I've noticed that my gaming experience improved drastically. I've literally made a transition from casual n00b to a 1337 pr0.

I've started a team and we played in the AlienWare tournament for Left For Dead 2, we took 20th place out of 128 in North America. Not too bad for a amateur team, most of the top 20 teams were "pro's" with previous track records.


The difference between playing on a system which does not dip below 60 FPS versus an "under powered" system is the difference in people's reaction - I've been accused of aim-botting many-a-times once I've had a performance rig.

And although I do not have personal experience with gaming laptops, and I understand that the new SandyBridge mobile CPUs are a few steps over the first Core 2 Duo's, I am still uneasy about the life expectancy and actual performance one could push out of a laptop graphically.

 

So, you dont like gaming laptops so came on this laptop advice thread to tell him not to get a laptop in a laptop forum under the subforum of a laptop gaming brand?

 

Just providing some counter-views

Obviously any kid would be thrilled to get their hands onto an M14x.
But if the kid built a gaming rig, they'd probably benefit in more ways than having an "out-of-box" solution.

I never recommend laptops for gaming:
a) Dollar per FPS much higher than desktop
b) Risk of failure much higher than desktop (just accidental damage)
c) Cost to recover from failure (video card failure may require MB replacement)

..just saying

 

Oh dont worry I understand, was just teasing the irony of it I just think the dad should let the kid know the budget and pick his own. Im 14 and would be scouring the internet for all the options, heck he could even have the kid sent here and post/lurk around depending on his age. Thats dads choice though. Either way its gonna cost the parents about 1000$ but at least the kid gets what he wants.

 

Yeah, that's definitely a great approach.
One downside - the surprise is totally out of the present.

But you are right on the research aspect, if his kid has any technical inclination, he'd be all over the net finding the best possible use for $1000 budget.

 

True, lets just hope hes not some 16 year old waiting for santa to get his present lol ._.

 

You know, I'm a dad too. My daughter is a bit young for a laptop (she's 4) but in a couple of years, if I can afford it and she's into games (AND SHE WILL BE. OH YES, SHE WILL BE...), I'm getting her the M8x (in the future!) so that she can play Crysis 5 - The Return of the Camo Dragons and GTA 13 - Los Albaquerque.

But for now, Sir, I wish you were my dad (don't get me wrong, I adore my father, he's great. But he would NEVER buy me a gaming laptop. His argument is: Grow up, get a job and buy one yourself. Which I did! Thanks dad!)!

 

I think the m14x would be fine for all the games you listed there. Mine plays every game I play on my desktop without the need to OC the gpu at all. DCUO, FFXIV, SWTOR this weekend 8], WoW, BF3, Skyrim [don't ask] etc. Here's a vid of me failing at BF3 [beta footage]:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr2Xxrv2rqE

 

My first computer was an acorn electron, sort of give my age away somewhat also.
On the subject of the m14x, I really like mine........coming from a 13" macbook which was frightful at gaming. Was a real step up and still retained a good level of portability. Battery life very good for its type.
There may be the odd game it cannot realistically play on highest settings, like crysis. I'm talking 60fps before anyone stamps feet .............but not found anything it couldnt play on medium.

"Just a several other of my life's principles: keep gaming to desktops, buy a MacBook, respect women."

Words of wisdom and almost identical to mine, with the added exception of dont rub another mans rhubarb plus if it dont sh+t on land its not edible

 

The major problem with m14x is it cannot max all the games you listed. This will be a problem because the NVIDIA GT 555m is soldered into the motherboard, meaning it cannot be upgraded. I would advise the m17x for its better (and upgradeable) graphics card, although as you know it is quite big and heavy. If you must have a 14 inch laptop, the m14x is the best you can get.

The best gaming laptop you can purchase is either m17x or m18x. But if you are looking for a computer strictly for gaming then obviously a desktop is preferable not only because it is much more powerful but also is future proof due to high upgradeability.

I originally wanted to purchase a gaming desktop with two graphics cards and the best possible hardware, but because I have to travel I realized I needed a portable laptop. Thus, I bought the m14x. It is NOT an all out gaming machine -- it is a mix of a work laptop and a gaming laptop.