M11x Pre-Order Configuration Questions... Ask HERE

Seeing multiple 'I need help with my configuration' posts... Please ask here. Lets not fill up the forum with these type of threads.

Reference this before posting as it may answer many of your questions:
Documentation

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Chipset is mobile Intel QS67.

 

Ok! I am purchasing an R3 tomorrow, 'tis decided. I could get a better deal online than with the reps I spoke to, due to the current $75 off discount available, so that's what I'm going to use. I have configuration questions about the levels of performance relating to the options, so here we go!

#1 - i5-2537M + 1GB VRAM vs i7-2617M + 2GB VRAM

Obviously, this is the most important one. I am thinking that I will go for the i7, but does it really noticeably increase speed and performance? Honestly, the increase in VRAM alone kinda seems worth it - even though 1GB should be enough, it might just cause a little throttling in some of the more RAM-intensive games. Especially when you factor in the extra $110 discount you get right now for choosing the i7 configuration, I think that's what I'll go with - *unless* the difference is performance is really tiny and negligible. Is it? A little guidance and information would be wonderful.

#2 - Wireless N-1000 1x2 vs Wireless N-6205 2x2

Now, this upgrade intrigues me because it's only like $25. Does it improve the performance of the wireless card in any real way? To be honest, better wireless reception would actually help in some circumstances. If I do get better reception with the N-6205, then it seems like it would be worth it for the fairly cheap upgrade. I find this really tempting so I'd like to know if it actually has any impact at all.

#3 - Internal Bluetooth 3.0

This also intrigues me, also cheap at just $20. I do not currently use any bluetooth devices, but I might in the future. Now, in the interests of future-proofing my new sub-notebook, I feel like $20 could be a very worthy investment for an internal bluetooth card. Can I forego this for now, and add it on my own later? I feel like bluetooth might be getting increasingly more important, and I'd like to be able to take full advantage of the cool wireless gadgets that'll be showing up. What do you guys think - worth the $20? I'm leaning towards yes, but I'd like some feedback - maybe bluetooth is not the up-and-comer that I think it is.

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I guess those are the three I'm on the fence about. Memory and hard drive aren't so critical to me, since they are both easily upgradeable on my own as a user, and whether I get 4GB or 6GB to start with I will more than likely be upgrading to 8GB on my own soon enough.

An important question though: What is the starting configuration of the memory? I assume that if you get 4GB, it is 2GBx2GB, and if you get 8GB it is 4GBx4GB. But what about for 6GB? That is most likely the one I'll get (since it comes as a standard upgrade on the $1199 package). Is that 2GBx2GBx2GB, or is 4GBx2GB? I would REALLY like to know. Thank you.

Also, how difficult is it to open up the chassis and alter the memory/hard drive? I'd like to know, since I very well may upgrade to an SSD on my own at some point in the future, as well as changing the memory. But those first three questions about the upgrades are what I am really curious about, so any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

6GB ram will be 4+2. It is very easy to replace your hard drive and ram. All you need to do is remove the bottom plate, and you will have access.

 

Awesome. That's a lot easier than my Asus - you have to disconnect the keyboard and remove several screws from the topside just to gain access to the bottom plate, ugh. Freaks me out a little bit since I am not incredibly confident about taking notebooks apart and putting them back together.

Good to know it's 4+2, as well. So I can just swap out the 2GB stick for a 4GB stick and get my dual channel on at 8GB. That's probably better than a 10GB configuration, right? Even though I assume the R3 has 4 memory slots, since 16GB is an option.

 

All the m11x models only have two memory slots, the 16gb option is just utilising new 8gb sticks (developed by Samsung I believe...? Not a hundred percent on that) and is prohibitively expensive. Would be a decent party trick though... "My netbook has... oh... 16gb of RAM" It would be worth it purely for the reaction

 

bahaha yes, that would be freaking *classic*. Good to know, 4 slots seemed a bit much which was why i was nonplussed by the 16GB option, expensive as it was... Amazing that they can *fit* 8GB onto a laptop RAM module these days, though, good lord.

And I really am mostly curious about the wireless card, silly as it is, I can't find much information on whether there is any real world-difference between the two...

 

From what I've read, you get better bandwidth from the upgraded wireless card. I went w/ the highest one, in case I ever decide to utilize WiMax. Plus it's just not that much more, might as well spend a little extra on a system like this.

Here are some related posts.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/networking-wireless/572220-intel-wireless-cards.html

http://forum.notebookreview.com/7399430-post658.html

Also this thread will probably be moved here by the mods:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...e-order-configuration-questions-ask-here.html

 

IMO get the i7/blutooth and add the memory +wifi card later...

the intel 6200 is a good choice and is around $25-$30. It offers "40%" longer range, I had a m11x+6200 I will not go back to a stock OEM wifi card again...

 

Ok, well, I didn't take the like ~$60 of tax into account, and now I'm not really sure I'm quite as excited about getting bluetooth 3.0 integrated or the upgraded wireless card...

I would *really* like to know, though, I can upgrade both of these, right? I know it's fairly easily to swap out one internal wireless card for another one, correct? Can I add internal bluetooth capability on my own later on down the line if I feel it to be some sort of absolute necessity? I assume at the very least there are, like, USB things that can give laptops bluetooth capability, but I'd like to know about internal options, too...

Basically, the way I'm looking at it is that the one really important upgrade is the processor. The fact that upgrading that also gives me a free hard drive upgrade to 500GB + 6GB total memory is a pretty big plus, as far as I'm concerned. Especially because now I can just buy one 4GB module instead of two to upgrade to dual channel 8GB on my own now, for memory.

But I would really like to know about those first two questions, re: bluetooth and wireless cards. Thanks.

 

Yes, I'm sure you can you can swap both, just as it was possible in the other versions of the m11x. Related posts:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/487316-m11x-wireless-card-swap.html
digital mart: M11x WWAN card info
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/558872-install-internal-bluetooth-module.html

Sounds a little trickier to get to the Bluetooth.

The teardown vid may help too:

YouTube - ‪Alienware M11x Teardown **READ SAFETY PRECAUTIONS PRIOR TO REPLACING PARTS** (Official Video)‬‏

 

So, I bit the bullet and placed the order! Here's the setup:

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1 225-0846 Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish $1127.39
1 318-0718 Intel Core i7-2617M 1.5GHz (2.6GHz Turbo Mode, 4MB Cache) $0.00
1 320-2255 NVIDIA GeForce GT540 graphics with 2.0GB Video Memory and Optimus $0.00
1 317-7185 6GB DDR3 at 1333MHz $0.00
1 331-2219 Alienware M11x 90W A/C Adapter $0.00
1 320-2253 11.6in High Def (720p/1366x768) with WLED backlight $0.00
1 342-2807 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s $0.00
1 330-9552 Personalized Nameplate $0.00
1 330-6106 Personalized Nameplate Trigger $0.00
1 313-8796 AlienFX Color, Plasma Purple $0.00
1 421-5074 Alienware Command Center Software, M11x $0.00
1 421-1400 Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English $0.00
1 420-9691 DataSafe Local BackUp $0.00
1 420-9956 Vista PC Restore $0.00
1 318-0716 Hinge Up WLAN -BLACK $0.00
1 410-0548 Adobe Acrobat Reader $0.00
1 313-9958 Integrated High-Definition Surround Sound Audio (5.1) $0.00
1 430-4098 Intel Wireless-N WiFi Link 1000 a/g/n 1x2 $0.00
1 430-4128 Internal Bluetooth 3.0

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Very pleased with myself, what can I say. $185 off in total, with free shipping. Pretty good coupon config. i7processor, 6GB memory, 500GB hard drive, bluetooth-enabled, all for $1127 before taxes ain't too bad. I decided not to upgrade the wireless card with Dell - they honestly seem really cheap to buy on your own, and I figured I can just get a really awesome top-of-the-line one (better than what the were offering) if I really need to.

And I tried to call and haggle, but it was so absurd. The saleswoman said her manager would only approve one coupon either the free shipping or the $75 off (even though I could use both online) and that the $75 one wouldn't be approved (even though it worked online) because I was already getting the $110 off (the free hard drive and memory upgrades that came with upgrading to the i7 processor). So why order on the phone where they won't let me use the awesome coupons? I'm smarter than most of those call-center hacks, know the hardware better, and know more about what I want. I have no patience for bending over backwards to talk to those fools for half an hour on the offchance that they might give in and let me have a $20 extra feature for free. Especially when it was obvious I could get a way better deal online. So that's what I did.

So I'm psyched. I plan on basically keeping this bad boy for maybe a year, upgrading the memory to 8GB, maybe sticking an SSD in there if I find a good discounted deal for one of those, and then selling it on eBay or someplace for a nice return eventually. Or if I get my baby and I totally fall in love, I'll hang on to it for ever and ever <3 That M11x is one seriously sexy little beast, after all.

 

Congrats! That's a good price. I've been happy w/ my system, no regrets; the battery life rocks, and I can play every game on it I've tried so far. Not going to get rid of it unless I'm broke in the future, and want to buy an R4!

 

Cool, thanks. Glad to hear about satisfied customers

It's a bit silly though, I did buy my massive Asus a few months ago, but I've been a bit obsessed with new laptops ever since, and decided my G53SW needed a little brother. The Asus is just so massively enormous and has such poor battery life that it doesn't work as a portable machine, really. Which is fine because it is *perfect* as my at-home desktop replacement-type thing. And I swore never to buy another actual desktop machine, since I work in front of one all day.

And this M11x was a gift from my older brother, in that he gave me the money to get it. I was originally just gonna get a netbook - a dm1z most likely. But he just threw a bunch of money at me for my birthday (he has way more money than he needs, the jerk) and said buy the best netbook-sized laptop out there. So that's what I did!

I almost got a Macbook Air, but, well... I can't backlight my keyboard with purple/pink on an Air, so it was an easy decision xD

 

My situation exactly! I thought the Asus was going to be a bit more compact... but it is really a desktop replacement.... hence these smaller babies...

 

sorry wrong thread

 

There is some misinformation about Bluetooth in this thread. The links to teardowns and BT install threads are for older models and neither appropriately answer the question.

The r1 and r2 used the Dell Wireless 365 BT2.1 module, which attached directly to a connector on the PCB. The r3 used a DW375 BT3.0 module, which uses a different cable for each notebook it is intended for. It is about $15 on eBay without a cable and none of the cables appear to be the right one for an M11x. Luckily, my M11x r3 without BT still came with the cable (one end not attached to anything) but I wouldn't count on it always being there (like WWAN antennas in the display). It requires you to take off the bottom panel, battery, front I/O panel, keyboard, and palmrest to install the adapter. My DW365 did not include a screw but my DW375 did. Neither auction showed one so it's a crap shoot when you order from eBay.

 

The R3 uses a motherboard that has the same configuration with ports as the r2 so the tear down still applies. But Im very curious on this. Is that an officially sanctioned Alienware video? Are they saying it is ok to tear down? As I would love to replace the crap heatsink compound with some Diamond IC.

Anyhow per my question.

Im getting the 6gb version and looking to replace the 2 gig with a 4 gig. What memory is being used in the r3? CPU-Z should give the exact details if someone is willing to post that.

Brand/Type/Cas(full listing) Installed

 

Mine should be here tommorrow. I gotta call Fed Ex and tell them to redirect to the location that's only 2 buildings down from work:

1 225-0846 Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish
1 318-0717 Intel Core i5-2537M 1.4GHz (2.3GHz Turbo Mode, 3MB Cache)
1 317-6775 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
1 331-2219 Alienware M11x 90W A/C Adapter
1 320-2253 11.6in High Def (720p/1366x768) with WLED backlight
1 320-2256 NVIDIA GeForce GT540 graphics with 1.0GB Video Memory and Optimus
1 342-2609 320GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
1 330-9552 Personalized Nameplate
1 330-6106 Personalized Nameplate Trigger
1 313-8792 AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
1 421-5074 Alienware Command Center Software, M11x
1 420-9691 DataSafe Local BackUp
1 420-9956 PC Restore
1 421-0092 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
1 421-5789 Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
1 318-0716 Hinge Up WLAN -BLACK
1 410-0548 Adobe Acrobat Reader
1 313-9958 Integrated High-Definition Surround Sound Audio (5.1)
1 430-4098 Intel Wireless-N WiFi Link 1000 a/g/n 1x2
1 953-0080 Dell Hardware Warranty Plus On-Site Service, Initial Year
1 953-0100 Third Party At Home Service, 24x7 Technical Support, Initial Year
1 950-3337 1 Year Limited Warranty
1 950-9797 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
1 421-1723 Soft Contracts Dell In-Home Hardware Agreement for Alienware
1 994-3730 Warranty Support, Initial Year
1 469-0503 No Mobile Broadband Selected
1 430-4128 Internal Bluetooth 3.0
1 421-1573 Alienhead 3D
1 421-1591 Alienhead 3D
1 421-1360 Steam and Portal Factory Installed
1 330-5090 Thank You for Purchasing AlienWare
1 462-3235 Thank you for choosing Dell

I was able to talk the sales rep down to $1005 shipped with taxes

I ordered this RAM from Newegg, which will conveniently arrive tommorrow as well:

Newegg.com - CORSAIR 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 Laptop Memory Model CMSO8GX3M2A1333C9

M11xR2 is going to my GF (she's giving me 700 for it, it has 8 gigs of RAM). I'm going to swap hard drives as I like my Momentus XT. Hopefully I can just swap hard drives and then install drivers and Windows Activation won't complain about the change in hardware, but I'll let you all know.

 

Externally, perhaps, but the man was asking about the internal Bluetooth adapter and THAT port is decidedly different. It raised serious questions about whether it was even possible, considering that the cable was not available with the adapter. Despite the R2 teardown videos, I could not get a conclusive answer without tearing down the r3 myself and ordering/iinstalling the adapter. I'm giving the conclusive answer so that no one else has to go through that.

 

Makes sense. So, can anyone post the memory on the 4 gig sticks so I can attempt to match a stick?

 

Well mine came here are the details on the 4 gig stick.

PC3-10700 (Must be mistake assuming 10600).

Hyundai Electronics
HMT351s6bfr8c-h9
1.5volts
SPD
9.9.9.24

Hynix versions of that cost more so I'm taking my chances matching it with a Mushkin 4 gig and seeing if it still synch's.


Also can this take XMP memory? I'm confused on that matter since I see nothing in bios.

Also as well as Sata600 Hardrives as supposedly that chipset supports.

 

currently Dell offers the m11x with an i3 and nvidia 335m. My question is...is that considered r3? if not then will it have hinge problems and sorts like the earlier builds?

 

That model is an R2. It can potentially have the hinge problem since it uses the old hinge design.

 

I am looking into the m11x i5 2537m 2.3 turbo boost with the geforce GT 540m graphics card, I will be getting it for 900 dollas us the agent gave me a 100 dollar discount.

Will this game play empire total war(single player) and arma 2(online) very smoothly with no problems, if not what other notebook would you suggest to suit my needs.

and with that i5 I would be getting a potential of 4.6 ghz because it has 2 cores running at 2.3; Correct?

is this version im talking about considered an r2 or r3?

 

If it has an 540, its an r3

 

i'm not decided with ram...

is really felt from the system a 8gb ram?
or should i go for the 6gb with 1333mhz?

 

Hope I am posting this in the right place. I am looking at the M11X R3 to do my Full HD video editing on.

If I understand correctly the previous posts, people recommend buying the lowest Ram option and then upgrading to 16GB themselves.

Is this something that is recommended with the SSD as well? Buy the smallest SSD in the Dell config and then buy one separately and install that?

Also are there any films or solutions for the glossy screen problem?

As I am doing HD video I need the machine to be as fast as possible, but it must also be portable as I do this on the road a lot.

Thanks.

 

You're going to be hard-pressed to find 8 gig sticks in the retail world. I'm surprised Dell is even offering it. If you really need 16 gigs, I'd just buy it through Dell as you're going to get raped either way for sticks that large.

Don't buy the smallest SSD, buy the smallest regular hard drive and then add your own SSD. There's nothing special done to the M11X (any flavor) to make it accept an SSD hardware-wise.

 

Thanks. You saved me a bundle with the HD option.

Is there any solution to the glossy screen or anyway to upgrade that?

 

AG2 Anti-Glare screen Protector for Dell Alienware M11x | Green Onions Supply

 

In the Dell Outlet i'm seeing some R3's being sold with a 550m, I thought R3's only came with 540's?

 

hi just a quick qeustion i wanne buy the m11x r3 today but then i found that you can also install it with i3 core processor dual core but can handle 4 theards

is it a good processor ?
Intel® Core™ i3 2357M

is for 899euro and if i go for i5 wit wil cost me 1019euro

 

To dr.rothtooth:

All of the cores are dual core, and have 4 threads.
Between the i5 and the i3...I really suggest the i5.
Why? While the i5 is only 0.1 ghz faster than the i3, it has the turbo clock feature which the i3 does not. With the turbo feature, the i5 can clock all the way up to 2.3 ghz! This makes the i5 every bit worth it, in my opinion.

 

true it is nice to overclock it to 2,3ghz but then again maybe the i3 can be overclocked as wel maybe not till 2,3ghz thats for sure but maybe a 1,7ghz wud be nice i think im going for the i3 and buy more ram memory instead then investing in the i5 cause i just like the m11x series for their mobility just sold the r1 cause the gpu was kinda holding back for me imo.but thx anyway

 

Well the i5 has turbo clock. That is not overclock. Overclock increases the base speed, but turbo clocking allows it to go much faster when you need it too. But if you're on a budget, makes sense to go with the i3. Plus you said the GPU was more important, so the i3 will work.

 

I'm thinking it's just a mistake. Just ordered one that said 550m on the product description so I'll report back if it turns out to be true, but I doubt it.

 

Hey guys,

I'm a newcomer, and was just wondering about the i5/1gb gpu or i7/2gb gpu option. I've read through the thread but don't see it being brought up.

Is it a waste of money to upgrade?
I'm not rich, but was originally considering an m18x with dual 6990s, so don't mind pimping the lil bro out if worth it.

 

Do not get the 2gb option it is a waste and never will be used by this GPU.
1gb all the way. The i5 and i7 are independent of the gpu so personally if I were you and "pimping" it out. Grab the i7 and the 540m with 1gb. 2gb is a gimmick.

More info: http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/606025-deevus-quick-guide-buying-your-m11x.html

 

Cheers Deevu!

I read your guide btw, thought it was great!

Wonderfully accomodating to the less knowledgeable amongst us too.

I could have sworn the cpu and gpu weren't independent on the Dell uk site though..?

And can you give me any brief advice on the potential of the m11x as a primary gaming machine connected to a 32"hd tv? Is it reasonable (I'm not expecting uber graphics)?

Im specifically wanting to play Skyrim on my tv using the m11x..need it small as I will use it at law school.

Cheers dude

 

The i7 gets the 2GB 540m and the i5 gets the 1GB version. Dell USA/UK doesn't give an independent option of selecting what version of the 540m you get. The only way to select is to change the processor.

 

Yeah that's what I thought. You want the i7, you gotta go for the 2gb.
So is it worth it?

 

That is a question that you will have to answer yourself. The difference between the i5 and i7 is 100mhz non turbo boost, 300mhz at max turbo boost, and 1mb of L3 cache I believe. There won't be that much of a performance difference between those two processors. Is it worth £110 to upgrade to the i7 to you? If it were me, I'd get the newer i5 2467m for an extra £80 since the base i3 doesn't have turbo boost and will be stuck at 1.3ghz.

If you chose the i7, don't make the reason being because you get the 2GB 540m. The performance difference between the 1 and 2GB is so small that you would hardly notice any difference.

 

Nicely explained. People will get repped once I can.

I understand the difference in clock speed being less than significant. What I was wondering is whether the difference in onboard memory would aid the card when outputting to a hd tv? I have no basis to think either way.

Basically the only thing that is holding me back buying this is the potential to use it with a TV "like a console". If I'm going to get worse performance than I would from a ps3/360, then I might have to go m14x. Anything I can do with the pre-order config to achieve that sort of performance, I want to do.

 

Hi all, quick question. Dell have a promo at the moment with discounts on both the i5 and i7 models. The i5 2537m with 6GB RAM, 500GB HDD and 1GB GT 540 is priced at €850 (with discount code) while the i7 with 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD and 2GB GT 540 is only €50 extra.
I've read all the info regarding i5 vs i7 and how the 2GB 540 is not worth it. However, with this small price difference, is the i5 still the better deal?

 

Convert that to USD and I have a similar question. For $100 more than an i5 with 6GB of RAM and a 1GB video card you can have an i7 with 8GB of RAM and a 2 GB graphics card.

I find it hard to argue against the i7 upgrade.

Thoughts from the gurus?

 

I've just got rid of my XPS 1730 I've had for 4 years, and bought with the low end processor. During the 4 years, while waiting for videos to be cross-coded, code to be compiled, playing with games, there is always a thought in the back of your mind that "it should be finished by now". Sure new proc's are coming out all the time, but you really should invest in the best non-upgradable parts from the outset. Secondly, the resell value is a lot better.


The deal I got....

i7, 4gb memory, 500gb ATA

The 2gb 540 is the only option in the UK, I also went for the Killer N, which doesn't extend WiFI distance, but does smooth out streaming and gaming, (cabled and WiFi feel the same in-game)

All for a smidge over 1k.

Dell told me to expect delivery on the 21st, but it arrived on the 12th, so bonus points to Dell.

 

I opted for the i7 in the end as I got a very good deal. Unbelieveably, I paid just €8 more for the R3 over the R1 I bought early last year.

 

How much better is the BIGFOOT wireless card over the best wireless card from Intel?
Increase WIFI range?
Just wondering if the extra $80 is worth it.

 

Is there a gaming performance difference between the different OS versions?

Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate 64-Bit
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64-Bit
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-Bit