should i wait?

i hav never purchased a alienware before
m14x seems like a solid portable gaming laptop
i configure mine but havent placed a order yet

$1339
PROCESSOR -Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.9GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM-Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
MEMORY-4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz edit
VIDEO CARD-1.5GB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M using NVIDIA Optimus™ technology
HARD DRIVE-500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
LCD PANEL 14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
WIRELESS CARDS Intel® Advanced-N WiFi Link 6205 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE-8x SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Slot Load Optical Drive
SOUND OPTIONS Soundblaster® X-Fi™ Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled
BLUETOOTH Internal Bluetooth 3.0

i was alittle disappointed it didnt have a option for a different graphic card or a blue ray drive.
the graphic card is good but not great
and i would hate to replace for a new gaming laptop every 1 or 2 years
is it possible for a upgrade like the cpu n graphic card in the future?
any m14x owners have any opinon on the performance or any problems with m14x?
how often do alienware laptop gets a new cpu or graphic card?

 

Nope. This is not an M15x which was upgradeable. The GPU is on the motherboard here, not on an MXM card. Not sure about the CPU, but there are no guarantees that anything out today will be upgradeable to Ivy Bridge anyway (unless you are using a beastly laptop with a desktop CPU, then maybe...).

 

The m14x is a solid gaming notebook. The gt555m is a good card, but not great, but you can always overclock it. Unfortunately, the gpu isn't an actual dedicated card, it's a chip soldered to the motherboard with it's own dedicated memory. Which mean's it cannot be replaced. Which also means it doesn't have it's own dedicated fan, which means of course, it gets blistering hot.

I doubt you can upgrade the cpu too. The socket's would be different probably for the new ivy bridge line. And that's if it's possible to take the old cpu out.

If you want the m14x, you can get it now. I'd drop the sound blaster. It's just software. And newegg yourself some hyperX ram, 8gb for 100 bucks. You'll be set.

The gaming experience on this laptop is great though. It runs most games on high, but that's barely. After maybe a year, you'd have to back off the graphic settings of newer games. If you want the best specs for the price, there are a lot of better laptops with gtx 560's in them for around the same price. But if you want the alienware, it's a great laptop.

 

I dont get why the M14x is getting such bad views. The 555M is not amazing, but if I bet if it was considered GTX no one would say that. "High but barely"? Please elaborate, because I play BFBC2 maxed @ 1600x900 at almost 100FPS with a small overclock.

The CPU IS upgradeable, as stated in the manual. No one knows about ivy bridge, but you can go up to any sandy bridge CPU you'd like. I myself may upgrade to a 2820QM at a later date (when prices drop respectively).

The GPU isnt a desktop replacement and I wish something better couldve been put in, but nothing could have. It plays Metro 2033 maxed with no AA @ 1366x768 at about 30f[s with OC @ 750/1080, so in a few years you may be setting settings to medium, but itll play games on high respectively with over 30fps for 3 years at a minimum.

 

I think people slam it because Alienware replaced the M15x with the M14x, so people assume this is an M15x in a smaller body. That's really not the case though. It's more a "portable that can game really well", not a "hardcore gaming portable" like the M15x was or any of the laptops people instantly try to compare it to (ASUS G53, MSI GT68x, Clevo/Sager's with GTX GPUs).

If you set your perspective right as to where it sits in relation to the rest of the laptops on the market, then it's a good, solid machine, albeit a tad expensive.

 

Actually, I find the GPU stays rather cool (mid 70's overclocked). The CPU however, can push 90 when stressed...

 

No one's slamming the m14x in this thread. And BFBC2 for me, even when I overclocked my gpu to 760 mhz, shaders adjusted accordingly, and gpu ram to 1000, I got 30-40 FPS maxed at 1600x900, 4x aa 4x filtering. And that's at idle game play. Once the shooting start's going on, it dips below 30 fps. But when 700-800 dollar laptops have the gt555m or equivalent, I highly doubt the m14x is worth the price if you paid higher than 1500 for it. A lot of people put this laptop on a pedestal. (Probably in the "honeymoon phase" with this laptop still) It's a great laptop no doubt, but there are great rivals. Alienware is like the "apple" of gaming pc's to me. You can get more bang for your buck with other brands. When some people, including me, point out some flaws or cons about it, it's not a negative review, i look at it as being honest. I haven't seen any review where someone's just slamming the m14x on here or any other site. It just wasn't the laptop for them. If you want a pure hardcore gaming laptop, this isnt for you. If you want a laptop that can game with the drawbacks of being portable (less powerful gpu) then this is a good contender. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, good or bad, and it's up to the reader to decide. I don't know why, but when anyone say's something negative about the m14x, you tend to take it personally.

 

If you dont like Alienwares, dont buy them. Not meaning to get pushy, but I dont understand how you can get such framerates when I got better out of the box, and 5 hours battery out of the box. If you dont like a company, dont buy their computers and bash it on forums. Return it. I have a feeling youre fibbing on your quotes because you don't want people to get an Alienware because its not powerful enough for you, which I can understand. But youre then tricking other people out of getting something good. Theres alot of flaws with the m14x, but dont lie about them please

EDIT: Also, trying not to be ignorant here, but if you are truly getting those quotes, then I would call Dell suport and tell them your system is subpar of other specifications, and ask for a new model. There would obviously appear to be something wrong with your m14x

 

See what i mean by getting way too personal? In my first post of this thread. I clearly said the m14x is a solid gaming notebook (ignorance on your part), and that the gt555m is a good card (more ignorance on your part). And actually they're in the first two sentences. So yeah, you do mean to do ignorant, do you work for dell or something? Nothing i said was a lie. And yes you are even more ignorant if you think there aren't better components for the price. I didn't even point out a flaw here. Admit it, you're in love with your m14x, how cute I never said I don't like dell/alienware (ignorance) I have had 3 dell pc's. Never have I straight out bashed the m14x (more ignorance). I want people to realize other brands before people like you trick them into buying the m14x by not pointing out the flaws. (the motherload of ignorance) I don't care if someone buy's the m14x or not. I just want them to be informed of what they're buying. I even said the gaming experience is great, come on dude, no more ignorance. You seem like a troll with nothing better to do. And for your benefit, i took the courtesy of bolding the good things i said about the m14x, hopefully you can read them and not ignore them before you make your ignorant claims. And before you reply to this, re-read the bolded words...and again. I even told winkawak to drop the sound blaster, add ram, and he'll be set. I never once told him not to get the m14x. Which you're accusing me of. I even ended by telling him if he wants the m14x, it's a great laptop. I'm getting tired of typing the word "ignorant" ahh i did it again!

 

calm your nipples ppl lol
how often do alienware upgrade their graphic card or cpu?

 

The short answer is a few weeks of whenever an appropriate Card is released by Nvidia/Ati.

In the case of the 14x, the 555m is a relatively new card, so that will likely be a quite while from now. Maybe they'll put in an ATI card in at one point, but that is unknown for now.

 

Yeah, sorry, gear's has been on my case for a while, just needed to nudge him off. They usually update their system's every year or so. But that's no reason not to get the m14x now. Anything you buy is gonna be outdated in a year anyway. Idk if the m14x can handle anything above the gt graphic card it has. It already heats up a lot.

 

Once per revision (typically). That usually means once per generation. I honestly wouldn't expect an update until Ivy Bridge, but at the same time, what GPU would go into it? Nvidia just released the rest of their 500-series GPUs, AMD is just finishing the release of their 6000-series GPUs. If Ivy Bridge is at the end of this year, we might still be in the same GPU cycle as we are today.

If that were the case, I wouldn't expect an R2 until next year when both Ivy Bridge AND a new GPU can be sourced. Unless they switch to an AMD chip (possible) in the mid-cycle refresh, but what? A 6770M is only marginally better if at all.

It would have to be something in the same TDP capacity as we have in today's GT 555M and AMD 6770M of about 45W. No chance at a GTX 560M without a full redesign of the laptop's innards and power subsystem. Gotta be realistic here folks...

 

does the laptop really gets heat up like crazy when playing on high settings?
or is the temperature controlled?

 

Heat up like crazy you ask? You're in for a surprise. You can't game on your lap, let alone touch the bottom when moderately gaming. It burns, literally. Especially the metal nameplate on the bottom, it gets scaldingly hot. If i can find my infrared thermometer, i'll post the temps.

 

omg that sounds horrible
its gonna end up like my sony laptop
3 year ago i was gaming cod mw1 on my sony in low setting
it got pretty hot so i turn on the ceiling fan lol
soon after the motherboard was fried
good thing it happened the week before my 1 yr warranty expired

 

Ah, happy to hear I really didnt insult you but you felt the need to call me ignorant and other things over and over and over and over again. I really appreciate it. Im such a troll for challenging your false information.


Anyways, @ OP. The m14x can get hot, but the fan takes care of most of it. it is no where near scolding, and the only place that gets hottest is where the fan is. I use it on my lap most of the time, so just leave the fan hole uncovered most of the time and the machine will be fine.

 

Or get a nice laptop cooler pad that lets you reposition the fans. Keep your man (or lady) parts from cooking and push extra air into the laptop's cooling system!

 

i called dell today about the free xbox promotion
they told me,i have to select the m14x they configured in order to get the deal
the configuration is good but a couple things i didnt like
for example it had 6gb ddr3 ram at 1600mhz(single channel)
she keeps tellin me its dual but at the spec it does not state its a dual like other does and the wifi is 1x2 not a 2x2 Advanced-N WiFi Link 6205 a/g/n MIMO Technolog.
but i think later on she was willin to upgrade the wifi for me.
i just dont kno if i should get it.
everything else is my configuration except these 2
should i get it or wait till some new upgrade arrives

 

Well, its based around nvidia entirely, so we really wont see an upgrade until the next NVIDIA X00 series, so NVIDIA 600 or 700. And with the NVIDIA 500 series just fresh out basically, I suspect no upgrades for a year or more. Just my ETA though. If you want the m14x, it wont hurt much to jump on it now.

 

I agree with some of both sides here,but I get great play and performance out of my M14X.Forget about synthetic benchmarks. In real world game play, I have bbc2, and fear3,crysis2 etc,they look and play great!I repasted my cpu & gpu,which I do on every pc anyway,and its about the same as my xps maybe a little cooler.I also use a 20.00 dollar cooler.I have never felt any abnormal heat.If you optimize and repaste, this M14X is a little beast.Let's not forget it's a 14!And the gt555 is a new card,so as far as a refresh gears is correct in saying not gonna see a new one soon.Theres a great article on anandtech about the new ati and nvidia 5&6 series.My opinion is anything you buy will be old tech,in a year anyway.Right now the M14X sandy bridge gt555 combo works great and its still pretty portable too....Again (In my opinion) I mean no disrespect to either argument.For me the M14X is more than enough.Thanks, and also yes there are better gaming laptops with 560 etc,but not in a 14!

 

Couple of notes:
Traditionally, Dual channel ram requires 2 identical sticks. A 6 GB system is going to have 1 2gb stick, and one 4 gb. That means it'll likely drop back to single channel mode. (Also, 1600 mhz ram is only on the 2720 and higher processors, as the 2630 is only capable of 1333.) Nevertheless, it will have a negligible performance impact in the real world. Truthfully, i'd push tor 4 GB of ram, and if in the future it becomes a problem, replace them with a pair of 4gb sticks for a total of 8.

As for network cards, the main benefits of the higher end ones are going to be better connections to a network (longer range) and a higher throughput if the router supports it. If you don't happen to have a MIMO router, (or a flaky connection across the house) the upgraded card won't be particularly noticeable either.

 

My 2630 is at 1600mhz for the ram, it just won't go any higher.

 

You can overclock it in the bios

I just did it yesterday, works fine. Brings my Windows Experience Index up to 7.9 on ram (I know its useless, but kind of cool lol)

 

pretty much wat i said
but more specific
i might give that representative a call back
see if she can change the ram and network card for me
if she can
she got herself a deal lol

 

Just for the record, Ivy Bridge will not be compatible for the mobile platform, and is iffy for desktops as they require a BIOS update and some other configuration on the motherboard. In either case though, they will be same pin array.

 

No way you get 5 hours out of the box at all....!

I have try it with the original hard disc, with a momentusXT and with an Intel 160GB SSD and no, max battery you can get on non stop normal usage is 3:30

I know that because i take it to my work every afternoon I arrive at 3 pm and left at 6:30

and when i arrive i have full battery when i go is out of battery.

 

I dont know man. With lights on and everything I get 4.5 hours. I didnt time it much but I recieved my m14x at like 10:30 the day I got it, then used it on battery only for setting it up and didnt have to plug it in till like 3, which was 4.5 hours, but I remember I still had like 40 minutes left

so yeah

And that was with lowest brightness and no lights on

 

damn dude how much did you spend on your alienware m14x?
looks like u spend around 2500-3000 from your specs
also is 14" screen small for a average laptop?

 

Really? The only thing on his M14x according to his sig that really looks like a big paid extra the warranty. The rest is pretty standard fare for what most people seem to buy (3 GB GPU excepted).

 

I thought the 2630 doesn't support 1600MHz RAM. It only supports 1066 / 1333.

 

you can still overclock the ram to 1600Mhz. It is not "supported" by Intel but it can be done.

I have a 2720 in mine and I run my RAM at 1866Mhz even though it is supposed to top out at 1600Mhz.

Also I dont know where the last guy is getting his qoutes of 2k-3k becasue my M14x, even after upgrading to SSD and going from 4GB factory to 8GB HyperX, cost less then 1700 USD.

BTW the heating of the M14x isnt that bad. My older Clevo with a GTX runs just as hot if not hotter with dual fans and is a 17" model to boot.

IMO I think the m14x is a great mix for gaming vs size.... honestly for its size its only real downfall is wieght as it leans more into the 15.6" models there but I don't really notice it coming form the 17" Clevo that wieghts about 12 pounds.

 

Thanks. Did you call Dell when you ordered and get any extra discounts?

 

The m14x with 2720 8gb 1600 mhz 500 gb hdd (who cares cuz it's getting an ssd,3gbgt555,900p lcd,6250,blu tooth,almost top specs on us site is $1794.00 before disc or tax and they offer free ship.There is new ram now that supports I think over 2k mgz I read a few people on here have it and the 2720 supports it.Size wise I have the m17 the 14 feels like an m11x compared to it.Also although the asus gaming series 15 is an awesome laptop if you have the m14x and the g53 together,you'll see the difference in bulk.The sager is imho a better compare and a great machine too.

 

My m14x came out to 1800 with the advanced warranty. It wouldve been like 2100 but I called and got a rep who got me 250$ off. So far loving it. 14 inches is the perfect size for a screen in my opinion (well actually wouldve prefered 14.5 but lol who cares). 1600x900 is small but it looks really crisp and clear, and gives lots of screen real estate.


14 inches isnt "small" for a laptop, but its in the more portable area.

 

how are you guys getting 200-300 off
wat r u saying to the representatives?

 

I said simply, I need 8gbs of ram, but 200$ would add too much. Im hoping we can work out a deal.


After we customized he got me 250$ off

 

i remenber now
u can actually get 200-300(apply $50 coupon code)
not because of the sale representatives
its because dell has online coupons for limited time offer like this one
http://www..com/AlienwareM14xCoupons

 

Thats what I was trying to say,I purposely wanted a 14 for the portability.Even if I'm mostly plugged in. I still have the option of taking it somewhere,unlike my M17X which is much larger.And honestly right now,it plays everything I throw at it.For me it's the perfect size to performance ratio, atleast for a few months.lol (Tech changes so fast)

 

i was comparing my cousin's 2 years old gateway p 7805u graphic card
Nvidia 9800m gts with the m14x gt555m.
and i dont find much difference between the two
NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M - Notebookcheck.net Tech
NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS - Notebookcheck.net Tech

 

I wouldnt trust the benchmarks on notebookcheck too much.. Ive never even gotten below 20fps on Metro 2033 ma, let alone 9!

The 555M, so far in my opinion, is about 10-15% faster than the GTX260M (Of course thats just off the top of my head, comparing my old computer to the m14x )

 

Take notebookcheck benchmarks with a grain of salt (as you should with all benchmarks), for one.

Secondly, in its time, the 9800M GTS was pretty high end. Compared to today's Nvidia line-up, it would be akin to a 560M in that it's the lowest GPU available in a mobile SLI solution. The fact that your cousin's 2 year old laptop GPU is neck and neck with a current generation GT 555M in your comparison should show you where the 555M really sits in the overall Nvidia lineup. It's clearly their mid-range GPU of today, and best of the non-GTX "enthusiast" parts (i.e. GTX 560M, 570M, 580M).

 

what setting can m14x with i7 2630, 4gb 1600mhz ram, nvidia gt555m 1.5gb run on metro 2033

 

Medium/high with dx11 720p around 30 fps and worst scenes around 25 .. metro 2033 is just crazy, its the new crysis. :s

 

i dont understand why pc game designers
have to make game specs almost impossible to play
why cant they make games like the console

 

Because console hardware changes once every 5-8 years (10 if Sony and Microsoft are true to their word). Console hardware becomes a standard baseline for you to program against, which makes life easier for the developer as every user will have the same experience, but it's very limiting because the technology is comparatively "out of date" so quickly.

PC hardware advances much faster. Pretty much quarterly. Not only that, but computers have sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much variance from one to the next. Remember that laptops are considerably weaker than their desktop counterparts, dollar for dollar. Nothing is impossible to play if you stay up to date on the best hardware out there.

There are 54 million Xbox 360s sold worldwide since launch. There are hundreds of millions of computers (if not billions) in the world, how many of them do you think are identical in specifications? Good luck programming to a "console-style standard".

If you want a portable console experience, buy a 3DS/PSP/PS Vita. If you want a high-def console experience, buy a 360 or PS3. If you want to play high-end video games at insane frame rates and maximum graphic quality and not spend a lot to do it, buy a desktop.

 

This is why there are standardized API's like DirectX.

 

i already know about all that
just it sucks knowing your gaming rig wont able to run games thats a year from now in high settings

 

Just placed a order for m14x
and had a great deal!
total=$1,381.86
Processor= i7 2630qm
Memory= 4GB DDR3 1600Mhz
Video= Gt555m 1.5Gb
Screen= 900p
Hard Drive= 500GB
Os= Window 7 Home Premium
Wireless= Killer Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO for Gaming and Video(just came out today!)
Bluetooth= 3.0 built in

 

I dunno, I use 1280x800 with OC on 765/1080 and high performance mode. Its always 25fps or above on Max with no aa and 4x af. It can drop lower outside though