How long do these m11x last?

Coming from a MBP, although the quality of it was very nice; i was dissatisfied with its gaming abilities. Wanted one of these for a while but concerned with build quality. How long do they generally last? of course going for the m11x r3

 

how long does it last in terms of what?

 

Of course you would be dissatisfied with the gaming abilities; the smaller you get with laptop, less powerful it is. If you were looking to buy a powerful laptop that is as small as m11x, you won't find any other. If the size matters, this would be the best you'd find. If the size doesn't matter, you're looking at the wrong item.

These generally last less than a minute if you decide to throw it at a wall or drop it on a concrete floor 5 feet high. However, they generally last longer the more careful you use it. Get my point? If you were talking technology wise, who knows?

 

I personally found my MacBook Pro to be very unfriendly to any kind of abuse. I was in high school when I last had one, so 6 years later I've found that I take much better care of my technology. Even then though, setting my backpack down incorrectly lead to dented corners. I'd say the m11x is just about as durable, but I am of course a jaded former MacBook owner.

In terms of hardware, an R2 or R3 I'd imagine being perfectly suitable for gaming for at least another year or two!

 

Aside from the obvious of dropping it or throwing it -__-, i was more curious about the cosmetics of it. I've been reading alot about uneven keyboards, is this an wide known issue for all m11x's? And as far as the hinges, i've heard they've been fixed. Are there any confirmations?

I just want to invest $1000+ into a laptop that'll actually last.

I know the specs etc are amazing for such a tiny notebook, but i'm hoping it'll physically and internally (hardware) will last 2-3 years at least.

 

the R3 has a different hinge by default.

the keyboards have a small dip in them (still)

expecting the R3 to last you at least 2-3yrs totally depends on your opinion on what is playable FPS and what games you play. im 100% sure that there are games right now that wont even play a avg. of 30 FPS. then there are others that may avg. 100FPS.

it really depends on your needs. but don't expect the smallest gaming laptop to give you the best gaming experience. your are making a performance sacrifice for portability. if your not cool with that you should look into a bigger form factor.

from a wearing out point of view the R1 hasn't even been out that long yet so no one can tell you if the part will last 2-3yrs. but there is Dells extnd. warranty

 

Graphically and CPU wise, i'm not worried because this little laptop is more powerful than anything i've owned thus far. Thanks for the responses, since it's accurate to say the m11x has only been out for a bit longer than a year i'll just have to contemplate this on my own.

Perhaps someone can answer a more vague broad question regarding Alienware as a whole. Since Alienware has been up and about for years, are their laptops generally decent and a good investment?

Thanks for your replies.

 

I've had my M11x r2 since July last year (I believe), so nearly a year. I ordered it with maxed out specs at the time. It still looks pretty much brand new, and performs like it too! I've been overclocked to maximum frequency since I got it, only ever had one BSOD using this computer.


I've really loved this M11x, and am going to be ordering a 3D M17x after they refresh it. I've been with Alienware in the past for many years, loved 'em.

 

i cant speak from a long term point of view as this is my first Alienware, but i can give you my engineering point of view and say this is one of the most well built laptops ive ever taken apart. ive been repairing laptops for about 10yrs now and can easily say the design was not just thrown together.

aside from the obvious hinge issue(which has been apparently fixed) id say the build quality is in the higher end of laptop manufactures (still not perfect but none are IMO).

 

I've had my r1 since they came out last year and I've yet to have any kind of problem with it- No hinge, keyboard, screen issues whatsoever. It's been one of the best computer purchases I've ever made.

 

Which MBP is this?
Build quality is solid, not great, not counting the hinge issue. The keyboard touches the screen, the status bar inset scratches easily, the screws strip fast and the front left and right corners on some units can be pushed to make a clicking sound. That's not all the points, only the ones I've found on my M11xes.

 

hmm thank you for your reply! im coming from a 2011 13" mbp

 

I can attest to the screws stripping out on my m11x R1! I had * 5* ( yes 5) screws strip out on the bottom plate of my m11x ... luckilly I had extended warranty and got dell to replace them. I had to send them the entire unit and they fixed it. I'd definately go with a warranty with the m11x, and you can't go wrong. I love my m11x even thru the trials and tribulations! this thing works great with linux too!

-fnord0

 

I have zero stripped screws and ive seriously taken mine apart over 20 times trying the different pinmod combos, No joke...

I keep the botom plate pressed down flush with the frame when i unscrew the the screws so they dont fly open from the tension the plate has near the front of the laptop. hope that helps ppl out.

 

I've had my m11x R1 hinge replaced, but other than that it's holding up very very well.

I'd say the build quality is up there with any other laptop I've owned. Granted you're not going to get the insane attention to detail that you get with Apple designed products, but excluding that the design of this is among the best. It's pretty sturdy and rugged, up there with some business class laptops and approaching Thinkpads in build quality.

The metal outer shell is nice and fairly scratch resistant. The hex pattern for the touchpad area is prone to showing finger oil, but the keyboard feels pretty tight overall and after over a year I'd say mine is wearing pretty well. I like mine enough that I went ahead and bought the 3yr warranty and plan on keeping it at least that long.

You'll see some people complain about some manufacturing defects, so if you do buy one just give it a good look over and make sure everything is aligned properly, no weird bulges. I don't think it's that common, just the people who got them were very vocal about it on the boards. I've seen similar complaints from very vocal mac users about manufacturing defects as well. It happens.

 

I actually went ahead a bought one! it's the r3 i5 8gb ram, 500gb hdd. They offered me free overnight shipping, $65 refund, and with my 75$ coupon I bought this laptop for around $950 including tax.

Pretty satisfied with the price

thanks everyone

 

nice. good choice.