Advice for m11x

Hello all,

I am thinking of purchasing AM11x-826CSB over at newegg. At first, I was going to get a simple netbook, but not too slow... which turn out to be in 400 dollars range. I figured I might as well spend a few more for durability, longer lasting, and gaming capabilities.

I have a few questions though.

I heard the hinge issues that's causing problems for this particular laptop. I read the news of hinge change as well, but because I'm purchasing this off of newegg, I'm not sure if those are also updated. I do not want to purchase something that I might have to go through warranties over... and over... and over.

Also about the heat issue... what's that about?

I'm also planning to carry this around a lot.

Thanks in advance~

 

You will probably do better at the Dell store.If youre ok with a refurb,the Dell Outlet store ca have some good deals especially with a coupon.I bought one 2 weeks ago and it is indistinguishable from new and so far its been a blast.Also,I think the egg has Core2Duos and DO has the i5/17..The hinges I beleive are fixed now.If not,Dell is covering them..Hope this helps..Awesome laptop..I love mine!

 

Thanks for a reply.

I'm not very comfortable with refurbished. Never was for any product...

Core 2 duo is sufficient for me. I already have a gaming system. The price is what I like, at 650 bucks.

Is it comfortable to carry it around? I mean it is 5 pounds but at least it's sturdy? I'll be carrying around in school.

 

Depends how you carry it.
I myself have a hard case carrying case for it, so it isn't hard for me to carry it around.

 

It is very sturdy - the bottom is plastic, looking remarkably like metal, the palmrest is thick and solid plastic (no flex or creaks anywhere), the display lid has a resilient construction (not the hinges). It is a bit on the heavy side, but it is quite comfortable to carry around. Then the hinges go pop and oops - no more carrying around.

If you are prepared to deal with the hinges issue whatever it takes - you will likely consider the m11x to be a great school companion since it is sturdy, reasonably cool and quiet - and it will surely draw attention due to its attractive looks.

 

System is perfect for school and note taking. The little time I had mine on campus it was perfect for carrying around classes. Its somewhat heavier for a 11.6in due to its sturdy design.


Outlet systems come with the same 1 year warranty as new so dont shy away from them all together. I have got some amazing deals through there.

 

I heard that the gaming performance isn't very good due to the low voltage components. Is that correct? I'm not referring to gaming on battery, either. I mean just standard, plugged in gaming. I was told it didn't even play WoW very well.

Just curious, what kind of settings can it proficiently (50+ fps) play Starcraft 2 at? I have a sony vaio z and it has a 330m with an i5 (as opposed to a 335 + i7) and I play it on medium settings with really good frame rate and smoothness. I'm just curious as to what the m11x can do.

 

m11x is perfect for school. R1 with SDD can hit 7hours of battery life, so no need to carry cords around. Together with power "brick" I, personally, find it heavy, but without it everything is perfect. No heat problems at any conditions (using laptop in bed, lap placement, etc. ).

 

I'd recommend it. As a college student I also use it for school nearly everyday. I just have a sleeve for it and I'm good to go!

Temperatures are fine for in class. Haha I even game in class shhh!!!!! Still then the temperatures are bareable.

The hinges, in my opinion, are just about how you take care of your system. Don't treat it like it's invincible obviously. I'm sure it's fine. I got the soft touch stealth black, so it's isn't made out of metal I think xD. But still very durable.

 

Unfortunately, that is not even close to being true. A dangerous misconception, I fell victim to it once as well.

 

Yeah, I treat my computer very well, my M11x hinges broke once. But not any problem since. The R2 feels much better built when it comes to the hinges.

 

i have the R2 I5 refurbished. I still get the 1yr warranty and I have not had one problem with the refurbished model. I bet if I set it beside a new r2 you would say which one was refurbished. the only way I could tell would be the sticker on the bottom that says refurbished.

 

A vocal minority of people were unfortunate enough to have problems with the M11x hinge design. And a minority of THAT minority were unfortunate enough to go through several cycles of replacement / repair.

Any laptop you ever buy will have SOME people unfortunate enough to be able to tell disaster stories like what you've heard. You will never find a laptop where every single unit works, is reliable, and has zero complaints.

Most M11x users buy their laptop, use it, love it, and are fortunate enough never to have problems with it. In all likelihood, you will be among that group of people, if you decide to buy the M11x (which it sounds like you have already decided to do).

 

not all the M11x's have hinge issues, but if yours does... I'm pretty sure Dell will fix it for you. I doubt they would refuse to fix the hinge (if you got a bad one) for not having a warranty or having an expired warranty.

Heat issue? Uhhhh... the m11x can get a little hot, but nothing out of the ordinary. It has a fan system that will kick in and cool things down... but my m11x has never had a heat issue in the months that I've owned it. The laptop will get a little hotter when you overclock the CPU in the BIOS, and you may hear the fan kicking in more... but at stock speed, there isn't a real heat issue that I've experienced.

This laptop is perfect for that. I would recommend getting a carrying case however... I got the official Alienware one for the m11x, and it gets the job done but the rubberized texture of the m11x makes getting the laptop into the case rather difficult. The m11x comes with a very light cover sleeve which you can use, but don't expect it to protect your m11x if you drop it... it's more or less just a very thin sock that you put on your laptop.

Bottom line, for the price... you can't really go wrong with the m11x. If you just want something for casual gaming that's VERY portable... the m11x is where you wanna go. I've had mine for months and it's the best laptop that I've ever owned.

 

Just an fyi, I had my m11x for 3 weeks, the hinge started making a popping sound, and the soft touch paint is peeling, and i babied the heck out the thing. I called up dell last night and will be replacing lcd/hinge with new design, and the casing where the peeling is effected. I'd say the customer service is awesome (alienware at least) but the quality might not be up to par for some folks.